Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Kroger: Coupon Policy (Michigan)

After spending some time on the phone with Kroger Corporate today, I requested a copy of the official coupon policy for Michigan. Here is what I received via email:

Thank you for contacting the Kroger Co. The coupon policy for your area is as follows:

  • The store manager has the right to accept, decline or limit the use of ANY coupon upon view.
  • The store manager has the right to limit the Quantity of coupons or items used/purchased in a single transaction, by a single customer, or in a single day.

PAH (Print At Home) Internet Coupon Policy

  • We only accept printable coupons if they scan properly at checkout.
  • We do not accept "FREE product" printable coupons, with no purchase requirement. Buy-one-get-one-free coupons and other values that have a purchase requirement are acceptable but will be MUCH less common than traditional value-off coupons.
  • We do not accept coupons for more than about 75% of a product's value without advance notice. Legitimate PAH coupons will not be for a high value relative to the cost of the item. For example, a $2 off coupon will be acceptable for a product that normally sells for $5 or more, but a $2 off printable coupon for a product that sells for $2.25 is unlikely to be legitimate.
  • Coupons will be rejected if they appear out of proportion or blurry, or are obvious duplicates. Legitimate PAH coupons are never copied, sold or traded. Nearly all coupons are "non-transferable" meaning they should not be photocopied or scanned and distributed to others.
  • Coupons will be rejected if they appear to have been altered in any way.
  • PAH coupons can be checked for validity at http://www.printcoupons.com.

Double Coupons (Michigan)

  • Manufacturer coupons of $.50 or less will be "Doubled".
  • Manufacturer coupons over $.51 will be redeemed at face value.
    This Does Not apply to "Free", Kroger, Retail Food Store coupons, Electronic Coupons on the Kroger Plus Card or items prohibited by law.

Pharmacy Coupons

  • Does Not accept Competitor Pharmacy Coupons.
  • Cannot use LCM or Competitor Coupons in conjunction with the $4 Generic Program.

General Coupon Policy

  • Limit one (1) manufacturer coupon per item purchased.
  • Limit one (1) store coupon per item purchased.
  • One (1) manufacturer and One (1) store coupon can be used on the same item.
  • Cannot use a 2nd or 3rd coupon on an item that is part of another coupon offer. Example: Coupon states: Buy 2 cereals and get a gallon of milk free. Customer cannot use another coupon on the cereal or the milk.
  • Coupons cannot be used on "Free" items.
  • Does Not accept coupons that are expired.
  • Amount refunded cannot exceed the cost of the item.
  • The store manager has the right to accept, decline, or limit the use of ANY coupon upon view.
  • The store manager has the right to limit the Quantity of coupons/items used/purchased in a single transaction, by a single customer, or in a single day.
  • Customer is responsible for tax on all items even "Free" items.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further inquiries, please contact your local store manager.

15 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for tracking down this information. This information is very helpful.
    To bad Krogers still couldn't tell us in writing if they would take BOGO coupons on a BOGO sale.

    Thanks again for all your hard work! Your awsome!

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  2. I am very excited that it states we can use One (1) manufacturer and One (1) store coupon can be used on the same item. I have been wondering about this for months. Thanks for finding this information.

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  3. Coupons cannot be used on "Free" items.

    I guess it all depends on the store. My husband went to Kroger yesterday to get the Ball Park Franks that are on sale B1G1 and he was able to use two coupons. Same with the Wholly Guacamole. It was on sale for B1G1 and he used (2) $1 off coupons. Now I have not tried a B1G1 coupon on a B1G1 sale.

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  4. I think the most important part of this whole policy is the manager has the descretion, I know I have done a few of these at my local Kroger (Middlebelt and Warren).

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  5. How can you use a competitor's pharmacy coupon with the $4 program if the previous point says Kroger does not take any competitor's pharmacy coupon?

    Something does not seem right with the pharmacy section and the policy
    I did ask once at my local Kroger and they do not take pharmacy competitor coupons.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So if the policy states that you can combine a store coupon and a manufacturers coupon..i am assuming its ok to combine a store sale with a coupon. I dont see where it says anything that woudl indicated you cant use the razor coupon. What am I missing? They get reimbursed for the coupons. I am buying two items...

