Check out the signs that are posted at every checkout lane in our Target now! I know it’s slightly blurry, but here’s what it says:
To help you save in every way, we accept manufacturer’s coupons.*
*We happily accept one manufacturer’s and one Target coupon per item.
So this is great news for those of you that have had issues with coupon stacking in the past. It seems like Target is really making a concerted effort to better educate their employees on their coupon policies with these signs and the recent posting of their corporate coupon policy online.
Those of you that are newer to my site may be wondering exactly what “coupon stacking” is and why all the fuss about it. Coupon stacking is when a store allows you to use both a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon on the same item. When you can pair these coupons with a good sale, the end result is huge savings and/or possibly even free merchandise!
A perfect example is the current Pop-Tarts deal:
Kellogg’s Whole Grain Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts, $1.52
$1/1 Whole Grain Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Target printable
$2/2 Kellogg’s Select Fiber-Added Products, exp. 10-11-09 (RP 8/30/09)
2 FREE after 1 manufacturer and 2 Target coupons!
So you would buy two boxes of Pop-Tarts, use one manufacturer’s coupon (since it’s off two items), and use two Target store coupons. This will make the Pop-Tarts free after all coupons!
Have you found it easier to use coupons at Target lately? What are your tips for getting the best results?
Sarah G
I usually avoid Target like the plague. Sometimes, it’s so frustrating because they have such great advertised deals – and I read these blogs about getting tons of free food. It’s encouraging to know that I’m not the only one who gets humiliated any time I checkout with coupons at Target. :) I’ve never even tried stacking coupons – but, I usually get the “this item isn’t pictured on the coupon” or “you can only use one coupon per purchase.” Now, I stick to Harris Teeter, who has never given me a problem in the 2 years since I’ve started couponing!
Lisa
My sister and I both have had bad and good experiences with Target. I honestly think it boils down to who you pick as a cashier. So now the first thing I do when I am going up to the register is pray that I will have a good cashier :).
I went on Saturday for the free cheese sticks (target Q for $1 off ANY Market Pantry cheese product, they have individual sticks for 40 cents), get 2, makes them free. I told the cashier I wasn’t sure if the Q was going to work or not (I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, so I thought I would just be blunt), and she looked at it, said “probably not, but we can always try it to see”. She tried it, and the Q automatically adjusted down to 80 cents!!! Got free cheese sticks!!
Dizzy Mommy
Jessie-
I have a newborn daughter who was a preemie so she is extra tiny… I almost always have her with me at Target because some of the cashiers I’ve had problems with are like “oh you have a baby…lets just get you out of here”. It doesn’t always work but its better then standing there feeling like a moron. I tend to go to the young cashiers because I am in my early 20s and its easier to talk to them if there is an issue. I’ve had cashiers in there 30s (my husbands 34) and cashiers in there 40s (most of my best friends) talk down to me like Im a moron… even had one call my a child (and I had my four kids with me… 14, 7, 4, and the newborn I adopted the two oldest). However I’ve also found the eldery women just gush over the baby and are for the most part very sweet. I know who to stay away from at my Targets…. especially a women who told me both my copy of the coupon policy was fake… and that Target was a franchise store.
Nicole
I just started clippin coupons like a month ago, well religiously clippin. I have never really had any Terrible problems at Target but I have friends that have… I do tend to go to younger girls when I check out. I have one girl that knows me and knows how I use coupons. She even said she told her parents about the deals I was getting and what websites I use…..
But I did go the other day and had a customer that was behind me having a fit because I was taking to long with my coupons. He said that they need an checkout for people who use coupons. I wanted to say they have an express lane for your 2 boxes of Target brand cereal, when he had a $6 Starbucks in his hand…
Sorry for saving some money…… LOL
Mel
I’ve noticed a change at the Target I shop at. I used to have a problem every time with coupons. But the last three or four trips have been problem free. I must say that when Target makes a mistake that their customer service is great! If you have problems with the store or a specific cashier, call the corporate office (even in the store) and they will help you out! 1-800-591-3869
Jennifer
I too have had trouble at Target. Over the summer I went, and the cashier (an older lady – I now try to avoid them also) got extremely mad at me, told me I was committing coupon fraud, and “that’s not what coupons are for”. Ok – what are they for? This was after the manager had already come over once and said it was fine. I then went back to the manager and told her what happened after I was finished paying. Luckily the manager was very nice and when I complained to her, she said she would speak to the cashier – don’t know if that ever happened or not.
Traci
Some of my worst shopping experiences have occurred at Target. I only go if I am poised to fight, which is a shame because I prefer Target over Wal-Mart. I had a cashier roll her eyes at me because I presented coupons so I asked her, “if you dislike coupons so much, why do you work for a store that makes its own coupons?”. Calling corporate and getting a response is likewise hit or miss. In this economy, I am shocked that the customer service is so inconsistent–at the store and corporate levels.
