I have gotten multiple emails and comments regarding the changing of Kroger’s eCoupon and Paper Coupon policy. I wanted to forward you information I was sent via Kroger Customer Service regarding the policy this afternoon.
Kroger’s Response Regarding Usage of eCoupons and Paper Coupons
“It has always been our policy that digital coupons may not be stacked with paper coupons and the digital coupon will automatically redeem when the qualifying purchase has been made. If you have a more valuable paper coupon for the same item, we recommend removing the digital coupon from your list before you shop. Digital coupons are considered manufacturer coupons and cannot be stacked with additional paper manufacturer coupons.”
Removal of Digital Coupons (eCoupons)
You can remove Kroger eCoupons from your Kroger Plus card, however you CAN NOT remove Cellfire or Shortcuts coupons from your loyalty shopper card once added. This presents a problem for many of you who want to use the paper coupon when it is Cellfire or Shortcuts.
My Recommendation to Resolve the eCoupon Issue
If you have a digital coupon loaded on your card and you have a higher value paper coupon you want to use at the register, just let the cashier know at checkout. If the cashier can’t remove the digital coupon, I would recommend proceeding to customer service to help fix the situation. The only way the issue will be corrected is if enough customers let them know it is an issue. I know it isn’t the idea situation, but that is the solution for now.
I specifically asked for a solution for Cellfire and Shortcut eCoupons, and I was told there was none.
New Kroger Coupon Policy?
I just received comment from a reader about a new Kroger Coupon Policy. Anyone else heard this?
“Just saw on the news in Houston, that Kroger is discontinuing the doubling and tripling of coupons on April 13!! They said they are starting a new program.”
Here is an email that I received from home office on March 9th:
http://www.thecouponcentsation.com/2011/03/update-kroger-new-coupon-policy.html
One solution would be… Use your coupon BEFORE you give them your Kroger Card while they are still scanning.
Wow. If they quit doubling coupons, I’ll probably rarely go there. They don’t triple here (I have King Soopers), but I depend on doubling.
kroger still let me stack coupons tonight. i gave my kroger card first then my paper coupons.
Was told yesterday at our Kroger that they no longer are allowing coupons on their discounted merchandise. Anybody know anything about this? Kroger may quickly be replaced by Meijer with all the changes they are making….not a good move given that I live in a grocery saturated market. Hmmm….
If you give your phone # rather than your actual card, it doesn’t apply the e-coupons. At my store (Tullahoma) the registers now beep if the cashier tries to scan a paper coupon and an e-coupon has already been applied. I will not be loading e-coupons anymore, except for the rare instance that there is an e-coupon available that is better than a paper coupon, and I will not be using shortcuts or cellfire at all.
Also, from my experience there is no way to remove the e-coupon at the store level. They can’t do anything to help you with that at the register or customer service. It can only be done by you, online.
I only use my phone number & my e-qs come off every time. Guess I will just delete all of my Kroger e-qs.
I hadn’t heard about them changing their policy on doubling either. But I guarantee that if they also change THAT, then I will begin shopping elsewhere as I will no longer have much incentive to shop at Dillons. Target is looking better and better…
Looks like the doubling/tripling is only changing in Houston for now:
http://www.click2houston.com/money/27355311/detail.html
The only reason I go to Kroger is for double and triple coupons. I divide my shopping between HEB and Kroger, since they are across the street from each other in Atascocita. I will probably shop at HEB now because their prices are lower. They accept coupons at face value. Also, they give out a lot of samples. I let my granddaughter taste them because if she doesn’t like it there is no point in buying it. I have bought a lot of products at HEB that I didn’t even know they carried, like fantastic quiche and bodacious red sopping sauce, and a lot of healthy kid snacks I didn’t think the grandkids would like but after sampling they loved it.
I am so disappointed in the Kroger coupon policy change. I found out this morning here in
Cookeville Tennessee that the stacking of an e coupon and manufacturer’s coupon is no longer allowed. Now if they do away with doubling in April then my business unfortunately will go to Wal-Mart.
I’n with Abbie, I won’t be loading anymore coupons, it takes me too much time to check coupons before shoppping, now I must check what I have on the card as well – what a pain, I don’t have that much time! I might just be shopping at VG’s instead of Krogers in the future – VG’s double to $1.00 near where I live – makes better sense to go there instead.
On another note, I was talking to my favorite manager a few weeks ago when I noticed my bag credit wasn’t on my receipt for bringing in my reusable bags. He said that they took away the credits back in January and that they are working on a new program. To say the least I am not very happy with Kroger right now. I wish they would hurry up and figure out what they are going to do.
These changes might be understandable if Kroger was hurting, but read this article from Fox Business news on March 3, 2011:
NEW YORK — Kroger Inc. said its fourth-quarter profit rose 9% to $278.8 million, or 44 cents a share, from $255.4 million, or 39 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Kroger said its adjusted net income in the latest quarter totaled 46 cents a share. Sales rose to $19.93 billion, from $18.55 billion. Wall Street analysts expected earnings of 44 cents a share, on revenue of $19.38 billion, according to a survey by FactSet Research. Kroger said it plans to buy back $1 billion in stock. Kroger expects 2011 earnings of $1.80 to $1.92 a share, compared to the Wall Street target of $1.92 a share.
Copyright © 2011 MarketWatch, Inc.
Yeah, it looks like our couponing is really hurting them!
I have been frustrated for a while at Kroger.
First they quit taking Whole Foods coupons….and I was doing ALL my natural and organic shopping there, using some Whole Foods coupons when available.
Now with all these changes, honestly, I would rather shop at the Publix which is about a mile further from my house than shop at Kroger which is basically in my backyard 🙂 At least Publix is ALWAYS clean and super friendly. While Publix has certainly changed their coupon policies as well over the last year or so, if I can’t save good money at Kroger, I’ll start shopping based on “shopping experience” rather than the best deals.
Thanks for all the updates Kelly!
I am starting to feel like a fishwife every time I shop at Krogers. Their policy of not being able to use both manufacturer and ecoupons is not consistent. And every trip to the store is becoming a one on one with the cashiers. On multiple occasions after they are refusing to use both types I am finding where on some purchases that both did work. I am extremely upset that I am not able to choose which coupon I want to use and will not be loading the ecoupons in the future!
Yes, their coupon policy is a bit confusing and not all that user friendly. However, I believe if we as consumers , give them constructive feedback that will help in fixing the issues. So, I’d encourage you to contact their corporate customer service!
I used both e-coupon and paper coupons yesterday at Kroger, after scanning my card first. But it might have just been luck. For everyone that wants to take off the Cellfire q’s go to cellfire’s website, log in , click on your card #, and hit remove card. I don’t know about Shortcuts, since I do not use them, but I would assume it is the same there too 🙂 Hope this helps!
Are the E-coupons good for each item scanned?(if i bought 5 e-coupon items would that E-coupon be used 5 times?) I called my local store,they said they didn’t know.I thought that was kind of a silly answer. Thank for any info given.
Late answer, but an e-q is essentially a single paper coupon. It can only be used on one item, even if you bought multiple of whatever the q was on.
Also, my store (which I work at) NEVER stacked coupons before. Recently they made a change on that, saying we can combine an ecoupon with a paper one, since some people have higher value paper ones and there isn’t any way we can void the ecoupon.