Most coupons issued to consumers via the newspaper or home mailer say "manufacturers coupon" on the top. Look closely. You will also find that 95% of the bar codes on coupons start with a 5.


On occassion you see coupons that say "do not double" or "do not triple." What you should know is that most of these coupons WILL actually double/ triple, even though it says not to. This is really important for those of you who have grocery stores that double and triple coupons.

Basically, manufacturers reimburse stores for the face value of the coupons you use. If you have a $1 off coupon from Glade, for example, Glade reimburses your grocer $1 plus a few cents for their handling your coupon. Let's say though that your store doubles coupons up to $1. You use your $1 Glade coupon and your store pays the second $1 off your order. A "do not double" on the coupon simply tells the store that if they choose to double the coupon, Glade will only reimburse them $1 not $2.

The tip: As long as your store isn't picky, coupons that start with a 5, will double and triple automatically when scanned. Coupons that begin with a 9 will not double. They are actually programmed to not double even during double/ triple sales. Nearly all coupons begin with a 5. Some coupons, especially high dollar coupons and those that are sent in the mail or found in the small blinking machines at the store will start with a 9 and won't double/ triple. Look down before heading out for your fabulous deal.