Does this sound like Latin to you?
“Help! I’m IVDSO the mfr. .75/1 Kraft coupons from SS 4/16. H: Doublers from Albertsons 4/16 and assorted MIRs and beer rebates. PM me?”
If that made your head spin, you’re not alone. Even us veteran couponers remember a time when that kind of talk made us feel like we had just walked into, well, strange-coupon-talkville. Don’t worry though. Here’s your language dictionary to help you make meaning of this crazy coupon code. The next post will address some of the forum related and PYP specific terms so that you’ll be able to follow any conversation you stumble across. Enjoy, and we look forward to having you be fluent in the language of massive savings! As always, comment with any questions and I’ll be sure to answer quickly.
TYPES OF COUPONS:
Blinkie: A manufacturer coupon that is found in red or black machines with blinking red lights on them attached to store shelves.
Catalina/Register Rewards/ECB/Checkout Coupon: These all refer to a coupon that prints from a small machine next to the cash register when you buy certain products. Different stores call them different names, but they’re all the same thing.
Doubler: A coupon which allows the consumer to have the discount provided by a manufacturer (mfr.) coupon doubled. Thus, a couponer might say that she “combined doubler with a 75 c/o coupon to get a 1.50 discount.
Hangtag: A manufacturer coupon hanging around the neck of a product.
Mailer: A store or manufacturer coupon that was mailed to consumers.
Mfr/mfg: A manufacturer coupon, usually found in the newspaper insert.
MIR: Mail-in rebate, a piece of paper that must be filled out and mailed to the company, usually with your cash register receipt, in order to get a check for the advertised discount.
Insert coupon: A coupon that was found in the inserts in the Sunday newspaper.
Peelie: A manufacturer coupon in the form of a sticker on a product.
Printable: Coupon that can be printed from the Internet. Printable coupons cannot be photocopied.
Store Coupon: A coupon offered by the store as opposed to the manufacturer. These are most often found in store flyers and advertisements, and can also be received in mailers. Store coupons can generally be combined (“stacked”) with manufacturer (mfr.) coupons.
Winetag: A coupon found on a wine bottle. Winetags are either NWPN (no wine purchase necessary, meaning that you don’t need to buy a bottle of wine to use the coupon) or WPN (wine purchase necessary, meaning that you must buy wine in addition to the advertised item in order to use the coupon).
COUPON-USE VOCABULARY
B1G1: The coupon offer is that when you buy one of an item, you get a second of that item for free.
c/o: The coupon item is for cents off the item, as in “75 c/o” or a “c/o coupon”
OYNO: On your next order. Describes register reward/catalina coupons which are good for a discount on your next purchase at the store that dispensed the coupon.
PG: Proctor and Gamble insert. Usually distributed on the first Sunday or each month, but sometimes more often.
Rolling a catalina or register reward coupon: Buying an item which triggers (causes to be printed) a coupon good on the same item that caused the coupon to print, and then using that coupon to purchase the item at a discounted rate, thus causing yet another coupon to print.
RP: Redplum insert. Less commonly distributed than the Smart Source insert, the Redplum insert is not available in all areas.
Stack: Using a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon on the same item for a greater discount. Manufacturer coupons cannot be stacked with each other.
SS: Smart Source coupon insert. This is the most commonly distributed and usually the largest insert.
TMF: Try me free. A mail-in rebate (MIR) for the full cost of the item, intended to let the consumer try to item for free by refunding the customer the full cost of the item.
TERMS RELATED TO STORES, PROMOTIONS AND SALES
AC: After coupon. The advertised price is available after the use of a store coupon (defined above), usually found in the store’s weekly ad.
Albies: Albertsons
B1G1: As with coupons, this indicates that the promotion is to buy one of an item and get a second of that item free.
FM: Fred Meyer, an Idaho-based Kroger store.
RC: Raincheck, a paper which states the the store will honor the advertised price on a sale item they were out of.
WSL: While supplies last, meaning no rainchecks will be given on the sale item.
WM: Wal-Mart
YMMV: Your mileage my vary. The success of the deal will depend on factors like sales and coupon policies at the store.
Ready for more? See Couponese 102: Social and Trading Lingo