    •Cannot use a 2nd or 3rd coupon on an item that is part of another coupon offer. Example: Coupon states: Buy 2 cereals and get a gallon of milk free. Customer cannot use another coupon on the cereal or the milk.
    •Coupons cannot be used on "Free" items. ----This part wouldnt apply because this isnt a coupon offer its a store sale...what am i missing?

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  7. I really don't understand why companies don't allow us to use coupons on Free items. Do they know that they will get reimbursed the coupon value thereby making more money then from a non-couponer?

    These companies need to do the math...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jeremy ^^^^

    That isn't quite true.

    Kroger doubles coupons....so they are taking a "hit" on the portion that they pony up...

    If you use two 50 cent off coupons on a B1G1 where the "B1" portion costs you $1, they get reimbursed $1.20 (approx/assumes 10 cent handling fee per coupon) from the product's company.
    They "eat" $1 (from doubling), and you get two free items. They have "made" only 20 cents on that deal (if you presume that their handling of the coupon is of no corporate cost to Kroger----)

    A non couponer will pay them $1 on this B1G1 deal AND they don't have to deal w/ trying to get reimbursement from the company on any coupons.

    They make more money on the non-couponer.

    While this might not be a popular opinion, I think using coupons on "free" items such as those associated w/ a B1G1 sale is abusing coupons and just makes it that much more of a challenge for (what I consider to be) legitimate uses of coupons.

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  9. I know the Kroger on Canton Center will not take 2 coupons for a B1G1.

    In the past year of using coupons, I've only been told once by a manager that I couldn't use a high value coupon on an item because it was more than 75% of the price. It didn't matter that the item was super cheap that week, and that had it not been on sale, they would have let me use it. This was at 15mile/Ryan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just reaffirms that Kroger is not the best place to shop for a couponer.
    I went there this week with 2 PAH coupons for 2 identical products. The cashier spent more time scrutinizing the coupons than she did ringing me up. She even asked if one was a copy. I told her "of course it's not, that would be illegal".
    Meijer is the place to shop. Period.

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  11. I use a coupon on a free item almost every time I go to Kroger and used one yesterday!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Just because you use a coupon on a free item doesn't mean its right. Usually stores don't get too strict on coupons until people start taking advantage of them. I am saying this because the
    Meijer in my neighborhood used to be pretty nonchalant about coupons and now they are pretty
    petty. I think thats because of the ecomony and more people using coupons. Also some people don't understand why a store won't take a coupon on a free item because they think the store is making money on it doesn't make sense. The only person making money is the couponer. The store is giving the couponer the value of the ginving and then getting it back while the store pays for the processing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Stores are reimbursed for the full value of every legitimate coupon, plus processing fees as well (this is usually stated in the fine print on every manufacturer coupon). The store gains customers by accepting such coupons, so it's always in their best interest, in my opinion!

    You can learn more about the life cycle of a coupon (and store reimbursement) here:
    http://www.sharpenyourscissors.net/2009/02/coupon-after-life.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. I tried to use a printable coupon for buy two gallons of milk get 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk for free. So far MEIJER and KROGER have rejected this coupon. I guess I will have to try Walmart. I have conacted the whymilk website and it is a legit Q I just can't find anyone to take it. I'm starting to get disgused with some of these stores. I never try to cheat or create reprints. I always play by the rules and it seems that some of the stores are getting really picky.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A lot of chains don't accept any printable coupon that is for a free item. This is because many fraudulent coupons are for free or high dollar amounts so stores have quit accepting them altogether.
    I love coupons and this site. I use every store coupon policy to the best of my savings. I don't want people to abuse coupons because I don't want stores to lessen their policies or become so petty I have to stand in line forever
    having my coupons rung up. My Target is terrible, I may only have one coupon and one item and they look at it with a magnifying glass for 5 minutes.
    Currently I have been saving a lot of money with printable coupons and would like to continue that. I do know if stores get too many copied or fraudulent printables they will quit accepting them. And Kroger used to piggy back manufacturer free coupon with a cents off on the one you buy, but has quit accepting anything with a free coupon altogether because of people trying to get just a little more, I think that is where their ridiculous 75% rule came from.

    ReplyDelete

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