I get a lot of questions everyday about the policy. Here is a repost of the policy and some thought I have about it.
Walmart Coupon Policy
We gladly accept the following types of coupons*
- Print-at-home internet coupons
- Must be legible
- Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons with a specified price
- Are acceptable in black and white or color
- May not be duplicated
- Manufacturers’ coupons
- For dollar/cents off
- For free items (except those printed off the Internet)
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons
- Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- May not be duplicated
- Competitors’ coupons
- A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price
- Have a valid expiration date
- Are acceptable in black and white
- Soft drink container caps
- Checkout coupons (“Catalinas”)
- Printed at our competitors’ registers for dollar/cents off on a specific item
- Must have “Manufacturer Coupon” with specific item requirements printed on them
- Must have a valid remit address for the manufacturer
- Must have a valid expiration date
- Must have a scannable bar code
- Are acceptable in black and white
- May not be duplicated
We DO NOT accept the following coupons:
- Checkout coupons
- Dollars/cents off the entire basket purchase
- Percentage off the entire basket purchase
- Print-at-home Internet coupons that require no purchase
- Competitors’ coupons
- Dollars/cents off at a specific retailer
- Percentage off
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons without a specified price
- Double- or triple-value coupons
*The following are guidelines and limitations:
- We only accepts coupons for merchandise that we sell.
- Coupons must be presented at the time of purchase.
- Only one coupon per item.
- Item purchased must be identical to the coupon (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc).
- There is no limit on the number of coupons per transaction.
- Coupons must have an expiration date and be redeemed prior to expiration.
- If coupon value exceeds the price of the item, the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.
- SNAP items purchased in a SNAP transaction are ineligible for cash back.
- WIC items purchased in a WIC transaction are applied to the basket purchase and may not be eligible for cash back. Refer to state-specific WIC guidelines.
- Great Value, Marketside, Equate, Parents Choice, and World Table coupons have no cash value and are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
- The system will prompt for supervisor verification for:
- 40 coupons per transaction.
- A coupon of $20 or greater on one item.
- $50 or more in coupons in one transaction.
What does all that mean? Well, first off PICK YOUR CASHIER wisely! If you find a coupon friendly cashier ALWAYS go back to them! I wait in a longer line just to go to my favorite cashier. This doesn’t mean that I am trying to get away with anything, it just means that I don’t like to feel like a criminal using coupons! Also, know the coupon policy! Print it off any carry it with you. I have been in line trying to pull it up on my phone and it is much easier to just pull it out! Why do you need to do this? The turn over is very high at Walmart and they don’t always have the time to properly train employees about their coupon policy, so I have found that many of the cashier “make up rules” on their own. If I can NICELY point out that, for example, YES you do take internet printable coupons by showing them THEIR policy it goes much better. Always be nice though no matter how frustrated you might be.
In my experience, if your saving more then 50% with coupons they will call over a manager to verify. No big deal, just smile and wait…
High-value internet printable coupons scare managers. They have been burned on them before being fraudulent and so I have had them tell me they can’t take them ( think Disney $10 off coupons!) even when I have called corporate they said it was up to the manager. My coupon was legit, printed from Disney.com but in the end they had the final say.
Our Ad Match Guarantee
We’re committed to providing low prices every day. On everything. So if you find a lower advertised price on an identical product, tell us and we’ll match it. Right at the register.
We gladly match the price in the following types of ads:*
- Buy one, get one free ads with a specified price
- Example: Buy one for $2.49, get one free (BOGO)
- Competitors’ ads that feature a specific item for a specified price at a specific retailer
- Example: $2.99
- Preferred shopping card advertised prices for specific item
- that are in a printed ad and require a competitor’s shopping card for the discount to apply
- For fresh produce and meat items
- when the price is offered in the same unit type (lb. for lb.; each for each)
*The following are guidelines and limitations:
- We will match any local competitor’s advertised price.
- We do not require customers to have the ad with them to honor a competitor’s ad.
- Items purchased must be identical to the ad (size, quantity, brand, flavor, color, etc.)
We DO NOT match the price in the following types of competitor ads:
- Items that require a separate purchase to get the ad price
- example: “Buy [item A] to get [item B] for $C”
- Items with no actual price that require a purchase to get free product
- example: “Buy both [items A & B] to get [item C] for free”
- Items that require a purchase to get a competitors’ gift card
- example: “Buy [item A] to get a $B gift card
- Buy one, get one free (BOGO) ads with no actual price given
- Going out of business or closeout prices
- Percentage off
- example: “All mascara, 40% off”
- Competitors’ private label price promotions
We do not honor:
- Ads when the actual price for items cannot be determined.
- Internet pricing
- Misprinted ad prices of other retailers
- Competitor ads from outside of the store’s local trade territory
Basically, if you take your local grocery store ad and see a great deal on Blue Bell ice cream priced at $3 a 1/2 gallon, Walmart has it for $6 you can take your local ad and when you check out show them the price and they will override their register to give you the cheaper price. It has to be a normal sale price, no weird sales, or B1G1 free or anything like that.
