Coupon bar codes

Here is a helpful post from the Krazy Coupon Lady about the new bar codes on coupons. This is probably a direct result of the Extreme Couponing show where there was some serious fraud going on.

 

Extreme Couponing Tip: DataBar Barcodes

As of June 30th, coupons have started to take off the shorter 12 digit EAN/UPC barcode and are leaving the longer DataBar barcode. This new barcode, according to its maker GS1, will include more information than the smaller 12 digit UPCs previously: now expiration dates and more product specifics (size / weight / quantity) are encoded onto the coupon. It is up to the brand owner’s discretion to decide if they want to still include the smaller UPC barcode on their coupons in the future.

What this means:

1. The checkout process should be faster and more thorough. Most national stores should now have updated their systems to scan the GS1 barcodes, however, some stores may still be changing over, so be patient. As long as your product matches the coupons fine print, things should go smoothly. If your store does not yet know about the DataBar barcode, educate them and direct them to go to the GS1 website: www.gs1.org/barcodes/databar/.
2. With the implemation of the GS1 Databar, barcode decoding (see below for definition) will be stemmed, thus reducing coupon fraud.

Barcode decoding: Decoders are shoppers who sneak legitimate coupons past their cashiers when using them for products for which the coupon is obviously not intended. Barcode decoders try to circumvent the computerized cash registers by decoding 12 digit UPC barcodes, usually using a high value coupon on a smaller or inexpensive product from the same brand, getting it for free or overage. This is completely dishonest and constitutes stealing from the store since the store must provide proof of the correct purchases to the manufacturer to get reimbursed.

Unlike the EAN/UPC symbols, the GS1 DataBar symbol’s data characters don’t directly correspond to the encoded data character (minimal human readable text).

Hip Couponing Video

Every week, one of my favorite couponing bloggers does a video showcasing some sort of coupon instruction. Here is her latest:  Coffee with Collin - (Extreme Couponing - The Un-Extreme Way)

Types of Coupons ~ Couponing 101 Series

Coupon Types
There are several types of coupons we'll learn about in this post: $$$/###, BOGO, and Free coupons!

$$$/### - You might see $0.55/1, $1.00/1, $1.00/3, or $2.00/4. In each case, the first number is the amount of money you'll SAVE, and the second number (sometimes written further down in the text of the coupon) is the amount of products you have to buy to use that coupon.

If I have a coupon for $1.00/1 bag of frozen vegetables, I will save $1.00 when I buy 1 bag of frozen vegetables. However, if I have a coupon for $1.00/3 bags of frozen vegetables, I will save $1.00, but I have to buy 3 bags to use that ONE coupon. I can't use a coupon that says $1.00/3 on ONE item - I need to buy 3 items to make it work.

Buy One Item, Get One Free (BOGO or B1G1) - Sometimes these come in Buy 2 Get 2 Free or Buy 2 Get 1 Free, but they all work the same. In this case, you are BUYING one item and getting the second item free. You'll want to take note on this sort of coupon there is usually a "maximum value," and the coupon will only go that high and no higher - even if the store prices the item higher. One important thing to note is that this coupon attaches to ONE item, but the FIRST item (the one that you bought) does not have a coupon attached to it. So you can use a coupon on the FIRST item and use the BOGO on the SECOND item.

For instance, let's say I have a coupon for BOGO (max value $4.99) on deodorant, and I'm going to buy deodorant priced at $5.49 in store. I'll bring two deodorants to the register. My total would be $10.98. When the BOGO coupon is scanned, $4.99 will come off the price since that is the maximum value of the coupon (even though the deodorant is priced at $5.49). Then, if I have another coupon that is good on ONE deodorant (i.e. $1.00/1), I can use that as well on the product that does not have a coupon attached to it.

FREE - These coupons are a GREAT find! With a coupon that says FREE on it, you can get the item pictured completely free (as long as the price in the store does not go over the maximum value of the coupon).

If I have a coupon for free burritos (max value 1.00), and the store I shop at has them for $1.09, I'll have to pay $0.09 to get those burritos for "free," but it is still a great value!

How I File My Coupons

Here is a picture of how I file my coupons. I thought it might be helpful to someone. This is a very simple way to do it that requires little time and upkeep. It won't work for everyone - a lot of people like to clip them all and file them away, but I just don't have that kind of time! LOL. I have a file box with hanging file folders. I label each file folder with the date the newspaper came out, and then I slide the coupon inserts into that folder.

I always purchase 3 newspapers every Sunday, so a minimum of 3 sets of inserts goes into each one. This way I don't throw anything away that I might need a couple of months down the road.

Shameless Bragging Post!

Here are a couple of pictures to show how helpful couponing can be!

Here I bought 7 canisters of Lysol Wipes. (Yes, I love this stuff, and this will last a long time!) I paid $3 for all of them! The regular price on just one of them is $2.99, so you can see what a deal this is!


Here I bought 2 Triscuits, 2 Chips-Ahoy, 1 Ritz Munchable, and 2 Handisnacks and paid $4.50!!!


So if you haven't given it a try yet, get started! You're missing out on great savings! There's nothing more exciting than getting deals like this. (At least for me! LOL)