Are you ready for more coupon lingo?  This is part 3 of a series of posts.

Catalina

These are coupons that are printed out from the register when you finish your purchase.  They are printed on a separate piece of paper from your receipt and can be anything from money off a future purchase to just a normal manufacturer’s coupon.  There is a running list of Catalina Deals on the site.  These are often specific to different stores and regions though; so it is always a good idea to check your store to see if there is a small tag by the item indicating what you need to purchase in order for that a coupon to print.

Walgreens’ Register Rewards are technically Catalina deals as well which is why the store manager will sometimes tell you to contact the Catalina company if you are having trouble with a Register Reward printing.  If you ever need to call the company directly, call 1-888-8COUPON.

Printable or IP

These coupons can be printed directly from your computer.  There is typically a limit of two coupons per computer (you can hit the back arrow on your browser to get the coupon to print again.)  You cannot make copies of these coupons though as each coupon that prints has its own individual code on it that traces it back to your computer.  A company will limit how many prints can be made of a coupon that they release, so printable coupons can come and go quickly.  If you see a coupon you know you would use, it is best to print it when you see it.  If you are having trouble printing or are curious as to what some key sites to find printable coupons are, check out this link for more info.

Tearpad

Tearpads are pads or refund forms or coupons that are found hanging from store shelves or displays.  The same rule for in store dispensers applies.  Take two, and leave some for everyone else!  Also, you don’t have to use these the same day or in the same store, unless it is a store specific coupon or refund.

MFR or MQ

Manufacturer or Manufacturer Coupons are released by the makers of the products to encourage you to try out their products.  There is a limit of one Manufacturer Coupon per item.  One tip: manufacturer coupons can be used at any store, even if they have a store logo on them for a specific store.  The only exception is if they state “redeem only at”.

eCoupon

These coupons are found on the internet but instead of printing these out, you upload them to a card.  It sounds like a great idea, but there are some key things to know before you do a happy dance about not cutting coupons anymore.  One, these coupons don’t double.  Two, each store will have a different policy about whether these can or can not be used with a paper coupon.  Kroger for example will not let use both, but Bi-Lo or Harris Teeter will let you.  The real kicker for me though is that once the coupon is loaded onto your card, you cannot choose not to use it in the store if you have a better paper coupon.  Because of that, if you are in a store that will only allow either the eCoupon or the paper coupon, I like to add my eCoupons on to my list as the last step of my list making.

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