One question I receive a lot is what order should you present your coupons at the register? This varies by couponer, but here’s how I do it:
Grocery Store:
- Store coupons first
- Manufacturer coupons
- If I have printable coupons, I will put 1 printable, 1 newspaper, 1 printable, 1 newspaper. I do this because sometimes the printable coupons stick.
Drug Stores:
- Manufacturer coupons
- Store Coupons
- ECBs, RRs or Up Rewards
I present mine in a stack at the end of the order and watch the cashier like a hawk as she redeems them. This is what works best for me, but it might not work best for everyone.
How do you present your coupons?
If you are new to Couponing, you might want to take a moment to read more in my Getting Started Couponing series. It will teach you how to coupon like I do!
I have been couponing for quite some time but honestly never thought about the order that I give the coupons to the cashier can affect the final cost of the item. Since I saw this tip on your site, I am so careful that I give the coupons in the right order. This has added quite a bit of extra money to my disney fund. Thank you so much for the tip…
Thank you for the advice. I walked out of Target recently to discover that the clerk didn’t ring up one of my online coupons.
I always put my Free’s and Bogo’s together at the front to make it easier on the cashier. If I am at Target or Safeway and I have a match-up I keep the coupons together.
I have no set order, but this post gives me some ideas, thanks!
One thing I do tend to do is leave coupons I think might be problematic for the end. That way, the cashier doesn’t start off with problems. I feel like he/she will then expect more problems.
It all depends on the cashier. I have no certain order they go in.
awesome to know, thanks for the info!!
At walgreens I had to start not puttng like amounts together my cashier would miss some because some times it would beep but not take and they would look at the reister and think it took….so I just started not putting any like amounts together….
Went to Target and they had 2 four packs of degree deodorant on clearance. Since there is one barcode this worked for me.
Gave cashier the BOGO degree coupon, and I used the Target $1 off Degree. I got both boxes for $3.24. I did not use another Target $1 off coupon because I thought it would of bomb out. I guess I should of gave the cashier the BOGO coupons last then the price would of been $2.24. Oh well, 8 deodorants for $3.24 is cheap.
I see that they also had Old Spice packages too, So I’m gonna try to use my Old Spice coupons on those.
I don’t understand this, as I haven’t used BOGOs much. Why is it cheaper to do the $1 off first?
This is what I am thinking. If the four packs are rung up at $4.24 each, then you hand over the BOGO, then one of the $4.24 goes to $0. Then you use your $1 off to get it down to $3.24.
If you hand over the $1 off first, then I would expect that you’d have one $4.24 and one $3.24 on your receipt, and then the BOGO takes off the cheaper one, you’d have to pay $4.24, right?
Or does it not work that way?
I think this works when you have TWO coupons for $1 off each, plus the BOGO. so you get $1 off each of the deodorants, then one free. but i think that $1 still comes off your total bill. Is this correct?
and one more comment- I always make sure any “free” products I’m getting are in the top part of my cart, at the end of my order. The cashier has to look these up on the receipt one by one, so it’s a major pain if I don’t keep them all together :)
I use Giant Eagle, which means about every 3-4 months (sooner if I’m commuting a lot and ranking up 1% per ten gallons of gas pumped) I have 20% off my grocery order. I always insist they take that off first… so I’ll do a major shopping trip in two bunches- the first trip I purchase anything I’ll be receiving catalinas from. I then turn around and use those catalinas in a transaction from $300-$400. Using my “fuelperks” I’m able to knock 20% off the cost of my entire order- plus, I am still getting the $.10 off per gallon of gas per $50 spent (and right now it’s $.20 per $50) that comes from my total order! Let’s say I only have $30 worth of coupons for this trip and $20 in catalinas, and assuming my store loyalty card knocks off about $30, since it usually does.
For example, a $400 transaction would go:
Store loyalty card: $370
20% off- $296
Catalinas- $276
Coupons- $246
I am by no means an extreme couponer, but I view this as getting $150 worth of free groceries!
I always present my free coupons first and let the cashier know I have them. That way, it’s easier on her to write in the price as the item comes through. Also, I slightly wrinkle my printed coupons so they won’t stick together.
I do it differently at Target. You can’t go less than the product amount with the manufacturer’s coupon, but the store coupons lower the value of the product so your manufacturer’s coupon will beep or automatically lower its value.
I also try to hand the coupons to the cashier one at a time. That lets me make sure none stick or that the cashier doesn’t flip the stack over and do them completely backward (which has happened multiple times before). Not all cashiers want me to do that so I don’t fight over it, but it’s my goal.
At Wags I always try to give the store coupons last, but the cashiers grab the ad and put them in anyway as they ring the item. Other than that I follow the same order you do!
I always scan the high price ones first and make my way down to the low price ones. I work at cvs and do this for every customer that way you can use all coupons and still come out with the best deal!
I learned the hard way about separating printed coupons….live and learn! I could have used this post about 4 months ago when I started couponing ;-)
I put BOGO coupons last. That way if I’m using say $1/1 for Degree and BOGO for Degree, the computer doesn’t use the BOGO coupon to “tie” the two items as one and I can still use my other $1/1 coupon for the second deodorant.
I put the free coupons first and put all my free items last so it is easier to find the prices, and if I have 2 or more of the same coupons I separate them. Other then that I do it the same way.
Just thought I’d add that at rite aid, you shoud give the ups first, then the store coupons then the manufacturers. If you do this, then the man coupon will feed into the tax. which leaves you with less oop.
I always make sure that if there is a $5/$25 coupon or similar, that I give that one first, while the total is high. That way, if it beeps, there is not an argument from the cashier that you didn’t spend $25. Also, I save the FREE coupons for last because they take a little more effort from the cashier to write in the amounts.
i always do free and bogo first that way to look up the price they don’t have to scroll through all the coupons
I always write in the price for them (in pencil), so it goes quicker. Most cashiers believe me, sometimes they want to double check.
I do it the exact way as you! :-)
I have no rhyme or reason with my stacks of coupons, but at Target where you can stack, I always put the two coupons together (one store coupon, one manufacturer).