Problems Printing Online Coupons?

One question I get a lot from readers is about problems that occur when printing coupons from popular coupon sites and manufacturer's sites. Unfortunately there is not one blanket answer that will cover all problems, but there are a few things to try if you are experiencing coupon printing problems.

The Number One Complaint - Bricks Coupons

Many people experience issues when trying to print "bricks" coupons which are coupons that go to a link that looks something like this:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zjbvdjt5599486&bt=$&o=71357&pt

The reason a problem may occur is because the bricks coupons are browser sensitive. That means the browser you use to surf the Internet, has to be compatible with the actual bricks coupon link you access. The good news is that for the three major browsers, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari, there is a fix that can be done that often solves the problem.

Here is how to adjust the links to match your browser. The following link will be used as the primary example:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zjbvdjt5599486&bt=$&o=71357&pt

Internet Explorer

If you use Internet Explorer as your main browser and you have trouble printing a bricks coupon you can change the actual URL (link) so that it is compatible. The way to do this is by changing the "$" (located 12 spaces from the end) to "wi" or "vi".

Example: Change - $&o=71357&pt - to - wi&o=71357&pt

The entire link would now look like this:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zjbvdjt5599486&bt=wi&o=71357&pt

Firefox

If you use Firefox as your main browser, replace the "$" with "wg" and you should be able to print the coupon.

Example: Change - $&o=71357&pt - to wg&o=71357&pt

The entire link would now look like this:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zjbvdjt5599486&bt=wg&o=71357&pt

Safari

If your main browser is Safari, replacing the "$" with "xs" and you should be able to print the coupon.

Example: Change - $&o=71357&pt - to xs&o=71357&pt

The entire link would now look like this:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zjbvdjt5599486&bt=xs&o=71357&pt

The same changes will need to be done if you find a coupon link that already has the "$" changed to a specific browser.

For example, if you are using Internet Explorer and you click on a "bricks" link and your printer seems to hang up and not print, look at the link and see if it has to be changed.

Example:

If the link looked like this:

http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zjbvdjt5599486&bt=wg&o=71357&pt

it is set up for those using Firefox. You will need to change the "wg" to either "wi" or "vi" to print the coupon.

Other Coupon Printing Problems

1. Many printers will stop when low on ink and paper. If you are using an ink cartridge and you realize the printer trouble shooting message is telling you that you are out of ink, try removing the cartridge, shaking it and putting it back into place. This trick may work a few times, but you will need to change out your ink cartridge as soon as possible.

2. On some printers any printing issue will automatically place your print jobs on "pause" without you realizing it. If so, you will need to set it to resume printing.

3. If you have coupons in "queue" that will not print, try pausing and resuming each coupon one at a time. If this does not work, try unplugging and replugging your printer from its electrical source. This sometimes resets the printer, but beware, on some printers it may also remove any print jobs waiting in queue.

4. It may be time to update the driver on your printer. You can usually find out by going to the printer manufacturer's website.

5. Your firewall settings may be blocking your ability to print coupons. Try turning off your firewall before printing coupons, then turn it back on when finished. Remember, only do this when trying to print coupons from major sites such as Coupons.com, Redplum and Smart Source.

6. If you are running your computer through a router, the firewall built into the router may be blocking you from being able to print coupons. To test if that is the problem, hook your computer directly into the modem (bypassing the router) and see if it solves the problem. Again, only do this when printing coupons from trusted sites.

7. Download additional browsers so that you can switch when you run into problems. Other links besides "bricks" links may be browser specific. Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari are free to use, although multiple browsers does take up space on your computer.

8. If you use a MAC computer you will likely need to use either Firefox or Safari. Most coupons cannot be printed using Internet Explorer on MACs.

9. Try downloading the program used to print coupons again if you are having problems with the major coupon resources.

I hope this helps solve any coupon printing problems you may be experiencing.