Target Coupon Policy Clarification: Item-Level Store Coupons Can Be Used With Threshold Coupons
Calling all you Target shoppers out there! If you’ve had trouble in the past stacking a threshold Target coupon (for example: $10 off a $50 food purchase) AND item-level store coupons (for example: $1/4 Market Pantry Frozen Fruit or Vegetable Target coupon), then you may be excited to know that Target has made it VERY clear in their updated coupon policy that you can in fact stack these coupons! 🙂 Check out the exact wording below…
[h2s_box]If you’re redeeming more than one category/department or storewide coupon, you must meet purchase requirements for each coupon individually. The percent-off coupons will apply to all qualifying items in transaction. No other same category/department or storewide coupon will apply.
Target item-level coupons can be used while using a category/storewide coupon (e.g. $1 off Target coupon for body wash AND a $5 off $15 Target Personal Care purchase). The threshold for the category coupon is based on the retail of the qualified items prior to Manufacturer item-level and Target item-level coupons.[/h2s_box]
(Thanks, Totally Target!)
Thank you Collin! I haven’t done the deal using those specific food Qs yet…looks like a trip to Target before ad switch!
You’re so welcome! 🙂
I purchased over $50 food items and got the 10 target gc. However, the computer would not scan the $4 off of $25 purchase of simply balanced items. Does this mean that I should have gotten the $4 off discount?
yes it does if you purchased $25 of those items. although when i checked out my cashier looked at it and then entered it manually without even trying to scan it so i wonder if it’s a known issue??
If you purchased $25 Simply Balanced AND an additional $50 of food items, then yes. Otherwise, no.
yes. the same thing happened to me. I went to customer service and they scanned it in without a problem. Strange.
No. The policy is clarifying that you can use quantity coupons, like $1.00 off 4 cans of MP Veggies or $1 off 1 MP Butter, etc. along with the department coupon. EACH department coupon must be met individually, so if you were trying to use the $10 coupon & $25 Simply Balanced, you need $75 in purchase, $25 of that in Simply products.
That’s how I’m understanding it as well, Mel.
oh :/. would $1 off 3 market pantry baking items count as item level or category/department level?
The coupon said you had to buy $50 worth of groceries to receive the $10 giftcard. If $25 worth of that $50 is archer farms products, etc. you can use the $4 off coupon.
The very first sentence says “If you’re redeeming more than one category/department or storewide coupon, you must meet purchase requirements for each coupon individually.” To use both you need $75 to meet the purchase requirements of each coupon. What the policy is explaining is that in addition to the storewide coupon, you can use a quantity coupon such as $1 off 4 mp frozen foods.
You do meet each individually. If it were a 10 off 50 groceries and a 5 of 50 archers then you would need 60 dollars worth of groceries with 50 being archers. I clarified with our store manager before using. My target is very coupon friendly though so ymmv.
That doesn’t make sense. You are meeting each by buying $50 in food and $25 in simply balanced. Simply balanced requires $25 which is met through their products. $50 food is $50 any food not $50 of any food excluding simply balanced. What would the clarification/policy be for if you have to buy separate items for each coupon and they can’t overlap or stack?
You cannot stack a $10 off $50 Grocery AND $5 off $25 Simply Balanced on just a $50 purchase, to use both, you need $75. Per the policy, EACH threshold coupon must be met individually. It is the same if you shop at CVS, people try to use a $5 off $15 Cosmetics purchase and a $5 off $25 Purchase on a $25 purchase, and that is incorrect. To use both CVS coupons, each amount must be met. It doesn’t matter if one is a general purchase coupon, and one is off a specific department. EACH has to be met.
nice thanks for the update Collin!!!
Wooohooo! I had the same issue this week with the $3 off $15 for the fresh produce and the cashier wouldn’t scan it for me in conjunction with the $10 for $50 coupon. I went to customer service after my transaction and politely explained the difference between the two coupons, and they reluctantly gave me the discount. Im glad to know this will no longer be an issue for us anymore. With all of these recent changes to their coupon policy I’m happy that they have all been in our favor.
You must have read the policy wrong. You can use $ off coupon for individual items in conjunction with $/$$ threshold coupons. Using the $3/$15 coupon along with the $10 GC w/ $50 purchase coupon means you have to spend at least $65.
