The post What You Need to Know About Using Digital Coupons appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
What is a digital coupon? Well, it just happens to be one of the easiest and most hassle-free ways to save money when shopping!
If you know me at all, you probably know by now that I am all about budgeting and saving money wherever possible. One of my favorite ways of doing this is by using coupons. I have an entire arsenal of tricks on how to get them and how to use them.
I am all for couponing, and why wouldn’t I be? I mean, it’s a way for the stores to give you some of your money back while still providing you with the same value for the money!
Anyway, before I get too excited, you are here to learn about digital coupons, so let’s get into it, starting with the basics.
What Is a Digital Coupon?
Also known as an e-coupon, a digital coupon is very much like the traditional paper coupon, except they are online or digital. They even have the same features, including promo codes or barcodes, which are either entered or scanned at the pay point for you to save money.
Like traditional coupons, digital coupons can provide you with all kinds of discounts, from getting some money off your total cost to free items and even buy one get one free deals.
In many cases, digital coupons can be printed out for you if you are shopping in the store. However, in most cases, it’s simply easier to just present your phone to the cashier when checking out or clipping those digital coupons in an app.
If you are shopping online, you can just enter the digital coupon code when you are ready to checkout.
How Do You Get Digital Coupons?
Digital coupons are not only easy to use; they are even easier to get. Here are some of my top tips on how to get and take full advantage of digital coupons.
Use Store Apps or Websites
This is one of the easiest ways to find digital coupons online. Simply log into the store’s website or download its app. Some stores have their own digital coupons on the app and website, while others, like Dollar General, offer both in-store digital coupons and manufacturer coupons, which are issued by select brands carried by the store.
The process is simple enough; once you download the app or log into the website, you need to create an account under your name. Once that’s done, simply find the coupons you want to use and digitally clip them, and this saves them to your account.
Now, the fun part—why we do all this—is to use these digital coupons to save money. One way to do this is to try as much as possible to pair a digital coupon with a current sale. These work best with manufacturer coupons.
Find Digital Coupon Freebies
Every now and then, as a way to drum up sales and increase customer loyalty, some stores will give away digital free-item coupons to shoppers who signed up for their loyalty program.
The idea here is that on specific days (mostly Fridays), these coupons give you an opportunity to get a free item like pet food, bread, yogurt, and so on.
The trick is that you have to download and digitally clip that coupon on the day it’s offered and use it within the stipulated period for your digital discounts. One of the best examples of this is the Kroger digital free-item coupon.
Use Social Media
Some brands, stores, or products tend to share coupon codes on their social media accounts on Facebook, X, and Instagram to either promote a sale or simply create brand awareness.
Take Advantage of Coupons.com
Even though you will find lots of manufacturer coupons in many store apps, you can also download the Coupons.com app to take advantage of other digital discounts.
This app curates almost all of the available manufacturer coupons and puts them all in one place. This makes it much easier for you to not only find them but also use them. In fact, if you link the app with your loyalty cards, you can get access to the available coupons at all your favorite stores.
If you enable location services on the app, it will show you all the stores in your area. Simply tap on the store you want to shop at and add it to your account to see all the available digital coupons.
Check Product Packaging
In some cases, you can find peel-off coupons on the product packaging itself. Next time you are browsing through the aisles in your local grocery store, be on the lookout for peel-off coupons on cereals, meat, and other item packaging for instant savings.
Check the Store Aisles
Yes, you can actually find coupons on the store shelves themselves. In some cases, when a store, in conjunction with specific brands, wants to introduce a new product to the market or is looking to boost sales, they can stick coupons on the shelves holding the products. These usually come in the form of a tear pad with a great deal.
Digital Newsletters
There are many good reasons to sign up for newsletters from all your favorite places.
Many of your go-to stores have newsletters that alert their loyal customers when they have sales and other kinds of promotions that might interest them. Some of these stores even offer digital coupons within these newsletters.
How to Use Digital Coupons
We have covered what digital coupons are and how to get them. Now, let’s take a quick look at some tips and tricks on how to use them.
Yes, you already know that you need to present your coupons at checkout, but being that they are digital, there are going to be some challenges, just as there are when using physical coupons. You need to be aware of the terms and conditions.
That being said, here are some tips and tricks on how to make sure you are getting the most out of your digital coupons:
Use the Right Code
This is by far one of the biggest challenges, especially for digital coupons that require you to manually enter the code at checkout as opposed to simply scanning the QR code.
In this case, the trick is to be doubly sure that you are entering the right code. Instead of reading each number out loud and typing it in, I simply copy and paste it from my browser or store app into the checkout. That way, I’m sure I have the right promo code.
Make Sure the Coupons Aren’t Expired
Like physical coupons, digital coupons not only have a list of terms and conditions that apply but also an expiration date. If you find that your digital coupon isn’t working, it could be that it’s already expired.
Confirm the Location Requirements
Some stores offer both physical and digital coupons but insist that their digital coupons can only be used by those who shop at their online store and vice versa. Be sure to check if the digital coupon you have has any such restrictions.
Take Note of Exclusions
In many cases, you will find that digital coupons exclude some items in the store. Target, for example, says you can’t use coupons on items like Lego and video game systems. So, to take full advantage of the coupon, make sure that the item you want to buy isn’t on its exclusion list.
Brighten Your Screen
I have found this to be a real problem; if your phone screen isn’t bright enough, the scanner might have issues picking up the code on your digital coupon. Be sure to brighten your screen when presenting the coupon, even if it’s to an actual person; it makes it easier for them to read and scan the code.
Benefits of Digital Coupons
What extra benefits do digital coupons bring to your life, you might wonder? After all, you were doing just fine when you were clipping physical coupons, right?
Personalized Experience
Coupons are designed to give you a discount when you buy the things that you want to buy. The difference here is that a digital coupon gives you a bit more of a personalized shopping experience.
When you download coupon apps and turn on location services, these apps will find the stores around you that offer the things you like to buy. They will also highlight which ones have discounts, promotions, and digital coupons available for you to use. You don’t even have to leave your couch!
New Shopping Avenues
By downloading the coupon apps and turning on your location, you are more likely to be introduced to new shops that you might not have considered before you had the app.
In fact, it could be that a certain shop in your area has an incredible offer on their digital coupons. This might just be enough enticement for you to try them out. Who knows? You might actually end up liking their brand.
Convenient Shopping
With some digital coupons, you don’t even have to walk into the store. All you have to do is make the order online, present the coupon code at checkout, and have your goods delivered to your doorstep. No clipping of physical coupons, no walking into the store and presenting them to a clerk—nothing but convenience.
Disadvantages of Digital Coupons
There really aren’t that many disadvantages to using digital coupons, apart from the fact that some of them can only be used when shopping online. Other than that, they are really great for saving money. Other minor disadvantages may include:
- Difficulty when presenting it at checkout, but we have already covered this; brighten your screen and copy and paste the code if need be.
- Some digital coupons have a very short shelf life, so you might need to use them sooner than expected.
What is a digital coupon? It’s really just the same as a regular coupon, only you don’t have to physically clip these. They reside on your phone, making them easy to use and even easier to find. If you are a couponing fan like me, this might just be the next money-saving frontier for us!
The post What You Need to Know About Using Digital Coupons appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.