Mary
I used to get lots of grief about coupons at Target. So much so that my heart would race just walking to the registers, anticipating the conflict. But in the last few weeks its been GREAT!! I’ve gotten 20 bags of FREE dog food, lots of J&J deals, I even made $2.52 off of clearance crest whitstrips (4pk), and the only problem I had was apparently a baby bottle is NOT a feeding accessory. lol
Jan
My Target also is *very* coupon-unfriendly … somehow, I ended up with 2 managers plus the cashier trying to figure out my coupons (1 manufacturer, 1 Target on several products). At first they weren’t going to adjust them down, then they did. I was in line 15 minutes to buy 12 items. Target is great if you don’t use any coupons, but trying to use coupons there is exhausting.
Monica
The place I have the most problems with is Wal-Mart. They wouldn’t take coupons that wouldn’t scan correctly. And these were manu. coupons! I was sooo pissed, I had my BF pull all those items out so I could show them I purchased those items. No go. They wouldn’t take them. The next week I was in Houston and went to the Walmart my my mom’s and they took them no questions asked. They all scanned correctly and there was no hassle. I emailed corporate and explained the situation, the local managers have tried calling me back, but I am always teaching when they do and won’t pick up the phone.
Syndi
Wal-Mart also doesn’t like to take coupons that are sent from the manufacturer without a price on it. You know like ones that say one free bottle of whatever. I have had a couple of different cashiers tell me that they can’t do that and that a coupon has to have a price on it. LOL This is coming from the manufacturer that doesn’t know what your exact price is, they just want me to have it for free.
April
The younger cashier did not hold true for me last Friday. I had one of my worst experiences with him. First he told me I could not use the Glade candle tin coupon with the free refill because I would not be paying full price for the candle tin. I didn’t fell like arguing so I asked him to take them off. That caused my razor coupons to go over the price of the razor by $.02 so he told me I couldn’t use those coupons either because the amount is over the product price. I told him that you can adjust the price of the coupon down to the price of the product and he continued to argue with me and the called over the manager. The manager confimed that NO you can not price adjust coupons down. I told her that I had used these coupons for these products at this store before. She proceeded to tell me that they had recently went through TRAINING and had been taught how to properly take coupons (LOL) and that the person who had done this before shouldn’t have and walked away. I was so frustrated I just said next time I will bring YOUR coupon policy with me and left.
Brandy
I had a really bad time at Target when I had my neice and son with me on my neices birthday. I took my 14 yr old neice to get her nails done for the first time and then out for lunch. I said well lets go to Target because I had some great coupons and was also going to get a gift for my neice. The day was great until then. I ended up spending more $ then I wanted to because I didn’t want to cause a scene on my neices bday. They were being crazy about me using coupons. They even called over a manager. Thank goodness my neice had a great time minus the Target trip.
Julie
I would love to hear if anyone has gotten a response from corporate about what they consider a “purchase” vs. “transaction”. Since some of the Target Q’s say one per purchase, I’ve had an experience where they made me do multiple transactions because of the one per purchase wording. This doesn’t work though, for items that require a purchase of more than one to receive a gift card back. I have also come to avoid Target because of the issues the cashiers have with coupons – I’ve had similar bad experiences which unfortunately outweight the good ones.
Kris
One store I went to today in Michigan makes up their own policy. They told me I could only use one Target coupon. It’s one per guest limit. I said I have your story policy in my hand read it. “No, I know our policy.” I said, call corporate guest relations. “No, I know, I’m not going to call them.” So I got on my cell phone and called them in the line. The lady I spoke to wanted me to give my cell phone to speak to the woman. I said corporate wants to speak with you. The floor manager told me “I can’t speak to her on your phone. I said it’s corporate asking to speak to you and you are telling me you won’t speak to them. She said “NO, I’m not talking on your phone.” Corporate then wanted to know the woman’s name, I said it’s Lauryn. Then I asked Lauryn, what is your last name, she said “I’m not going to give you that.” I just told corporate, all I know is the woman’s name is Lauryn and she won’t give me her last name, but she has blond hair. If they wanted to figure out her name corporate could. The girl rolled her eyes at me when I told them. I said whats your title? She said “Team Leader.”
(I mean good grief, once employees get a title, why do they all feel they can be rude? I mean…wooo you maybe make a quarter an hour extra.)
Well the lady I spoke to at corporate transferred me to her supervisor to settle the issue. He ended up calling the store manager….then put me on hold while he contacted him. Corporate then got off the phone with him and told me, that the Store Manger of the store has a policy of one Target coupon per guest. I said why do all the other stores take them, but not this store? He said I’m sorry, it’s up to the mangers decision to limit coupons. I mean why put several Target coupons on the Internet, only to be subjected to use only one? This is the second problem I had at this Target, I figured, since they published the coupon policy it would be ok to go back in. Forget it, I will not shop at that one ever. So I said, forget it and left my items.