Thats what I had to explain to customer service that I did meet the terms of each coupon individually. My total before tax was $68, $16 was in produce and $52 was in other grocery items. After I had explained it to customer service that I had meet the terms of both coupons seperatly they honored my coupon.
you would have saved more not ringing them all up. Since you have Sep coupons and got $10 back your produce would have been $3 since you said you spent $16 on produce. Thats how I would have done it at least.
Nice idea, but… I think Target must send their cashiers to coupon hassle training. They simply will not be able to understand their own policy. It is nice they tried to clarify it, but based upon my experience at several different stores (all over South Florida), their registers are programmed to not take about 75% of the Target coupons and their cashiers act like they get a special bonus if they cheat you out of a coupon. I rarely shop their anymore; not worth the hassle.
Thanks for posting. You have an excellent website!
Aww I hate that! In WV my target is super coupon friendly and loves to see them numbers drop on the register as much as I do! I have never had any trouble out of any of the cashiers they all have been great! I’ve had a couple try to tell me to sign up for a red card so I can drop my total even more lol just not wanting to go that far yet lol
Wow, rude. My son is a Target cashier and just so you know, he got about 4 hours of video training before he was thrown on a register in December during the holiday rush. This was his very first job ever, so he had no prior cashiering experience. Target in general, does not train their cashiers well at all, let alone delving into the coupon policy or anything to do with coupons. If you have an issue, it really should be taken up with the store manager. The cashiers take a lot of unnecessary crap from grumpy customers when those issues should really be addressed by a team leader, manger, or guest services.
Sorry your son takes a lot of crap at his job- I think we all do and we are all just trying to clarify what is legit and not. So that we can be prepared and know what is right and wrong. Some people may go over board and be ultra mean- but we are all trying to save $$ here. Lack of training- is everywhere. Maybe 1 day items will be priced as they should be and we wouldn’t have to do this!
I worked as a cashier there as well and while I agree the training is lame, in the name of customer service the cashier should be calling over a manager if there is a coupon issue, the customer shouldn’t be having to hunt one down to take it up with them.
I am sorry your son takes crap, but we take a lot of crap from cashiers constantly and in our own jobs. Many cashiers may not know the policy, but they do know how to try and not credit your coupons. Some are lazy, and coupons require extra work, some are just plain nasty and some are absolutely wonderful. I spend quite a few hours every week to get the correct coupons for the correct product, scanning blogs like this for matches, since I am at work most of the week, this is invaluable, then to get a cashier who starts by rolling the eyes, and changing the demeanor altogether, has nothing to do with the store, has to do with the cashier. I report them. I have no time for attitude. We all have a job, we all need to do it. Also, if the cashier feels uncomfortable with coupons, possibly they could read the policy themselves to make their lives easier. It is not illegal to take initiative to make your own life more pleasant. I am never a grumpy customer, and I have been a cashier. I understand you will always side on your sons behalf, but you can’t always blame either side, it is a job, not a ride at Disney. Everyone needs more patience with each other.
I’m in South FL as well and what you have stated is sadly true. Most of the time the coupons beep (both manufacturer and Target coupons) and I would say maybe 25% of the time the cashier figures out what is going on and fixes it. The other 75% of the time I’m trying to point it out/explain. And I have to watch every second because if I have more than 4 coupons they scan them so fast and just keep going even if it’s flagging a coupon as not accepted. It happens a lot. Their mobile coupons are the ones that most often don’t work and more than once I’ve had to get management involved and give all a quick lesson on math and reading. It really is an issue down here. I’m printing this new policy and taking it with me. I’ve complained so many times and nothing is done. Scott isn’t making this up. It’s sadly the reality down here and corporate never fixes it or trains appropriately. One cashier was so nasty that my husband spoke up, flashed his badge and threatened legal action based on her snotty comment – she was totally in the wrong. When you underpay your staff, make them work long hours, don’t train them, etc the pool of quality hires is affected too. I was in retail 10 yrs, I’ve seen it.
My interpretation, which may not be correct…
“If you’re redeeming more than one category/department or storewide coupon, you must meet purchase requirements for each coupon individually.”
>>> If you plan to use multiple “$X off an $X purchase” coupons, no purchased items can be used to fulfill both requirements simultaneously (even if they would independently qualify for both offers).
