“Stacking Coupons” is one of the most important strategies to know when learning how to coupon. Stacking is when you layer coupons, sales, rebates, and promotions to build the biggest overall discount possible on a single product.
Learning how to stack can feel tricky at first because there are different types of coupons , coupons have fine print , and every store has its own rules. I’m not gonna lie, learning how to stack coupons is one of the trickier things about nailing couponing — even for the smartest shopper. But don’t worry — we’re breaking it down step by step.
For a deeper dive and more examples, check out The Krazy Coupon Lady’s Quick Start Guide to Couponing.
How do coupons work and what does “stacking coupons” mean?
At the most basic level, stacking coupons means using one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon on the purchase of a single item.
From there, you can add on even more discounts like sales, rebates, and store rewards to make your savings even greater.
How to Stack Coupons: Step by Step
Coupon Stacking Level 1: Find something on sale, then add a manufacturer coupon.
The easiest coupon stack on the planet is using a single manufacturer coupon when you buy an item that's on sale. Done. I bet you've already done this many times and didn't even know you were technically stacking coupons.
To learn about your store's sales, pick up a weekly sales flyer. Grocery store sales usually run Wednesday through Tuesday every week. Many of these weekly sales are posted on grocery store websites and in store apps.
And don't forget to walk by clearance endcaps inside stores — if you find an item on clearance and you have a coupon that applies to it too, you've struck couponing gold.
Coupon Stacking Level 2: Add in a store coupon.
Now you can layer in store-specific coupons on top of your manufacturer coupon and sale price. Remember, stores offer their own coupons that you can stack with manufacturer coupons and sales. This is where true coupon stacking begins!
Example: Huggies diapers on sale at Target, use a $2 manufacturer coupon, and use a 20% off Target Circle offer.
Coupon Stacking Level 3: Sign up for store rewards programs.
Stores like Walgreens and CVS offer promotions and cash-back opportunities when you sign up for their loyalty programs. It’s like earning passive “income” every time you shop. You can earn these points or discounts even when you use coupons!
Or consider Target, where you can link your checking account to your Target account and get 5% savings on every purchase with Target Circle Card.
Here are stores with rewards programs you don’t want to miss:
Example: Huggies diapers on sale at Target, use a $2 manufacturer coupon, use 20% off Target Circle offer, and get 5% off with your Target Circle Card.
Coupon Stacking Level 4: Add rebate app savings on top of coupons, sales, and store rewards.
Rebate apps give you cash back after you buy something. You can even redeem the same item on multiple apps if they all have offers. Fetch syncs to your e-mail, and Ibotta and Checkout51 even allow you to redeem offers with an electronic receipt. So you can still get savings even if you don’t have a physical receipt.
Here are rebate apps you need to download, stat!
Example: Huggies diapers on sale at Target, use a $2 manufacturer coupon, use 20% off Target Circle offer, and get 5% off with your Target Circle Card. Then you can get $1 back from Ibotta after you pay.
Bonus Coupon Stacking Level 5: Do all of the above and pay for it with a discounted (or free) gift card
If you’re reallllly trying to save, discounted or free gift cards are the move. Some rebate apps even let you redeem gift cards.
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Target runs deals a few times a year for 10% off gift cards
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Sam’s Club and Costco often offer 5% off select retail gift cards
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GCX.Raise.com sells discounted gift cards
The store doesn’t know or care that it’s discounted — it’s still valid and stacks with everything else.
Types of Coupons for Stacking
Now that you know how stacking works, here’s a quick look at the two main types of coupons you’ll be using:
Manufacturer Coupons
Manufacturer coupons come from the product maker and are usually marked “manufacturer’s coupon.” The store gets reimbursed by the manufacturer when you use the coupon, so it doesn’t cost the store extra. You’ll notice that manufacturer coupons are almost always for a dollar-off amount like “$1 off” or “Save $2 when you buy two.”
Where to find them:
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Newspaper inserts: Paper manufacturer coupons live inside Sunday newspaper inserts like Save, Procter & Gamble (PG), and Unilever Super Saver.
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Printable coupons: Coupons.com, or you can use KCL’s free printable coupon database.
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Digital coupons: Store apps like the CVS app, Walgreens app, Kroger app, and Target app you can use in-store and online
Store Coupons
A store coupon is issued by a specific store for use only at that retailer. Store coupons tend to be dollar-off savings or percent-off savings like “20% off a baby purchase.”
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How they work: The store absorbs the discount, hoping you’ll buy other items at full price.
Where to find them:
Not all retailers offer store coupons, but here’s a quick list of our favorite stores that do. You can access store coupons through KCL (linked by store below), or you can download each store’s app to see store coupons.
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CVS , Dollar General , Family Dollar , Kroger , Kohl’s , Rite Aid , Target , Walgreens
Coupon Stacking Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
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Use one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon per item
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Check your store’s coupon policy for transaction limits
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Double-check expiration dates
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Use digital coupons when doing store pickup or delivery
Don’t:
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Try to use two identical coupons on one item
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Copy coupons (fraud alert!)
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Give up — start slow and build confidence
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Online Coupon Stacking
Digital Coupons for Retail
Shopping online? Some retail stores let you stack multiple promo codes.
Examples:
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Kohl’s: You can use up to four promo codes per purchase. And these get applied in a specific order: Department-specific codes, Kohl's Cash and other dollar-off rewards, and (finally) sitewide discounts. While you can use multiple department-specific codes and dollar-off rewards per transaction, you can use only one sitewide discount.
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JCPenney: You can use multiple coupons on a purchase, as long as each one is a different type. First, any percent-off or dollar-off coupons get applied, then rewards get applied, and finally the free shipping code can be used. That means, if you need to spend a certain amount to get free shipping, it's based on the amount after all coupons are applied.
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