Walmart Coupon Policy Revised

Walmart revised their coupon policy AGAIN to specifically exclude OYNO Catalina coupons as of 3/16. I guess that puts the speculation as to if they should be taking them to rest. Everything else is pretty much the same, no other major changes. You can get the Walmart coupon policy to clicking on the link on the side bar under "Store Policies". There is a regular version and a print friendly . pdf version.


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Walmart Register Reward Update

While I was at Walgreens today I ran into my frugal friend, Natalie. She had some Walmart news that she wanted me to share with you. She had just come from Walmart (Belvidere, IL) where she tried to pay with Register Rewards (OYNO) and was denied. She was told that they are no longer allowing any OYNO Catalina coupons. The cashier told her that they were all (cashiers) forced to sign a form that stated that they understood that OYNO Catalina coupons were not allowed and that they would not take them. Apparently this store feels that they don't have to follow the new corporate policy that allows Catalina manufacturer coupons. So, the saga continues. If you shop at a Walmart store that does accept OYNO Catalina coupons please leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

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Walmart - UGH!

Oh, Walmart how you have let me down once again!  And here I thought we had kissed and made up for good.....

Sunday (yes, I am a little behind in getting this out to you!) I had to make an evening run to Walmart to pick up some essentials.  We were out of milk, bananas, bread, salad, etc.  After a busy weekend I was not happy about having to go, but I thought that I could just get in and out with no hassle...WRONG!

First, the store was out of lots of things, who runs out of 1% and whole milk?!?!  Produce was really picked over too, and so was the bread.  I was starting to think that there was some sort of natural disaster predicted that I didn't hear about and peeps were running to the stores to stock up. 

Once I had what I needed, I hit the check out line with four $3 Register Rewards that I had intended on paying with...DENIED!!  The cashiers would only allow ONE RR per transaction because they were interpreting the policy of "one per purchase" as meaning "one per transaction".  Didn't I just use $39 in RR's in ONE transaction here?  I stated my case a little bit, but I was so worn down from the the weekend that I didn't have much left in me to put up a good fight.  After the cashier called over a customer service supervisor, who also denied me, I gave up - I used ONE RR and went on my merry way. 

Now I need to sit down and draft an email to Walmart corporate regarding my experience and using Catalina coupons at their store.  This is not something I want to just let go because the potential for using RR's at Walmart is really beneficial to me and several of my frugal friends.  Just another thing to add to my ever growing list of things to do.

Walmart - New Coupon Policy Update

I stopped in over at Walmart today to try out the new coupon policy.  I was prepared for a "discussion" with a supervisor or manager in regards to my coupons but I was pleasantly surprised.  I had planned to use several Catalina coupons for $XX off items, Register Rewards and several coupons that would get overage. 

I scoped out my favorite, coupon friendly cashier and asked her if she had seen the new policy.  At first, she actually thought I was joking!  She had been off on Sunday and Monday and heard nothing about it.  I shared my copy with her and away we went. 

The register did not beep on any coupons above the value of the item so Walmart must have reset their registers for this, next the Catalina $XX off items coupons scanned perfectly and lastly, the $39 in Register Rewards I used worked perfectly.  The RR's are taken off as cash and they are not even scanned at the register.  I was able to spend RR's on things like milk, bananas and clothing.

To really test this out,  I had to do one more thing.  My last total was $1.01 so I handed her a $5 RR.  She put it in as a cash payment and gave me back $3.99 in change. 

Walmart, you have redeemed yourself and I take back all the negative things I have said/posted about you in the past (for now anyway!).  ;-)

New Walmart Coupon Policy!!

As Mickey Mouse would say Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog!!!  You are going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Wal-mart's new coupon policy!

Wal-mart just may be my new favorite store to coupon shop at! 

Here is a direct link to the *NEW* Wal-mart coupon policy, which specifically states that they WILL take Catalina coupons (which would include Register Rewards). 

The other AWESOME change is that the policy acknowledges overage on coupons that exceed the amount of the item.  Wal-mart will now KNOWINGLY give you overage toward the purchase of other items in your transaction!  This policy even states that they will give you change back on overage with your coupons - WOW!

Can you tell that I am thoroughly excited about these two little changes?!?!

Print this out and carry it with you because you are bound to run into problems until this filters its way through the stores and management.  Report back here with your sucesses and failures, please!

Walgreens Coupon Policy

Walgreens has officially posted their store coupon policy online.  Go here to check it out.  I highly recommend printing this one and having it handy in your coupon binder.  There have been many times when I have been checking out at Wags that I wished I had a policy to refer back to. 

I have updated the Walgreens coupon policy on the sidebar so that you always have a link to it if you need it in the future. 

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Tara! 

