Coupon Policies, E-coupons and Shopping with your Smart Phone!

Coupon Policies

It is important that before you pack up your shopping list, coupons, calculator and hit the stored, you need to understand the coupon acceptance policy of each store that you will be shopping at.

Most grocery stores and mass merchandisers (Wal*mart and Target, specifically), post their coupon policies on their website.  I print the policies out and keep them with my coupons in page protectors, back to back in alphabetical order.  Some couponers have them saved on their Smart Phones, instead of carrying paper copies with them.

It is important to keep up to date, since policies can change at any time without warning.  In February 2011, Vons/Safeway changed their coupon policy, and they no longer accept Internet Printable coupons for free items, including BOGO coupons.  Please refer to each individual stores website for their company 's coupon policy.  If they are not available, ask the store manager for a copy or contact the corporate HQ directly.

 

E- Coupons

There are sites that you can "load" coupons onto your grocery store club card. Leave your coupon wallet at home! Just swipe and save.  Cellfire.com, Coupons.com, and shortcuts.com all offer Electronic coupons(sometimes called “E-coupons”).

 

Cellfire

Cellfire registry requires a valid cell phone number and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it.

The only down side is that if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to. Electronic coupons can only be used once.

Coupons refresh every two weeks.

There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected, however, in most markets there are not more than usually more than fifteen coupons available to be added to the card.  Cellfire in newer, so it’s offerings tend to be smaller.

Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.

Cellfire is currently available for these grocery stores:

Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.

 

Coupons.com



Coupons.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card.  Card must be used at least once-this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it.  You can add as many cards as you possess, however, currently coupons.com only loads coupons to Safeway Brand store cards (see list below). When you select a coupon, it adds the coupon to all of the cards, however coupons can only be used once per card.

Coupons refresh every two weeks.

There is no maximum number of coupons that can be selected.

Coupons are automatically removed when they expire.

Coupons.com is currently available for these grocery stores:

Randalls, Safeway, Pavilions, Carrs, Dominicks, Genuardi’s, Tom Thumb, & Vons.

 

Shortcuts



Shortcuts.com registry requires a valid email address and appropriate store card. Card must be used at least once -this activates the card, in order to load e-coupons onto it.  Coupons refresh every two weeks. The only down side is if you have more than one type of store card on your account, you must choose only one card to add each e-coupon to.  Electronic coupons can only be used once.

A maximum of 75 coupons may be added to your account at any time.

The only way to remove coupons from your account is to either allow them to expire or to use them.

Shortcuts.com is currently available for these grocery stores: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Gerbes, Fry’s, Hilander, Jay C Food Stores, King Soopers, Kroger, Owen’s, Pay Less Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Randalls, Safeway, Scott’s Food & Pharmacy, ShopRite, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Tom Thumb, & Vons.

 

With all three, you will have to register you club cards. All three have the option of emailing you when new coupons are available, usually about once a month.

 

All three options also give you the chance to print out a list of the coupons that are loaded onto your card.  This can be very helpful in planning your trips to the store.

 

Shopping with your Smart Phone

For those of use with a smart phone and a plethora of store cards, check out apps for your iPhone, such as CardStar.  Enter your membership numbers for more than 350 stores like CVS, Ralphs and Petco.  Instead of carrying you card, the checker scans your iPhone and you reap the benefits!  Much easier than carrying a separate wallet of club cards!

Another cool app that can help with shopping is Red Laser (for iPhone).  Photograph the UPC (bar code) and Red Laser searches the Internet for the best price!  If you have a Droid, try is a similar app called Shop Savvy.

And finally, iPhone users, Check out this great app: Shopper.  You make your grocery list and as you check the items off your list, you input the prices to keep a running total.  Stick to your budget, easy peasy! Blackberry users can buy SmartShopper, a similar app.

iPhone users- check the app store, and other smart phone users, check your application shopping outlets and you’ll be surprised at all the free or $1.00 programs that are available to help you save money!