Comments on: Ask DSM Readers: Keeping Track of Scanned Coupons

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:00:38 +0000

I love the self-service checkouts.

I process 5-10 items at a time, finish transaction, and begin again.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:07:47 +0000

I always hand over the coupons one by one and watch the register to make sure the amount is taken off of my bill for each one.

By: krupa

krupa — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:15:27 +0000

A bit of advice for future Target trips from an ex Target employee...

If the check out lanes are super busy do not wait in those line because that is when they call us over the annoying walkies to come help check out and the people that come to help have most likely been trained on the register in a matter of an hour on their first day. They probably work the registers 3-4 times a month and during those times they probably complete one or two transactions.

Just a tip to maybe prevent Target from stealing coupons!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:13:43 +0000

It is frustrating! Like others, I will do a quick ad before I get to the register. At Tom Thumb last week, there were multiple errors. I went to the Customer Service Desk with my receipt, showed the error to the clerk & she refunded the money. I've done this MULTIPLE times at Wal-Mart, too. I've been having trouble with them getting the advertised sale price correct, compounded by a coupon.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:32:47 +0000

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with concerns about Target. I too have encountered the butter-fingers cashier who drops more than she keys in. Sooo frustrating!

By: Dani

Dani — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:53:35 +0000

I'm so happy to see these posts!

I feel as though some of the checkers at Target are actively attempting to cheat me. Many times I have found that some of my coupons were not scanned and when I mention it, the unscanned coupons are retrieved from some random place. Now I watch like a hawk--and still sometimes miss the shenanigans. I've caught checkers just putting the coupons to the side of the register if they beep (instead of entering the info the register wants) and dropping some coupons on the register ledge and not picking them up (at least during the transaction).

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:50:29 +0000

I tried couponing at Target for the first time two days ago and could not believe how hard it was to read the receipt. I also wondered if all of my coupons were scanned, but had a really hard time figuring it out from the receipt. From now on I will start adding it all up before checking out.

By: Dina

Dina — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 03:55:49 +0000

I've actually laid my coupons out on a shelf and taken a picture with my camera phone to match them up later at home. Usually I just count how many I give the cashier and check the receipt to make sure that many were scanned. Just the other day I almost lost 3 $1+ Qs because I think they stuck together. For the first time I checked before I left the line and saw they hadn't scanned. I was in a hurry so I just asked for them back. I don't mind so much most of the time if they don't get scanned, I just don't want to lose them.

By: Marlene

Marlene — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:12:20 +0000

Even though this may seem quite annoying to cashiers I always hand over coupons one by one. Especially at Target.

By: carrie

carrie — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:13:12 +0000

at target i have noticed that if it's a target coupon the value with not show up on the screen but a normal mgnft. coupon with show the amount off. On the receipt : when using the target coupon it will show the discounted price to the far right and coupon amount off under the item. If it's a mgnft. coupon the discount will show at the bottom.

By: Jenelle

Jenelle — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:30:37 +0000

Ugh! Target! I just left from there and I could not read the receipt! I was checking because the price seemed off and the cashier definetly lost / did not scan in my $4 off airwick coupon which was the whole point of my trip!

My strategy in keeping track of coupons is to go over the prices before I go find out what the oop will be. Then I make sure I count how many coupons I will be using and be sure to check the receipt and make sure this is what was used.

By: Dona

Dona — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:29:29 +0000

I do that same thing! When you act frustrated (when actually you aren't) and act like it is a "do-or-die" if they all get scanned, the cashiers seem to be a lot friendlier! I also try and find the same cashiers that I have used in the past, they remember the scatter-brained woman with LOTS of coupons. I find it all funny!! If I were that scatter-brained I wouldn't have the common sense to even use coupons!!

By: Dona

Dona — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:22:24 +0000

Do you think that Target intentionally makes their receipts so hard to decipher? I always get a "grand total" and then I know if the items actually scanned correctly, but still I cannot understand their receipts. Once I knew she didn't deduct the coupon, but the receipt was so confusing I didn't even know how to dispute it!! I don't find Target to be coupon friendly. Bad for them, I generally use any Target coupon at Publix!

By: Dona

Dona — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:12:55 +0000

This probably sounds like a lot of work, but so is finding the coupons and the sales in the first place! As I shop, I have a list (on a clipboard) that I write down the price of each item and beforehand have written in my coupon amount. When I have finished shopping, I find a quite place in the store and add up my items (including sales tax where applicable) and then deduct my coupons. I know exactly how much I am paying before I get to the register. I lay my clipboard on the counter as I am watching the cashier scan each coupon. It is a lot of trouble but I haven't had a cashier "loose" any coupons since I started this approach. It is more work and I don't expect everyone to do this, but I was so frustrated when I would get home and realize all of my coupons had not scanned. :)

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:02:30 +0000

As I am getting ready to check out, I will count my coupons (sometimes adding them) and when I get my reciept will double check and see if the number I had was the number of coupons deducted.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:43:21 +0000

re Wal-Mart Neighborhood Stores: learned (the hard way) that when the cashier is confronted with a $1.00 coupon they must scan it (like any other coupon it will beep) but then they must press enter into the keyboard to verify that the coupon is really a $1.00 coupon rather than a .10c coupon before the $1.00 is deducted from the running total. So if you just hear a beep it doesn't mean that the coupon was deducted. On that trip I had 6 $1.00 coupons for 6 of the same items but found that only 2 took, a $1.50 coupon was rung up at .50c and 2 of 3 .50c coupons actually took. So out of 10 items with related coupons the cashier messed up 6. As I calmly explained her errors and explained how to handle the "verification" process for the $1.00 coupons, she retrieved the missing coupons from TWO different locations. I suspect she was from the one-for-you and one-for-me theory of cashiering. If this sort of things happen on a 10 item order that is as easy to follow as it comes, imagine what they can get away with on a large order and they do seem to know that. (So, if you have a"good" coupon for something they like there is a better than even chance that your coupon will get lost.) But when we finally got it right I did end up with a bag full of 10 items for an out-of-pocket of $1.37. (So count the $$ (if there are $9 worth of coupons there should be a $9 deduction or there is going to be an audit at the register. lol)

By: Katy P

Katy P — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:41:27 +0000

I used to count the number of coupons- but now I am adding up the dollar amount & mentally taking it off the subtotal before I hand over the coupons. That way I know something is wrong if the total is too high. I have a lot of problems with coupons not being given, even when they beep, and some stores I can't watch the screen to see if the coupon was given. This has seemed to work best for me.

By: Darla

Darla — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:08:01 +0000

AT our store when the clerks were regularl forgetting to pull the coupons off items (I don't because they are easy to use).. I went in and asked to speak to store manager and asked if they had time for a 5 minute chat? they said yes and we actually sat down.; I asked about coupon policy for clerks and then explained my situation and said that the clerks needed to be educated or something about pulling coupons off product. Manger was receptive and the situation improved and now a couple of years later a few have to be reminded but mostly they still catch the coupons off products.

By: Darla

Darla — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:04:05 +0000

sounds like you might have to report them to the BBB or write a letter to the manager with CC to the corporate headquarters,,, and possibly a note that you will be writing a letter to the editor.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:33:23 +0000

I always count how many coupons that I will using when I am standing in line or before I get in line. That way I will know if they were all scanned. I will also take my coupons and crumple them up a little to make it harder for them to stick together. And many times I only hand over a few coupons at a time. After all is said in done I pull my cart over, out of the way and check my receipt and count how many coupons were deducted. If I find a mistake and I go straight to customer service. I know this may seem like a lot to do but we all clip coupons for a reason, to save money. I want every last penny to be deducted!