Store coupons, manufacturer coupons... I got it for FREE but who pays???

Have you ever left the store and felt a little guilty for getting so much for nothing?  Have you ever wondered how this whole coupon thing works from the store's perspective?

I can help answer these questions!

Let's take a look at a store coupon, this is a promotion done by the retailer on a specific item or maybe a dollar amount off of an entire purchase.  In this case, the store will take the 'hit' on all the dollar amounts you have saved.

In the case of manufacturer's coupons, we have to take a look at 'coupon clearing houses' first.  A coupon clearing house is a main location where stores send all redeemed coupons; a coupon clearing house works on behalf of the manufacturers to sort the coupons, verify use and figure out how much the manufacturer owes the store or retailer... in this case, the manufacturer takes the hit.  The clearing house also verifies each coupon for fraudulent use or incorrect scan, often times resulting in the store not receiving payment for a redeemed coupon.  For this reason, we at Bebellies' always state that you should NOT ever make photo copies of coupons; there are many stores out there that are no longer taking 'print at home coupons' for this reason!

In a nutshell...
A store coupon means the store is giving away money in hopes that they see more traffic.
A manufacturer coupon actually pays the store the entire face-value of the coupon, meaning your favorite store is not out any money!


STOP feeling guilty and go use those coupons!!!!