Coupon Lingo & Abbreviations
Are you tired of feeling like a detective trying to crack the code on your coupons? Don't worry, we've got you covered! In this beginner's guide, we'll unveil the secret language of couponing and help you decipher those cryptic abbreviations. Say goodbye to confusion and hello to savings as we take you on a journey through the world of coupon lingo. Get ready to unlock incredible deals with ease – no magnifying glass required!
Here is your Coupon Lingo & Abbreviations
Welcome savvy shoppers! Are you ready to unlock the secrets of couponing? Well, you've come to the right place because today we're diving deep into the world of coupon lingo and abbreviations. If you've ever felt lost amidst a sea of acronyms like BOGO, MFR, or OOP, fear not! We'll be your guide as we unravel these mysterious codes and empower you with insider knowledge. Get ready to save big and speak the language of savings like a pro – let's crack the code together in this ultimate couponing crash course!
$1.00/2, $2.00/2, etc: One dollar off two products, two dollars off two products, etc. You must buy 2 items to receive any savings; you cannot redeem the coupon on one product for half the value.
BD: Breakdown. a summary of your shopping trip including coupons used, store, out of pocket cost, sale price etc,
BOGO: Buy one, get one. Will usually end with “free” or “half off” meaning buy one, get one half off, or buy one get one free.
B1G1, B2G1:Another way to write ‘buy one, get one’. The “B” stands for “buy”, the G stands for “get”. The numbers indicate how many of a product you must buy to qualify and the number of products you get when you redeem the coupon or offer. B1G1= Buy one, get one. B2G1= Buy two, get one B2G2= Buy two, get two
Blinkie: Manufacturer coupons dispensed by coupon machines found in grocery aisles next to products. Recognize them by the blinking red light. Dispenses coupons one at a time in intervals. Manufacturer blinkie coupons may be redeemed at any store, not necessarily the store in which you found them.
CAT; Catalina: Sometimes abbreviated as “CAT”, Catalina coupon machines located at register, dispense long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase.
Catalinas, refer to the coupons themselves which may be manufacturer or store coupons. Some Catalina coupons are advertised and some are generated based on consumer behavior.
CI: Coupon Insert:Coupon circulars inserted into Sunday newspapers amongst the other advertisements. Smart Source (SS), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor and Gamble (PG) put out coupon inserts, sometimes just called “inserts”. Coupon inserts are a valuable money-saving tool and
Coupon; Q; A note from a store or manufacturer that entitles shopper to a discount on specific product. Coupons may be clipped from the newspaper, printed from the internet or even downloaded to your store loyalty card.
Couponing: [koo-pon-ing, Kyoo-] (v.) the practice of redeeming discount coupons in order to save money.
Couponer: A person who collects and saves coupons to redeem them on products, such as groceries.
Double Coupons: Select stores always double coupons up to a certain value, usually $0.50. If your store doubles coupons up to $0.50 off, any coupon $0.50 or under will be doubled in value. Coupons $0.51 or greater will be worth face value, no doubling. You do not need to present two coupons for one item. Each coupon will be worth twice the value. Other stores may double coupons on a particular week day, usually a slower day like Tuesday. Other stores may offer physical store ‘twice-the-value’ coupons. Even other stores may feature double coupons on a special promo week basis and will advertise this in their weekly ad.
eCoupons: Electronic coupons AKA; digital coupons; may be downloaded onto your store loyalty card or cell phone. Download from your PC or go mobile and download to your loyalty card through your cell phone. Grocery coupons must be downloaded to your loyalty card and will be deducted automatically when you swipe your card at checkout. E-coupons may be downloaded to your cell-phone for other retail items such as movie rentals. Download a coupon using the mobile ap and show your discount code to your cashier.
ECB or Extra Care Bucks: CVS rewards program, formerly called ECBs. Extra Bucks print according to the store’s weekly or monthly advertised deals. When you make a qualifying purchase, you receive the coordinating Extra Bucks value as advertised. Extra Bucks are similar to catalinas or register rewards, but they print directly onto the bottom of your receipt.
EXP: Expires or Expiration Date
GC: Gift Card, term used for deals when a gift card if given.
Handling Fee: Refers to an amount, usually $0.08, paid by the manufacturer to reimburse the store for the trouble of accepting a coupon. The handling fee is usually used to pay a clearing house to sort, organize and bill the manufacturer. If a store chose to sort its own coupons, they will keep the handling fee.
IP: Internet Printable Coupon
ISO: In search of. A term used when searching for a particular coupon or item.
MIR: Mail in Rebate, refers to rebates which must be submitted by mail. These are the traditional rebates that require you to mail in both your receipt and proof of purchase in the form of UPC barcodes. Manufacturer: The company who produces the brand items: Dove soap manufacturer, Pace Salsa manufacturer, etc.
MQ; Manufacturer Coupon: A coupon created by the manufacturer, or by a marketing company on the manufacturer’s behalf. Manufacturer offers a discount to shoppers in order to entice them to buy their product. When a coupon is redeemed the manufacturer reimburses the store for the entire value of the coupon, plus a handling fee, aprox $0.08.
