Couponing glossary

Shorthand for Buy 1 Get 1 — same as BOGO. Common abbreviation in couponing communities.

Small coupon dispensers found on store shelves that blink a red light to get your attention. The coupons they dispense are manufacturer coupons and can be stacked with store coupons.

Buy One Get One Free. A promotion where you purchase one item at full price and receive a second item of equal or lesser value for free. Some stores require you to buy both items to get the discount.

CVS's monthly membership program ($5/month) that gives you a $10 monthly reward, free 1-2 day shipping, 20% off CVS Health brand products, and a dedicated pharmacy line.

A mobile application like Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, or Checkout 51 that gives you money back after you purchase qualifying items. These stack on top of coupons and store rewards.

Coupons that print at the register after your purchase, triggered by specific items you bought. Named after Catalina Marketing, the company behind the machines. Also called "cats."

Items marked down to sell quickly, often to make room for new products. Combining clearance prices with coupons and cashback apps can lead to incredible deals or money makers.

An online searchable tool that helps you find active coupons for specific products. ClearCouponing maintains a verified coupon database for all supported stores.

The practice of combining multiple discounts on a single purchase — store coupons, manufacturer coupons, rewards programs, and cashback apps. The core strategy behind extreme couponing.

A coupon loaded to your Dollar General account through the DG app. Can be combined with manufacturer paper coupons for stacking.

An electronic coupon you clip or load to your store loyalty account via app or website. Unlike paper coupons, digital coupons are automatically applied at checkout when you scan your card.

When a store doubles the face value of a manufacturer coupon up to a certain amount (e.g., coupons up to $0.99 are doubled). Less common now but still offered by some regional grocery stores.

ExtraCare Bucks — CVS's reward currency. Earned through promotions, printed on receipts, and used like cash on future purchases. The backbone of CVS coupon stacking.

CVS ExtraBucks Rewards (ECBs). Reward dollars earned from qualifying purchases that print on your receipt. Can be used on almost anything in store (except gift cards, prescriptions, and some exclusions).

The dollar amount printed on a coupon. For example, a "$1.00 off" coupon has a face value of $1.00.

A cashback app that gives you points for scanning any receipt. Points can be redeemed for gift cards. Works with any store and stacks on top of all other coupons and rewards.

A low-cost item added to a transaction to meet a spending threshold for a promotion (e.g., "$5 off $25") without significantly increasing your out-of-pocket cost.

A popular cashback rebate app. You activate offers before shopping, scan your receipt after, and earn cash back. Works at most major retailers and stacks with coupons.

The coupon booklet/section that comes inside your Sunday newspaper. Common inserts include SmartSource (SS), RetailMeNot Everyday (RMN), and P&G brandsaver.

A coupon issued by the product manufacturer (e.g., Procter & Gamble, Unilever). Found in newspaper inserts, online, and apps. Can usually be combined with one store coupon per item.

A deal where you earn more in rewards/cashback than you spend out of pocket. Example: spend $1.00 OOP but earn $3.00 in ExtraBucks — you "made" $2.00.

Manufacturer's Coupon. Shorthand used in deal matchups and couponing communities.

Out Of Pocket — the actual cash you pay at the register after all coupons, rewards, and discounts are applied. The true cost of a deal.

When a coupon's value exceeds the price of the item. Some stores apply the extra value to other items in your transaction; others adjust the coupon down to the item price.

A coupon attached directly to a product's packaging that you peel off. These are manufacturer coupons and can typically be stacked with store coupons.

A Dollar General item that scans for $0.01. These are products being discontinued from the store's inventory. Finding them is part of "penny shopping" — a popular DG activity.

A partial refund given after purchase, usually through a cashback app or mail-in form. Digital rebates through apps like Ibotta are the most common form in modern couponing.

Target's store credit/debit card that gives 5% off every purchase. Stacks with Target Circle offers and manufacturer coupons for the "Triple Stack."

Walgreens' reward coupons (similar to CVS ExtraBucks). Printed at the register after qualifying purchases. Can be used like manufacturer coupons on future transactions.

Using rewards earned from one transaction to pay for the next deal. Common at CVS (rolling ExtraBucks) and Walgreens (rolling Register Rewards). Key strategy for minimizing OOP.

Store Coupon. A coupon issued by the retailer (not the manufacturer). Can be combined with a manufacturer coupon on the same item at most stores.

A coupon issued directly by the retailer (CVS, Walgreens, etc.). Different from manufacturer coupons — most stores allow you to use one of each on the same item.

Target's free loyalty program offering personalized deals, 1% earnings on purchases, and birthday rewards. Circle offers are digital coupons that stack with manufacturer coupons and RedCard.

A spending minimum required to trigger a promotion. Example: "$5 off when you spend $25." Couponers use filler items and strategic purchases to meet thresholds efficiently.

Combining three layers of savings on one item — typically a store coupon/offer + manufacturer coupon + cashback app rebate. Target's "Triple Stack" (Circle + MQ + RedCard) is the most famous example.

Walgreens' digital rewards currency earned through myWalgreens loyalty program. Replaces the old Balance Rewards points. Can be redeemed at checkout for future purchases.