”My store hates coupons.”
This is a couponers biggest hurdle. It seems some cashiers think that coupons come out of their paycheck or something! Sometimes stores do a horrible job of informing the cashiers of their own coupon policy.
This is where a couponer needs to be prepared! Bring the stores coupon policy with you! If the cashier says they can’t do what the coupon policy says then you politely ask for a manager. A manager should know the coupon policy,or at least abide by it.
Worse case scenario:The people at the store tell you that you can’t use those coupons,or can’t get overage. You have 2 options. 1 is to just pay full price and walk away (not an option for me lol) the 2nd option is to politely explain that you will have to call corporate about this to clarify because you understand the coupon policy in a different way.
This is very rare. Usually,someone in the “chain of command” will know what they should do with coupons and what they are not allowed to do.
Sometimes though,you get people that just hate coupons. I went to Walmart a month or so ago and had an assistant manager LIE to me. He told me he spoke to the store manager and she said that I was not allowed to do what I was trying to do with my coupons. I came to find out later when I spoke to the manager herself that this was a bold faced lie and she told him to tell me that I COULD do what I was trying to do. Ever since,things have been great at that Walmart. The manager knows who I am and said if I ever have any issues at her store to have the people I am with call her and she will tell them how to handle it.
It pays to get to know the store managers of the places you shop at often!
Anyway,back to coupon policies:
Walmart’s coupon policy specifically says “If coupon value exceeds the price of the item,the excess may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.”
That means not only will they let you use the money from a coupon towards other purchases,but if you don’t have anything else you were buying,they will put cash in your hand! Literally paying you to take the product home. Can’t get better than that!
Target’s says “Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.” Meaning if you have a coupon for $2 off and you are trying to buy something that is $1.50,they will have to enter the coupon in the system as a coupon for $1.50. But you can still get the item for free!
Here are some stores coupon policy’s
Walmart:http://walmartstores.com/7655.aspx
Target:http://www.target.com/Coupon-Policy-Store-Merchandise-Information/b?ie=UTF8&node=2223357011
Safeway:http://www.safeway.com/ifl/grocery/coupons-policy
Commissary:http://www.commissaries.com/documents/contact_deca/faqs/coupon_use.cfm
(Note:It specifically says you CAN use internet printed coupons at the Commissary. I know some stores are saying they don’t allow this.)
More info on the commissaries coupon policy can be found here:
http://www.commissaries.com/inside_d…0_6_JN2007.pdf
Page 44
“Valid coupons will be entered at the value stated on the coupon. If the value of the coupon exceeds the cost of the product,the customer will be given the full value of the coupon.”
THE COMMISSARY ALLOWS OVERAGE. Don’t let them tell you otherwise! 
These are just some of the stores I go to frequently. You can usually just search the store name and the words “coupon policy” and you should be able to find the coupon policy for the stores you go to.
Moral of the story:Don’t let one misinformed cashier or manager tell you that you can’t do what the coupon policy says. All stores have customer service hotlines. If you have a problem,you can call them and I guarantee,as long as you are trying to do what the coupon policy states you can do,they will fix the issue very fast! They don’t want to be losing customers over this kind of thing!
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