Have you ever stopped to look at the fine print on coupons? Some coupons have a ton of writing on them! And it’s a good idea to read it. Sometimes it tells you what specific products you’re able to save on, like sizes or particular flavors. There are also coupon “rules” that you will want to know about. We cover a few of the most common here:
“One Coupon Per Purchase” Meaning
This can be a very confusing phrase. It’s found on nearly every coupon, and it means that you can use just one coupon on your item. And that each “purchase” is a single item, even if you buy two of the same thing. Naturally, we think of everything that we buy that day as our “purchase” – when really, every individual piece is considered a separate sale in legal reality.
“One Per Customer” Meaning
You’ll want to be sure that you follow the proper rules and be a good couponer! So, if the coupons say “one use per customer,” you’ll need to stick to the single coupon, regardless of how many items you buy.
The Meaning of Limitations
A few years ago, we started regularly seeing limitations printed on coupons. Typically the limits read something like, “Limit of five identical coupons per shopping trip.” This, of course, means that you can use no more than five coupons to purchase that item. You will need to shop another day, or at a later time to use more than the number of coupons limited.
“No Cash Value” Meaning
Sometimes you will notice strange wording on a coupon, such as “worth 1/20th of a penny”. Interestingly, these legal wordings were added during the Depression-era, and the use of these was standardized across many manufactures. It simply means that you can’t exchange coupons for cash.
Beware of Expired Coupons
It’s no fun to discover that your coupon is no longer redeemable, and it is against the rules to use a coupon after it has expired. But there is something more to this that many consumers don’t realize: the raincheck. So, if your coupon has expired before the 30-days that have been allotted to use your rain check, you can still technically redeem the coupon, and the store will be reimbursed.