Coupon Lingo

Below you will find a list of the coupon lingo used; you will see me use a lot of these while blogging and putting up coupon match ups.

$1.00/1, $2.00/1, etc: One dollar off one product, two dollars off one product, etc.

$1.00/2, $2.00/2, etc: One dollar off two products, two dollars off two products, etc. You must buy 2 items to receive any savings; you cannot redeem the coupon on one product for half the value.

BOGO: Buy one, get one.  Will usually end with “free” or “half off” meaning buy one, get one half off, or buy one get one free.

B1G1, B2G1: Another way to write ‘buy one, get one’.  The “B” stands for “buy”, the G stands for “get”.  The numbers indicate how many of a product you must buy to qualify and the number of products you get when you redeem the coupon or offer.  B1G1= Buy one, get one.  B2G1= Buy two, get one B2G2= Buy two, get two


Blinkie: Manufacturer coupons dispensed by coupon machines found in grocery aisles next to products.  Recognize them by the blinking red light.  Dispenses coupons one at a time in intervals.  Manufacturer blinkie coupons may be redeemed at any store, not necessarily the store in which you found them.

Catalina: Sometimes abbreviated as “CAT”, Catalina coupon machines located at register, dispense long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase.  Catalinas, refer to the coupons themselves which may be manufacturer or store coupons.  Some Catalina coupons are advertised and some are generated based on consumer behavior.

Coupon Insert: Coupon circulars inserted into Sunday newspapers amongst the other advertisements.  Smart Source (SS), Red Plum (RP) and Proctor and Gamble (PG) put out coupon inserts, sometimes just called “inserts”. Coupon inserts are a valuable money-saving tool and buying multiple Sunday newspapers in order to have enough coupons to create a stockpile.

CRT:  Cash Register Tape. Usually used when talking about CVS pharmacy, CRTs print at the bottom of your receipt and are generated based on your purchasing history (seemingly random).  CRTs are specific to the store where they were printed.  They are usually product specific coupons, example: $1.00 off any deodorant purchase.

Double Coupons: Select stores always double coupons up to a certain value, usually $0.50.  If your store doubles coupons up to $0.50 off, any coupon $0.50 or under will be doubled in value.  Coupons $0.51 or greater will be worth face value, no doubling.  You do not need to present two coupons for one item.  Each coupon will be worth twice the value.  Other stores may double coupons on a particular weekday, usually a slower day like Tuesday.  Other stores may offer physical store ‘twice-the-value’ coupons.  Even other stores may feature double coupons on a special promo week basis and will advertise this in their weekly ad.

ECB:  Extra Care Buck CVS pharmacy program; now renamed Extra Bucks.

E-Coupons: Electronic coupons may be downloaded onto your store loyalty card or cell phone.  Download from your PC or go mobile and download to your loyalty card through your cell phone.  Grocery coupons must be downloaded to your loyalty card and will be deducted automatically when you swipe your card at checkout.  E-coupons may be downloaded to your cell-phone for other retail items such as movie rentals.  Download a coupon using the mobile app and show your discount code to your cashier.

Extra Bucks: CVS rewards program, formerly called ECBs.  Extra Bucks print according to the store’s weekly or monthly advertised deals. When you make a qualifying purchase, you receive the coordinating Extra Bucks value as advertised. Extra Bucks are similar to Catalinas or register rewards, but they print directly onto the bottom of your receipt.

EXP: Expires or Expiration Date

FAR: Free After Rebate.  Drugstores often feature a product or two that are FAR each week.  An example might be Crest TotalCare toothpaste $2.49.  Submit for a rebate in the amount of $2.49.  This item would be considered free after rebate.  You will still be responsible for sales tax.

Handling Fee: Refers to an amount, usually $0.08, paid by the manufacturer to reimburse the store for the trouble of accepting a coupon.  The handling fee is usually used to pay a clearing house to sort, organize and bill the manufacturer.  If a store chose to sort its own coupons, they will keep the handling fee.

IP: Internet Printable coupons may be printed right from your home computer.  Usually limited to 2 prints per computer, download quick and safe printing software to be able to print securely from home.

IVC: Instant Value Coupon.  IVCs are store coupons found in the weekly Walgreens ad.  IVCs may be stacked with a manufacturer coupon.

MIR: Mail in Rebate, refers to rebates which must be submitted by mail.  These are the traditional rebates that require you to mail in both your receipt and proof of purchase in the form of UPC barcodes.
MFR: Manufacturer abbreviation.

Manufacturer Coupon: A coupon created by the manufacturer, or by a marketing company on the manufacturer’s behalf.  Manufacturer offers a discount to shoppers in order to entice them to buy their product.  When a coupon is redeemed the manufacturer reimburses the store for the entire value of the coupon, plus a handling fee, approx $0.08.

OOP: Out-of-Pocket; refers to the amount of money you will pay a store to make your purchase.  Does not include and after-purchase savings, coupons or rebates.

OYNO: On Your Next Order.  Store promos such as Spend $25, save $10 on your next shopping order.  OYNO refers to savings that you will not see on your first transaction, but that may be applied to your next purchase.  Most OYNO coupons have no minimum purchase.  If you spend $25 and receive a coupon worth $10 off your next order, there is no minimum purchase on that next order.  If you spend and value over $10, you may redeem your coupon.  If you spend under $10, you may use your coupon but will forfeit the difference.