I then went to the usual Target I always go to. On top of that, I got the young man I usually go to. So friendly, took my coupons..”have a good day.” I wish most employees were like him.
coryanne
i just recently moved to the bay area, and have had the worst time using my coupons at any store up here. i lived in southern California before and i had a few problems but most of the time using my coupons was sooo easy to use. Now when i go into a store i feel like i am always fighting with the cashiers and even the managers about totally legitimate coupons because nobody up here seems to even know what a coupon is. i even had a manager at albany target humiliate me. At the walmart up here i had a problem with a manager as well. and i have written corporate about these experiences. i know that both stores now are a little bit more lenient but still no one knows the coupon policy… if stores took the time to teach all of their employees the coupon policy’s i am sure they would get a lot more business. i feel like i have to teach them about coupons every time i go into a store because i seem to be the only one with they coupon policy at hand.
Deanna Dill
Geeeez! lol I Love my Target! I figured out a long time ago to go for the younger guys! It’s funny because just a couple of days ago my hubby was w/ me and the cashier i picked, prolly had the longest line. My hubby was walking and looking around like he was trying to find a shorter line. He finds one and was breaking his neck to come and tell me, then looked like a sad puppy dog when i said “this is the cashier i’m using” and i’m not moving!!! lol I explained when we got in the car and he understood. I have never had a bad experience at Target except the one time i went against my better judgment and went to a young girls line. Pretty sad that it has to be that way. But i have certain cashiers depending on what store i am going to. I think it’s terrible that some of you have had the experiences that you’ve had.
Denise
I really like all the Targets in my area! When they cannot accept a coupon, I don’t explain things – instead, I become instantly ditzy. I plaster a on a smile, and ask why. If the answer doesn’t make sense, I just agree … then point out the discrepancy and again ask why. I repeat as often as necessary. When someone has to think about the explanation, it makes more sense.
“Oh! I’m sorry it says one per transaction. I guess it will take you a bit longer, but I do want to help you do it the right way. We’ll go ahead and do 22 transactions, that’s fine!” (Smile.) “Oh! I understand now, the item cost must be over the coupon amount … except that Target.com says it can be less – why do you suppose that is?” (Smile.)
Bridget
I usually don’t have much issue with Target. I was just there this weekend and used $80 in coupons, with no issue. However, my Target seems to have educated their cashier’s on their policy.
I also have no issue with my WalMart. They adjust down the coupon and I get right out.
Jenn
The reason that the “older people” are more strict than the younger ones is because they need their cruddy jobs! I know it’s frustrating but please try to have some compassion. Target employees are treated HORRIBLY and policy is told to them ten different ways every day by different people. It’s not that they don’t understand the policy, it’s that Target is screwy and writes people up for FOLLOWING THEIR OWN POLICIES.
So yes, the younger people will push coupons through not caring because if they get fired they don’t have bills to pay and kids to feed.
lisa
I only get som target coupons in the sunday paper (not many at all )is there another way to get target coupons that I am missing?
Thanks Lisa
Syndi
You can get them on their website. There is a link there for coupons. If you live near a Publix, they will also accept Target’s coupons along with a manufacturer’s coupon.
kiki
I know isn’t that sad. We all know there are people out there who commit fraud by making up coupons. But it’s so bad that even the honest ppl get scrutinized. And we know our policies. And who takes what better than they do. Go9do thing we are not the criminals because we would bet away with murder since store4s dont’ even know their own policy
Heather B.
I had a great transaction recently at Target where the sales associate was super knowledgeable about their coupon policies and was really, really nice. He even let me use 2 manufacturers coupons on a natures best double pack when they were out of the singles. I was going to buy it anyway and pay the extra $5 and he saved me $5. He made a point of explaining that their policy normally would not allow that but he was understanding about the shortage of the product singles.
Now, over at one of our local Walmarts recently(luckily it is not the one in my exact same town) the sales associate was super rude and made a point of saying their specific Walmart policy was that one coupon per transaction(for the same item) could be used. Now I was buying two of the same product, not 100 and I never have any issues at my location that is closest to me. It depends on where you are at but hopefully Target will keep making it a lot easier to coupon. I think once you find the store that “gets it” you stick with that location unless you absolutely must go somewhere else.
Lori
Trying to save money to help support my family!
Leah
I went to my Target Saturday. I had a $1 off any Scotch magic tape. The tape was $1 and the cashier would not let me use it because it made it free. I had other items so my total was not going to be $0.00!
Cheryl
What’s up with the coupon expiration date on the PopTart listing being 10/11/09?? 2 years ago?????
Tara Kuczykowski
Cheryl, this was posted two years ago. The stacking information is still valid; however, the example scenario I used obviously is not current.
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