eCoupons FAQ

Ready to save some serious money? Here’s all you need to know about using eCoupons! Please note that the majority of our experience has been with Safeway. We’re pretty clueless about Fred Meyer.

Q: What are eCoupons?

A: eCoupons are electronic coupons that are loaded from an internet site onto a store’s loyalty card.

Q: How do eCoupons work?

A: Follow these three simple steps:

1. Register your loyalty card
2. Load the eCoupons onto your card
3. Use the card and the savings are automatically deducted

Q: Where can I use eCoupons in the Pacific Northwest?

A: You can use eCoupons at Safeway and Fred Meyer.

Q: How do I load eCoupons to my loyalty card?

A: Go to each eCoupon site:

:: Cellfire
:: Shortcuts
:: P&G eSaver
:: Upromise — savings will be deposited into your child’s Upromise account, not deducted from your transaction

Safeway:
You will need a registered Safeway Club Card number. Contact Safeway corporate during business hours to get your card number (the phone number you enter at the register is not your club card #). Your store’s customer service desk is unable to find your number.

Fred Meyer (thanks to Frugal Chic Living for outlining these directions):
Fred Meyer is not officially part of the eCoupon programs, but Kroger is — and FM is a Kroger store. Choose Kroger as your store and enter your Fred Meyer Rewards Card number. When registering your card with Cellfire, you will need to enter a different zip code — try 75258.

Q: Can I stack eCoupons from multiple sites?

A: Yes, but only at Safeway. Stacking, according to Frugal Chic Living, will not work at Fred Meyer. If you have the eCoupons loaded, they will all be deducted. Example:

Progresso Broth on sale $2
Use $.50/1 Cellfire eCoupon
Use $.50/1 Shortcuts eCoupon
$1 after eCoupons

Q: Can I use a paper manufacturer’s coupon and/or store coupons with my eCoupons?

A: Yes. While this is technically using more than one manufacturer’s coupon on an item, there is no way to avoid it if the eCoupon is already loaded to your card. You can also use a Safeway store or double coupon (in Oregon & SW Washington). Example:

Progresso Broth on sale $2
Use $.50/1 coupon from 12/6 SS insert
Use $.50/1 Cellfire e-coupon
Use $.50/1 Shortcuts e-coupon
Use Safeway double (-$.50)
FREE after coupons & doubles

Q: Is there a maximum number of eCoupons that can be loaded?

A: Yes. It’s usually 50 per card per site.

Q: How can I get a particular eCoupon off my card?

A: Once you’ve loaded an eCoupon to your card, you have two ways of getting it off — redeem it or let it expire. You can’t remove it once it’s been loaded.

Q: How can I make money using eCoupons?

The best way to make money is to make sure you’re loading eCoupons when they reload. Cellfire releases new coupons every two weeks with a four week expiration, which gives a two week overlap on many coupons. Example:

Cellfire releases a $.50/1 Progresso eCoupon on 12/1 (expires 12/30)
Cellfire releases another $.50/1 Progresso eCoupon on 12/15 (expires 1/14)
Buy Progresso Broth between 12/15 and 12/30, both eCoupons will be deducted from your transaction

Now combine that with the Shortcuts eCoupon and you’re headed to a nice moneymaker!

The trick is to only load the eCoupons you will likely use as you do have the 50 limit to each card. I always load items my family uses as well as the Huggies, yogurt and “dough” eCoupons (Pillsbury rolls & cookie dough) as they match well with clearance finds at Safeway. Example:

Pillsbury Holiday Cookies on sale $2.50 at Safeway
Buy 2 = $5
Each box has (2) $.75 clearance stickers (-$3)
Use $1/2 paper coupon (-$1)
Use $.75/2 Cellfire eCoupon loaded December 15 (-$.75)
Use $.75/2 Cellfire eCoupon loaded December 30 (-$.75)
Use $.75/2 Shortcuts eCoupon (-$.75)
Use Safeway double (-$.50)
FREE with $1.75 overage after clearance stickers, coupons & double

Note that Safeway will not hand you $1.75. You will have to add items to your transaction to absorb the profit (overage).

Q: If I have an eCoupon for $.50 off Progresso Broth and buy 2 broths, will $1 come off my transaction?

A: No, only $.50 will come off regardless of how many items you purchase. And once you use it, it’s gone.

Q: How will eCoupons be handled at the register?

A: When looking at the register screen, the eCoupon deductions will come up as a long list when the cashier pushes the “total” key at the end of the transaction. Do not expect them to come up as the item is scanned as it does with Club Card savings. The deductions will not be labeled on the screen.

The deductions will be listed under the individual items on your register receipt, so you will be able to tell if your eCoupons are working, though they are not labeled as “Cellfire” or “Shortcuts.”

Q: My eCoupons didn’t work like I thought they would. What should I do?

The employees at Safeway (or Fred Meyer) will not be able to help you. They generally know nothing about eCoupons and cannot manually give you the deductions you expected. If you don’t want the item, just return it at customer service.

Make sure your account information, specifically your Club Card number, is correctly entered with Cellfire and Shortcuts. Contact Safeway corporate to make sure your number is registered, otherwise it won’t work. Also, make sure you purchased the correct item. I messed up before buying Huggies. I only purchased one pack and found out later the Cellfire deduction was for two packs. My bad.

Leave a comment with other eCoupon questions you need answered and I will do my best to include the answer in this post!

Angela

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