Sep 14 2009

Walmart Coupon Policy

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Following is Walmart’s Official Coupon Policy & Ad Match Guarantee. Print these out and carry them in your binder when shopping at Walmart. Print from here, or visit Walmart’s site directly:

Download & Print Walmart’s Coupon Policy

Download & Print Walmart’s Ad Match Guarantee

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.
WIC or SNAP items purchased in a WIC or SNAP transaction are ineligible for cash back or application to the basket purchase.
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

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Price matching

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.

Our Ad Match Guarantee:

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.
Preferred shopping card prices for specific items that are in a printed ad.
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
“Going out of business” sales or “close out” prices

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Becky
Blehhh…but is it really worth it to shop at Walmart with coupons? I've had nothing but problems there.
Edie
Please don't be fooled by cashiers/managers if they tell you that they cannot accept IPs because they were not printed in colors. It happened to me twice last week, and I had to call the HQ to explain the situation.
Michelle
Where does it say in the Walmart "Rules" that they will except competitors coupons?
Michelle
couponfreak(at)ymail(dot)com

Kristie
Our Walmart has a sign on the window by the door stating it takes competitor coupons.

Heather Wheeler
Michelle-
"store coupons" refer to competitor's store coupons.
I have clarified this with store management at several stores- and am in the process of confirming with corporate.
As long as it's "cents off" and not a percentage off coupon they should honor it.
Michelle
Ok. Thank you for letting me know. One time I did ask an empl. which said "No" to accepting comp. coupons. I hate it when we are right! LOL
couponfreak(at)ymail(dot)com
thekatsmeow
Just thought I'd share that I just got an email from Walmart asking for clarification of the "store coupons" section and posted their response on my blog. You are welcome to link to it if you'd like.
Kathleen
Scrappin' Through Life With Kat
http://kathleendriggers.blogspot.com
Nicole Guzman
I went to Walmart today and did a price match. They told me it was “policy” that they couldn’t accept coupons for the items they had price-matched. WHAT?!?!?! I politely explained that a coupon is paid by the manufacturer, and therefore, it should not matter whether or not I use a coupon with a price match. She hadn’t even attempted to scan my coupons!!! Finally, she went ahead and scanned them, and of course they worked. She acted like she was doing me some favor, though. Anyone else ever run into this??
Nicole Guzman
I found the answer to my own question.. There is NOTHING in their price-match policy about not accepting coupons. Here’s the policy: (http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/7659.aspx)
Price matching
Our goal is always to be the low price leader in every community where we operate. Our customers trust us to have every day low prices … there’s no need for “special sales.”
Our unbeatable promise:
Store managers make the final decision in always taking care of our customers, but we do have guidelines for matching our competition.
We do honor “Preferred Shopping Card” advertised prices. Must be like items, be advertised and require a competitor’s shopping card, for the discount to apply.
We do not honor advertisements that require a purchase in order to receive the advertised price or free product.
We do not honor “Buy One / Get One Free” advertisements.
We do not honor double or triple coupons or percent off advertisements.
We do not honor other retailers’ “Misprinted” advertised prices.
We do not honor Internet Pricing.
We do not honor competitor advertisements from outside of the store’s or Club’s local trade territory.
Ira – Corpus Christi, Texas
Yes, Wal-Mart does accept competitor coupons
I received the following email from Walmart Customer Service after five seperate email requests, the last request was also cc to local Talk Radio and TV News Anchors. Walmart provided the following response almost immediately.
On Fri, 5/21/10, Walmart Customer Service wrote:
From: Walmart Customer Service
Subject: Response from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Ref #000000025299287)
To: XXXXXXX@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, May 21, 2010, 4:39 PM
Thank you for your message.
Dear Ira,
Thank you for your inquiry on competitor coupons. Yes, Wal-Mart does accept competitor coupons. Here are the guidelines:
Store coupons are usually found in the newspaper and should be generated by the actual competitor.
Store coupons should reflect a sale price that is available to all customers and should not be a discount from the store’s current retail. This means that we would essentially be honoring the coupon as an ad match rather than as a coupon. (see related article)
If the store coupon offers a specific price and that price is lower than our retail, we will normally honor the coupon.
If the coupon does not give a specific price but offers a dollar amount off (such as $1.00 off) without giving an original or new price, we will not accept these.
Also, please keep in mind that the final decision is at the discretion of each store manager. Thank you for taking the time to e-mail us and feel free to contact us anytime.
Sincerely,
Wal-Mart Customer Care

mary
ira,
this is the most helpful clarification of walmart’s “store coupon” policy that i’ve found! thank you! but unfortunately, this policy does not support how most of the walmart deals here on kcl are suggested. does kcl have different information than you were given, i wonder? walmart can be sooo frustrating!

