Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Couponing 101: Walmart Store Guide

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Walmart seems to be a one stop shop for many – but do you know the ins and outs of saving? If you want to lean more lets start with a few highlights from the coupon policy, be sure to print the policy and put this into your coupon binder:

Print-at-home internet coupons

-Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons with a specified price
-Are acceptable in black and white or color
-For free items (except those printed off the Internet)
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons

Competitors’ coupon

-A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price
-Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)
-Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item

Walmart DOES NOT accept the following coupons:

-Checkout coupons
-Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase
-Percentage off the entire basket purchase
-Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase

The following are guidelines and limitations:

-Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc).
-There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.
-If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.
-The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:
-40 coupons per transaction.
-A coupon of $20 or greater on one item.
-$50 or more in coupons in one transaction.

Ad Match Guarantee (Price Matching), print this policy and add it to your coupon binder.

-If you find a lower advertised price on an identical product, Walmart will match it. Right at the register.

Here are the types of ads they will match:

-Buy one, get one free ads with a specified price
Example: Buy one for $2.49, get one free (BOGO)
-Competitors’ ads that feature a specific item for a specified price.
-Preferred shopping card prices for specific items that are in a printed ad.
-For fresh produce and meat items when the price is offered in the same unit type (lb. for lb.; each for each)

The following are guidelines and limitations:

-Walmart will match any local competitor’s advertised price.
-Walmart does not require customers to have the ad with them to honor a competitor’s ad.
-Items purchased must be identical to the ad (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc.)

Walmart Will NOT match the price in the following types of competitor ads:

-Items that require a separate purchase to get the ad price
example: “Buy [item A] to get [item B] for $C”
-Items with no actual price that require a purchase to get free product
example: “Buy both [items A & B] to get [item C] for free”
-Items that require a purchase to get a competitors’ gift card
example: “Buy [item A] to get a $B gift card
-Buy one, get one free (BOGO) ads with no actual price given
-Percentage off
example: “All mascara, 40% off”
-Ads when the actual price for items cannot be determined.
-Internet pricing
-Misprinted ad prices of other retailers
-”Going out of business” sales or “close out” prices

Tips:

If you have problems with cashiers accepting coupons that you are using properly according to their policy, your first course of action is to talk to the store manager. If you are still not being helped, contact Walmart Corporate and explain the situation. Often corporate will contact the store manager to ensure proper protocol is being taken. If you continue to have issues: Walmart’s Customer Service number is 800-WAL-MART.

Take your price match ads to the grocery store with you and put all your price match products in a certain section of the cart so you don’t get confused.

Get a subscription to All You Magazine or purchase a copy at your local Walmart.

Keep your eyes peeled for those Roll-Back prices.

Be sure to stop by the travel section to make use of coupons that have no size exclusions.

*Pick an off time to shop to avoid the crowds.

Additional Savings Options at Walmart:

Follow Walmart on Twitter- they tweet out deals daily

Check out Walmart’s online coupons

Take advantage of the Free Samples Walmart provides as well as their Free Events.

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