The Coupon Explained

Pay Attention and Use the Coupon as it is Intended!

A growing problem with coupons is that people sometimes use them incorrectly. Whether this is accidental or intentional, it has affects on the couponing trend. Coupons are a privilege provided by the manufacturer of the product and are intended for use on specific products. When coupons are used incorrectly, you are abusing this privilege and stores will not be reimbursed for these “mistakes.” Using a coupon incorrectly is considered coupon fraud. Due to an increase in coupon fraud, the value of coupons is dropping and stores are changing their policies. It is important to learn about the coupon so that you can be an honest shopper!

1. COUPON TYPE – Coupons can be either issued by the manufacturer (MFC’s) or by specific stores (Target, Walgreens, etc.) If the coupon says Manufacturer’s coupon, it can be used at any store that accept coupons. If the coupon says Target Store Coupon, it can only be used at Target. Register Rewards, Extra Care Bucks, and other catalinas are considered Manufacturer's coupons but can only be used at the participating store unless otherwise stated in a store's policy.
   
   NOTE: If the coupon says Manufacturer’s coupon at the top, but also says “Redeemable at Walmart,” it may be used anywhere since it is still a Manufacturer's coupon. (This is just marketing.) If the coupon says Manufacturer’s coupon at the top, but also says “Redeem ONLY at Walmart,” you can only use it at Walmart.


2. EXPIRATION DATE – Coupons are only valid up until the expiration date. Most coupons have an expiration date. “No Expiration Date,” coupons are rare and usually mailed out by the manufacturer. If you accidentally cut off the expiration date, the coupon is no longer valid.


3. DOLLAR VALUE – Pay attention to the value of the coupon! If the coupon states $1.00/1 (off one), you will receive $1.00 off one product. If the coupon states $1.00/2 (off two), you MUST buy two products to redeem it. If the coupon is Buy One, Get One Free, you must buy one product to get the free product. You generally cannot stack a BOGO coupon with a dollar off coupon ($1.00/1) unless stated otherwise in the store policy.


4. PRODUCT WORDING – Read the coupon carefully and use it as it is intended. If the coupon states “$1.00/1 package of U by Kotex Liners (Not Good on Trial Size),” you may only use it on U by Kotex Liners 18ct+. You cannot use it on Kotex Natural Balance liners. You cannot use it on U by Kotex Purse Tins. If the coupon states you can use it on ANY U by Kotex, you can use it on any U by Kotex product and size including trial/travel.


5. *PRODUCT PHOTO – Only the product wording will determine what the coupon can be used on, NOT the photo. If there is a photo of the U by Kotex 60ct liners, it is simply a suggestion of what you can buy. Since the wording does not state a specific size, you may use it on the 18ct instead.


6. LIMITATIONS – There can be a lot of confusion when it comes to limitations. The most common being: “One Coupon Per Purchase.” This means that you may only use ONE $1.00/1 coupon per EACH PRODUCT purchased. This does not mean that you can only use one coupon per shopping trip. In that case, it would state, "One coupon per customer per shopping trip.” Proctor and Gamble coupons frequently state, “Limit 4 like coupons in the same shopping trip.”