I hate to open a huge can of worms, but there have been so many questions lately about the coupon policy. I do NOT work for Walmart, and can only offer my opinion and interpretation of the Walmart coupon policy.
Many of you write in saying, “Well MY Walmart will not… do this or that” things that are spelled out in the coupon policy. If your Walmart tells you “no” on something that is clearly written on the coupon policy below what can you do? Ask for the manager, show them the policy and ask why they are not following it. Then call corporate and ask them to contact the manager and ask the manager to follow the policy. Then request a call back conforming that they have talked to the manager.
Walmart Coupon Policy
Walmart accepts the following types of coupons (see guidelines below):
- Manufacturer coupons (Cents Off)
- Free merchandise (or manufacturer’s Buy-One-Get-One-Free) coupons
- Store coupons
- Pharmacy (Advertising and Promotional) coupons
- Internet coupons
- Soft drink container caps
The following are guidelines and limits:
- Walmart only accepts coupons for merchandise we sell and only when presented at the time of purchase.
- Coupons should have an expiration date and be presented within the valid dates. Walmart will not accept expired coupons.
- Internet coupons should be legible and say “Manufacturer Coupon.” There should be a valid remit address for the manufacturer and a scannable bar code.
- Only one coupon per item is permitted.
- Use of 40 or more coupons per transaction will require approval by Customer Service Manager.
Price-Matching: The same things goes with price matching. Many of you say your Walmart “will NOT” price match anything with a card price. The way that I understand their policy is that they DO, the only thing they might have to do is ask to see your store card.
Our unbeatable promise:
Store managers make the final decision in always taking care of our customers, but we do have guidelines for matching our competition.
- We do honor “Preferred Shopping Card” advertised prices. Must be like items, be advertised and require a competitor’s shopping card, for the discount to apply.
- We do not honor advertisements that require a purchase in order to receive the advertised price or free product.
- We do not honor “Buy One / Get One Free” advertisements.
- We do not honor double or triple coupons or percent off advertisements.
- We do not honor other retailers’ “Misprinted” advertised prices.
- We do not honor Internet Pricing.
- We do not honor competitor advertisements from outside of the store’s or Club’s local trade territory.
My point is that I don’t want your stores telling you “no” when they should not be. Thats all. I just want you to all have a good shopping experience, save some money and not be frustrated! I know that this is not how it is always going to be, but carry the policy with you and get your store to change and do what they are supposed to if you have to!
P.S. You can all start throwing stuff at me now!
I have never had any trouble with my Wal-Mart. In fact I did a price match just this week and no trouble at all. I appreciate their frienliness and helpfulness.
So good to hear!
I wasn’t trying to blame you when I posted on your FB wall- I was just telling you about the craziness that occurred when I tried to use a very cut and dry coupon!! Anyway – I appreciate all that you do and I get a lot of valuable info from you and your site – so thank you very much! And I wasn’t trying to sound like I was complaining about something you shared – just the crap my store tried to pull!
Oh I didn’t think you were at all!
It is just so hard to hear all the horror stories. I feel bad. Plus, I hate posting something then to have 1/2 of everyone not be able to do it.
I get a ton of email about it every day.
I have decided to have an old receipt on hand in my binder that states “we gladly accept valid manufacturing and internet coupons” so next time I have any problems w/WM, I can show this to them (or stick it up their nose :O) and ask if they are having a bad day! 🙂
Thank you, Paul for keeping up w/the latest and greatest finds at WallyWorld!
About a year ago, I completely gave up shopping at WM until I found your site. For about the last month, I have started going back, and have had no problems whatsoever. They are much easier to price match with than Target is (Target does price match, but you have to go to Customer service to check out and they dont have a scale there… so, then you have to go back and do price matching for your weighed items at another register… it’s craziness!). So, thank you for opening my eyes to what Walmart CAN be, again. I enjoy your blog very much and check it often! 🙂
Paul, you rock! No, stress bro. Thank you for all you do!
Actually SO awesome…..I think I might need to write a song about it 😛 A little Paul-Walmart love song?
Paul… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your site and all the work you put into it!!! You save me countless hours and now about 25-50% off my Wally bill. The cashiers in Conroe have been awesome! They say that everyone is using coupons now so they are used to being handed the “stack” of coupons. Sorry to hear others Wally’s are still in the dark ages. Keep it up. You’re helping all of us!!!
