Anatomy of a Coupon

I know, I know. If you're reading this blog, you probably already know what coupons are. But this post is about more than just defining them, I promise. :)

To begin: a coupon is an advertisement that gives you (the coupon holder) a certain amount off of the cost of a particular item or items. There are several parts to a coupon, which I'll go over... now!

This is a coupon. The information includes: the dollar amount to be taken off, the specific product, the barcode, the limits, the expiration date, and the words "Manufacturer's Coupon." (I chose this coupon because it expired in 2008, is valid only in Canada, and because it showed up on my Google image search.)

The first part is self-explanatory. If you buy this specific product  you will receive this specific amount of money off.

The barcode is an important of the coupon. Don't cut it off! Most stores won't accept a coupon without a barcode. Each coupon has a unique barcode, and stores get reimbursed for each coupon that they turn in with that unique barcode. If you make photocopies of a coupon, the store will not be reimbursed for each coupon that has a duplicated barcode. If you make 9 copies of a $1 coupon, you are essentially stealing $9 from the store, since they won't be reimbursed for the fake coupons.

The "Limits" portion of a coupon can get a little tricky. Most coupons will have a line that says something like, "Limit one coupon per purchase per visit." Unlike what lots of people think, this does not mean that you can only use one like coupon per shopping trip! Each item purchased is a separate "purchase." If you buy 5 tubes of toothpaste, you have made 5 "purchases" and can use 5 coupons. 

Some coupons say something like, "Limit one coupon per transaction." That means that for each time you pay, you can only use one coupon. If you'd like to use two coupons with that limit, you must make 2 transactions and pay 2 times.

The expiration date is another self-explanatory part of the coupon... use them before they expire! :)

The last part of the coupon I'm going to talk about is pretty important. This coupon says "Manufacturer's Coupon." That means that Rubbermaid produced this coupon, and Rubbermaid will reimburse the store for each coupon that the store turns in (provided that they each have a unique barcode!). You can not use 2 manufacturer's coupons on 1 item. (If you have 2 toothpaste coupons from Colgate, you have to buy 2 tubes to use both coupons.)

Some stores (like Target) have store coupons that are produced by the store. They will not be reimbursed for these coupons, but they are giving each coupon holder a discount. 

The really, really great news is that some stores (again, like Target) will allow you to stack a manufacturer's coupon with a store coupon, which lets you save lots of money! Foe example, if you were holding the above Target web coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off one Colgate toothpaste, you would get $2 off of one tube.

Hopefully this has been helpful! If I have missed something important or not explained well enough, please leave me a quick note in the comment section and I will fix it!