JUST GETTING STARTED COUPONING AT TARGET?
We were all new to using coupons at one time or another and I can remember just feeling overwhelmed in the beginning. I hope this FAQ page helps to explain things a bit more about couponing at Target, and gets you started on the road to keeping more of your hard-earned money in your pocket.
Saving money by couponing goes way beyond simply clipping a coupon and using it on something you need. The best way to maximize your savings is to wait to use your coupons against a sale or a special deal and to buy several of the item if the price is right.
While I do maintain a stockpile, I don’t believe in letting my stockpile overtake my house. Sales usually cycle around every 3 months, so purchasing enough to last you through to the next sale is a good bet, especially if you are short on space. Be patient- building a stockpile takes time, it does not happen overnight, but little by little you will find yourself being able to grab something from your stockpile when you normally would have to run out for something.
FINDING COUPONS
NEWSPAPER COUPONS: One of the most popular resources are the coupon inserts that can be found in the Sunday Newspaper. There are 3 main types- the PG- usually put out once a month by Proctor & Gamble, the SAVE insert and the SS or Smart Source Insert both usually found in most papers every Sunday.
OTHER COUPONS: Coupons come from many many sources. Some manufacturer’s place Hangtag Coupons or Peelie coupons found on products on the shelves or Tearpads usually located on a display or shelf near the item. You may even spot coupons in magazines or at the office of your doctor, dentist, pediatrician, vet and more. Once you start looking for these valuable little pieces of paper, you will be surprised at just how many places they turn up!
COUPONING LINGO
We couponers use lots of abbreviations and terms, and you will catch on soon enough, but if you are just getting started- here’s a few terms to familiarize yourself with…
$1/2 etc: One dollar off two items. (1st # = Discount/2nd # = Quantity required to buy for discount)
B1G1: Buy 1 Get 1 FREE, or B2G1: Buy 2 Get 1 FREE and so on
PSA: Prices Starting at
GC: Gift Card (Target offers Gift Cards as a reward for buying specific items, see some of the more popular current ones on my Special Deals Page)
ETS: Excludes Trial/travel Size or , or ESS: Excludes Single Serving
MIR: Mail In Rebate (You can check my Rebates Page to see current offers available)
TMF-Try Me Free. Another form of a rebate or sometimes a satisfaction Guarantee
OOP: Out of Pocket. The amount you actually spend.
Q: Coupon, MQ: manufacturer coupon, TQ: Target Coupon
WYB: when you buy
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary-this means that it may or may not be the case in all instances.
x: Expiration Date of a coupon
ORGANIZING YOUR COUPONS
There are several different ways to keep your coupons organized so you can easily find them. Many people use a binder method- where you can split up your coupons into pages with pockets and organize how it works best for you. Sometimes people organize by item type- ie Frozen, Snacks, Canned, etc, or some prefer to alphabetize. You have to do what works best for you. Some people like to just grab baseball card type album sleeves fitted into a binder to keep them organized. A binder is very nice in that it’s a way to have your coupons with you at all times which comes in handy for Target Clearance- it can be a time-consuming method- but wonderful if you can keep it up.
You can also use a filing system for your inserts. You can use either drawers or a filing box meant to hold the complete insert and file them by date. Since I and other sites you may start to follow usually list where you can find a coupon- it is just as easy to go find what you need and cut when you are ready to shop. So for example – if I list the following coupon as a matchup-
-$1/3; .50/2 Campbell’s Microwaveable Bowls or Soup At Hand 1-8-12 SS x3/15
it means it can be found in the Smart Source Insert in the January 8th newspaper. The different amounts in the front mean that some areas will have a $1 Off 3 and some areas will have gotten a .50 cents off 2. The x followed by the date is when the coupon expires. But finding the best way to organize is a process – and you may go through several different ways before you figure out what method works best for you. Also keep in mind that insert coupons vary by region, so you may not find some of them in your newspaper coupon insert.
