How much do you save on your shopping using coupons?

Coupon-mad

COOLTRIKERCHICK, you know I don't think you went over the top. It really depends on the store you are in.

At my 2 local Asdas, one store takes just 1 coupon per transaction but the other shop accepts all of them, any amount (as long as they stock the item, they are not internet coupons and are of course in date).

I paid just a few pounds for a £66 shop the other week in the latter store, having used all my coupons (not on self-scan) and clearly was NOT abusing the store policy. I specifically asked at Customer Services before I shopped, to find out their policy first, then walked round with a big grin on my face filling up the trolley.

When I started using coupons like this (only this year!) I read old posts on this site and people have been panicking about stores removing coupon-acceptance for years (I saw posts from 2004 saying the same thing).

It has not happened because the stores make money (and gain in terms of customer retention) from accepting manufacturers' coupons. Huge stores like Tesco and Asda sell many, many times more of a product than they take in coupons from you and me. When I pay with coupons I NEVER see anyone else doing the same.

Even the small percentage that the store cannot reclaim money on (i.e. competitors' magazine coupons, spend & save vouchers etc.) don't dent their profits because these are a very successful loss-leader. I started to go to Tesco more once I knew they would take my Sainsbury's spend & save coupons (as the Clubcard rewards beat the Nectar rewards hands-down). Now I am in Tesco's at least 3 times a week so the loss-leader has worked to their advantage (and the coupon-acceptance policy works to my advantage).

I would miss it if they (Tesco) removed the policy across the board, but I cannot see that happening. If it ever did I would shop in Asda or Waitrose as they have the same policy.

Finally, I read a post from an Asda employee earlier this week which said their Head Office monitor branch 'coupon-validity' (i.e. whether they can be redeemed, irrespective of if they've been used against the product) and apparently most branches are operating at 90% valid coupons. No chance at that level of the policy being removed, if only 10% have to be considered loss-leaders.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi....stebiz...... i can see your point, but i just went with the flow of the sa, as she was asking me if i had anymore vouchers that i wanted to use up... that was an extreme and have never ,never,,, done that before...if you have read other posts by myself you will know my view.......also i have said in other posts it all depends on the individual store..... in my local area there are a lot of supermarkets fighting for custom, so maybe thats why they will accept any vouchers....
i also dont use other supermarkets vouchers in my store, at least my supermarket is not losing out as they can claim the value of the coupons back......

also in reflection,.... i look at it ..at all those years i have shopped with them and the thousands of pounds that i have spend...and the amount of money they have made out of me....i think some pounds back ....that they readily accept in the way of vouchers.....is a small amount... copmpared to the amount of money they have had out of me.....when i go shopping i also fill up with petrol...so on average they are also getting between £30 - £50 petrol money off me....

i can see where you are coming from....but it is an individual store policy how much they take.... so every one should bare that in mind....when using the vouchers...if they ever stop the coupons.. i will go back to interent orders... where potentially i will gain £40. on a £50. shop.. with using codes...

hi coupon-mad how you doing?.....as you say tescos have gained my custom away from asda.. and morrisons... and gained the petrol sales as well

pondie1

two seperate self scan checkouts in our tesco,i was only allowed one voucher,wouldnt accept second one,i gather they must have set machines as this happened last week aswell

carlyh69

Also dont bother with the Supermarket branded coupons (like in this months ASDA mag) unless you buy the product, because they wont be accepted otherwise!

WELSH-DRAGON_2

My store doesn't have a self scan checkout (tescos) so I have never used one, so could not comment on whether the quick read vouchers would go through, I think someone asked a few posts ago. Maybe someone else could advise ?

Now that I cannot use my quick read vouchers at my Tescos I now have a very empty looking money off voucher see through folder !

Does anyone else store their vouchers in this way ? I also have a fabric purse in my bag which is always replenished with vouchers whenver I go anywhere (just in case) - I will shut up now as I do sound slightly obessessed !!!

F&L

The quick read ones do go through on Tesco self scan tills. I use several coupons at a time on the self-scan tills but never more than one of any type, as that what their policy is at my local store. All coupons have to be approved though as when I press finish and pay, it comes up coupon approval needed and they do sometimes open the box to check the dates on the coupons. It may not be the same in all Tescos but after I put the second coupon in it states on their monitor "coupon limit exceeded". This is different to Asda where they don't approve coupons and you can be in and out in a flash!

FloFlo

Welsh dragon, Spytty Road Tesco in Newport has self scan and now Asda in Duffryn Newport has self scan, don't know if they are near enough for you to use.

WELSH-DRAGON_2

Hello floflo I live in Barry but work in Cardiff so tend to shop in that area, thanks for the info though

Welshy x

jamnutty

i have never used the self scan in my tescos. the Cashiers are now only taking one coupon per shop on the regular tills. i used to hand over around £5.00 of vouchers per shop for products i had not bought. how many vouchers will a self scan take? is there a max they will accept?

please help i have quite a few vouchers that i am going to struggle to use up before the expiry date

julie

FloFlo

jamnutty wrote:

i how many vouchers will a self scan take? is there a max they will accept?


julie

Self scan can be a pain, till normally plays up, but its worth it to put through a few coupons that they wouldn't normally take together. The self scan tills usually have a SA keeping an eye but so far I haven't been stopped using the coupons but I don't use huge amounts. Your best bet is to give it a try on your normal shop with as you said about £5 of coupons.