>>> Example: $1 off $3 produce + $10 off $50 store purchase — a $2 bunch of bananas can count toward EITHER the produce offer, or the store purchase offer, but not both. Also, I’d imagine an item can’t provide fractional value (if you buy 2 bunches of bananas for $4, I doubt the “extra” $1 would count toward the $50 needed for the second offer).
“The percent-off coupons will apply to all qualifying items in transaction. No other same category/department or storewide coupon will apply.”
>>> I’m guessing that this means you also cannot combine “%off” coupons with the “$X off an $X purchase” coupons.
>>> Example: 30% off up&up light bulb + $5 off $25 up&up purchase — whatever the value of the light bulbs are will not count toward your $25, even though they’re up&up products, and would count if you hadn’t used the %off coupon.
“Target item-level coupons can be used while using a category/storewide coupon (e.g. $1 off Target coupon for body wash AND a $5 off $15 Target Personal Care purchase). The threshold for the category coupon is based on the retail of the qualified items prior to Manufacturer item-level and Target item-level coupons.”
>>> Unlike the above scenario, you CAN combine “$X off X items” coupons with a “$X off an $X purchase” coupon. Not only that, the “$X purchase” is calculated BEFORE any manufacturer or Target store coupons (but perhaps not before Cartwheel X% off discounts, because that isn’t stated).
>>> Example: $5 off $15 personal care — buy 3 L’Oreal Advanced Haircare Shampoo @ $5.99/ea = $17.97, which is over the $15 threshold. Even if you use 3 $1/1 manufacturer coupons, and the $3/2 Target store coupon, bringing your total down to $11.97, you can still use $5 off $15 personal care, for a final cost of $6.97.
Also, just FYI, when I click to see the Target coupon policy, it’s slightly different than what Collin posted above:
“Category/Department and Storewide Coupons:
If redeeming more than one category/department or storewide coupon, you must meet the purchase requirements for each coupon individually.
If redeeming a category/department coupon plus a storewide coupon, you must meet the purchase requirements for each coupon individually.
Percent off coupons will apply to all qualifying items in the transaction. No other same category/department or storewide coupon will apply.”
This seems to reiterate that category/department and/or storewide coupons must be met independently/sequentially and not simultaneously. However, I see no mention of “item-level coupons” and how they play into the categorical/department/storewide coupons (unless I’m missing something…).
Oh, found the other verbage Collin quoted actually xP — under the “What should I keep in mind…” header. I guess put both together to have the full picture 😀
I had trouble the other day but the manager gave me the coupons off anyway. Glad to know I didn’t cheat the system or get cheated! Thanks for the post!
The problem is even the store managers don’t understand Target’s coupon policy. I’ve had situations where managers show me policies and then interpret it any way they want. Plus as the discussion here shows this policy is really confusing.
Perfect! This was an issue for me a while back as far as order of taking the coupons 🙂 thank you
I had an issue with the $4 off $20 up and up health products. I did my math, triple checked the items listed on the coupon and the cashier would not take it. I made her remove half of the items, since I didn’t want them without coupons. She was mad!
Thats why i gave couponing up and just buy at costco they have monthly coupons too with no hassle. couponing has gone crazy and we cant even save a buck anymore
It’s messed up: the $10 gift card coupon with $50 grocery purchase shouldn’t even override the $4 0ff $25 MP cpn and $3 off $15 perishables, since the coupon is for a gift card technically. I planned my trip carefully, met all requirements and was very unpleasantly surprised when they denied the above cpns because it’s the same department.
Please clarify.. Target coupon- “No other same department/category coupon will apply.” Does this mean I can not use with my manufacturer’s coupon??
I purchased three items before Christmas. The cashier rang up my order, then asked me if I would like a $10 off coupon. Of course, I said yes. So, $10 was taken off my order. Now, one of these items has to be returned. Will I be refunded the amount of that item, or will the coupon amount be divided and deducted from the three items I purchased? My receipt lists the coupon as a ‘category coupon’. I never actually saw the coupon. Cashier just said the cash register sends them out. I’m confused.
Have a target coupon for $15 off $50 household purchase. Also have manufacturers coupons for $1 off scott bath tissue, $2 off gain detergent etc. Can I stack the manufacturers coupons with the target $15 promotion as well? New to couponing and want to have facts straight before I purchase