22 Ways to Coupon at Kroger So You Can Save BIG

Kroger is one of the biggest grocery retailers out there, and it’s also a great place to use coupons. But I have so many questions, like: How do I coupon at Kroger with manufacturer and store coupons? What’s the Kroger coupon policy during sales? What about the Kroger ad and clearance section? How does the Kroger cash back program work? Can I use my coupons with Kroger Grocery Pickup? Do I even need the Kroger Shopper’s card?

I did some research to find out these answers for you and for me. So have no fear because I’m here to help us get the best Kroger deals with coupons — every time.

For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, text HACKS to 57299.

 

1. Use The Krazy Coupon Lady app to find the best coupon deals at Kroger.

Download the free The Krazy Coupon Lady app and set Kroger (or Fred Meyer, same parent company) as one of your preferred stores. You’ll receive deal alerts as soon as there’s a new chance to save. And we’ll also break down exactly which coupons and promos you need to get those deals.

 

2. Before you do anything else, sign up for a Kroger account — you’ll need it for Kroger digital coupons.

While you can get Kroger ad sale prices without having a Kroger Shopper’s Card (sometimes called a Kroger Plus Shopper’s Card, or a Kroger Plus account), you won’t get digital coupons and personalized offers without it. (I’ll explain more about this shortly.) It’s totally free to sign up for the Kroger Shopper’s Card, and there’s no catch.

If you’re just not a fan of the whole digital thing and still want to get the same discounts as other shoppers, you’ll need to check out at the customer service desk.

TIP: Kroger employee discounts can save you 10% on Kroger brands. Better yet, your employee discount automatically loads onto your Kroger Shopper’s Card, making it easy to share Kroger employee discounts with your loved ones. Just add family members to your Kroger account and they can use the discount any time they use your card!

 

3. Download the Kroger app to manage digital coupons while you’re shopping.

After you download the Kroger app (iOS / Android), you’ll want to link the app to your Shopper’s Card (or use the app to sign up for an account if you don’t already have one).

With the app, you can scan items to see if there’s a sale or coupon that you can combine for bigger savings. You can also create a shopping list in the app.

At checkout, use Kroger Pay by linking your debit card right in the app. Then all you have to do is show the cashier your QR code in the app, have them scan it, and all of your coupons get applied automatically.

Of course, you can always go old-school and scan your card or enter your phone number at the register, and the savings will come off your total automatically.

Related: Here’s everything you need to know about the Kroger app.

 

4. Use the app to scan and pay in the store — no waiting in line needed!

Okay, now I’m going to one-up that last tip. Put your Kroger app in Store Mode and watch how futuristic this whole thing gets. Bring your own bags, and as you pick up items, scan them with your app. The app will apply any digital coupons available for that item, and you can put the item right into your shopping bag as you go. You’ll see a running total for your order. Then you can pay and check out right from your phone.

You never even need to stand in the checkout line!

Unless … you have paper coupons. Then back in line you go. Which is all the more reason to learn how to use Kroger digital coupons.

 

5. Kroger accepts paper, digital, and Catalina manufacturer coupons.

You can clip your Kroger coupons from the Sunday paper, print them from your computer, or load the manufacturer’s digital offers onto your Kroger Shopper’s card.

Catalina coupons print at the register at the end of a transaction. Some are for a specific item, while others will be for an amount off your next purchase.

 

 

6. You can only use one manufacturer coupon per item at Kroger.

Most of Kroger’s digital coupons are manufacturer coupons, so they can’t be used in addition to paper manufacturer coupons for the same item. This is because a manufacturer coupon is a manufacturer coupon, and it’s the same rule everywhere.

Aside from that, the Kroger coupon policy states that you can only use one coupon per item — period. So no stacking, even if you have two different types of coupons for the same item.

For example, if you have a digital manufacturer coupon for $0.50 off an item loaded to your account and you enter your phone number at checkout, you won’t be able to use a paper manufacturer coupon for that same item. (So if your paper coupon is worth $1 off, delete the $0.50 digital coupon off your card before checking out. Load it again after you use the higher-value paper coupon.)

Related: We can teach you how to understand the fine print on coupons.

 

7. Use up to three of the same manufacturer coupons in a single transaction at Kroger.

You can use as many coupons as you have items, but only three of those coupons can be exactly alike in a transaction. Coupons you print off the Internet are limited to two (2) coupons per customer in a single day.

Here’s a scenario:

 

8. Get money back with the Kroger Cash Back Rewards program.

Kroger’s Cash Back Rewards program is essentially a rebate program offered by Kroger and their affiliate stores (like Fred Meyer and Fry’s). Just like with any other rebate app, you’ll load Kroger cash-back offers in the Kroger app, then buy the items and choose whether you’d like your rebate through PayPal or as in-store credit.

