BOGO Sales and Coupons Questions Answered
One of top questions I get through emails or through comments is regarding BOGO Sales and BOGO Coupons. So, here is an explanation on how these sales and coupons work.
::BOGO Coupons with a Dollar Off Coupon
Question: Can I use a dollar off Coupon with a BOGO Coupon.
Answer: Yes and No.
This question has 2 answers because there are certain things you need to look for to determine if you can use another coupon along with a BOGO coupon. You first need to determine if the BOGO Coupon attaches to 1 of the 2 products you are buying or if it attaches to both of the products you are buying.
Numbers in the 10th & 11th place of the barcode (circled above) represent the dollar amount of the coupon. The only numbers you need to know are when there is a BOGO coupon. BOGOs (Buy One Get One Free) are either coded with a “14″ , “01″ or “00″. Here are what the codes mean:
- If the numbers are “00″ or “01″ – Then the coupon only attaches to the product you are getting for free and another coupon can be used against the other product
- If the numbers are “14″ – The coupon attaches to both products and you can not use another coupon. Any additional coupons used will beep.
Question: I have a $1/2 Coupon, can I use that with a BOGO coupon?
Answer: No
If you have determined, by checking the barcode as in the example above, that you can use an additional coupon with your BOGO coupon, then you will only be able to use a $X/1 coupon. You can not use a $X/2 coupon. The BOGO Coupon attaches to one of the 2 products and the $X/1 attaches to the other.
::BOGO Coupon with a BOGO Sale
Question: Can I use a BOGO Coupon with a BOGO Sale?
Answer: Yes, if your store allows it.
Stores like Rite Aid, Walgreens & CVS allow you to use a BOGO Coupon on a BOGO Sale getting 2 items for free. This works because the store promotion is for you to buy a product and they are giving you another one for free. The manufacturer is offering the same thing with a coupon. So, the item that you are paying for at the store, now becomes free after the BOGO coupon and the BOGO Sale. You only need to purchase 2 products.
For your local stores, make sure to check the coupon policy. If they do not address BOGO Sales with BOGO coupons in their written policy, check with customer service. And, make sure to print a copy of each Store’s Coupon Policy so you can review it and have it with you in the store in case there is any question while you are checking out.
::BOGO Sale with Dollar Off Coupons
Question: Can I use 2 Dollar Off Coupons with a BOGO Sale?
Answer: Yes, if your store allows it
This falls into the same category as the BOGO Coupon with a BOGO Sale. At stores like Rite Aid, Walgreens & CVS, you can use 2 – $X/1 coupons or 1 – $X/2 with a BOGO Sale. For local stores, you will need to check with customer service if you are not sure of their policy.
Cindy Livesey is the force behind Living Rich With Coupons which provides its readers with all the resources they need to shop smart so they can get life’s luxuries for a lot less. Her family of 5 has saved over $11,000 a year in groceries. And you can too.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
I had a small problem today at Riteaid with the Nutranail BOGO. I got 2 different products, and one was $6.99, and one was $11.99. (I wasn’t paying any attention because I figured they would both be free, as they were included in the BOGO.) After I left and reviewed my receipt I realized that the cashier keyed in $6.99 on the coupon, which was the one Riteaid had assigned as free, instead of $11.99, which it should have been. So I ended up paying the $5 extra. I didn’t have time to go back in to argue, and I’m not sure if I’ll get anywhere by going back. Lesson learned for me, get 2 items that are the same price!!
Hi Jennifer,
That’s where the statement “of equal or lesser value” comes in. You will always get the “lesser valued” item for free. Secondly, the coupon states “not to exceed $8.00″.
Why don’t you return the $11.99 item and replace it with another $6.99 item so you wind up getting both for free!
Hope this helps.
Ah, I missed the “not to exceed $8″ part on the coupon. I know you always get the lesser one free. But I figured that if the “free” one from Riteaid was the $6.99 item, the “free” one from the coupon should be the other…but like I said, I wasn’t paying much attention to how much they cost. I may try to return it fo ra cheaper one. Thanks!
I had a problem today with the Nutranail at Riteaid.I got two Nutranail same price and the cashier told me I can not use the coupon because is already BOGO. I told her I will call Riteaid to tell them about this problem.She didn’t care to much about.
I had the same problem with a BOGO coupon in Walgreeens, they had a BOGO sale and I had a BOGO coupon and the cashier told me I can’t use that coupon, but I had the coupon policy with me and I showed it to her, after 5 minutes discussion also with the manager I got my products for free but they were giving me looks like if I’m doing something wrong, oh well ..
If I were to try the Nutranail deal at my Riteaid and were actually able to use a BOGO coupon with the sale, would I buy two and get two? Or buy one and get two?
