I get asked about transactions involving Buy One Get One Free sales and coupons all the time. I wanted to take a minute to talk a little about how these sales work.
You can click below to get the full scoop!
There is something about BOGO sales/coupons that makes people uncomfortable. For some reason it just doesn’t feel right to have a zero balance- especially to a cashier. This is a perfectly legitimate transaction and is even provided for in some store coupon policies. You are doing nothing wrong by combining these offers but you do need to be prepared to occasionally run into issues on these types of offers.
Question: Can you use a BOGO coupon with a BOGO sale?
You sure can do this at lots of stores! Typically the way a transaction might work is like this:
Store x offers Crest Toothpaste- Buy One Get One Free ($3.99/2)
In this case the store is usually offering the free item they advertise.
If you have a Buy One Get One Free coupon for Crest Toothpaste, in many situations you can use that coupon and the deal looks like this:
Buy 2 Crest at $3.99/2- Buy One Get One Free
Use Buy One Get One Free Coupon (takes off $3.99)
Final Price: $0 + a few cents tax.
Now the store has offered the free item they advertised and you have elected to pay for your purchase using a manufacturer coupon. So the manufacturer is paying for one item and the store is paying for the other item. The store will be reimbursed for the coupon value.
The Rite Aid coupon policy and the Walgreens coupon policy specifically allow for this type of transaction. Some stores, like CVS, do not have a written coupon policy so although it should be OK to do a transaction like this, there is always a chance your cashier will simply refuse. Finally, some stores expressly prohibit this type of transaction- like Safeway stores. The Safeway coupon policy does not allow for a coupon on a free item- so depending on how you look at it they can legitimately refuse to honor the transaction. (In my opinion, the coupon is used on an item that is not free so it should be OK but again it will really depend on how the store interprets the policy.)
Question: Can you use a BOGO coupon and a another coupon together?
Here is an example of how something like that might work:
Honest Tea $1.00
Use Buy One Get One Free Honest Tea coupon (should take off $1.00)
and Use $1/1 coupon
Final Price: Both are free
Now with this type of transaction there are a few things to look for before you head out. On the Buy One Get One Free coupon, you will want to check the barcode and see if it has a “14” listed. You can see the breakdown of a bar code below. On the right side where it says “Value Code” is where you want to look. If the coupon has a 14 listed that means the coupon will attach to both items. If the coupon DOES have a “14” that means you can not use it with another coupon. (So the scenario above would not work.)
If you do NOT see the “14” listed, that means the coupon will only attach to one item and you should be able to use another coupon in your transaction. So the transaction above should work.
What about adding store coupons to the mix?
This is where it gets a little trickier. We can see this at Target pretty frequently. The Target coupon policy does not specifically address this situation- but here is a sample of how this might look:
Buy 2 Ore Idea Potatoes at $3.49, Get One Free
Use Buy One Get One Free coupon (takes of $3.49)
and Use $1/1 manufacturer coupon
and Use $1/1 Target coupon
Final Price: $1.49 for 3 bags
Now to make this even more complicated, there are some stores that might allow you to use more than one Target coupon. Technically you can use a Target coupon and a store coupon on each item, so you can try something like this:
Buy 2 Ore Idea Potatoes at $3.49, Get One Free
Buy 3 potatoes at $3.49 (one is free)
Use Buy One Get One Free coupon (takes off $3.49)
and Use $1/1 manufacturer coupon
and Use (2) $1/1 Target coupon
Final Price: $.49 for 3 bags
Can you use (2) BOGO coupons together?
Well, in my option no you shouldn’t use (2) BOGO coupons together. A scenario might look like this:
Buy 2 Reach toothbrushes at $2.50
Use (2) BOGO coupons
Final Price: 2 for free!
I suppose this could possibly work but I don’t want to encourage anyone to try this. I don’t think this is how the manufacturer intends for you to use these coupons. Now this sample scenario would be an appropriate way to use more than one BOGO coupon:
Buy 4 Reach toothbrushes at $2.50
use (2) BOGO coupons
Use (2) $1/1 coupons
Final Price: $2.50 for all 4 items.
That scenario should be fine providing those Reach coupons don’t have a “14” in the value code.
What about a BOGO 50% off sale?
This is a tricky one and Walgreens at Rite Aid in particular offer these sales all the time. So in this case you buy one item at full price and get the second at 50% off. If you also have a BOGO coupon, the value of the lowest priced item is the one that should be applied to the coupon. So here is a sample scenario:
Buy 1 Gillette body wash at $4.99
Get one 50% off at $2.49
Use BOGO coupon (should take off $2.49)
Final Price: $4.99
Of course there might be some situations where a cashier takes off the higher priced item, but in general these almost never work out to be a very good deal.
What’s the bottom line?