What I want to know and did not see stated in the coupon policy is if I price comp something, say Bi-Lo has Cottonelle for 5.88, okay the cashier over rides it, and gives it to me at that price, am I allowed to use a coupon as well? They told me I could not do this, but I am just wondering what you guys think.
I have never had them not take a coupon when I price match an item. Other people say their stores wont let them. I have not gotten a good answer from corporate on that. They dont seem to know!
The only thing that my WalMart tells me is that I can not use a coupon that is over the value of the item but many of you do… Is it just a difference between stores?
I had a similar situation happen at my store in Central Florida. My cashier out right refused to take the coupon because the value was over the price of the item. Myself and another cashier explained to her that each coupon could be adjusted down to the price of the item but I guess since there were quite a bit that needed to have that done that she outright refused to take the coupons. I am so frustrated with my local Wal-Mart that I’m not sure when I’m going back. I did call Corporate and complain and received a call from the store’s Co-Manager the next day with an apology but I’m still too frustrated to go into that store anytime soon.
I just started using your site about a month ago. I had no idea how many deals I was missing out on! It is much easier to buy certain items at WM and not have to deal with limits at CVS or filler items at Walgreens (although I still frequent both). One odd thing that did happen to me last week at WM was a manager was called to override my transaction b/c I had $65 in coupons. She said anything over $50 required manager approval. I had never heard of that. She was a little rude and said she would do it this time, but not to bring that much in coupons again. I can’t wait to see her again! 🙂
🙂
Sorry to be one of the several emails you get about it everyday! Hopefully what you hear on Monday from corporate will be the same as what they told me yesterday and you can let everyone know! Keeping my fingers crossed!
Paul, I have been using coupons faithfully for about 3 months to lower my grocery bill. I have found great deals (and costumer service at stores I haven’t shopped at for years). After reading your blog I thought I would try my luck at Walmart with my savvy coupon purchases. Time and time again I have received terrible, I mean terrible service and much grief when I present my coupons. I am VERY careful about matching correct coupons and items, but still get treated badly at the register. I contacted corperate about the mistreatment and had constructive dialog more than one time with store managers, but the problem continues at the register. Especially when my coupons bring my total down to near zero or within a few dollars. Any other suggestions on this.?
I am sure you have probably answered this a thousand times…but I am still not totally clear on this one thing about pricematching. Will Walmart accept 2 coupons to price match…for example. Will they take (or should they take) 1) Target coupon and 1) manufacturer coupon (like for instance you would do at target to get a really low price). I tried this at my WM and they said that they could take them manufacturer coupon but not the Target coupon (the lady was mostly confused because it wouldn’t scan etc. and had the target logo and I didn’t know if they were supposed to take it under their price matching policy or if it was okay that they weren’t taking it because it wasn’t one of their coupons). Thank you SOOO much for all of your help. You have helped save my family so much money.
Good question. I could be wrong but they will only take 1 coupon ( even if it is a store coupon) for an item. That is my impression. I think if you just had the Target some stores would take it, as it states in their policy but most are going to freak out with the Target logo. The combining 2 coupon thing for them is waaayyyy in the future!
Hi Paul-
Thanks for the WM Policy clarification! I had a nightmare of a time tonight at my WM. I was using the 3$ off Gain Qs for the 1.87 40 sheet box. I told the cashier, since I wasn’t sure if overage at my store was allowed, that if she needed to she could adjust the Q down to the 1.87. Well she didn’t know what to do, neither did the manager on duty. In the end they allowed overage to get me out, but made me feel like I was robbing them. I will clarify my stores overage policy tmrw, but my question is…if my store doesn’t allow overage, does that mean I can’t use the Q at all? TIA!
Hi Paul,
I had an incident that happened today. Walgreens gives you the Register Rewards back on some purchases. I was told (and even at the top of them it states) that they are a manufacturer’s coupon. Why wouldn’t my Walmart accept these if it is a Manufacturer’s Coupon? I thought you could use them any where coupons are accepted. If you don’t know the answer to this one, no worries. Just thought I’d ask. Thank you for EVERYTHING!
Are the coupons on the walmart website manufacturers coupons or store coupons? My mom and I are trying to figure this one out still. Thanks for having an amazing blog by the way!
I too have never had any problems at my Walmart – YAY!! If I get a cashier who doesn’t understand how to adjust down a coupon (doesn’t happen very often thank goodness) I just ask for a supervisor and they tell them to key in the price of the item and write the price I paid for the item on the coupon. Now, my Walmart doesn’t allow overage because when overage happens that’s money they lose! They only get reimbursed for the price they charge for the item not the value of the coupon if the item is less so I don’t feel right about doing that. I usually write the price of the item on the coupon and let the cashier know the coupon is more than the item. I want my Walmart to stay coupon friendly.
