Having trouble with printable coupons?!?

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Is it just me or are Internet printed coupons getting harder and harder to use?!? I’ve noticed quit a few stores cracking down about accepting them. I know how frustrating it can be when your told you can’t use legit printable coupons especially when you have more then a couple in hand.

Here are 2 tips that I always use-

  • Make sure you print in color. I know this may sound obvious to some of you. I have numerous friends though that want to save there ink so they end up printing in black ink only. To a store employee the coupon may look like its been photo-copied and they might not except it. To save yourself the hassle print in color!
  • Use Card stock paper. It gives a feeling of a real manufacturer coupon not an Internet printed one. This will help so much with those coupon police who want to find anything and everything wrong with your coupons.

These 2 tips have helped me tremendously. I rarely have any issues with my coupons now!

Join The Discussion

Comments 7

  1. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    I just read your Couponing 101 and am amazed at all the helpful tips and information. For those of us who need help in the “spending less” area, a community ed class would sure be useful!

  2. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    Yesterday Walmart told me that they are no longer accepting printed coupons. Have you heard this? It doens’t make any sense to me. I tried to get her to scan it anyway, but she wouldn’t.

  3. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    I am new to couponing and I have been so frustrated I have almost given up. Yesterday at Target, I had a clerk tell me that he wouldn’t accept two coupons because they had the same number on them (even though I was purchasing two products) because he said I may have photocopied them on a color printer. I told him that the website allowed me to print two of the same coupons and I was just using them to purchase two items, but he said because they had the same number on them (I think for the barcode on the coupon) they could not accept both. Boo hoo!

  4. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    To anonymous

    The bar code will be the same.Just like a bar-code on an item in the store. The dot scan in the top right corner will be different. This is the number generated by the computer software you downloaded. I have heard this before just show them the difference in numbers.

    Good Luck

  5. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    Hi,A big thanks to all the info on couponing 101!!! I do have a question though? Im having problems with my printed coupons not scanning at the registers,no idea why??? i put in new ink,and have it set to grey scale.has anyone else have this problem or is there a way i can fix it? please any help would be appreciated,thank you

  6. Bargain Brit

    I had trouble the last time I went to Rite Aid with one of their Video Values coupons. The cashier told me corporate had told them not to accept them if they won’t scan which mine wouldn’t initially. Then another cashier showed her a trick to make them scan. She rubbed the barcode vigorously with a reciept and after that it scanned. She said sometimes the printer leaves a residue. Now I rub all my printable coupons before I take them to the store.

  7. Anne A.

    I love your site, but as a cashier it really makes me feel terrible when you call us the “coupon police”, etc.

    The reason for the scrutiny on internet coupons is that there are so many fraudulent ones out there and we receive warnings about them frequently.

    I work for acompany that clearly states in their coupon policy that we do not accept on-line coupons valued more that $5. That seems easy enough to understand. However, we always get the person who has two coupons for $7 and raises Cain about using them.

    When a coupon will not scan and we have to try to get it to, many customers get annoyed and tell us to just enter it generically. The reason we try not to do that is that we do not get reimbursed for coupons entered generically – they have to be product specific. Please be patient with us. Every dollar lost contributes to a payraise not received.

    Yes, I am one of your “old lady cashiers” working for the health insurance. I am pleasant to everyone I deal with and am an avid couponer myself, but ……… people want us do to things that are fraudulent, etc and I cannot afford to lose my job over a coupon. Those of you who choose a young man because they don’t care should be ashamed of yourselves. I do care whether my company stays in business and I would like a pay raise now and again.

    Thanks for all your helpful hints. Anne

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