Getting Started: Store Coupon Policy & Cashiers

It's a good idea to be familiar with the store's coupon policy when you are shopping.  Coupon policies can usually be found on the store's website or you can go to the "contact us" section of the store's website and send them an e-mail asking for their policy.  They will usually e-mail it back to you.  I keep copies of the store's coupon policies that I shop at in the front section of my coupon binder so I can refer to it while I am out shopping if I need to. 

Sometimes a cashier will try to deny your use of coupons and you can refer back to the store's policy if you have it with you.  Some cashiers can be really picky about coupon useage and will try to tell you that you can't use certain coupons for certain items.  A lot of the time the cashiers just aren't trained properly on coupons, some don't even know their store policy on coupon useage.  If you know the policy, you can (politely) give them the information they need to understand that what you are trying to do is within the store's coupon policy. 

It's always a good idea to be as polite as possible with cashiers, you don't want to be labeled as a rude couponer or even worse, a fraudulent couponer.  If you cannot convince them that what you are trying to do is right according to their policy, just let it go, there's no sense in extensive arguing because even though you might miss out on this deal, there's always another deal right around the corner - possibly a better one for the same item.  It's OK to question their decision and even ask for a Customer Service Manager, but don't be too harsh.  If it's a store that you shop frequently at, you want to have a good relationship with them.  Trust me, they do remember you, cashiers and store staff talk.  Just today the store manager at my Walgreens store addressed me by my name, and I was shocked because I never told him my name, but the other staff there knows me and I know that they all talk!    I have a wonderful relationship with my Walgreens store staff and I would not risk that for one little coupon issue, I don't want to be embarrassed going into a store because I am rude or try to use coupons that I shouldn't.  In looking at the big picture, it's better to just let it go. 

Sometimes cashiers act as if the money is coming out of their own pockets.  You can politely remind them that the store actually MAKES money accepting coupons.  Maufacturer's pay the stores an additional .08-.12 for each coupon they submit.  The store gets the full value of the coupon, plus that extra "handling" fee.  I know it can be hard to be nice to someone who is being rude to you, but just "kill them with kindness"!  It's the right thing to do to take the high road.

When stores submit coupons to manufacturers for reimbursement, the coupons all go into a big box, bag or envelope and get sent to a clearinghouse.  They do not get sorted, matched to receipts or audited.  A cashier may tell you differently, but it's a good thing to know when they are trying to tell you about fraudulent coupon use.