Many shoppers still love to save money with digital or paper coupons.
But at one popular retailer, it's getting tougher to use coupons these days.
Target is a favorite store for many shoppers, but not when using some in-store coupons in recent weeks.
Shopper Carla Duburgy said she noticed something different, frustrated every time she tried to use a coupon at her local Target store.
"I've had two coupons, and they would only take one," she said.
Kathleen Kester, meantime, said she wouldn't even try paper coupons anymore.
"When I think of coupons, I think of other stores other than Target," she said.
New policy is much more strict
So what's changed? Target recently updated its in-store coupon policy, explaining in a statement that the new policy is about cutting down on fraud and fake coupons, which they've ".
"Beginning October 3rd, Target now only accepts coupons that can be validated through a master file of barcodes provided by manufacturers," the company said in a statement. "By doing this, we’ve seen a 95% reduction of counterfeit coupon acceptance. Not only will this reduce coupon fraud, [but] it will also ensure consistency for our team and help provide all guests with access to the savings intended for them."
For shoppers with paper coupons, that can mean rejection at the cash register.
Joanie Demer, the co-founder of The Krazy Coupon Lady blog, says this is a major change from Target's former policy.
"Anything outside the Target app is going to have to validate against this central database which is very different from how it has done in the past," she explained.
Herteam's recent test found that only half of their paper coupons were accepted by Target cash registers.
"You've got about a 50-50 shot of that coupon being accepted automatically by the register," she said.
Carla Duburgy said it's become frustrating.
"I just know when I am going in that if I've got coupons," she said, "I am probably going to have to fight to get what the coupon says I should get."
What can couponers do about new policy?
So what can you do? The Krazy Coupon Lady suggests:
- Use coupons in Target's app rather than paper coupons.
- Save paper coupons for other stores.
That way, you're not frustrated, and you don't waste your money.
Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
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