Price matching alone can save you a ton of money at Walmart. Why price match? Because I don’t want to run all over the city to different stores to get the good deals, I would rather just pick it up all in one place!
Now I have found that when you load your groceries onto the belt at Walmart you HAVE to have your ad ready, when they get to that item you must give them the competitors ad RIGHT THEN so they can change the price. If you wait until they are done ringing you up to show them the price match they will not go back and change the prices. Just a tip!
You may find it helpful to print out and carry a copy of the Walmart price match policywith you.
5 Steps to Sucessful Price-Matching at Walmart:
- Check the other grocery stores sales ad’s for great deals. Make a list of the items and prices. Check to see what coupons you have or can print to match up with these sales. Check electronics, I have saved HUGE this way at Walmart!
- Take a look at the price matching policy. They will not do B1G1 free sales, but they will do 2 for $4 or 2/$4. They will also NOT do % off, like 25% off all soda.
- Go shopping! Bring your other store ad’s with you. Most will require that you have them. Don’t cut them up, they will need to verify the dates on them. You can only use a current ad.
- I always place items that I am NOT price matching on the belt first. Then I place my items that I am price matching and lay the ad on top of them so I don’t forget… or get distracted by children! I inform the cashier that I am price matching and show them the ad. I saw a woman once that had placed sticky notes on her items, the cashierLOVED her! I don’t have that kind of time, but it was a good idea!
- Do the “Happy Dance” that you saved a bunch of money!
Price Matching may be good at Walmart, but since they don’t double coupons, it isn’t always the best route. Not to knock Wally but it is sometimes more expensive due to them not doubling. I did however, sign your petition, because it does get tiring hitting 2-3 stores in one weekend for groceries, when it would be nice to just go to one place.
I used to think that also until i counted my gas and time. What would you pay yourself an hour as an employee?
YEP! I am definately factoring in gas these days—- plus *unfortunately* walmart’s price is a lower price (like that double coupon)… at least in my area!
You rock!
Price matching is how I prefer to shop now. No running all over town to get the best deals at each store. Luckily, at my Walmart, I have never had any issue with price matching or coupons.
I think point #2 at the bottom is out of date. They do match BOGO’s from competitors for a specified price. Example, Smart Balance is BOGO at Publix for $2.50. They will ring each of my Smart Balance butters up for $1.25 each.
Otherwise, thank you for a great article!
I also circle the item I’m price matching with a black sharipe, so I can find it quickly. It’s helped shave time off immensely!
Sharpie, not sharipe. LOL. Baby brain is getting to me super early this pregnancy.
My Walmart stores are not very friendly as these policies get older an older. At first they never had an issue with a price match, now they demand the insert (though their policy states otherwise and I presented that) I even went so far as to buy a paper just to grab the stupid insert to prove it up to the rude cashier, then after having seen this ad that she is to match, she scrutinized it (dates) as if I just magically put an old ad in the paper from THAT day that I grabbed to purchase right in front of her.
Also, I’ve yet to get them to accept a catalina. I had a $3 off Pediasure manufacturer coupon catalina… they said no, I showed them their policy that states they accept catalinas, they got a manager who told me it was a competitor printed coupon and their store wasn’t going to accept it… so I end up getting stuck going to multiple stores anyway. Waste. Of. Time.
you have to ask for THE manager not a manager if you are getting the treatment. If its just a question then the CSM is fine. But when you have someone that thinks that she is the defender of the Walmart Vault, skip the middle man and go right to the big Kahouna.
In the policy it says you dont need the ad with you to price match. How does that work? I have never price matched before and wanna make sure I do everyt
Theyare supposed to provide their cashiers with the ads. Please, I beg of all my readers to ignore that part and have their ads with them.
Sorry my phone messed up I wanna make sure everytging goes right but one of the deals I wanna try I dont have the ad anymore thanks in advance
You don’t have to have the ad to PM. 🙂 but, I take it anyways, JIC.
I just wanted to say I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!!! My best friend and I have been couponing for about 4 months now and your site has saved us sooo much money!! KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK!!! 🙂 I check your page daily sometimes twice! I wanted to share our experience with you today!
She found 1.50 gillette razors at one walmart (in the travel area) and used the 4/1 coupon. We went to do the deal together today and the razors are “inactive” and sold out, however, the manager said they did have some at the other location….soooo we go to the other one. There, they were priced 5.97. She had her reciept to price match the other walmart, and the co manager and cashier called the other walmart to verify price. THEN when we tried to use the coupon she wouldn’t do both. “They don’t price match other walmarts” is what she ended up telling us…Crazy huh?? I thought it was hilarious at one point because the co manager stated that we can’t use the 4/1 because of the overage. That’s when my bestie pulled out the policy on her phone and read it to her. She then got upset and denied us the price match AND the coupon. Have you been in a scenario like this?? That 2.50 overage sure would’ve been nice!!!!
Hmmm… No. Lets take this one from the top. They had the same exact razor for that much of a price difference? I will tell you that Walmart does not price match other Walmarts, it is a competitor price match and they don’t count each other as competitors. The overage thing is nonsense, they pay overage but because of the PMing to another Walmart was maybe going for a bit much but hey what the heck.I guess realistically the price match was better that the reg+ coupon price, sorry you missed out.