Paul ~ I just “found” your website a few weeks ago and am so happy I did! Thank you for all your hard work matching up and for making Walmart all the more competitive for me to shop there!
Love Judy’s idea about writing the price on the coupon to be adjusted down. I will do that from now on. Thanks :)!
Also, on buy-one-get-one-free coupons, there is a space for the cashier to write down the amount of the free item, I always write this in for them ~ and I use Paul’s advice by making the item(s) the last one on the belt. This seems to be the only source of confusion (b/c they have to go back and search the computer or receipt) I have encountered at the register.
Hi Paul,
Love your website! I have a couple of questions. How does WM price match to Dillons if it’s 10/10.00. Will they just match 1.00 or are you required to purchase 10 items. What if Walgreens has a register rewards deal, will they price match it before the RR or after? I haven’t tried this yet. I think that the policy is vague when they say they accept store coupons. What type of store coupons exactly? I know that our WM will not accept a target coupon.
Could you shed some light on this please? Thank you for all of your help!
I’m interested to try price matching at Walmart. My local Fareway has some good deals and it would save me the extra trip if I could just price match a few things. Is it just as easy as bringing in the store ad (eg Fareway) and just show the Walmart cashier the advertised price and that’s it? Do you know if they will accept manufacturer coupons at the same time? What if the original Fareway deal requires a store coupon – is that honored with the price match as well?
Thank you for all that you do! LOVE your site!! 🙂 Plus it was interesting to read your post about Walmart in China. My Dad is over there now teaching English and totally loves it – but I don’t think he’s been to a Walmart. He’s in a smaller, less westernized city.
HI Darcy,
Yes just bring the current ad with you, they SHOULD take coupons with the price match price. Walmarts new big thing is that they will take competitors coupons, so I would just check with your store first and make sure they will ahead of time.
Paul,
What type of store coupons do they accept? Do they accept Target coupons and manufacturer coupons? The coupon policy is very vague on that subject. Thanks!
They will basically Price match another stores coupon. It has to have the written price on it. It can’t say 50% off or “take $1 off” it has to say “$3.25 for XX Item”
I got what you intend, thanks for putting up.
I have a quick question, although the answer may not be as quick. With price matching at Walmart, will they honor the “Like Paying” price (after RR) from the Walgreens ad or only the “sale price” ad shown? Hope this makes sense. Thanks!!
Just the sale price
They also will not match Target’s prices. Case in point. Walmart sells “Lost: Season 6″ for $44.96. Target currently has it for $19.99(unadvertised special with rest of the series for $19.99. The CSM wouldn’t override it because it would mean that Wally World would be losing about $25 off the items regular price!! What is even stranger is that they price matched “Mad Men: Season 4 ” on DVD for $19.99 at Target without the ad!! Needless to say I’m furious at them for not price match both items from the same store!! They claim they still need to see the competitors ad!! What’s even more ironic is this item is for sale this week in Target’s ad!!
How do they expect customers to price match when a lot of people don’t get the paper and get our ads via our cell phones? Or worse we can price check items in the store as we shop!! I think that Walmart has opened up a huge can of worms with this new price match gimmick or bait and switch thing going on!! Do they think that consumers as stupid or something??
Sorry this is long, I needed to vent about this!! This incident I wrote about happened on April 15,2011
Can you use a competitor coupon along with a manufacturer coupon at Walmart?
Do wal mart price match drugstore prices?…like cvs or walgreens
I might be a little dense but I still have a question. If an ad says buy 1 get one 50% off then they won’t match that because no dollar value is given, is that correct? Or is the dollar value only mandatory on the bogo price matches?
That is correct. they don’t honor amount or percent off sales unless the price is stated in the ad.
Thank you for all of this great info. Something I’m still a little confused on:
Let’s say WalMart’s price on 4.7 oz Colgate toothpaste is $3.29, but Walgreen’s has it on sale for $2.50. I have a $.50 off manufacturer coupon. Will my final price be the price match PLUS the coupon, equalling $2?
yes, that is correct
If best buy has dvds advertised for 4.99 after store coupon. will walmart price match it at 4.99?? I tried and Walmart said they needed the coupon. Please help clarify! thanks!
I would have to see the advertisement. is it an in store coupon? If it is they should accept it and just Price match the deal at the stated price.