Rachel
The Clayton NC walmart declined my internet coupons yesterday, even though they met the company guidelines. The store says it is no longer accepting any internet coupons and says that they are bogus. However, no signs were posted and this is not on the walmart.com site. So customers don’t find out until their merchandise has already been rung up and bagged. Very deceptive not to inform the public.
Tina H.
I used a competitor’s coupon at Walmart today and the cashier told me I had to take that coupon to the other store. I told him that Walmart takes competitor coupons and he said no that the Walmart doesn’t get reimbursed for them.
I told him not to worry, just take it off and I will check with the customer service desk. They told me there also that they can’t take a store coupon from another store. I told them I had lived and shopped at several Walmarts all over the country and they always did. They again told me no, I must be mistaken. One lady called another, who called another and finally we had three people telling me they can’t take a target or publix coupon. I shook my head and as I was leaving I said I know you are suppose to price match and what better proof of an offer was a coupon. A light bulb went off in one of their heads and she said, ohhh in that case we could change the price. I laughed.
When I got home I called Walmart Corporate. She couldn’t believe no one knew the policy. She was going to call the store and explain it to them. I just printed out the policy and will never do it again unless I have it on me and want the entertainment value.
I am suppose to get a call back but I am not counting on it.
Sophie
Here is Boise, Id, we now have a walmart (or 2) that are advertising they take any and ALL competitor coupons. I just got a costco shopper coupon booklet from a friend, and called…..They WILL accept them, as long as they carry the same count item. there are some REALLY high value coupons in there! Cant wait to go! They also accept walgreens, ablys and FM/Kroger, safeway (and all other) register rewards and catalinas! So I have a couple of those I plan to use along with all of the costco coupons…hopefully get some free things! Crossing my fingers that the lady I talked to is still there when I get there so there isnt a problem.
Anna
I sure wish that I had had this policy with me a week and a half ago when I went to Walmart and was told by one of their customer service specialists that they would not accept my coupons “because they ‘could’ be counterfeit” and he just walked away. Not only did they not accept them but they turned around and KEPT them!!! Let me tell you, I was not impressed. I walked away from the rest of my items and went to another store! I am sure glad that I always print the 2nd copy of each coupon that I want. When I called after leaving the store. I was left on hold for 6 minutes not once but TWICE! I sure wish I would have had their corporate phone number. We have 3 Walmarts in my area, I will be going to a different location on a regular basis.
Really??
FREE or not, I don’t even think it is worth wasting my time nor the torment of even stepping in that store. Good luck to you all.
chris
anyone have the phone # for Walmart customer service?
Tara
Among other items, I attempted to use 15 coupons on 15 bottles of dishsoap at Walmart today. The cashier called another cashier for help, and I was told that the coupon says “one coupon per purchase” so I can only use one for the dishsoap. I showed her a print-out of Walmart’s policy and ppointed to the line that says “one coupon per item.” She said again it’s “one coupon per purchase” so I can only use one. I explained to her that that means I can’t use multiple coupons on one item not that I can only use one for the whole transaction. She left for several minutes and came back and said “one per purchase.”
So…my cashier took the other 14 off (and accidentally charged me two more times for the single bottle of dishsoap – didn’t catch that until I got home). The whole process took forever and was very frustrating. I doubt I’ll bother with Walmart again.

Tara
I called the manager the next morning and explained what happened. He was very friendly and apologized. I went back in and got it all fixed with no problems.

Kristina
Walmart needs to train their employees of their coupon policy. Seriosly on the verge of never shopping there again.
http://KCL Chriss
Walmart and very few of the stores in our area even take computer printed coupons. I try not to even go to walmart any more it has changed so much over the years. Good luck in your areas.
Dlandry104
Will WalMart accept Walgreen’s Register Rewards to pay for check out balances? Will WMaccept CVS ECB at check out?
Will WM take Rite Aid’s +Up Rewards atcheck out?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Gross/1161264170 Melissa Gross
Does Walmart accept target coupons? How about with a manufacturer’s coupon? Will they accept Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc. coupons? Thank you!!
Jlaurenf1989
looks like walmart is gonna be our store!!!
Jlaurenf1989
looks like walmart is gonna be our store!!!
LAM
I have to say I am a little confused and was wondering if anyone could answer my question. I see WalMart does not accept “stacked” coupons (i.e. manufacturer and store coupons combined), however, I see it as price matching. Does anyone else? I guess what I am asking is has anyone been able to use both manufacturer and “vendor”/competitor store coupons on the same (1) item?

Sarah
Did you ever get your answer because I need to know also.

LAM
Does WalMart double coupons like their competitors?
Jlemoine02
I recently went to Walmart with coupons I printed online from both Target and Publix. Walmart has a sign posted at the register that clearly states will accept competitors coupons but the associate refused to accept the coupon stating that they did not have “manufacturer coupon” printed on the coupon. I am not a confrontational person by nature, but I had to point out that the sign posted at the register indicates that they do and such advertisement is misleading. The associate simply reiterated they do not accept coupon unless it is a “manufacturer coupon”. I don’t particularly like shopping at Walmart to begin with, I much prefer to shop at Publix, but as much as I hate to admit it the prices are significantly cheaper. I guess that’s the price you pay for good customer service, clean stores and an all around better shopping experience.
Tiff Singleton
If you bring in an add form Walgreens that states:
Asprin 3.99
Register Rewardes 1.99
Its like you are paying 1.99
Will Walmart match the price that says 1.99??
Im really confused buy this