If you are shopping at a store like Walgreens or Rite Aid that expressly allow for this type of transaction in the coupon policy, you should be OK. If you have a store that does not have a written coupon policy (like CVS), or a store that does not make reference to this (like Target)- your luck will vary. It will really be up to the cashier if they allow the coupon through. The way I typically view a transaction like this at a store without any guidelines is that I hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I will trypically try and see- if I get shot down- well on to the next thing. You can always try again another day. If you feel very strongly about a specific deal, you can also try to speak to a manager or contact corporate offices for clarification.
I hope that clears up a little confusion!
LilSideKick says
Thanks for the clarification!
Stacie says
Thanks so much for this information. I was wondering about the Honest Tea deals this week since I have 2 bogos and a bunch of the $1. Good to know it won’t work since there is a 14 in the bar code.
Kat says
Thank you. I had this exact Gillette situation occur last week at Walgreens on a B1G1 50% off and had a BOGO Free coupon. I had difficulties with it. I still don’t understand why both coupons would attach to the same item (the 50% off and the Free) but I guess I’ll just accept it.
christy says
Thanks so much, this was very helpful!
Kristin says
Thank you for this info. so nice to see HONEST couponers out there!! Did have a slight issue at Target today with the BOGO. I had a .50/1 Herbal Essence Target coupon AND a $1/1 herbal Essence MQ AND a BOGO Herbal Essence/Aussie Coupon. My $1/1 beeped as did my BOGO. Cashier put it through after I explained to him that I DID BUY one so that is why my $1/1 should work…. My QUESTION IS….
Is there a certain way we should give our Q’s to the cashier in an instance like this?! Would it have made a difference if I gave him the MQ first and then the T Q and then the BOGO?! Or should I have not used all these coupons together?!? I thought it would be okay, but if not, please let me know.. TIA 🙂
And THANK YOU for everything you do!! Just showed my neighbor your blog and told her how great it is 🙂
Melissa says
Also, aren’t there coupons out there that start with a “9” instead of a “5” and don’t those attach to both items? Thought I heard this somewhere but can’t remember for sure… And how is the consumer supposed to know how to interpret these bar codes, anyway? I wish the manufacturer would just put it on the coupon: “cannot be combined with any other coupons” or something.
Carrie says
So much to learn!! I bought the Gillette razors last week as well, but I had 2 $2 off coupons. So I bought 1 AT $6.49 , got the 2nd 1 50% off and used both $2 off coupons. I was happy with that. 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks so much Charlene! I had an issue at Kroger where they didn’t allow me to use a coupon in addition to my BOGO the other day and I didn’t know why. This is great to know!
Sharon says
Thanks so much for this post! I really wanted to take advantage of Walgreens deal last week on the B1G2 Scotch tape and use 2 coupons to make them all free, but was too chicken since there wasn’t anything else I wanted to purchase and was afraid a zero balance wouldn’t sit well with the cashier. I love your explanation of the manufacturer coupon paying for one item. I’m gonna use that next time! I’ve been couponing for over a year and this is the first I’ve heard of the 14 code on a coupon. This post was very helpful to me.
Rebecca says
Thank for throwing these ‘reminders/info’ in here every so often it is greatly appriciated. And also thank you for your site, I enjoy greatly many times a day!
Jennifer says
I did the sale on Gillette last week, and it worked out great! The coupon DID work for the lesser priced item, but from the ORIGINAL amount for that item, NOT for the sale price. Here’s what mine looked like:
Bodywash & Deodorant $4.99 each= $9.98
B1G1 1/2 off in store -2.49
B1G1 Coupon -4.99
-$1 Manu Coupon on Deodorant -1.00
———-
1.49 for BOTH or $.75 each!!
Holly says
Thank you for taking the time to write this! It is great and I shared it with some of my friends so we can all maybe save some more money! I learned some things today.
Sandra says
I have had problems with using a BOGO coupon and another coupon on the same items so I contacted P&G marketing department. They told me I could not use both. I know it works for many of you but since P&G actually told ME not to, I cannot do a lot of your transactions as you post them. Thanks for all your hard work, you really save us all a lot of time 🙂
Charlene says
Sandra, just a thought but I know when I contact customer service people at various places they are not always well informed. Is it possible that you spoke to someone that didn’t have a full understanding of how coupons work? Did they give you a reason for not using BOGO coupons or did they just tell you no?
Charlene says
Jennifer- I have had a few people with similar situations recently- where it worked out well for them on a BOGO 50% off. It really shouldn’t though- the lesser price item should be the one free. So I am glad it worked but I don’t think it will always work out for everyone.