This the code on my coupon and I don’t see the “00″, “01″, or “14″ on it. What does this mean? It’s a BOGO coupon: 508137390411
If Walgreens or CVS has an item for buy one get one half off, how does a BOGO mfg coupon work? I was told by a clerk that I would get the remaining “half” of the half off item for free. Sounds about right to me, just wanted to double check. Thanks
Back a few months ago Walgreens had B1G1half off on men’s deodarant or something like that. I had a B1G1 coupon. The first time I did it, I got one free and half off the other one. But I tried the same thing with Stayfree (same sale and type of coupon) and I only got the one free and that was it.
This happened a week ago at Walgreens. They had Old Spice body wash buy 1 get 50% off second. I had a b1g1 coupon. They wanted to use the coupon for the 50% off and not for the full priced item. Didn’t think that was right, so left product and called 800 customer service number. The agent told me the coupon is good for the full priced body wash and I must pay the 50%. Obviously, they communicated this to my local store. The local store called me and told me to come back with the coupon. The coupon was used for the full priced item and I paid 50% for the second.
I have a B2G1 for Aveeno product.I want to buy the product from BJ’s. But, the problem is BJ’s have the “pack of two”. Now, how can i apply my B2G1 coupon to that product ? Do i need to buy 2 “pack of two” to get another “pack of two” ?
with a bogo 1/2 off… if you use a bogo coupon in addition can you use a $ amount off coupon on the other half… or would you get both for free and be able to get an additional third item for 1/2 off. and then would you be able to use two coupons with $ amounts off?
Thanks for posting this! I had an issue at Walgreen’s today with using a BOGO coupon with the BOGO sale on neutrogena body wash. The manager said I could not use the coupon, but I asked him to explain that to me using their current coupon policy and he could not, so he allowed me to use it. I’m happy to know that I wasn’t wrong in what I was doing.
I always keep a copy of the walgreens coupon policy because I have had problems with some of the cashiers, but usually if you ask to speak to a manager and they know you have the policy with you they won’t give you a hard time. Good luck.
I had a bit of an issue this morning at Wags with using a BOGO coupon on a BOGO item. The cashier tried to tell me that it couldn’t happen…without even trying to use the coupon first!! Luckily I was armed and very politely informed her that I COULD use a coupon (any coupon in fact) on an item that I was getting for free. While she tried to continue to tell me that this was not the case, I very nicely pulled out the Wag’s coupon policy that I keep on hand. It very clearly stated that 2 coupons could be used with a BOGO sale….Once I showed her that coupons could be used on a free item, it stood to reason that I could use a BOGO coupon on a BOGO sale….therefore getting double the amount of items than I have coupons….(But don’t push your luck…go back a couple of times if you have to). So today I got 4 Body washes (they were BOGO) using 2 bogo coupons for nothing but the sales tax……Hope this helps!!!
I tried to do this BOGO free q witha BOGO free sale for body wash at Walgreens. The manager (because the cashier acted like he had never seen a coupon before – ever) rang up the 2 body washes, and it came out to $4.xx Then she rang the coupon and it came out to free. Then she said “but that comes out to $0.” I explained that I just had to pay the tax. Then she snapped and said “You can’t do that. You can’t get 2 items for free. That’s coupon fraud” loud enough so everyone waiting in line could hear. I tried explaining how it wasn’t fraud but she wouldn’t listen. She was the one trying to be fradulent, because she wanted to take my coupon and only give me the same price it would have been on sale alone with no coupon. I contacted Walgreens and told them how unprofessional their manager was being, but I’ve heard nothing back from them. I am done with Walgreens.
I am hitting up the Pathmark triple coupon sale this weekend. I have a couple bogo coupons and was wondering how it would work… Would I get 3 free rather then just the one?
BOGOs don’t triple or double.
It seems that several Walgreens around me follow their own rules when it comes to their coupon policy. On the bodywash bogo deal yesterday, one walgreens told me I had to purchase 3 to get 2 free (since I also had a bogo coupon). I decided it wasn’t worth the hassle, so I went to a different Walgreens, and it worked just fine. But, since they didn’t have enough stock, I decided to try the price match at Walmart since the ad stated the price of the bogo deal. After a few seconds of confusion by the cashier and contemplation of how to ring the deal by the csm, everything worked great!
I have a b2g1 for Ensure 4-packs…..the # is 5 70074 31816 0 …..can I use this with my $2/1 4-pack coupons?
Let me first apologize for being a total noob (in fact this weekend will be my first couponing outing), but I had a couple questions. First off, is there a way to see the barcode on a coupon from one of the coupon clipping sites you have listed?
Secondly, can you use an in-store digital coupon with BOGO? It seems to me that it would be the store’s own fault for not checking that.
