If you’re looking for a way to save money efficiently, I have two words for you: digital coupons.
Just like paper coupons, digital coupons can be specific to a store or to a manufacturer, but they come in electronic form. They can even be rebate app offers that put money back in your (digital) pocket.
Most often, you’ll find these digital coupons inside a grocery store app or as a promo code that you'll need to enter before you make an online purchase. Many now link to your store loyalty card or phone number at checkout. It couldn’t be easier to coupon these days.
Whether you’re just getting started with couponing or want to maximize your savings even more, use these tips for saving more with digital coupons. We've listed our strategies from basic to more advanced, so you can move through the steps in order as you get more comfortable with couponing. Plus, we've sprinkled in some proven tips from our KCL staff.
Note: The deal examples below may be expired, but we aim to show solid examples of what's possible. Use the deals below to get started, but your mileage may vary!
But first, one of the easiest places go find digital coupons in one place is the KCL app. Download it and you’ll get access to our full database of digital savings galore.
Step 1: Sign up for a rebate app (like Ibotta or Fetch), which gives you cash back on what you spend
The first step to mastering digital coupons? Rebate apps like Fetch and Ibotta, which give you cash back when you share your receipts. Essentially, you shop where you normally do, share your receipts, and get rewarded. You’ll earn either cash back that goes into your PayPal or bank account (like you can do with Ibotta and Checkout 51), or you’ll earn points you can redeem for gift cards to popular stores including Amazon ( Fetch Rewards and Shopkick offer this.)
In terms of the digital coupons in these apps, they all work a bit differently. Some require you to sign up for digital offers in advance and buy specific products. Others just pay you the same amount per receipt. Pick one, master it, then add another.
Download these rebate apps to try it for yourself:
You can often find bonus offers in these apps that deliver even bigger discounts when you buy multiple items together. But if that sounds like a lot, just start small with one digital coupon offer at a time. As long as you're not paying full price, you're winning.
Real-life example
Amount saved: 22%
Just using one digital coupon offer in the Ibotta app gave me $2 off toothpaste that retails for $8.97 at my grocery store.
Step 2: Get the apps for stores you shop at frequently (Target, Kroger, and Walgreens apps are among the easiest to use for couponing)
Certain stores make it super easy to coupon. When it comes to digital coupons, I look for what’s easiest to clip and apply at checkout. I suggest starting with digital couponing at Target, Kroger and Walgreens if you’re new to couponing.
All three stores have a very convenient feature that let's you can scan the barcode of a product, and the app will show you any eligible digital coupons. These stores also let you use their digital coupons in store, online or with curbside pickup (where available.) Restrictions will be noted if you can’t use a certain coupon online, in store or with pickup.
If you're using multiple store apps, timing is key. Know which day each store starts its weekly ad, so you can pounce on the newest offers and avoid things being sold out. For reference, Target's weekly ad starts on Sunday; the Kroger weekly ad starts Wednesday; and the Walgreens weekly ad starts on Sunday.
KCL Staffer Tip: "Check store apps for new digital coupons on the day that each new sale cycle begins." - Sarah Vaught , Content Manager for the Grocery team at KCL
Here’s what to know about the Target, Kroger and Walgreens apps:
Target Digital Coupons
If you’re going to start somewhere, download the Target app. It’s one of the easier places to use digital coupons because they put all the coupons in one place. They offer Target store-issued coupons and manufacturer-issued coupons within the Target app and on Target.com. You can use a single Target digital coupon up to four times per day (once per item) — unless the fine print states otherwise.
Pay close attention to Target's gift-card-with-purchase offers, too. These digital coupon offers get you a gift card that's added to your Target account to use on your next transaction. And they stack with the digital manufacturer coupons you'll find in the Target app.
Prefer Target Drive-Up ? The majority of digital coupons can be applied to your pickup order, too.
Real-life example
Amount saved: 53% off
I logged in to my Target Circle account and used a digital coupon to get $5 off a bottle of Herbal Essences shampoo (reg. $9.99.) With a single click, I saved 53%.