TARGET COUPONS
Target can be a great place to save money in several different ways. For starters- Target allows you to stack coupons- this means allowing the use of one manufacturer’s coupon AND one Target Store Coupon AND one Circle Offer on EACH item. This means couponing at Target can save you big! Target Coupons can be found in a variety of places….
TARGET INSERT COUPONS: Target store coupons can sometimes be found in the regular Sunday inserts on occasion. Target Insert coupons are always regional though and not everyone will get them. I do maintain a Target Coupon Page with a list of the available Target Coupons with matching manufacturer’s coupons and Target Circle offers you can stack.
TARGET CIRCLE OFFERS: There’s also a savings program called Target Circle offering even more opportunities to get great deals! You can get as much as an additional 50% off, occasionally even higher, on items at Target including grocery, health & beauty, baby, clothing and much more. You can redeem all offers on your Circle in one transaction and an identical offer can be applied up to a maximum of four times in a single transaction. You are allowed one Circle offer with one manufacturer’s coupon and one Target coupon for triple the savings!
Circle offers usually appear as a % off, but you can also find Target Coupons and Manufacturer’s coupons on Circle as well!
If you already have the Target app, Circle offers can be found and added within the app. Once you have added the offers, and head to check out, just pull up your bar code found in the wallet and all the discounts will come off at once. You can also choose to access Target Circle from your desktop and once you add the offers, you can print a barcode to take with you to the store. Just keep in mind to benefit from Target Circle offers you must have or create a Target.com account.
CASH BACK & OTHER REWARD PROGRAMS
There are a couple of great savings apps out there for both iPhone and Android users to earn cash back for shopping in-store. The first one, ibotta, is a fun & easy way to earn extra money while shopping for buying products that most likely you were going to buy anyway. Plus, the Ibotta app offers lucrative Bonuses. The second one, Checkout 51, is also a fast and easy way to earn cash back on the brands you love, yet it also has some unique features and… you do not need to have a smartphone to take advantage of this great app! Watch the blog for new offers and matchups to be posted, plus you can read about each of them in more detail as follows…. for more info on ibotta, go HERE and for more info on Checkout 51, you can go HERE.
GIFT CARD & SPECIAL PURCHASE DEALS
Another way to save at Target is by taking advantage of their Gift Card Deals where a Target Gift Card is awarded at checkout in return for buying a specified product or products. Gift Cards cannot be used in the same transaction you earned them, however they can be rolled into the next transaction. If you do more than one Gift Card Deal in a transaction you WILL receive both Gift Cards. There are usually several Gift Card Deals in the Target Ad every week, that usually only last that week. However sometimes quite a few Gift Card deals remain unadvertised and extend for longer periods of time. Most Target stores will combine the amount of all gift cards earned in a transaction and put them on ONE physical card.
Target also offers Special Purchase Deals. These are usually a B1G1 Free type of deal or instant savings when purchasing 2 or more of a specific product. Again several of these are advertised each week, but some are not and last for 2 or more weeks. I do my best to keep track of as many unadvertised longer-term Gift Card & Special Purchase Deals as possible on the Special Deals Page. On that page you can find the details, coupon matchups and some Deal Ideas so be sure to check it out.
TARGET’S LOW PRICE PROMISE
Target has a price matching policy which they refer to as a Low Price Promise. This can be another way to save Gas, money & time, since Target will honor local competitor’s ads, however there are quite a few rules and restrictions. You can view Target’s official price matching policy HERE.
TARGET COUPON POLICY
You can find the official Target Coupon Policy HERE. It’s always a good idea to print it out and keep with you when you shop.
Target will accept printable coupons with a scannable bar code except one that is for a FREE item when no purchase is required. Competitor’s coupon and expired coupons are not accepted at Target.
Target does not give cash back – if the coupon is for more than the value of an item, the coupon amount may be reduced to meet the cost of the item. Plus, Target also has specific rules about using B1G1 coupons so be sure and check out the Target coupon policy for up to date information.
