Walmart Coupon Policy 2011

When Walmart announced its new coupon policy back in March 2011, there was some confusion among the coupon world as to how the new policy actually worked. Walmart has since addressed those concerns, especially regarding matching prices found in competitors' ads and coupons.

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about the Walmart coupon policy and examples to help clarify the policies.

What Coupons Does Walmart Accept?

• Manufacturer's coupons.
• Internet printable coupons
• Competitors' coupons for a specific item at a specific price.
• Manufacturers' Catalina coupons.
• Soft drink container caps.

What Coupons Are Not Accepted at Walmart

The following is a general list of coupons that Walmart does not accept, however there may other reasons a Walmart employee may find a coupon unacceptable.

• Internet printable coupons that require no purchase to get the item.
• Coupons or Catalina coupons for money-off or a percentage-off the total amount of your basket purchase.
• Competitors' coupons for dollars or cents-off at a specific store, buy one, get one free coupons without a specified price, double-or-triple-value coupons.

Does Walmart Match Prices in Ads From Competitors?

Yes, under these conditions:

• Ads must have a specific item and a specific price.
  
• Buy one, get one free ads must specify a price.
  
• Preferred shopping cards which advertise prices for specific items.
• Competitors' prices on fresh produce and meat when the price is offered in the same unit type (pound for pound, each for each).

Examples of Competitors' Coupons Walmart Will Accept:

• A Target coupon for $1 off of one 12-Pack of Coke.
• An Albertson's coupon for Buy One 12-Pack of Coke for $3.99, Get One Free.

Examples of Competitors' Coupons Walmart Will Not Accept:

• A Target coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more.
• An Albertson's coupon for Buy One Colgate Toothpaste, Get One Free. (Note that there is no price specified)
• A competitor's coupon for 15% off your entire meat purchase on Tuesdays.
• A Kroger double coupon off of one 32 oz. of Tide.

Examples of Competitors' Ads Walmart Will Match

• A Winn Dixie ad for 3-pounds of Vidalia Onions for $2.50.
• A Target ad for Reddi Wip Whipped Topping 7 oz. $1.50
• An Albertson's ad for Buy One Lean Cusine for $2.49, Get One Free.

Examples of Competitors' Ads Walmart Will Not Match

• A Target ad for a Free gallon of Milk when you buy $20 worth of cereal.
• A Winn Dixie ad for, Buy One Bayer Product, Get One Free
• An Albertson's ad for Homelife Bleach, $0.88

In the first two examples above there is no specific price listed. In the last example, Homelife is an Albertson's store brand and is not sold at Walmart.

General Guidelines and Limits:

• Walmart only accepts coupons for merchandise they sell and only when presented at the time of purchase.


• Coupons should have an expiration date and be presented within the valid dates. Walmart will not accept expired coupons.


• Internet coupons should be legible and say "Manufacturer Coupon." There should be a valid remit address for the manufacturer and a scannable bar code.


• Only one coupon per item is permitted.


• Use of 40 or more coupons per transaction will require approval by a Customer Service Manager.

More Tips

- Walmart does accept black and white printed internet coupons.

- When asking for a price-match for a competitor's price in an ad, you do not have to bring the ad with you (although I highly recommend that you do).

- If the coupon value is more than the price of the item, the difference may be given to the customer as cash or applied toward the basket purchase.

Note: A Store Manager can refuse to accept a coupon if it does not meet any or all of the guidelines.

I recommend that you read and print the Walmart Coupon Policy and the Ad Match Guarantee and bring the policies with you to the store. It will help with solving problems in stores where the management is new or not familiar with the new policies.