Jewel Coupon Policy Clarification

In my post for this week's Jewel deals I also posted this:

One last bit of info that I found out today, Jewel will no longer be allowing the use of coupons when the value is greater than the value of the item. They will no longer reduce the value of the coupon to the price of the item. You won't be able to use the coupon on that item. As an example, today I used the $1.00 off Scotch Brite coupon on .99 sponges. This will no longer be allowed. One of the really nice customer service reps was helping me at the USCAN today and told me that just came out in a memo to all the stores yesterday. She let my coupons fly today, but it won't be allowed any longer. Go quickly and get those sponges before all the cashiers get the memo!! :) (I almost felt like I was in Wal-mart instead of Jewel!)

I wanted to get some clarification on this for all of us.  Barb over at CW is the Jewel expert.  When it comes to ANYTHING Jewel related she is the go to person.  I sent her a message over at CW asking if she knew anything about this change in coupon policy and this is what she explains:

"I was told that by the CSR...but then she GAVE ME a copy of the policy and it wasn't in there. I am guessing it may be in the paperwork they actually sign?

The CSR and I also discussed that on the Jewel side for items that scan higher then have a preferred price those types of coupons don't beep so the cashiers should allow them as they are to scan all coupons (without inspecting them) and only question what beeps.

Waiting to see how it plays out. Thanks for letting me know you heard it too.

I bought 56 Stayfree yesterday...$1.99 but they SCAN $3.49 with $1.50 preferred so none of the 56 $2/1 coupons beeped."

Hopefully this is actually how it will play out at the register, we can only wait and see.  Please report back if you have an experience that proves or disproves this scenario.  (Oh My Goodness!!  Did she say 56 Stayfree?!?!  That's A LOT of pads!)

Hilander Coupon Policy

My frugal friend Tara sent me some additional information regarding the coupon policy for the Hilander stores (in Rockford, IL).  She contacted them by e-mail requesting their coupon policy.  Hilander is an affiliate of Kroger stores, but their coupon policies vary by region.  In addition to the information I have linked under "store policies" here is what they e-mailed her:

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thank you for contacting Highlander. Please see below the coupon policy for Highlander stores:

Hilander Stores:

We will double coupons up to 55 cents, limit of 2 identical coupons per  "shopping trip*" (*A shopping trip = 24 hours. Additional identical coupons will be redeemed at face value).

Coupons over 55 cents will be redeemed at face value

We do not double coupons for Free merchandise, Catalina Coupons, Kroger Coupons, Coupons of greater value than the price of the item, or greater than the bonus limit.

Items must be purchased in sizes and quantities specified  on each coupon.

Coupons that will not double include retailer,  cigarette/tobacco products or store coupons.

No cash refunds will be given on a coupon value that exceeds the retail value of the item.

I hope that this information is helpful. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us at 800.576.4377.
Sincerely,
Christie Metropulos
Consumer Affairs

A BIG Thank you to Tara for sharing this information so we can all have a copy of this with us when we shop at Hilander.

Knowing the Store's Coupon Policy

Today while checking out at Target, I was reminded about how important it is to be familiar with your store's coupon policy.  I had a cashier who didn't want to let me use a particular coupon because it's face value was more than the price of the product itself.  I politely explained Target's coupon policy to her but she continued to insist that she was correct.  At first I told her I had time to wait while she called corporate to get the proper coupon policy, but then I told her that if she didn't want to call corporate I could show her the copy of Target's coupon policy that I carry in my coupon binder.  It's printed straight from Target's website.  I pulled it out and read to her the line about this particular instance.  Here's what it reads:

• Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.
• We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item.

After that, she agreed and adjusted the amount of the coupon to be the value of the item.  I didn't have to wait for a manager to be called over or for her to call corporate.  Of course, I didn't get the overage that I was expected on those 4 items but I still got them for FREE.  Overage is a gift, not a right, so I was happy with my FREE items.  I didn't want to make a big stink because the other items in my cart that I was getting overage on slipped right by her!

So, to make things easier for my deal seeking friends I have added a "Store Policies" section on my sidebar and I will continue to add these as I find them.  I would recommend printing these and keeping them handy when you shop.

Getting Started: Walgreens

Shopping at Walgreens is very rewarding, once you get the hang of all the little quirks that go along with coupon shopping there.  I started out with Walgreens, and did get frustrated at times when things wouldn't work out like I had planned, but I am glad I stuck with it and learned the ropes.  Trial and error is sometimes the best learning tool.  I find that once I make a mistake, I usually don't make that same mistake again there. 

You can find a wealth of information at the Walgreens blog http://www.iheartwags.com/ (also linked on my sidebar under money saving blogs). This blog usually has upcoming ads posted so you can look ahead at future sales to purchase or trade for coupons.   It also lists some great coupon match-ups and links to printables for the sale as well. 