684 Comments
No – the wording on coupons is what they should be going by. Frustrating I am sure- esppecially with the manager basically agreeing. 🙁
Hi
I noticed on the Target coupons that I printed from the Target website states ” limit one coupon or offer per guest”. I was able to print more than one…. am I able to use them in one transaction or will they allow me to do more than one transaction.
Thanks,
Becky
I tried using a Target web coupon for $1 off “L’Oreal cosmetic item.” The picture on the coupon showed a bottle of foundation and a mascara. I wanted to use the coupon for a L’Oreal pressed powder that was in a compact. The cashier would not accept it as it was not in the picture. She then called a manager (?) who told me the coupon was only for what was pictured.
I stressed it said, “L’Oreal cosmetic item” and that pressed powder was indeed a cosmetic item.
The manager(?) told the cashier to “just accept it this once,” then turned to me and said, “Starting next month you won’t be able to do this anymore.”
Do you know what she was talking about? Do the purchases have to match the pictures exactly?
Thanks!!
I just purchased the Keurig 2 days ago.Tomorrow it will be offered with a $25.00 gift card. If I take in my receipt, will Target offer me the gift card? I know that many times they will honor a sale price if item is purchased within the last 7 days, but not sure if that applies to gift card offers
I recently bought a swimsuit that was a daily deal. I need to exchange it for a different size. Is there any way of doing this if it’s an item that is not carried in stores?
Can I use black and white target coupons ???I ran out of color ink and I want to print my coupons before they’re gone???Help
I am not able to print the target coupons from the printer due to something on my computer blocking the site… but I signed up for the coupons to be texted to me.. anybody use it does it work the same?
Do you load it like the Kroger Card?
Just curious, where are you located? It seems the prices at your Target are often much lower than mine.
I am wondering about the coupons that are printed off the Target website. The coupons all state ” Limit one offer per guest.” Even though I can print 2 can I only use 1 per visit? So confused! Thank you.
@Krista- I have gotten that at my store, then I will go back again and another person does not request that. It is a pain, one time it took the person like 20 mins to check me out because of having to match the coupon to the items and on top of that she was on the phone with someone, it freaked me out, started thinking do they think I am doing something wrong. I went back in and asked and she told me no, that AP(Assets Protection) told them they have to do it this way. I still have it happen here and there but not all the time.
Thank you soooo much!!!! This is so helpful to me as I’m new at this and know nothing!!!! 🙂
When I went to Target today, the cashier said their new policy was that each coupon needs to be presented with the item it is being used on. It was a bit of pain trying to match the coupons with the items on the belt, and caused quite a back up. Has anyone else experienced this? If it is just my store (Bellingham, WA), I will drive another 25 miles to the next store. Already drive 25 miles, what is another 25?
I don’t shop Target, too far to travel. But recently I made a list with all my coupons to match the Target printables online. I took my time to match all items together. Well, the cashier was so confused and made me feel terrible holding up a line, etc. After I was done, I had the hardest time reading and understanding the receipt. I later was told by the front manger Target only accepts one coupon, either theirs or the manufactured. It was pointless to argue, so I left defeated. Ex: got 2 milo w/mq and tq. wouldn’t accept mq, jello b3g1free, only used the mq and not the tq. What gives here? I am so hating Target but always read of everyone’s super deals!
I See comments about a target coupon mailer, is there a place to sign up for this?
@Alicia I am on the West Coast of FL outside Tampa- Kelley is outside Baltimore MD- but readers from all over the country submit clearance finds- they don’t always tell me where they are from. hth
I wanted to know what state you are located? Just wondering for clearance items etc. I love Target and also your site! Thanks so much for all the information that you provide!
this is regarding the http://www.target.com/survey. i shopped there on 1/11/12 and attempted to answer the survey today, but unable to access it,
I just noticed that the fine print on some of the Target coupons read, “Limit one coupon or offer per guest.” or “Limit one coupon per transaction.”. Is this a new policy? I’ve been in some stores that allow four “like” coupons per transaction. Should we go by what the coupon says or what the store allows? All this is very confusing, and I just want to do the right thing about it.
