How to Read a Coupon
Posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
We all love to use coupons, but before we can use them we have to be able to read them. Reading coupons can get a bit tricky at times what with the fine print and all. If you find yourself a little confused sometimes when you’re looking at a coupon, read on!
Types of Coupons
The two main types of coupons are store coupons (Target, Walmart, Home Depot, etc.) and manufacturer coupons (Oscar Mayer, Sara Lee, Lysol, etc.). Store coupons will have the store name and logo on it, manufacturers coupons will just have the brand name and logo.
Within these types of coupons there are percentage off coupons, dollar or cents off coupons, and BOGO coupons (to name a few). Make sure you know what type of coupon you have, as store policies dictate how many of whatever type of coupon you can use in one transaction or per item.
The Fine Print
We all hate it, but we have to read it! That’s right; those tiny words at the bottom of your coupon actually mean something. Look to the fine print for some important qualifications such as:
- “While supplies last”
- “Offer valid only with this coupon”
- “Offer not valid at [specific locations]“
- “Offer valid only with a store membership”
- “Limited to one item per customer”
- “Limited to one coupon per customer”
- “Offer only valid with this coupon”
Those are just a couple of the many important sentences you will find in the fine print. Pull out that magnifying glass and read it because it will save you, the cashier, and the people behind you a lot of grief if you know what’s what with your coupon.
Value
This one’s pretty simple. This is just how much the coupon is worth, for example $1.00 off a certain product or 20% off of your entire purchase.
Picture
Pictures can be pretty helpful. When a coupon has a picture of the product it’s for on it, you know exactly what to be looking for and are less likely to grab the wrong item. Keep in mind though that the picture can be deceiving. often, the image will be of the fanciest or largest product when the coupon can still be used on a less expensive version. As long as the wording doesn’t specify a size or type, you should be able to apply that coupon to the cheapest one.
Expiration Date
Always check your coupons for an expiration date! Very, very rarely you will run across a coupon that says “No expiration date,” but more likely than not there will be one. If you have expired coupons, check out my post “Top 7 Things to Do with Expired Coupons” for some inspiration.
Bar code
The bar code on your coupon might not be too helpful for you, but here’s a couple of tips. If the bar code on your coupon starts with a “99″ it means your coupon cannot be doubled. If the bar code begins with a “5″ your coupon will be automatically doubled, assuming of course your store allows for doubling coupons.