Kroger Digital Coupons
Kroger has more than 2,700 stores nationwide, and their digital coupon offers often make their prices hard to beat, even by big-box stores. The Kroger app offers coupons that apply in store, curbside, and for delivery orders. In fact, if you're picking up your order, look for exclusive pickup and delivery coupons like “$15 Off Your First 3 Kroger Delivery Orders of $35 or more.”
KCL Staffer Tip: "I start my grocery list with looking at coupons first. I can plan meals and shopping lists around what is on sale that week. I also look for money-off deals on doing pickup or delivery for picking those options." - Angela Henson Dome , Photo & Video Producer at KCL
If you're trying to get an offer that requires you to spend a certain amount, know this: The minimum spend threshold typically applies to your total after all discounts are applied. Kroger digital coupons normally have a limit of up to five times in a single transaction, and you can use three of the same coupon per day, per household.
We have an entire guide on couponing at Kroger.
Real-life example
Amount saved: 55% off
This was an easy one. Post Cereal had a $2.20 digital app coupon (which could be used five times per transaction). Full price, a box is $3.99, so getting $2.20 off with the digital coupon saves you 55%.
Walgreens Digital Coupons
Using digital coupons with the Walgreens app is similar to using them at Target. They have store coupons and manufacturer coupons. The great thing about Walgreens digital coupons is they can be attached to more than one of the same product in a single transaction. Some Walgreens digital coupons can be used online, too.
KCL Staffer Tip: "Some stores have a limit to how many coupons you can have loaded to your account, so don’t go too crazy! Have I reached that 200 or so coupon clip limit at Walgreens and CVS? Absolutely I have. Luckily Walgreens let you de-select coupons as well." - Emma Fox , Content Manager for the Drugstore team at KCL
Using Walgreens digital coupons is extra nice when you can apply them to curbside pickup orders. That’s my favorite way to coupon: Order online or in the app, and just pull up to the store.
With Walgreens, digital coupons are just part of the game. You also want to make sure you're earning Walgreens Cash or (if you're shopping in-store) Register Rewards. That's how you save 70% or more. Check out our Walgreens couponing guide to see how all these moving parts work together.
Real-life example
Amount saved: 83%
One of our KCL deal hunters combined a sale price, as well as a mobile coupon for $3 off two Garnier shampoos with a digital offer for $3 back in Walgreens Cash. That's $10 saved on a $11.98 purchase, AKA 83% off.
Step 3: Look for weekly digital coupon freebies
Every store's app has its quirks — and its freebies. The trick is knowing which stores have digital freebie offers, and which days they launch because supply can run out.
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Kroger: While the Free Friday Download (which gets you a free item on certain Fridays) is no more (it ended years ago), Kroger does offer Best Customer Bonus coupons, which usually include a freebie or two each month for most accounts. These are personalized offers, so your mileage may vary in terms of what you get and how often. You can find these coupons in the Kroger app or on their website. To find them, filter by keywords like "free" or "best" to locate the freebie coupons.
KCL Staffer Tip: "Check the Kroger app at the being of each month for Kroger Best Customer Bonus coupons. These digital coupons are exclusive to each shopper's account and are given out based on the customer's shopping history." - Sarah Vaught , Content Manager for the Grocery team at KCL
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Staples: This store's mobile app launched digital coupons for weekly free school supplies (for summer 2025.) The digital coupon appeared in the app weekly, and you could scan the coupon at checkout. Items included Sharpie markers, sticky notes and USB drives.
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HEB: This regional grocery store with 340 locations launches digital coupons for free items (sometimes) when the weekly ad starts on Wednesdays. To get the offer, you need to "clip" it in the app and scan the app's barcode at checkout. Keep in mind, stock does tend to quickly run out when it comes to these freebies.
KCL Staffer Tip: "Download the store apps and clip your coupons before you get into the stores. I find that most Wi-Fi is bad when I get into the stores to shop." -Ashley Ryon , Sr. Marketing Director at KCL
Real-life example
Amount saved: 100% (free)
I found a digital coupon for a totally free 52-oz. Lemonade (full price: $2.39) in my HEB app. I clipped it, scanned the app at checkout, and had the full amount deducted from my total.