One Coupon per Purchase:  Refers to your ability to use one coupon per item.  Meant to enforce the point that you may not use two of the exact same coupon for one item.

One Coupon per Transaction: Limits you to only using one of this coupon per transaction.  You may request to do separate transactions.  Example:  If you have 5 coupons that read “one coupon per transaction” you may request to separate into 5 transactions and pay 5 times.

Peelie:  Adhesive manufacturer coupons found on products in the store.  Peelies are often good on a wider selection of products than the one it is stuck to.  Be sure to read the fine print on the peelie to discover if the coupon may be used on a smaller size or different variety of the same product, to allow you to maximize savings.

P&G: Proctor and Gamble manufacture a wide range of consumer goods and are one of the largest corporations in the world.  Proctor and Gamble puts out monthly coupon inserts filled with coupons for a variety of Proctor and Gamble produced brands, just a few of which include: Always, Bounty, Crest, Dawn, Gillette, Olay, Pampers and Tide.

PSA: Prices starting at; when a group of items are on sale, such as Fiber One products 25% off.  We might write “PSA $2.09″ and list a group of Fiber One coupons.  This means that the cheapest Fiber One product is $2.09 and prices go up from there.
Purchase-Based Coupon: Purchase-Based coupons specify a dollar amount off a minimum dollar future purchase.  Some common values:  $2 off $10, $3 off $15, $4 off $20.  Purchase based coupons may be used in addition to store and manufacturer coupons.

Raincheck: A Rain Check is a written slip that you can request from a store when a sale item is out of stock.  When the store restocks the item, after the sale period is over, a rain check entitles you to purchase for the previous sale price.  A store may include an expiration date as well as a quantity limit on your rain check.  Rain checks are usually issued at the customer service desk.

Rebate:  A rebate is a refund of part or all of the amount paid  Rebates are sponsored by a store or a manufacturer.  Either clip and mail UPC barcodes or enter receipt proof of purchase online, then wait for your rebate check in the mail.

RR: Register Rewards.  Walgreens drugstore rewards program, and version of the catalina coupon.  Look for the same machines located at register, dispensing long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purchase.  RRs cannot be ‘rolled’ like catalinas.

Rolling Catalinas: refers to the practice of separating your purchase into multiple transactions in order to use register catalina coupons from your first transaction to pay for your second transaction.  Another catalina prints from the 2nd transaction that pays for the 3rd transaction and so on.

RP: Red Plum.  Formerly known as Vallasis, Red Plum coupon inserts and website feature coupons from a variety of manufacturers.  Red Plum is part of Valassis Interactiv.

SCR:  Single Check Rebate, Rite Aid Drugstore monthly rebate program.  Each  month pick up your rebate booklet to see hundreds of dollars in possible rebate savings.  Shop with coupons, save your receipts and enter quick information online.  The SCR system stores all your rebates and totals them each month.  Request your monthly check be mailed to you and cash it like any other check!  No clipping barcodes or UPCs, no mailing or stamping an envelope.

SS: Smart Source. A marketing company, like RP, Smart Source coupon inserts and website feature coupons from a variety of manufacturers.  Smart Source is part of News America Marketing Co.  Smart Source coupon inserts can be found in most Sunday papers.

Stacking: Stacking may refer to using any two promotions together.  When a coupon coincides with a promotion, we say “stack the coupon with the sale or promotion”.

Stacking Coupons:  Stacking coupons refers to using both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on one product.  Nearly all stores will allow you to “stack”.  Only one manufacturer coupon may be used per item.
Stockpile (v.):  to buy many items at a time in order to build your stockpile.

Stockpile (n.):  a food storage or stash of food and non-food items.  Buy items when they’re on sale and you have a coupon.  Buy products before you need them and build up a stockpile of food and toiletries.  When you run out of an item shop from your stockpile.

Store Coupon:  A coupon created by the store to entice you to buy a certain product at their store.  Stores receive no reimbursement from store coupons.  Store coupons may be found in the weekly ad, printed online or downloaded as e-coupons.

Store Loyalty Card:  A free card which you present at checkout to receive additional savings.  Fill out a short application to receive a loyalty card at your local grocer.  If you don’t want to carry the card, the cashier can look up your preferred card by entering your ten digit phone number.

Transaction: a transaction refers to your entire purchase, especially the payment you make for that purchase.  If I buy 30 items and then pay the cashier, I just made one transaction.

Tear Pad:  A pad of manufacturer coupons found near product on shopping aisles.  Tear pad manufacturer coupons may be used at any store, not just the one where you found the coupon.

WAGS: Abbreviation for Walgreens Drugstore

UPC: Universal Product Code. Bar code printed on product packages that can be scanned electronically.

WYB:  When You Buy.  Some sales or coupons require purchase of multiple items.  When reporting a deal on KCL, we always include a final price.  Example:  Buy 2 Mint Milano cookies $2.00 each, use 2 $1.00/2 coupons, Final Price: $1.50 each, WYB 2.  You must buy 2 in order to use the $1.00/2 coupon, so the final price states “WYB 2″.

YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary.  A phrase used to describe that an experience one shopper has may differ from your experience.  One store may allow you to stack additional promos and another location may not do the same.  Some stores, such as that ‘one’ SuperCenter, who do not have a universally enforced coupon policy will often let one customer do one thing and another do something completely different.  If we receive an email from a reader with a great shopping scenario, we might report it and say, YMMV until we see if stores nationwide are allowing the same scenario.