Register Rewards:

* Walgreens prints out catalina coupons called "Register Rewards"(RR's). Usually these catalinas are tied to purchasing a particular product.
* RR's are usually manufacturer coupons and do not state that you can only redeem them at Walgreens.
* You can use coupons on the items you are purchasing to get the Register Rewards.
* You will only get one Register Reward per item per transaction. You can get multiple RR's in the same transaction as long as they are all on different items. If you want to get more than one of the same RR, split it out into seperate transactions.  
* If you purchased the right items and didn't get the RR, you can return the items before you leave the store, or call the catalina company at 888-322-3814. Have your receipt handy because they need some information from it.  They will be able to see if the machine was working properly and if you bought the correct items to generate the RR.  If everything looks like you should have gotten the RR, then they will mail one to you. 
* If you use a RR to pay for a transaction that you are expecting to get a RR from, then you will want to be sure not to use one that is from the same parent comapny as the product you are expecting the RR on.  If you pay with a RR from a company that is issuing a RR, it won't print.  (RR's usually don't "roll" at Wags.)
* In the fine print on the RR's there is a list of things that they can't be used on such as tobacco, liquor, lottery tickets, gift cards, etc.
* RR's are just like cash - only with an expiration date.  Don't let them expire!  Use it or loose it!

Store Coupons:

* Walgreens puts out some great store coupons, there are always several coupon books with Walgreens specific coupons at any given time. 
* Walgreens weekly sale flyer usually has store coupons in it.
* You can also find printable store coupons on their website. 
* The pharmacy area is a great place to find a lot of their coupon books. 
* There is also a monthly coupon book that is usually located up in the front of the store by the sale flyers. 
* Walgreens also puts out a children's coloring/activity book that has great coupons in it. 
* Remember, store coupons can be "stacked" with manufacturer coupons on the same item.  You can even use TWO different Walgreens store coupons and a manufacturer coupon on one item as long as both Walgreens store coupons have different numbers (on the bar code). 
* ALWAYS hand over the manufacturer coupons first and then the store coupons.  (This is the only way that you will get overage, if the store coupons are scanned first, you will never get the overage.)
* You only need one store coupon per transaction, not per item.  If you have a store coupon on a particular item and you are purchasing two of that item, you only have the cashier scan the coupon once and the register will deduct the amount of the coupon times two (the number of that particular item you are buying).
* You DO NOT need to give the cashier the store coupon, you can just have them scan it and then you keep it.  You always want to hang onto those store coupons, they could be very valuable in the future too.   You don't even need to cut the coupon from the flyer or coupon book, just have them scan it right out of the book and then put the book in your bag or purse.

Some other things to remember when shopping at Wags:

* You must have the same number of items as manufacturer coupons.  If you are paying with a RR, these count as a manufacturer coupon.  If you need to you may have to find some cheap "filler" items to boost your item number so you can use all your coupons.  Some great fillers are cheap candy, gum, etc. or other things that are generating a RR that you don't already have manufacturer coupons for.  Sometimes they have holiday pencils that make great fillers, or grab a can of pop or bottle of water.  Anything works!  Walgreens store coupons do not count toward your number of items when figuring in how many coupons you can use.

* Many Walgreens stores keep manufacturer coupons behind the counter, all clipped out and ready to go.  If there's a coupon that you are looking for, ask - they just may have it there for you to use. 

I LOVE shopping at Wags, but I am not really fond of playing their game when it comes to rolling the RR's into other transactions.  I usually get all the deals with RR's and then go do my grocery shopping at Jewel and "spend" the RR's there....it's just so much easier and less hassle.

Getting Started: Coupon Wording

You will need to be familiar with some of the common wording seen on coupons.  Most of the fine print on coupons is easy to understand, but a few issues can be misinterpreted. 

Sometimes coupons are issued at a store (for example, Walgreen's Register Rewards), or on a store's website and those coupons will have that particular store's logo or name on them.  Sometimes they will say things like "Redeemable at Walgreen's".  The one thing you want to remember about these coupons is that if they don't have the phrase "Redeemable ONLY at Walgreen's" they can be used at any store with a coupon policy in place that allows other store's coupons.  A lot of stores will take manufacturer coupons with other store's logos or names on them, as long as they don't say "ONLY redeemable at XXX" and they have an address to submit them to for reimbursement.  Check with the store's coupon policy or ask a Customer Service Specialist (or manager) at your store about taking these coupons.  Another approach you can try is to ask the cashier to scan it at the register.  If the register lets it go through without beeping, they can take it. 

The other important wording on coupons that can get confusing is the "one per transaction" and "one per purchase" wording.  One per transaction purely means just that, you can only use one coupon for each transaction.  You can do 5 transactions and use one of that particular coupon in each transaction.  Most coupons have the wording "one per purchase" and each item you are buying is considered a "purchase".  There can be 5 of the same item in a transaction and you could use 5 coupons with that wording because each one is considered a purchase. 

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.