MM: Money Maker; you will make money with that transaction.
NLA: No longer Available.
One Coupon per Purchase: Refers to your ability to use one coupon per item. Meant to enforce the point that you may not use two of the exact same coupon for one item.
One Coupon per Transaction: Limits you to only using one of this coupon per transaction. You may request to do separate transactions. Example: If you have 5 coupons that read “one coupon per transaction” you may request to separate into 5 transactions and pay 5 times.
OOP: Out of Pocket. What you will actually pay
Peelie: Adhesive manufacturer coupons found on products in the store. Peelies are often good on a wider selection of products than the one it is stuck to. Be sure to read the fine print on the peelie to discover if the coupon may be used on a smaller size or different variety of the same product, to allow you to maximize savings.
P&G: Proctor and Gamble manufacture a wide range of consumer goods and are one of the largest corporations in the world. Proctor and Gamble puts out monthly coupon inserts filled with coupons for a variety of Proctor and Gamble produced brands, just a few of which include: Always, Bounty, Crest, Dawn, Gillette, Olay, Pampers and Tide.
PP; Plenti Points; Rite Aid's Reward program. You earn PP towards purchases at Rite Aid. They are applied to your card and available the following morning.
Purchase: purchase refers to buying any item. If I buy 30 items on a single shopping trip, I just made 30 purchases.
Purchase-Based Coupon: Purchase-Based coupons specify a dollar amount off a minimum dollar future purchase. Some common values: $2 off $10, $3 off $15, $4 off $20. Purchase based coupons may be used in addition to store and manufacturer coupons.
RC; Raincheck: A Rain Check is a written slip that you can request from a store when a sale item is out of stock. When the store restocks the item, after the sale period is over, a rain check entitles you to purchase for the previous sale price. Store may include an expiration date as well as a quantity limit on your rain check. Rain checks are usually issued at the customer service desk.
Rebate: A rebate is a refund of part or all of the amount paid.
refers to rebates as programs that offer you cash back for making a qualified purchase. Rebates are sponsored by a store or a manufacturer. Either clip and mail UPC barcodes or enter receipt proof of purchase online, then wait for your rebate check in the mail.
RR: Register Rewards. Walgreens drugstore rewards program, and version of the catalina coupon. Look for the same machines located at register, dispensing long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase. RRs cannot be ‘rolled’ like catalinas.
Rolling Catalinas: Refers to the practice of separating your purchase into multiple transactions in order to use register catalina coupons from your first transaction to pay for your second transaction. Another catalina prints from the 2nd transaction that pays for the 3rd transaction and so on.
SAVE; SAVE insert; Formerly known as Red Plum coupon inserts; Paper coupons that come out on Sundays in insert booklets
SS: Smart Source. A marketing company, like RP, Smart Source coupon inserts and website feature coupons from a variety of manufacturers. Smart Source is part of News America Marketing Co. Smart Source coupon inserts can be found in most Sunday papers.
Stacking: Stacking may refer to using any two promotions together. When a coupon coincides with a promotion, we say “stack the coupon with the sale or promotion”.
Stacking Coupons: Stacking coupons refers to using both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on one product. Nearly all stores will allow you to “stack”. Only one manufacturer coupon may be used per item.
Stockpile (n.)A food storage or stash of food and non-food items. Buy items when they’re on sale and you have a coupon. Buy products before you need them and build up a stockpile of food and toiletries.
Store Coupon; A coupon created by the store to entice you to buy a certain product at their store. Stores receive no reimbursement from store coupons. Store coupons may be found in the weekly ad, printed online or downloaded as e-coupons.
Store Loyalty Card: A free card which you present at checkout to receive additional savings. Fill out a short application to receive a loyalty card at your local grocer. If you don’t want to carry the card, the cashier can look up your preferred card by entering your ten digit phone number.
Transaction: A transaction refers to your entire purchase, especially the payment you make for that purchase. If I buy 30 items and then pay the cashier, I just made one transaction.
Tear Pad: TP; A pad of manufacturer coupons found near product on shopping aisles. Tear pad manufacturer coupons may be used at any store, not just the one where you found the coupon.
WAGS: Abbreviation for Walgreens Drugstore
WC; Walgreens Cash; Walgreens money you earn to use at Walgreens for making pruchases
UPC: Universal Product Code. Bar code printed on product packages that can be scanned electronically.
WYB: When You Buy. Some sales or coupons require purchase of multiple items. When reporting a deal on KCL, we always include a final price. Example: Buy 2 Mint Milano cookies $2.00 each, use 1 $1.00/2 coupons, Final Price: $1.50 each, WYB 2. You must buy 2 in order to use the $1.00/2 coupon, so the final price states “WYB 2″.
YMMV: Your milage may vary. Not available in all locations, stores vary
By familiarizing yourself with coupon lingo and abbreviations, you can unlock the potential of saving money through coupons. From BOGO to MIR, now you have a better understanding of what these terms mean and how they can help you save at the checkout counter. So next time when browsing through deals and discounts, don't feel overwhelmed by all the acronyms – instead, use them to your advantage and start saving! Happy shopping!
