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If you’re new to the world of couponing, then you can get confused very easily at all the different words and phrases that you might see on a coupon. Not to mention we now live in a world of paper coupons, printable coupons, ecoupons and mobile apps!
There are lots of ways to save money, but if you want to maximize your savings, you need to be familiar with all of the coupon lingo. This post is a coupon term dictionary of most of the things you will encounter both in stores, on coupons, and even here on Southern Savers!
Understanding Coupon Lingo (a coupon term dictionary)
Most of us see a coupon and look for two things: the product on the coupon and the value of the coupon. However, the fine print on the coupon contains information for the retailer AND the consumer (you!). It’s really helpful to understand the fine print, especially since you may find yourself having to explain it to your cashier. Here’s a breakdown of some of the more common terms in alphabetical order. Use your browser’s search function to easily find a term you’re trying to look up!
Understanding all of these terms is really only the first step, if you have a cashier that is not accepting a coupon I would recommend first to get them to try it. If they won’t scan the coupon at all, you can try to explain the correct answer to them, but many times they won’t care. In the end don’t argue, yell, etc. just tell them kindly that you want the coupon back and do not want to buy the product.
B1G1, BOGO, B1G1F
These are everyone’s favorite sales and coupons—Buy One, Get One Free! This means different things at different stores. At some grocery stores, a B1G1 sale actually means that you can buy just one item at 50% off. At other grocery stores and all drugstores, you must truly buy one at full price to get the other item for free.
For coupons that offer a free product when you buy another item, you must always buy both items. These can be used with sales and store discounts though! Just remember that coupons for free products will always make the cheaper item the free item. Make sure you buy two similarly priced items to maximize your savings!
Blinkie (In Store Dispenser)
My children’s responsibility when we shop is to locate coupons. It is their treasure hunt of sorts. These coupons are their favorite. Look near a product in the store for a small dispenser box often with a “blinking” light to grab your attention. My rule of thumb is to take two and walk away. If you have ever tried to take more, have you noticed that the machine pauses after it dispenses two. It wants you to walk away and leave some of those coupons for others! Again, these coupons can be used immediately or saved for later. These coupons are usually manufacturer’s coupons and thus can be used anywhere.
You won’t see “blinkie” on Southern Savers (other than this post); I will use “in store dispenser” in coupon match-ups.
Catalina
These are coupons that are printed out from the register when you finish your purchase. They are printed on a separate piece of paper from your receipt and can be anything from money off a future purchase to just a normal manufacturer’s coupon. These are often specific to different stores and regions; so it is always a good idea to check your store to see if there is a small tag by the item indicating what you need to purchase in order for that coupon to print.
eCoupon
These coupons are found on the internet but instead of printing these out, you upload them to a card. It sounds like a great idea, but there are some key things to know before you do a happy dance about not cutting coupons anymore.
- These coupons don’t double.
- Some are store coupon and some are manufacturer coupons. This is important to know as you can use store and manufacturer coupons together for one item. You cannot use two manufacturer coupons on the same item though.
- Once the coupon is loaded onto your card, you cannot choose not to use it in the store if you have a better paper coupon.
MFR or MQ
Manufacturer or manufacturer coupons are released by the makers of the products to encourage you to try out their products. There is a limit of one manufacturer coupon per item. One tip: manufacturer coupons can be used at any store, even if they have a store logo on them for a specific store. The only exception is if they state “redeem only at.”
One Per Customer
This means that the manufacturer intended for each customer to only use one coupon per visit (or transaction). Many stores will allow you to split your buggy into separate transactions if you want to use more than one of the same coupon.
One Per Purchase
This one can be confusing. Think of each item as a purchase. If you are buying 5 bottles of shampoo at one time, that’s 5 purchases and you would be allowed to use (5) $1 off coupons if you had them. I will warn you, this is the most commonly questioned wording by a cashier.
One Per Transaction
Each time the cashier totals your order, you’ve completed one transaction. To use 5 coupons for those 5 bottles of shampoo, you’d have to go through the line 5 times.
Peelie (Coupon on Product)
These are the coupons that you peel off of the package. You can use them immediately or save them for later, but they are only for the person who is actually buying the product they are attached to. I know they are tempting, but leave them there if you aren’t buying the item!
These are typically manufacturers coupons and can be used anywhere. Heads up, you’ll never see the word peelie in any Southern Savers match up, so you’ll see “coupon on product” or “on select products.” This doesn’t mean that you will always find these in your store; it is up to the stocker and distributors what stores and products get coupons.
Printable
These coupons can be printed directly from your computer. There is typically a limit of two coupons per computer (you can hit the back arrow on your browser to get the coupon to print again.) You cannot make copies of these coupons, though, as each coupon that prints has its own individual code on it that traces it back to your computer. A company will limit how many prints can be made of a coupon that they release, so printable coupons can come and go quickly. If you see a coupon you know you would use, it is best to print it when you see it. If you are having trouble printing or are curious as to what some key sites to find printable coupons are, check out this link for more info.
Redeemable At
Some manufacturer’s coupons include wording like “redeemable at CVS.” They may even have a store logo on them. However, since these are manufacturers coupons and not store coupons, they can be redeemed at any store. That said… some cashiers may still reject them. My recommendation is to ask the cashier to just try to scan the coupon. A true CVS store coupon will not scan in another store since their register wouldn’t know how to read it. A true manufacturers coupon will work just fine.
Redeemable Only At
If you spot the word “only at” on any manufacturer coupon, then these coupons should be used only at the store whose name is printed on the coupon. If you use them at any other store, it’s likely that the store won’t be reimbursed for the coupon.
Tearpad
Tearpads are pads or refund forms or coupons that are found hanging from store shelves or displays. The same rule for in store dispensers applies. Take two, and leave some for everyone else! Also, you don’t have to use these the same day or in the same store, unless it is a store specific coupon or refund.
WYB
This is simply an abbreviation for “when you buy.” So if you see $1 RR wyb Folgers Coffee 22.6-33.9 oz, it means that you will receive a Register Reward worth $1 when you buy Folgers Coffee in the listed sizes. One inside tip: when you see a coupon that says $1 off Eggs “when you buy” milk and cheese, remember that the coupon is just for eggs. You can still use a coupon on the milk and the cheese!
.50/2
Fifty cents off of two items. You must buy two items to get the fifty cents off. When you use this coupon, consider it the manufacturer’s coupon for two items. You cannot combine a Buy One, Get One Free Coupon with a .50/2 on the same two items; you would need to purchase three items.
.50/3
Fifty cents off of three items. You must buy three items to get the fifty cents off.
Did I miss any important coupon lingo? Let me know in the comments!