Here’s how it works:

1. Log in to your Kroger digital account and load qualifying offers to your Shopper’s Card.
2. Purchase the qualifying items, and scan your Shopper’s Card at checkout.
3. Transfer the cash to your Kroger account to spend, or transfer to your PayPal account.

The best part about Kroger cash back? There’s no minimum required to cash out your earnings.

 

9. Use digital coupons up to five times in a single transaction during special events.

You can read the fine print of each coupon by opening the offer and selecting “more details.” From there, you’ll be able to see any limitations to the coupon.

Most of the increases in limitations happen during Kroger’s special digital savings events, where there’s a limit of five coupons (an increase from their usual three). These digital savings events happen about once every couple of months, and we share them on our Kroger coupons page.

 

10. Kroger adjusts the value of the coupon if it’s worth more than the item.

Although you won’t ever get cash back for an overage at Kroger, they will apply the overage to the balance of your order. If, however, the difference between the cost of your item and the coupon is greater than your remaining order total, the overage will go onto your Kroger card so you can use it in the future.

 

 

11. Download a Kroger digital coupon for a free item on select Fridays.

Normally, every other Friday or once a month at some store locations, Kroger releases a digital offer for a Free Friday Deal. The offer is available to download to your card for one day only, but the offer won’t expire for two weeks once you claim it.

 

12. Save at Kroger with 2- and 3-day offers that start on Fridays.

Most Fridays, Kroger offers short-term weekend offers that will add up to big savings. I recently found family-size Nabisco cookies for $1.99 (regularly $3.99), but the deal only lasted for two days.

 

13. Look for Kroger paper store coupons clipped to shelves throughout the store.

You can also find these coupons in the store ad or available as a digital download.

 

14. Kroger mails you personalized coupons every four to six weeks.

The coupons you get in the mail from Kroger (or Fred Meyer) will be a combination of manufacturer and store coupons, and they’ll be based on your shopping history. This means that they’re often different than the current digital offers available to the general public. Sometimes you’ll even get coupons for free products.

 

15. Stack coupons on top of Kroger Buy 5 Save $5 items.

Kroger Mega Sales are one of the best ways to save. You have to purchase a set number of participating products, and you’ll get an additional amount off every item during a Mega Sale. For example, the offer might be “Buy 5 participating items, save $5.” If you have coupons for items in the Mega Sale, you can stack them for even better savings.

A scenario might look like this:

 

 

16. Use coupons on Kroger clearance items.

Kroger accepts coupons — digital or paper — on clearance items, too.

 

17. You can only stack a BOGO coupon with a BOGO sale if you still pay for two items at Kroger.

You can’t get freebies by stacking BOGO coupons and sales at Kroger. You’ll always have to pay for an item.

What you can do is use a regular coupon (like $0.25/1 product) for each item in a BOGO sale. At many Kroger stores, BOGO items automatically ring up as 50% off, making it even easier to use two coupons.

 

18. Select Kroger Grocery Pickup or Delivery for exclusive coupons and offers.

You’ll find these offers on the coupon page of your Kroger account. Load them just like you load any other digital coupon, but know that these will only work if you use Kroger Grocery Pickup or Delivery. (Your pickups are free, by the way, provided your order meets the $35 spend requirement.)

 

19. Use paper manufacturer coupons when you use Kroger Grocery Pickup.

Feel free to clip paper manufacturer coupons or any Kroger store coupons and use them with Kroger Grocery Pickup. When you arrive to pick up your order, the associate will ask what paper coupons you’d like to use. They’ll take the coupons into the store and scan them and bring you a revised receipt.

Any digital coupons you applied to your order won’t show up when you check out online. Instead, the coupon discounts come off the total when you pick up your groceries.

Don’t forget to get your paper receipt if you want to use it to redeem rebate offers!

Related: Here’s everything you need to know about Kroger Grocery Pickup (formerly known as Clicklist).

 

20. Get free shipping on dry goods for $35+ orders, plus 15% off your first order.

Kroger also ships dry pantry goods for orders of $35 or more. Use the code SHIP15 and get 15% off your entire first order. And yes, you can use digital coupons for these orders, as well!

 

21. Get discounts at the pump — your Kroger fuel rewards add up before any coupons are applied.

You can save up to $1 per gallon at the pump (up to $35) just by shopping at Kroger and their affiliate stores. Here’s how it works:

For every $1 you spend at a Kroger store, you earn one fuel point. For every 100 fuel points you earn, you get $0.10 off a gallon at select gas stations. But you earn your points before your coupons get applied. Kroger also offers 2x fuel points when you purchase gift cards, and they sometimes drop coupons for 3x and 4x points on gift card purchases.

For example:

 

22. Stack coupons with Ibotta, Fetch, and SavingStar to get moneymakers.

Stacking coupons with rebate apps like Ibotta, Fetch, and SavingStar is a great way to get money back.

Take this recent example: