Kroger is one of the biggest grocery retailers out there, and a great place to use coupons. But I have so many questions, like: How do I coupon at Kroger with manufacturer and store coupons? Can I use coupons with sales? What about the Kroger ad and clearance? How does the Kroger coupon app work? Can I use my coupons when using Kroger Grocery Pickup? Do I even need the Kroger Shopper’s Plus card?
I did some research to find out for me and for you. So, have no fear, because I’m here to help us all get the best Kroger deals with coupons.
1. Use the Krazy Coupon Lady app to find the best coupon deals at Kroger.
Download the free KCL app and set Kroger (or Fred Meyer, same store) as one of your preferred stores. You’ll receive deal alerts and we’ll break down for you which coupons and promos you need to get those deals.
2. Before you do anything else, sign up for a Kroger Shopper’s Plus account — you’ll need it for digital Kroger coupons.
You can get Kroger ad sale prices without a Kroger Plus Shopper’s Card, but you won’t get digital coupons and personalized offers — which I’ll get into shortly! It’s totally free and there’s no catch.
3. Download the Kroger app to manage digital coupons while you’re shopping.
After you download the Kroger app, 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).
You can scan items to see if there’s a sale or coupon that you can add for bigger savings and create a shopping list.
At checkout, use Kroger Pay by linking your debit card in the app. Then all you have to do is show the cashier your QR code in the app, and once the cashier scans that, all of your coupons get applied and your order is paid for.
Of course, you can alway go old school and scan your card or enter your phone number, and the savings will come off your total automatically.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About the Kroger App
4. Take contactless shopping to a new level with Scan, Bag, Go.
via Kroger Co.
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 items, scan them with your app. The app will apply any digital coupon available for that item to your order, and you can put the item right into your shopping bag as you shop. The app gives you a running total for your order. Then, you can pay and check out on 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 use digital.
5. Kroger accepts paper, digital and Catalina manufacturer coupons.
You can clip your Krog er coupons from the Sunday paper, print them from your computer, or load the manufacturer digital offers onto your Kroger Plus card.
Catalina coupons print at the register at the end of a transaction — some are for a specific item, and some 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, because a manufacturer coupon is a manufacturer coupon and that’s the same rule everywhere.
Aside from that, Kroger’s coupon policy states 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.
If you have a $0.50 off digital manufacturer coupon for 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 on that same item. (So, if your paper coupon is worth $1 off, delete the $0.50 digital coupon off your card and load it again after you use the higher value paper coupon.)
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:
Use 3 $0.25/1 manufacturer coupon
Use 3 $0.10/1 manufacturer coupon
Final Price: $2.49
8. Earn cash back with Kroger Cash Back Rewards program.
Kroger’s Cash Back Rewards program is essentially a rebate program through Kroger and their affiliates. Just like with a rebate app, you load Kroger cash-back offers in the Kroger app, buy the items, then choose if you’d like your rebate money through PayPal or as in-store credit.
Here’s how it works:
Log in to your store account and load qualifying offers to your shopper’s account. Purchase the qualifying items, and scan your shopper’s card. Transfer the cash to your shopper’s account to spend or wait until you have $20 and transfer to your PayPal account.
9. Use digital coupons up to five times in a single transaction during special events.
You can read the fine print by opening the offer and clicking “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 is a limit of five coupons, increased from their usual three. These digital savings events happen about once every couple of months.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Stacking Coupons
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’ll 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 Free Friday Deal. The offer is available to download to your card for one day only, but it doesn’t expire for two weeks. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, Kroger has suspended these Friday specials until things return to “normal.”
12. Save at Kroger with two- and three-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 (reg. $3.99) but only for two days.
13. Look for Kroger paper store coupons clipped to shelves throughout the store.
RELATED: Your First Coupon Trip Checklist
14. Kroger mails you personalized coupons every four to six weeks.
The coupons you get in the mail from Kroger (or Fred Meyer, same store) 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 anyone. 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. For example, Buy 5 participating items, save $5. If you have coupons for items in the Mega Sale, you can stack them for great savings.
A scenario might look like this:
Use five $0.50/1 manufacturer coupon
Final Price: $4.95 or $0.99 each
16. Use coupons on Kroger clearance items.
Kroger accepts coupons — digital or paper — on clearance items.
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. You’ll always have to pay for one 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 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 that you have. 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: Everything You Need to Know About Kroger Grocery Pickup (aka Clicklist)
20. You can use competitor coupons — but only in the pharmacy.
Kroger coupon policy says “nope” to competitor coupons, unless those coupons are for the pharmacy. Pharmacies — like Walgreens and CVS — occasionally have in-store coupons specifically for their pharmacy. If you’re lucky enough to snag one, and you still want to keep Kroger as your one-stop, just bring your Kroger pharmacist the coupon and they’ll honor it.
21. Get free shipping on dry goods for $35+ orders and 15% off your first order.
via PR Newswire/Kroger Co
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!
22. Get discounts at the pump — your Kroger fuel rewards add up before you use your coupons.
You can save up to $1 per gallon at the pump (up to $35) just by shopping at Kroger and affiliates. Here’s how it works:
For every $1 you spend, you get 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. Kroger also offers 2x fuel points when you purchase gift cards everyday and sometimes they drop coupons for 3x and 4x points on gift card purchases.
For example:
Use $20 in coupons
Final Price: $80
Total fuel points earned: 100
RELATED: Ralphs vs. Vons: Battle of the Grocery Rewards Programs
23. Stack coupons with Fetch Rewards, Ibotta and SavingStar to get moneymakers.
Stacking coupons with rebate apps like Fetch Rewards, Ibotta, and SavingStar, is a great way to get money back.
Take this recent example:
Scan your receipt for $0.30 SavingStar credit
Final Price: $0.30 moneymaker
Don’t scroll up! Here are the articles I mentioned:
Everything You Need to Know About the Kroger App
The Ultimate Guide to Stacking Coupons
Your First Coupon Trip Checklist
Everything You Need to Know About Kroger Grocery Pickup (aka Clicklist)
Ralphs vs. Vons: Battle of the Grocery Rewards Programs
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