The Basics

• Store Acceptance. While most stores will gladly accept your coupons, they are under no legal obligation to do so. Indeed, when stores accept coupons, they are assuming the risk of the value of the coupons, plus their handling costs. Stores that have been victimized by coupon counterfeiters may be reluctant to accept certain kinds of coupons.
• Knowledge is power. Please read the terms & conditions and check the expiration dates on your coupons before going to the store. Many stores publish their coupon acceptance policies on their websites. This small effort will reduce the chance of any delay at the checkout and will make you a more confident shopper.
• Please don’t use expired coupons. Although you won’t be arrested if you do, the store very well may not be paid when it accepts expired coupons. Cutting the expiration dates off to try to sneak them through is dishonest and will likely further decrease the chance the store will be paid for the coupons.
• Overage occurs when the value of a coupon exceeds the retail price for the pertinent product at the store where you’re shopping. Policies on overage vary by retailer and manufacturer, but you should understand that the intent of most coupons is to cover up to only the actual price of the product. Coupons are for “cents off” the price of the product. Overage is an unusual situation and you should not expect to receive cash back on the purchase of a product.