Online coupons are known by many names including promo codes, gift codes, discount offers, etc. You probably already know about promotional codes and how to use them. But do you know how to get maximum value from these coupons?
To fully leverage discount coupons, you must have a good understanding of the process. This includes knowledge of different types of coupons, knowing where you can find one, and how you can save more money.
We have written a detailed guide that’ll help you understand the basics of coupons. After reading this, you will be able to get the most out of your coupons.
Do Promo Codes Actually Work?
Yes, online coupons or promocodes actually work and you can save money by using them. If you have a promo code that isn’t working, there will be a reason. You are either applying it after the discounted days or using it to buy the wrong products.
According to Statista, the number of digital coupon users was around 145.3 million in the USA alone. Retailers mostly offer coupons for household items and groceries.
Below are some key factors that you should know about coupons as a customer.
Understand Different Types of Online Coupons
There are different types of online coupons based on the nature of the discount. The most common coupon codes are:
X% off Coupons
These are promo codes which offer a certain percentage off of the total price. These are often applied to selected items or the whole order.
$X off Coupons
These are one of the most common digital coupons that you’ll find. Brands offer a fixed amount discount on the whole order or a single item.
Gift Item Coupons
As the name gives it away, you get a free gift with such coupons. You will get a predefined item of a certain price when you use the code.
Rewards or Cash Backs
These are the coupons that you get after making a purchase. You can use these types of coupon codes on future purchases.
Companies often offer cashback coupons as well which are exactly as it sounds. Once you have made the purchase, you will get some present or amount of the total price back in your account.
Shipping Coupons
These are promo codes that are offered by online stores. When you buy something, the store delivers the products free of cost.
Know Where to Find Online Coupons
You can easily find online coupons on your favorite store’s website. Businesses usually mention the deals and digital coupons on their homepages. But that’s not the only place where you will get coupons for online purchases.
You can also find discount coupons on affiliate blogs or websites.
These are the websites which partner with brands to increase their sales. In return, they get special coupon codes for their audience with discounted prices.
Read and Understand Coupons
You should properly read and understand the coupon before using it. People often tend to neglect the terms and conditions associated with a coupon. Since they don’t read conditions, they fail to get the most out of their promo codes.
You should look for:
- Expiration date
- Minimum order requirements
- Maximum discount offer
This way you can get a good deal and won’t fall into a marketing trap.
Learn Strategies for Using Coupons
Your sole purpose of using online coupons is to save money, right?
So, when you find a discount code, don’t use it haphazardly. Instead, try to save as much as possible to get a great deal. Read the terms to understand how you can take advantage of the promocode.
For example, if you get a “45OFF” coupon, figure out the maximum cap of the code. It’s probably a 45% off code, so find out what brand is offering with this coupon.
Are you getting 45% off on the whole order?
Is there a limit to the maximum amount of discount?
Thinking about these two points will help you use the coupon wisely.
Best Time to Get Online Coupons
The best time to grab online coupons is during the sales season. You can get the most discount on coupons during:
- Black Friday sales
- Christmas season
- New Year sales
- Valentine’s Day
- Labor Day sales
In addition to these, brands and retailers also offer coupons on their anniversaries.
How to Know if a Coupon Is Real?
When you get an online coupon, it works most of the time. However, you may face difficulty on occasions, especially if you were handed a fake coupon.
The best way to know whether your coupon is real is to look at the discount offered.
Online retailers and stores normally don’t offer massive discounts. So, if it sounds too good to be true, chances are that it may not be real.
For example, a promocode for 15% off is usually real. On the other hand, if you have an 80% coupon, it can be a scam. A discount coupon worth more than $500 is often not real. But this also depends on the total price of the product.
How to Apply Online Coupons?
Once you have found an online coupon, you can use it at the time of purchase. All you need to do is type the code or paste it after copying. Then click the “apply” button present right next to the coupon code box.
You will find the coupon code box at any stage of the checkout process.
Most brands let customers apply the code at the initial checkout stage. This allows the buyers to get an idea of how much discount they are getting.
However, some stores only let customers use online coupons when they have entered their information. You may see a coupon box on such sites after providing your shipping address. Some brands let you utilize the coupon once you have entered your billing details.
