Coupon Queen: Reasons for rejection at the checkout

No one wants to hear that dreaded rejection beep at the checkout counter when the cashier is scanning your coupons, but unfortunately it does happen. Wondering what could cause this? Here are a few possibilities. It's happened to me before. I clip a coupon and it winds up buried at the bottom of my purse. Once I find it, only then do I notice it's long since expired. Every coupon has an expiration date printed on the top, and these can be easy to miss as expiration dates can vary wildly from coupon to coupon. Some will last a week while others can last for months. Coupons often are coded to beep once they have expired. User error also can be a problem. Each coupon has wording at the top, along with a picture of the product, to give you a hint of what the coupon can be used for. Unfortunately, it also has a lot of small print at the bottom that gives specific exclusions. These can include a certain variety or specific sizes of the product. If your coupon is rejected at the register, it could be that you bought the wrong product. The third reason a coupon could beep at the register is that it is coded wrong. Companies that put out coupons can accidentally add the wrong code for a specific product. This means that even though the coupon isn't expired and is for the correct product, it still won't scan at the register. This doesn't happen often, but in the world of technology, it can be expected. If your coupons have been rejected, my first suggestion is to be kind to your cashier. Remember, cashiers are expected to follow the store's coupon policy. They have to answer to their managers, who have to answer to their boss. I find that being kind will get you much further. If your coupon beeps, it doesn't hurt to ask why. It could be the cashier may have misread the coupon, or it's beeping for one of the reasons listed above. Usually, working together to find the solution makes the situation much easier. If you still don't feel you are getting the right answer, you also can ask the manager. It's best to put the item in question aside, then speak to them when you have finished checking out so you aren't holding up the line. Keep in mind you can put the item back if the coupon is still being refused. In the end, we can all make mistakes — cashiers and customers alike. Remember, cashiers and managers want you to shop at their store and use coupons. Just make sure to use the correct one and to be kind if you run into an issue. It's just a deal after all, and there will be plenty more. This week's deal Here's a deal to find this week at Staples. Elmer's glue (4 oz), Crayola crayons (24 pack), #2 pencils (12 pack) = 50 cents each Rachel Krych is passionate about helping others spend less and save more. In addition to her weekly column, she has a blog, Couponing With Rachel, which earns her compensation from Google for ads it places there, and from entertainment marketers whose promotional codes she touts. She doesn't write about entertainment in her column. Email her at couponingwithrachel@hotmail.com.