Knowing how to coupon basically means knowing where to go to find the best savings and what coupons to use. And from paper coupons to store apps, the types of coupons available just keep expanding. Now there’s a new way to save with universal digital coupons, a new type of coupon that works at multiple stores, starting with CVS as of January 2025. Right now, you can access these coupons using an app called Coupon24.
Unlike store-specific digital coupons, these universal coupons let you redeem manufacturer discounts without being tied to one specific retailer. As more stores and brands get on board, universal coupons could become an even bigger game changer for couponers. But while it's exciting, you still need to compare deals carefully to make sure you're getting the best savings.
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What are universal coupons?
Universal coupons are digital coupons that aren't tied to a specific store. Most digital coupons have to be used at just one store, and most can be found only in that particular store's app or on their website. For example, if you want to use a digital coupon at Target, you pretty much have to download the Target Circle app, and those offers can only be used at Target. Same with your local grocery store digital coupons — you have to find them on the store's app, and they can only be used at your grocery store. However, universal coupons are an effort to change that, making coupons that will be accepted at Target, your local grocery store, and pretty much anywhere else.
Right now, Coupon24 is the only digital coupon platform that has universal manufacturer coupons.
Universal coupons simplify the couponing process, making it easier for you to save money without worrying about store-specific rules or juggling multiple coupon apps. CVS is the first major store to accept these universal coupons.
In my experience, using the new universal coupons is pretty straightforward.
I tested out a universal coupon for myself at my local CVS in January on a bottle of Tide laundry detergent, and I found the whole process to be pretty easy.
You'll have to clip the coupon using your phone after you download the app, and then the site does the rest — generating a unique barcode that you show to the cashier to apply your coupon at checkout.
Here's how to get started:
Sign up with your phone number on the Coupon24 website or app. (You can do this step before or after downloading the app for iOS or Android).
Clip coupons from available offers and brands.
Show your phone to the cashier at checkout. All your clipped coupons will be bundled into a single barcode (called "My Multi-Coupon Code") for scanning.
KCL TIP: If you have digital coupons already attached to your store card, those will typically come off first. Since you can't use two manufacturer coupons on one product, compare offers before checkout. For example, if CVS has a $1.50 off digital coupon for Tide, but there's a universal coupon for $1 off, it makes more sense to use the CVS digital coupon to save more.
There's a limit of 10 coupons per bar code.
You can clip as many universal coupons as you want on the Coupon24 app, but only 10 coupons will be attached per barcode. That means if you have more than 10 coupons clipped, you’ll need to scan multiple barcodes to use them all. For example, if you have 15 coupons, you’ll scan one barcode for the first 10, and a second barcode for the remaining five.
These coupon offers are single-use coupons.
While looking through the available coupons in January 2025, I noticed that each universal coupon appears to be single-use. That’s definitely something to factor in when planning your shopping trips. It reminds me of how printed P&G coupons require some advance planning on your part, since P&G coupons expire within 24 hours of printing them.
As of January 2025, CVS is the only national retailer that supports universal coupons (so far).
CVS is the first major retailer to accept universal coupons. As of January 2025, the universal coupons found on Coupon24 can be used at 7,485 different stores — 7,260 of those being CVS locations.
But additional stores may accept universal coupons in the future.
While CVS is the first national retailer to accept these universal coupons, others may follow. The Coupon Bureau, which oversees the initiative, is working to expand participation to more stores.
For now, use universal coupons in stores and not online.
Want to use these coupons online? The Coupon24 site says it will generate a code to use online, but when I tried it for CVS, it didn't work. So I recommend using these coupons just in store for now.
You'll find lots of universal coupons for Procter & Gamble and Nestle right now.
Procter & Gamble and Nestle are among the first brands offering universal coupons. More manufacturers are expected to participate as the system grows, but the selection is mostly limited to brands owned by those companies (like Swiffer, Tide, Bounty, Oral-B, and Gain).
To give you a feel for what the universal coupons are like, here's a sample of some of the savings I found in January 2025:
$10 off Oral-B Handheld or Countertop Water Flosser
$8 off Olay Vitamin C Facial Moisturizer, Eye, or Serum
$6 off GilletteLabs Razor or Refills
$5 off Crest Whitening Pen
$4.50 off Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit
$4 off Tide Laundry Detergent, 105 - 149 oz
$3.50 off Dreft Blissfuls In-Wash Scent Boosters
Why I'm Excited About Universal Coupons — And a Little Nervous
Universal coupons allow you to use manufacturer discounts without being tied to one store’s digital system. By consolidating multiple coupons into a single scan, it offers more flexibility, a simpler checkout experience, and real-time fraud prevention, which is a bonus for retailers.
The downside? You really have to do your homework to check which is the better offer before you use it. This means you need to compare the universal coupon, the store digital coupon, or maybe even a paper or printed coupon to see which gives you the most savings overall.
With this new digital system rolling out, I also can’t help but wonder if paper coupons will eventually disappear.
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