Step 4: Stack and combine digital coupons, but know the rules
Once you've mastered all your favorite stores' couponing apps, think about how you can stack and combine digital coupons with each other (and with paper coupons) to save even more.
Make sure you’re following the coupon rules when stacking digital coupons (these rules may vary by store):
Do:
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Stack a digital manufacturer coupon with a digital store coupon. It depends on each store’s policy, but in general, stacking manufacturer coupons with store coupons is fair play.
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Stack a paper manufacturer coupon with a digital store coupon. It doesn’t matter if it’s two digital or one digital and one paper coupon. Stores aren’t looking at the form of the coupon (digital or paper); they’re looking at the type of coupon (manufacturer or store.)
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Stack a digital manufacturer coupon with a paper store coupon. Paper store coupons are rarer than digital ones, but smaller local stores often still have them.
Don’t:
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Stack two manufacturer coupons with each other on the same item, digital or not. You’re seeing a pattern here, right? You can’t stack two like coupons — it doesn’t matter what form they are — on the same item.
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Expect to use multiple of the same digital coupon in one transaction. Digital coupons tend to only offer one use.
Don’t get confused, though. You can still combine coupons (digital and paper) on a single purchase. Combining coupons is not the same as “stacking” coupons. "Stacking" means you're applying multiple coupons to a single item. Combining coupons means using multiple coupons on a purchase. For example, using one coupon on Tide, another coupon for Clif Bars, a coupon for Colgate, a coupon for Purina dog food, etc.
KCL Staffer Tip: "Clip everything you think you might use, not just what you are using for that shopping trip. Sometimes digital coupons 'disappear' but if you had it clipped before then you have it saved." -Alana Vandagriff , Associate Editor at KCL
Real-life example
Amount saved: 64% off
I combined three different digital manufacturer coupons in Target's app to save $5.50 and stacked those with a store coupon offer for a $5 gift card when buying three oral care items, meaning I saved $10.50 total.
I didn't break any rules above because 1. The manufacturer coupons were all different; 2. Each one was applied to a different item; and 3. When coupons applied to the same items, one was a manufacturer coupon, and one was a store coupon.
See the breakdown in our KCL deal formula:
5. Combine digital store coupons with digital offers from Ibotta and Fetch.
Now, let's bring all the digital couponing tools together and combine store digital offers with digital rebate apps.
Because rebate apps offer savings after you make a purchase (and after the cashier has accepted all of your coupons), you can redeem these offers even if you’re using coupons on the original purchase. However, it's important to remember that some of the digital offers in Ibotta are manufacturer coupons, so they can't be used on top of manufacturer coupons you find in a store app (always check the terms).
In general, though, you can pull out the receipt from your shopping trip and take a picture of it or upload it to the rebate app of your choice — go ahead and use one receipt to redeem offers from multiple rebate apps if you can.
Real-life example
Amount saved: 33% off
One of our deal hunters combined a Target digital store offer with an Ibotta offer for Huggies wipes. The store offer got her $20 back for spending $100 on five packs of wipes, and the Ibotta offer got her another $10 back, for a combined total of $30 (aka 33% off) saved.
If your digital coupon doesn’t apply correctly, don’t give up!
If you look at your receipt and realize you didn't save as much as you thought you would, double check the coupon terms:
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Did you purchase the right product as stated on the coupon? Did you get the correct size, brand and quantity?
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Did you add the coupon to your “wallet” inside the store app?
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Is your phone screen bright enough for the cashier to successfully scan the coupon barcode?
"I clip the coupon first, plan out what I’m going to use it on, and take a screenshot of the item(s) so that I can reference the size/variety in stores. Screenshots are my best friend when couponing." - Emma Fox , Content Manager for the Drugstore team at KCL
I know these seem like no-brainers, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve marched up to the checkout and gotten something wrong. Like thinking I had a Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupon when in reality, it was a Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off coupon. It happens!
If all else fails, head to customer service to find out why your coupon doesn’t seem to apply.
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