Thursday, May 14, 2015

Couponing 101: Target

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Ah, Target. I have a love-hate relationship couponing at Target. 1. It’s hit or miss with whether the cashier loves the deal you’re snagging or is overly suspicious about your coupons. I now have certain cashiers I avoid and certain ones I go to when I’m couponing at Target, and 2. I don’t think their cash register system is set up to handle couponing scenarios (I’ll elaborate below with a gift card with purchase example). Also, my husband was basically interrogated one time when he tried to use a printed coupon and has since refused to be the one to present the coupons. Bottom line: CVS is more coupon friendly than Target.

As whenever you are couponing, bring the coupon policy. Target’s coupon policy can be found here. I would recommend not only reading it thoroughly, but keeping a copy with you so if issues arise at the store, you and the cashier can refer to the coupon policy. Target is a busy store and the cashier probably doesn’t have time to discuss whether a coupon is acceptable. Having the policy handy will help you avoid that. I keep a copy of the coupon policies of all stores I coupon at in my coupon holder. I also recommend reviewing and reprinting the coupon policy every few months in case it changes.

Target is great to coupon at because you can stack manufacturer’s coupons, Target coupons and Cartwheel offers. For more on stacking, see my post here.

Manufacturer’s coupons are the coupons you get in the Sunday paper, on your mobile device,  online from the manufacturer’s website or from reputable coupon websites like coupons.com. These coupons are issued by the manufacturer to incentivize you to buy their product. Stores get reimbursed by the manufacturer so it’s not like they lose money on the deal either.

Target coupons are coupons that are issued by Target. You can find all the current printable Target coupons here on Target’s website. You can also get mobile coupons by texting Target (I have never done this as I have a “dumb” phone that can’t present scan codes to the cashier).
  
Cartwheel is a program run by Target. You can find Target’s page on Cartwheel here. It offers a certain percentage off products you purchase at Target. For example, 5% off milk or 3% off Gillette shaving creams. It is usually not a high percentage discount for everyday products, but it’s better than nothing! Products like décor tend to have bigger discounts (10-25%). The Cartwheel discount it taken off after all other coupons and discounts are applied (at least that’s how it works at Targets I’ve been to). You have to sign up for Cartwheel online, you can create an account or sign in via your Facebook or Google account. You then select the offers you want to use (they give you space for up to 15). From there you can print your Cartwheel offers (which I do since I have a “dumb” phone) or link them to your Smartphone and the cashier will scan your Cartwheel barcode at checkout.

It’s awesome when there is a manufacturer’s coupon, a Target coupon and a Cartwheel offer for the same product. Stacking at its finest!

Gift card with purchase deals are where it gets tricky. For example, Glade candles were buy 3 get a $5 gift card back. Glade candles aren’t something I normally purchase, but with coupons and the gift card back I could make money on the deal. I believe (this was in the fall so it was a while ago) I had a buy 1 get one (BOGO) free coupon, plus a manufacturer’s coupon (for the 3rd candle) and a Target coupon for the non-free candle in the BOGO deal. Follow me? Basically, the three candles would have cost me around $3, plus I would get the $5 gift card. However, I received the gift card, but afterward when I looked at my receipt (I had bought other things) I realized the coupons did not go through. A looooong trip at customer service later it was straightened out. I learned from the customer service employee that the Target system isn’t really equipped to handle coupons on gift card deals—the gift card is supposed to be incentive enough so the system may not register the coupons properly. So, if you are couponing for products involved in a gift card deal, I would recommend purchasing them in a separate transaction so it is easier to make sure that the coupons applied.

Those are my tips for couponing at Target. Let me know if you have any questions about couponing at Target. I would be happy to answer them!



Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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