How to Coupon at Walmart More Effectively

Who doesn’t like savings on top of savings? When you learn how to coupon at Walmart, that’s what you’ll enjoy.

Of course, different stores have different rules, and Walmart’s unique coupon policy may seem confusing at first. For example, it allows you to turn overage into cash but disallows coupon stacking.

So, how can you avoid common mistakes and leverage the policies to your advantage?

Here we’ll dive into tips and tricks for making great savings at one of the nation’s biggest retailers. By the end, you’ll know how to coupon at Walmart like a pro!

What is Walmart's Coupon Policy?

This retailer has unveiled some interesting rules throughout the years! Here’s what you should consider before going on a couponing spree at Walmart:

Coupons You Can Use

Walmart accepts several types of coupons, which can be paired to their already low prices. These include:

Manufacturer coupons from individual brands
Printable manufacturer coupons found online
Catalinas, or the coupons you find on receipts

Whichever kind you choose, Walmart’s coupon policy requires that the coupon have three things:

A valid expiration date
A scannable barcode
A remittance address

Coupons without these aspects could be forgeries.

If the text on the coupon is smeared or faded – to the point where the date and address can’t be read, or the barcode can’t be scanned - then you cannot use the coupon.

Coupons You Cannot Use

Walmart does not allow the following types of coupons:

Coupons for free items that you printed out at home. However, coupons for free items from coupon inserts are fine.
Coupons that subtract an amount from your entire purchase – such as 10% off your entire purchase or $5 off of a $30 purchase.
Photo-copied coupons or mobile coupons. Printable coupons are fine; just don’t try to multiply your savings with multiple prints of identical coupons.

BOGOs

Buy One, Get One coupons (or BOGO coupons) have an extra rule. In the coupon's text, these must specify the price of the intended item. For example, a BOGO coupon for Hershey’s bars may specify that it can be used for another Hershey’s bar, which is up to $2 in price.

How to Coupon at Walmart Like an Expert

Now that you understand the coupon policy, it’s time to learn how to coupon at Walmart!

Manufacturer Coupons

Walmart’s coupon policy allows you to use one manufacturer coupon per item. (This is pretty typical among coupon policies at various stores.)

For example, if you have two manufacturer coupons for $2 off Bic razors, you will have to buy two razors to use both of the coupons.

Transaction Overage Becomes Cash

Walmart offers a very unique policy: they turn overages into cash!

Overage is when you buy an item using a coupon that is worth more than the value of that item. For example, if you use a $2-off coupon on a $1 bar of soap, that is $1 worth of overage.

Most stores will ignore this overage or encourage you to buy additional items to balance out the cost.

However, at Walmart, if the coupon value is more than the price of the item, you can get the leftover money back in cash!

Use Rebate Apps

This massive retailer won’t allow you to stack coupons on an item, but you can still maximize your savings with a rebate app.

Rebate apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51 can be used at home after you shop. When you get home, take a picture of your receipt and submit this picture to the app. The app will then credit money to your account for any item that has a rebate available!

Best of all, Walmart regularly has more Ibotta offers than other grocery stores, and you can use the Ibotta app to search for offers specific to this retailer.

As such, it’s easy to boot up the app, carry your phone through Walmart as you shop, use the app to scan product barcodes along the way and see if there’s currently an Ibotta offer for them.

Typical Couponing Mistakes at Walmart

When new coupon users visit Walmart, they often make mistakes. It happens to the best of us – but with the right know-how, you can get the best deals every time, without awkward realizations at check-out.

Here are two main errors and how to avoid them:

Assuming All Walmart Stores are the Same

According to the Walmart coupon policy, store managers have the final say.

Because of this, the manager at one Walmart may allow you to cash-in a specific deal, and another may not.

Perhaps the Walmart you visited last month let you use ten of the same coupon in one transaction. However, today, at a different Walmart, the manager is telling you no. They have every right to do so.

How to Avoid This Mistake

First, remember to always be polite with cashiers and store managers. They’re just trying to do their job, and often don’t have the chance to read through Walmart’s coupon policy in depth. Being polite and patient will do wonders in getting what you want.

After that, the best approach is to keep a copy of the Walmart coupon policy with you when you visit the store. If a manager tells you something that goes against the policy, you can review the policy together and resolve the problem.

Waiting Too Long on Rollbacks

Walmart is popular for its low and lowering prices. It’s easy to wander the clearance aisles and assume that the prices will never rise again.

However, while it’s true that clearance items will never go back to their original price, Walmart rollbacks can.

Rollbacks are temporary reductions that last between four and ten weeks. If you wait too long, the deal won’t last.

How to Avoid This Mistake

Always check the rollback start date. This helps you predict if the cost will rise again and plan ahead for your coupon use.

If the rollback price began four weeks ago, then you should hurry up and use a coupon to maximize your savings!

Why Sunday Coupon Inserts?

Be mindful of rollbacks, don’t let your coupons expire, and always be polite to staff. With these tips and the ones above, you can coupon at Walmart like a pro!

Now it’s time to start gathering coupons to use there. Sunday Coupon Inserts can help you create the collection of coupons that you need.

They offer a Weekly Subscriptions program, where you receive your choice of coupon packets every week, shipped right to your front door! Best of all, there are no cancellation fees. You are in complete control of your subscription.