Betsy, you can’t stack 2 Manufacturer coupons.. if you look at the Target Coupon page on Totally Target you will see how Kerry has them all listed out : ). hope this helps!
Why do some of the coupons from the target coupon website say manufacturer coupon? Can i still use it with another manufacturer coupon?
I went to Target today and used the $1/1 oral-B floss coupon on floss that was .97. I had no problem with my cashier except she didn’t know how to mark down the price of the coupon to match the price of the floss so her manager showed her how. My mom was with me and was trying to do the same thing at another register but the guy said he couldn’t use the coupon since it was more than the price of the floss. My mom then went through a different line and that cashier had no problem doing it. My mom decided to go back to the guy and try it with one more coupon but he wouldn’t budge. She asked him to get the manager and she told him he could do it but then he said their policy changed while she was on vacation. I came home and looked at their policy online and it says that they can mark down the coupon price to match the price of the item. It seems other people are having the same problem. Doesn’t every store have to follow the policy that is on their website? I am confused as to how he was aware of the so-called policy change but the other cashiers were not and let us get the floss for free. I think this is poor management skills on Target’s part. I was able to get 10 free floss and have one coupon left to try. I hesitate to try it though because others have said they printed off the policy and showed it to cashiers and they just ignore it. At least now I know who’s line to avoid if I want anything free!
If there is a gift card deal offered in the ad on an item will they honor that deal online too?
my redplum coupons dont print. how do you update java? the site did not ask for me to update.
Do you know if there is a way to print out coupons from the target website using an iPad? I do have an eprint printer. I have tried everything, however no luck. I even called target’s web tec and that individual was clueless. Thanks.
I don’t know if this is part of the Target coupon policy. Today I tried using my print out Target coupon for a clearance item and the cashier at Target told me I couldn’t use the coupon since my item is a clearance item. Is that true?
Not sure where to put this but I went to Target last night and they have lots of Tyson Anytizer wings, Chicken patties, chicken nuggets ect. marked down to 1.99. I came home and found 1.00 off anytizer wing coupons and .75 chicken strips. (I think the strips were 2.99) still a good deal after coupn. Also Jimmy dean cooked sausage links and patties are a 1.00 and there is a printable .75 off coupon. Great deal. I couldnt believe all the mark downs. Tyson meals are 1.99 too and even biggest loser dinners (some of them) 1.99.
Got a coupon for a $10 target gift card with any transferred prescription in the mail on Saturday. I just signed up for the target check card and a few days after the card came in the mail, I got the coupon! Since my prescriptions are on the $4 generic list, I will make $6! WHOOHOO!
Can we use coupons on gift sets?
Are you allowed to use a manufacturer’s coupon that was printed at walgreens and has their logo at Target? Thanks!
@Ann – Things thatt are not covered in the policy are left to the stores discretion. Target does reserve the right to set limits and states so in their ad- since the policy does not mention limits- it is up to each store to set the limit as they see fit. More and more stores are setting limits like these to prevent a bare shelf. hth
I went to Target today to buy some Hungry Jack pancake mixes ($0.99). I had about 5 to 8 of each of the three flavors. The cashier began checking me out and the front end supervisor comes along and explains, quite rudely and in a demeaning tone, that I can only buy 4 of each item. Feeling uncomfortable, I didn’t argue the issue, and let them return the extra amount. She stated that the coupon policy changed in September to reflect a family quantity amount. Now, I had the coupon policy with me, that I had printed out on November 17th and it makes no mention of this at all. I guess I’m having two issues: the first being her demeaning attitude (even the cashier apologized to me), and the other being this phantom coupon policy she was mentioning. Should I have pointed out that I had a copy of the policy with me (and risk further embarrassment)? Or was she right, and each Target store has their own policy regarding coupons? This is the first time I’ve ever run into this issue at a Target store. I know that I will not be returning to her store, ever. I will just travel to a different location (where I had no problem buying the pancake mixes previously). I hope you can clarify for me.