Charlene says
Melissa- I think the fine print is confusing enough to people. I know I don’t discuss barcodes very often because the information can be used for unethical purposes. It is sort of an area I tread very carefully in. The 9 and 5 are in regards to doubling. The 5 on a coupon will allow it to double and the 9 will not.
fairy dust says
Here’s a coupon scenario I want to try at the local grocery but am almost afraid to(I’m such a wuss).
I have a coupon for 55-cents off a dozen eggs (any) when I buy any Kikkoman product. I also have a $1/1 Kikkoman coupon. Now my thinking is that I should be able to pick up one bottle of Kikkoman soy sauce and one doz eggs and still use both coupons. But, like I said, I’m nervous about it. I need to see if the Buy Kikkoman Get 55 on Eggs Q has that 14 in the code. But technically, using both coupons *should* work, right? The store will get 55-cents back for the Kikkoman-and-eggs coupon and another $1 back for just the Kikkoman… I think 🙂 Anyone have any thoughts?
Kathleen says
Thank you thank you thank you for this! Although I’ve been couponing for almost two years now, I still get lost on BOGO deals. This clears up a lot of misconceptions for me!
Kathleen says
@fairy dust – I did that transaction a while ago at Target and was able to use both coupons when I bought 1 soy sauce and 1 dozen eggs. HTH!
fairy dust says
@Kathleen – thank you! I always have the most trouble doing any BOGO at Target, so if they took the kikkoman and the combo eggs coupons, then my grocery store should with no prob! 🙂
LilSideKick says
So I stopped by my local Rite Aid tonight to redeem my rain check for BOGO free Air Wick (from last week’s promotion). I was told by the cashier that they don’t take coupons along with the rain check.
Is that true? This was my first time using the rain check. I checked the Rite Aid coupon policy and it doesn’t say anything about rain checks with coupons. I was wondering if anyone else was in the same boat as I am.
Thanks.
Charlene says
I think that sounds silly. A raincheck essentially should give you the exact same deal you missed out on due to a lack of inventory. I would call RA corporate to complain and see what they say.
LilSideKick says
Thanks Charlene! Is the corporate number same as the customer service number?
Charlene says
yeah- just look at RA.com to find the contact info.
LilSideKick says
I contacted RA via online chat and they do honor coupons with a rain check. They are going to look into and contact me.
Christina says
Thank you so much for posting this to help us understand better!
I have a possible scenario that I was wondering about.
I have a coupon from the newspaper inserts for BOGO with Clean & Clear Body Wash. I also have two coupons I printed from cleanandclear.com, each is for $2 off any clean & clear product.
I went to Walmart and saw that the Clean & Clear Body Washes are $4.97 each. So please tell me if I can use all 3 coupons and if the following scenario is correct:
Buy 2 Body Washes for $4.97 each (Total: $9.94) But then use the BOGO Coupon so that subtracts $4.97 and your total is now $4.97…And then use one of the $2 off coupons so your total is $2.97, and then use the second $2 off coupon and your total for the 2 body washes is just $0.97 for both washes!
That sounds too good to be true! That each wash would essentially be $0.49 each!
Thank you for baring with my newbie questions. I really appreciate any help I can get!
I just don’t want to do something I’m not allowed to do. That’s why I’m asking if I’m allowed to use all 3 coupons in one transaction or not.
Thanks,
Christina
Charlene says
Christina- no it won’t work 🙁 You can only use 1 coupon per item- so you have a BOGO coupon for one and a $2 off coupon for the second. I like to visualize the items in front of me and just imagine taping a coupon to each item. You only get one coupon taped to the item unless you have store coupons like at Target.
Christina says
OK Thanks so much for the fast response! So then in my above scenario, if I use the BOGO coupon and 1 of the $2 off coupons…Then I could get the 2 body washes for $2.97, right?
Charlene says
Yes you can but unless you have your heart set on Clean and Clear $1.50 is kind of expensive for body wash 🙂 I would get it because that is not a terrible price at all but there are various brands that are free all the time 🙂
Ashley says
Charlene, does the “14” thing apply to coupons like Buy 3 Get 1 free? For example, I have a Buy 3 Ensure (4pack) and Get 1 Free and then I also have some $2.00 off Ensure (4pack) coupons. Trying to figure out if I can use them together. Thanks as always!
Charlene says
No, if it is a Buy 3 Get 1 Free look for a 19 rather than 14. If you see 19 you should be able to use 2 coupons for sure but the 3rd might be a problem.
aracelly says
Wow… I love this article. Thanks for the clarification on all. Today I actually had a BOGO coupon problem.
frog says
Great article. This answered my question perfectly. Thanks!
jen says
Thanks for this Charlene! You are awesome. Had trouble w/this @ WAGS today & now I understand why.
Jen
Chris says
Okay I have a confusing coupon question…
I have a $2 off 2 bags of sunchips and a buy a bag of sub chips get a sierra mist free. Can I Combine these 2 qs?
