Coupon Crash Course Part 5

Albertson’s

· Valid coupons are accepted if the customer has purchased the necessary
merchandise.

· Coupons must be redeemed at the time of purchase of the specific product.
Coupons may not be redeemed after the transaction has completed.

· Expired coupons are not accepted.

· Coupons cannot be converted to cash under any circumstances.

· Competitor's coupons are not accepted.

· Will accept coupons for the product price only. If price is great it will be adjusted down.

· Internet coupons are accepted that are printed from a website and redeemable with a qualifying purchase. However, Albertsons does not accept internet coupons containing the following conditions:


a. ‘Free’ product offers that do not require a purchase
b. Redemption value exceeds $5.00
c. Absence of UPC bar code

Double Coupon Rules Updated 6/30/2009

• Will no longer double coupons that say "do not double" we all know when the manufacture says do not double that means allowing someone to use the same two coupons on the item specified, however, Albertsons hasn't quite figured that out. Using a doubler isn't the same because Albertsons eats their portion and the manufacture still only pays their normal portion. This has become a corporate policy. Maybe if you are lucky your store won't follow this.

• Changed the number of doublers allowed. They have numbered the doublers this week 1,2,3,4,5. This is good and bad. This week you can use 5 doublers in 1 transaction IF they are numbered 1-5. You can try using multiples of the same numbers but it is most likely they will not allow that. After this week it will specify on your doubler how many can be used in a transaction.

• Limits you to 1 transaction per shopping trip with doublers. I've heard of some stores only allowing 1 shopping trip per day with doublers. Mine here in orem will allow you to get back in line and double again. Check with your store for their specific rules.

• Will double a internet printed coupon. I as well as others have had trouble with my store in orem in the past. Once I called and spoke a manager about it I haven't had a problem since. If your store tells you they will not double an internet printed coupon contact the manager. The store may have it's own policies however this is not a corporate policy and they should double a printed coupon as long as it scans.

Wal-Mart:

Accepts the following types of coupons (see guidelines below):

* Manufacturer coupons (Cents Off)
* Free merchandise (or Buy-One-Get-One-Free) coupons
* Store coupons
* Pharmacy (Advertising and Promotional) coupons
* Internet coupons
* Soft drink container caps

The following are guidelines and limits:

* Walmart only accepts coupons for merchandise we sell and only when presented at the time of purchase.
* Coupons should have an expiration date and be presented within the valid dates. Walmart will not accept expired coupons.
* Internet coupons should be legible and say “Manufacturer Coupon.” There should be a valid remit address for the manufacturer and a scannable bar code.
* Only one coupon per item is permitted.
* Use of 40 or more coupons per transaction will require approval by Customer Service Manager.

Smiths Food and Drug

Print-at-Home Coupon Acceptance Policy

· Can only accept print-at-home coupons if they scan properly at checkout. Legitimate printable coupons are delivered using special software designed to print a properly rendered barcode on the coupon and limit the number of coupons printed.

· Will generally not accept "FREE product" (no purchase required) print-at-home coupons. It is currently an industry practice not to produce print-at-home manufacturer's coupons for free product. Buy-one-get-one-free coupons and other values that have a purchase requirement are acceptable.

· Will usually not accept coupons for more than about 75% of a product's value. For example, a $2 off coupon will be acceptable for a product that normally sells for $5 or more, but a $2 off printable coupon for a product that sells for $2.25 is unlikely to be legitimate. If there are exceptions, we are usually provided advance notice by the manufacturer.

· Coupons will be rejected if they appear distorted or blurry, altered in any way, or are obvious duplicates. You should always print the coupon yourself directly from the website or email that is offering it. Only then can you ensure you are printing a legitimate coupon. The coupon will never appear on your computer screen. A legitimate coupon is never sent as a graphic or PDF or sent in a Word document.

· Print-at-home coupons should never be copied, sold, or traded. They should not be photocopied or scanned and distributed to others. They have unique serial numbers printed on them and follow an industry-standard format. Coupons are never sold and you should not pay for someone's "time to clip" or other service fee.

Harmons:

· Accepts 1 store coupon and 1 manufacture coupon per item

· Allows only 2 of the same coupons to be used at once

· Printed coupons from on-line sources, i.e. coupons.com, may only add up to
$5.00.