Thanks so much! This website is fantastic!!!
On a B2G1 – what if the 10th and 11th digits on the barcorde are 16? Would I be able to use a $1.50 off 2 with this B2G1 type of coupon?
This is a great article, and as a matter of fact im emailing the link to my mother so that she can read it aswell.
i have a question though about BOGO’s, in my local winn dixie if you are buying something that is on sale BOGO FREE, the computer does not allow you to use a coupon on the free item. the way i had gotten around this was to have the cashier scan mycoupons first and then rewards card at the very end so that i could use ALL my coupons on ALL of my items and then have the computer deduct for the free items. Well all of the sudden the other day a manager came up to me in check out and said that he would let it slide this time but that in the future i would need to scan my card at the begining of the purchase b/c what i was doing was “coupon fraud”. Now, i can see if i was using a coupon on the wrong item as it being coupon fruad, but if publix, walmart, food lion and all the drug stores allow it, how is it coupon fraud? when i wrote the company all they said back was that winn dixe does not have a coupon policy but they except all valid coupons and go by what ever restrictions are stated on the coupon. what are your thoughts? thanks so much in advance!
I was at RiteAide June 2nd, 2011, in CT. The manager told me that starting that earlier Monday, the practice of getting an item for free with a BOGO coupon when there is a BOGO sale of the same item is now over. BOOOO!!!
Yeah, no one’s really happy about that change except rite aid
Have a cvs near you? cvs rocks
If I have a coupon that says you have to buy two and the item is bogo at the store does that count as two?
I have a BOGO Skintamate Shave Gel Coupon (they were given out at Delias)
The UPC is 5 41058 92087 7 … I’m not sure what this means because there is an “87″ in the spot I’m supposed to look.
The other UPC (the new code) is 08410580-501007. I see a 01 in that … but am not sure it is in the right place.
Can you clear this up for me? Thank you! I love your site and refer tons of people to it!
I am somewhat new to the whole couponing hobby – any help on the following questions would be appreciated!!
On the Playtex coupon, $4/2, can I use 2 of the same coupons when purchasing the 2 items?
Or
Can I use the Playtex coupon, $4/2, and then use another Playtex coupon in addition ie. $1/1 Playtex Sport? For a total of $3.00 off for the 2 products.
Kmart has a sale buy one get one 50% off cover girl make-up. I have a coupon for $8/2 cover girls products and 2-coupons that are $1.oo off each covergirl product. can I use all 4 coupons to get the items ?
first product$8.99
second product $4.49 for a total of $13.98
then take $13.98-$8.00 coupon off 2 =$5.98
then $5.98 -$1.00 coupon-$1.00 coupon=$3.98
Kmart has a sale buy one get one 50% off cover girl make-up. I have a coupon for $8/2 cover girls products and 2-coupons that are $1.oo off each covergirl product. can I use all 3 coupons to get the items ?
first product$8.99
second product $4.49 for a total of $13.98
then take $13.98-$8.00 coupon off 2 =$5.98
then $5.98 -$1.00 coupon-$1.00 coupon=$3.98
I have a question I have read the BJ’s policy over and over and have some issues with my store if I am understanding right. I went today because when I went the other day they had the coupons in front of store with BOGO free on dove shampoo or conditioner up to 6.99 I returned today with my manufacture coupon also BOGO free but up too 6.00. If BJ’s is providing the free coupon and the manufacture also is to send BJs the money why did they tell me I had to buy four to use both coupons.
I went to BJ’s on 10-11 and purchased the Dove BOGO deal. I matched up their BOGO coupons with three manufacturer coupons and purchased a total of 6 bottles of Dove shampoo. All I paid was the difference in the value of the manufacturer coupon. I had trouble at the register and with the first manager but the second one resolved the issue. Today I returned with my son’s girlfriend because they refused to allow her to do the same thing I did. After speaking with two different managers, neither of which understood their own policy, I was left with a sarcastic response of “you can call corporate. The information is posted below for anyone that wants it. Their policy is to accept a manufacturer coupoon with their own coupon but their policy does not specifically address using a BOGO coupon on a BOGO deal. However, the way it is written, they should take it, and they have taken it many times in th past. All too often though, it depends on who you are dealing with. My complaint will be filed asap.
Our BJ’s Member Care Representatives are available Monday – Friday, 9 A.M. – 7 P.M. E.T. and Saturday – Sunday, 9 A.M. – 6 P.M. E.T. For online inquiries, call 866-4BJS-WEB (866-425-7932). For Club and Membership inquiries, call 800-BJS-CLUB (800-257-2582).
What is the policy for Walgreens when purchasing several items including a gift card and using register rewards and manufacture coupons.It does not say in the coupon policy that gift cards have to be rung up separatly