Bren says
HELP!! 🙂 ….have a BOGO ??
Scenario: WAGS has Lysol cleaning prod. BOGO FREE
– – I have coupons: $1 off ANY 2 Lysol & $1 off a SINGLE Lysol product…..SOOO…..if WAGS is BOGO…can I use my “$1 off ANY 2” for my 1st item of the BOGO…and….my 2nd “$1 off ANY” for the 2nd BOGO (free) item???
THANKS A MILLION FOR THIS SITE….IT’S HELPING ME TO UNDERSTAND MORE & MORE…HOW TO SAVE MY FAMILY….& OTHER FAMILIES…MONEY! It’s also allowing those ladies in our area, the GREAT OPPORTUNITY to GIVE to the Tornado victims….on the ‘stock piles’ we have already been able to ‘pile’….& THAT….is a GREAT thing!!
Charlene says
Bren- no you can’t use that $1/2 because it is one coupon per item. So that is sort of like 3 coupons for 2 items since a $1/2 coupon applies to 2 items. You can use (2) $1/1 coupons or you can use (1) $1/2 coupon to purchase 2 items on a BOGO sale.
Tina says
Charlene,
Your info is amazing. I just entered into the world of couponing only 3 weeks ago and have already save so much money and started a small stock pile, i.e. spaghetti sauces at 0.20 each. With three boys and one on the way our family food budget was just getting to high. I really had no clue about combining coupons until I read this. Thanks so much for all your information and I will continue to search four new ways to save, with BOGO coupons and doubling coupons.
Angie says
So if I am understanding this correctly,
Clean & Clear B1G1 store sale
plus my Clean & Clear B1G1 coupon means I can walk out with two body wash and only pay tax?
Thank you!!!! I am struggling with this! 🙂
Charlene says
Angie- yes.
Danielle says
Charlene,
Thanks for posting this! I just had a problem at Walgreens and thought maybe I was being unreasonable. They have the Right Guard body wash on sale for BOGO and I had a BOGO coupon and was told I could not use it by the manager. This same manager a few weeks ago also told me I could not use a $3 off Splenda coupon since the Splenda was only $2.99 (even though their policy says they will accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price). I’m glad I wasn’t doing anything wrong and plan to write Walgreens Customer Service about this.
pamela says
I had a problem at walgreens today on the right guard deoderant. They have it on sale for Bogo and I had a Bogo coupon. The cashier wouldn’t let me use all my coupons cause she said I had to purchase one to get one. I was for sure I could use the coupon on the sale, so now should I just brush it off or should I write Walgreens? If anyone could help me understand I would really apreciate it. Thanks
Charlene says
Pamela,
Here is the coupon policy:
Buy One, Get One Free Coupons
When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
So that appears to mean you can use a BOGO on a BOGO.
From the feedback I get, it seems like Walgreens is the worst about honoring its own coupon policy so you might have luck calling and asking for a manager. Usually if you complain to corporate they will push you back to the store level so that is a headache.
http://www.walgreens.com/topic/help/generalhelp/coupon_policy_main.jsp?_requestid=37856
alex says
Can anyone help me how do I get BOGO coupon. Thanks
Vanessa says
In regards to the Buy One Get 50% Off + A Buy One Get One Free Coupon, my Walgreen’s has taken off the higher amount. Using your example, they would have taken the $4.99 off. I would pay the mere $2.49. In this particular trip, I ended up saving a total of $118. The other thing, I’m not sure if you did address this, but at Walgreen’s on Buy One Get One Free deals the store offers, you can use two manufacturer’s coupon. For example, Schick Hydro was buy one get one free for a long time. $2.79 for the Hydro Gel. You buy one at $2.79 and get one free. Plus, you have two save $0.75 coupons. You can present both of those and end up paying $1.29 on two. I LOVE WAL-GREENS. Question for you though…at King Soopers can I use a Buy One Get One Free Coupon plus a Manufacturer’s coupon of save $0.50 on two or two save $0.50 on one?
tanisha says
hello im wondering how bogo coupons work to get the items free ? My question is if I have a bogo coupon and the store is running the item for bogo do i get the items free? or what are my options ? Im recently unemployed and i really need to save as much as I can ,please help ? thanks.
Charlene says
Tanisha, Did you have a chance to read this article? I discussed how they work so I am not sure what else you are unclear about?
catherine david says
i’m feeling a tad confused about seeing the number “14” on a coupon. So if the coupon code HAS a “14” then I WOULD be able to use another coupon for the same time??
Lupe says
Does walgreens accept frys manufacturer coupons?
Charlene says
Lupe, if you have a manufacturer coupon that has a Fry’s logo on it- like a catalina- you should be OK to use it at Walgreens. You might have a headache with your cashier- there is always a chance they will refuse it and you might have to ask for a manager.