Kerry,
Yesterday I checked the clearance in the baby section and found Banana Boat Kids 50+ marked down to $1.86. I still had my coupon for $4/1 Banana Boat item exp 11/20, it made the sunscreen free, plus Target’s computer didn’t change the value of my coupon, it took the whole $4.00 off times 2 since I had 2 coupons.
Also, they had 1 load (.97) and 6 load (2.99) tide in the travel section. The coupons from this months P&G dont exclude trial sizes, and again, the register didn’t change the value of my coupon, so using the $2.00/1 coupon on the 1 load made it free plus overage.
@Cindy- no you can’t PM after a register reward unfortunately
This will be my first Christmas season shopping with coupons. Will Target web coupons be honored on Black Friday?
I loved this post and thought it would be good to post it here too
https://www.totallytarget.com/2011/10/23/how-to-tell-which-are-target-coupons-before-printing/
I like to know if Target would price match Walgreen price after Register Reward?
I am planning a trip to my Target on this Friday. I want to buy some Up & Up products ie the ibuprofen. Can I buy two in the same transaction with two Target coupons? I know this is ok with MQ’s but not sure if that works with target web coupons.
I have a question. How many times can you print out coupons from target.com and or coupons.com.
Like could i print 3 out for phila creme cooking cheese and buy 3 in one transaction? Thanks so much!!!
My target now carries fresh groceries and b/c of this they sent me target coupons $off meat/apples/salad. Last time I shopped @target I received a $3 off $25 or more on grocery purchases. Can I combine these together? If I can combine these will the $3 off $25 have to be after coupons? or before coupons? Thanks!
@Mom of 3
Per the Target policy ‘If a Manufacturer BOGO coupon is used, one additional Target coupon may be used on the first item’ If you search for “Can’t Find the Target Coupon policy” on Totally Target, the post will direct you to the Target coupon policy. I would read it, learn it and lastly, always carry it with you. There are times we have to teach cs and cashiers what their policies are 🙂
My copy & paste isn’t working or I’d post the link for you. HTH
Hi Kerry,
I am new to couponing and love your site. But I am having problems leaving comments. I tried tonight in reply to your Curel giveaway. It states my comment is awaiting moderation. Why aren’t my comments going through?
Thanks
Linda
I went to my supertarget today with one manufacturer coupon of buy one get one free and a Target coupon of $1 off. I was told they couldnt accept both it had to be one or the other. Is this policy?
I recently did a transaction for Q-tips and was told (checking out at customer service–long story) that I could not use my Target coupons for the product on a deal involving receiving a Target gift card in return. Is this true?
Not sure where to post this-couldn’t find an email address. I went to Target and got a blouse for $.74!! I used the $3/1 Target coupon!!! Thank you so much!! http://marniescouponarama.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-shopping-trip-this-week-total-289.html-to see the picture!! Thank you it is because of your site. I know you get tons of people writing, but because of your site I learned about using coupons at Target. I have told all my friends and they didn’t know you could do this. We appreciate the education!!!!!!
@Sarah- you can only use mobile coupons 1 time ever. unfortunately. hth
@Ethan’s Mom – Target reserves the right to limit quantities as they see fit. I hear many stores are limiting to 3 or 4 items now. hth
TYSM Nancy! I found it! 🙂
Kerry
Have information on a $5 Target GiftCard in Real Simple Magazine November 2011 issue. How do I get it out to your readers? It is a Mail-in proof of purchase. Spend $15 or more on the featured products at target and get a $5 Target GiftCard by mail from Real Simple Magazine. I’m new to your website. Love target and shop there weekly. Love the insider info…..
@Lisa- no it’s any store where if you did not use your card you would not get the price- CVS, winn dixie etc all cannot be PMd unfortunately
I tried to price match today and they told me since it was a Dominicks ad and it said “Card Price” since you would need your dominicks card to get the price they wouldnt take it. I am so confused…I understood it as a club card like Sams Club or Costco.If anyone can clarify that would be great!