OH now I see it about the overages!!! Thanks for re-posting this!!!
I highlighted it for ya!
Thanks bunches!!!
I love how you said you don’t like to feel like a criminal just because you use coupons. I’ve had cashiers roll their eyes at me or go hmmm! when I give them a handful of coupons. One girl seemed outraged that I was only paying cents for items that were over $5 each. People on line are the worse. They are looking at me like I’m spending their money. I have a few wonderful cashiers I always wait for at some stores but others I avoid because of their horrible atttitudes.
Yes it was unfortunate!! I couldn’t believe the price difference either, the skus matched up and it was the EXACT razor! Walmart is usually my fave place but this time it was a huge let down 🙁 I wish they would match another walmart…it IS the same place! Thanks for your response!
my walmart in ( stephenville ,Texas) says if a printed coupons beeps more then once then they will not accept….anybody remember those POPtarts by 3 get $2 if printables,,,they didn’t have the correct barcode on them so walmart wouldn’t take them but they worked just fine at HEB…did anybody else have problems with those ??
Okay….. I had a long check out experience that involved target coupons. The cms said walmart didn’t take coupons that didn’t say manufacturer at the top and had another store printed on them, but I was sure they did because my sister works at one in AL and they do there. That is also what I thought I had gathered from the info on this site. Now I think I misused the coupons. My coupons were from a target coupon booklet and were (example) 1.00 off Aveeno body care item (skin or sun). According to the policy above walmart will only take it if a coupon is for an item at an exact amount (example) Aveeno- 2.99 on sale. It does not accept a dollor amount off an item. I feel bad for making an error. The csm was very polite and nice and ended up letting me use them.
But I got home and reread the policy and am pretty sure now that that type ofcoupon is not accepted according to walmart’s policy. .
Do others of you have a clear understanding of this.
More to add to above post.
I thought I could use dollar off amount coupons from other stores because I went to target.com and printed off the 1.00 off sharpie permanent market item from the coupon section and used it at walmart last sat. No problem; no beeping or anything. I should not have used this coupon, right, Paul?
Now I feel like I need to go back to the store tm and return my coupon-connected items or I’m “stealing” and I don’t want to get an employee in trouble either. What a headache but my fault.
A particular Walmart I frequent has recently been stating that they enforce other stores limits. Do you know about this? I don’t see it on their policy.
No, but it is an ad match so its hard to have a position that we only want them to honor part of the ad. Most Walmarts don’t enforce the limits becasuse they carry more inventory, but they are definitely far from being immune to clear shelf syndrome.
today was my first PM experience… all went well untill we got to my CVS PM’s. the cashier and te mod refused to accept the CVS prices b/c the add said with card. I tried to explain to them that ALL the add’s for CVS said with card. I understand they would not PM items that were going to recieve ECB’s. Has anyne experinced this? I thought the part of their policy that states preffered shopping card prices were accepted included CVS?? plan on taking this up with the day MOD tomorrow.
Starting July 30, my walmart will double coupons up to $0.99!
I have a ad for our Albertson’s…..it says ” $.89 with in-store coupon, wyb 5″ I wonder how they would price match this. Any idea? Would they even do it at all considering the in-store coupon thing. Thank you for all that you do for us Paul!!!
I tried that and she said they wouldn’t take it b/c it requirements to buy other items in order to get the deal. 🙁
i was told at my wal mart last night i couldnt price match and use a coupon what is the policy on this.
Hey Paul. You didn’t address my posts above. Your walmart does not accept dollar/cents off coupons from its competitors, does it (ex. 1.00 off sharpie item, target coupon)?
Sorry, no theya re not supposed to. i have heard that some managers will. here is the proble. They don’t get reimbursed and they can’t control the price of the item. So if the item is more expensive at another store or the price gets bumped up and WM can’t see that price, they can get hurt pretty bad on a product.
My walmart said they are not going to except coupons for free stuff any more.
Similar to what was asked earlier, how would PM’ing from CVS and RiteAid work on items offering ‘like paying’ prices (after ECB or Up rewards). The other week RA had their Softsoap bodywash for $2.99 (minus $2 Up reward) was like paying 99 cents. Will WM match the $2.99 or the 99 cents? And what about the ‘after RR’ price from Walgreen’s?
Does anyone else almost anticipate a problem with coupons when they checkout with a new cashier? I am glad I do, because I think I am able to stay more calm, unlike SOME of the cashiers!
I learned my lesson today about Couponing 101:Always bring a copy of the policy with you. Long story with a competitors coupon, I won after a manager clarified.
Second problem: Had a coupon for “One Free Body Wash” and she kept saying I need to buy 2 in order to get the Buy One, Get One Free. I read it again, and said, “No ma’am, it says One Free, not BOGO” She was fuming by this point (I’m still being polite!!!) She reads it, rings it up, and I am on my way with 2 lessons learned:
1.) Always bring the coupon policy
2.) Find a coupon friendlier cashier…I know they’re out there!!