Every coupon has a few basic pieces of information you need to notice:
Manufacturer or Store Coupon - This lets you know where you can use the coupon, and if you can use it in conjunction with another coupon. Manufacturer coupons are accepted at almost all grocery and drugstores. Store coupons usually can only be used at the store indicated; however, some stores accept "competitor coupons" (always ask which competitors' coupons a store will accept, if any). If you have a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon for the same item, most stores will let you use both (called "stacking").
Rules to learn:
~ Always ask which competitors' store coupons a store will accept, if any.
~ You can stack a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on a single item--but not two manufacturer coupons or two store coupons!
Expiration Date - Some stores will accept coupons a couple of days after the expiration. The reason for this is because the stores have a certain deadline by which they must return redeemed coupons to the manufacturer for credit. However, don't make your shopping list based on expired coupons before you check the store's policy.
Rule to learn:
~ Check your store's policy on expired coupons before trying to use them.
Coupon Value - Every coupon has a set value. Some stores double coupons up to a certain amount, so be familiar with your store's doubling policy and go for doubles whenever you can.
Important: Some coupons are good for an amount off a set number of items. For instance, I have a coupon that is good for $1 off 2 packages of Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. I must buy the number indicated on the coupon in order to use the coupon. Attempting to use the coupon when buying only one of these is coupon fraud. There are two possible results if I attempt this:
1) The cashier reads the coupon and tells me I have not bought the correct number. (It's likely the transaction is complete by now and I cannot put one back or add another. I'm stuck paying more than I'd planned.)
2) The cashier doesn't catch my error and proceeds with the transaction. I get my deal, but when the time comes for the store to return the redeemed coupons to the manufacturer, they won't be able to, because my coupon was not redeemed correctly. My store loses that money. If this happens repeatedly, my store could stop accepting coupons altogether, and I would lose even more in the end.
Rules to learn:
~ Check your store's policy on doubling coupons.
~ Always buy the number of products indicated on the coupon.
Bar Code - The coupon bar code actually provides a wealth of information.
- The "5" circled in red indicates that the coupon can be doubled (redeemed for twice its value)--that is, if your store doubles coupons of this amount. If there were a "9" here at the beginning of the bar code, that would mean it cannot be doubled. Some coupons will also be labeled "Do Not Double" (or in the fine print will say "not subject to doubling"). On occasion, you may have a coupon labeled "Do Not Double" (or DND, in couponing lingo) that has a barcode beginning with 5. These can go either way depending on your cashier. Sometimes the cashier will read every coupon to see if any of them are marked DND (and will follow the rules if he finds a DND); if the cashier does not read them, the ones that begin with 5 will double. My advice: plan for the coupon not to double if it is marked DND. If your cashier doesn't read it and lets it double, you get a pleasant surprise (and you are not responsible for coupon fraud, as this would not be your fault).
- The next five digits are the manufacturer code.
- The next three digits are the "item family" code.
- The next two digits are the code for the item itself.
Some shoppers have found that they can sneak in coupons for items like the one they are purchasing, if the manufacturer code and/or family code match. For instance, if I want to buy Pillsbury Crescents but I only have a coupon for Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, the two will have the same manufacturer code, so it might work if my cashier isn't looking closely at my coupons. Or, say I had a coupon for something in the same "item family"--like Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. The coupon code will almost match the bar code on the Crescents, because the manufacturer and family codes will be identical. I could potentially use that coupon on the wrong item without getting caught. But here's the thing: that would be coupon fraud. And we already discussed what can happen there--when my store can't get the money back for coupons redeemed fraudulently, the store might just decide to stop taking coupons altogether. Who loses in this situation? Everyone.
Rules to learn:
~ If you have a coupon marked "Do Not Double" but whose bar code begins with 5, plan for it not to double.
~ Only use coupons that are for the item you are purchasing.
Fine Print - Fortunately, there's not a lot you need to worry about in the fine print (phew)! This is mostly information for the store's benefit. However, there are a couple of key things I should notice:
- Limit one coupon per purchase. This is pretty standard on all coupons and just means that you may only use one manufacturer coupon for a single item. (This does not include store coupons--hooray!) Don't try to sneak in extras. Almost all scanners are configured to alert the cashier when more than one manufacturer coupon is being entered for an item. You will get the coupon handed back to you. Trust me.
- Valid only on product(s) indicated. This is the manufacturer's smart way to remind everyone that, just because the coupon has the same manufacturer code and family code as a different item, the coupon cannot be redeemed for that different item. Don't try to get around this.
Rules to learn:
~ Only use one manufacturer coupon per item.
~ Again, only use coupons that are for the item you are purchasing.
To summarize the rules:
~ Always ask which competitors' store coupons a store will accept, if any.
~ Only use one manufacturer coupon per item.
~ You can stack a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon on a single item.
~ Check your store's policy on expired coupons.
~ Check your store's policy on doubling coupons.
~ If you have a coupon marked "Do Not Double" but whose bar code begins with 5, plan for it not to double.
~ Only use coupons that are for the item you are purchasing.
~ Always buy the number of products indicated on the coupon.
I learned the importance of several of these rules in one failed shopping trip I will not soon forget. Bloom was doing Super Doubles (doubling coupons up to $1.99), and I planned a trip using several fraudulent strategies, because I was told it "wasn't that big a deal." I tried using multiple manufacturer coupons per item, only buying one item when the coupon was for two, and using coupons for items with the same manufacturer code and family code. Two people told me, "oh, everyone does it--they won't even check it." I attempted this against my better judgment, and yeah, they definitely checked it. And I ended up looking like a fool, making a sweet young cashier have to call her manager (which stressed her out, and she was already having a bad day), and spending more than twice what I had planned (on a bunch of stuff I only bought because I thought I was going to get them nearly free). I felt like a positively awful person. I will never do it again. We can save so much by using coupons the right way; there is no need to attempt fraud to save more. It is absolutely not worth it in any way, shape, or form. Learn from my "epic shopping fail" and use these rules to guide your couponing!
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