How to Save Money Online with Coupon Stacking

Advertiser Disclosure

Last updated on February 20th, 2024

Nobody likes paying full price – if you can save money when shopping, it’s a no-brainer. So, what’s the best way to combine online deals and coupons? Here’s everything you need to know about coupon stacking:

What is Coupon Stacking?

Stacking coupons is the process of using multiple coupons or discounts on a single purchase. Using multiple discounts or stacking might apply to purchases of a single item or multiple items in a single transaction.

Some retailers set restrictions on how many coupons a customer can use on each transaction. Kohl’s, for example, limits customers to four coupons per transaction. Other stores, however, place no restrictions on the number of deals, coupons, or other discounts a customer can stack.

Stacking coupons requires using multiple types of coupons and discounts to maximize savings. There are three main types of coupons: store coupons, manufacturer coupons, and bank or payment network coupons.

Store Coupons

Store coupons are the rebates you find in the local paper, couponing websites, or retailer mobile apps. Coupons from stores may be regional or national and only work on purchases from that retailer. Store coupons are easily recognizable as they are the types of discounts you’ll see in local newspapers and magazines, on mail flyers, or through the store’s app or websites.

Manufacturer Coupons

Manufacturer coupons are discounts issued directly from the maker of a select product. These coupons are usually available online and offer extra savings when combined with another store coupon. Customers provide the manufacturer’s coupon in-store or redeem them through an online shopping portal, and the retailer then subtracts those savings from the purchase price.

Manufacturer rebates allow customers to make purchases of select products at the best price possible. This rebate ensures customers buy products from that manufacturer while also ensuring that the retailer also gains business.

Bank & Payment Network Coupons

While manufacturer and store coupons are fairly well-known and widely used, many consumers often overlook bank deals. Bank and payment networks (like Visa, American Express, or Mastercard) offer exclusive customer savings for thousands of retailers and merchants.

These special deals include online coupons making eligible purchases. Because these offers are tied to the credit or debit card network, using your card to make purchases on deal portals and coupon sites can help stack coupons more effectively when shopping online.

How to Stack Coupons Effectively

Effectively stacking coupons takes practice – especially when shopping in-store. According to stacking experts, here are some essential tips to help maximize savings when using multiple coupons, rebates, and discounts when shopping:

Things to Do:

  • Always read the retailer’s coupon policy to ensure you can stack multiple coupons or rebates
  • Check coupon expiration dates
  • Only use one store coupon and one manufacturer rebate if unsure about a store’s coupon policy

Things Not to Do:

  • Never try and use duplicate coupons on the same item when shopping in-store
  • Don’t expect a single voucher to be multi-use
  • Never copy coupons, as this may be considered fraud

What’s the Best Way to Stack Coupons Online?

Often, shopping online makes stacking coupons much more manageable. Online shopping portals are an excellent resource for combining offers and ensuring you get the best value on purchasing items.

Online portals and discount aggregator services make it easy to combine coupons from payment networks with retailer discounts – helping you maximize savings. Even better sites like BestCards Membership can help shoppers earn cash back bonuses for making purchases with eligible retailers – and even better than that, those same shoppers can earn even more rewards when they invite friends, and they make qualifying purchases.

And while Membership doesn’t require a credit card, users can maximize their savings even more with a rewards card – offering up to three ways to save (credit card rewards, payment network savings, and merchant coupons)!

Featured image by mohamed_hassan/ PixaBay

Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.

About: Cory Santos
Cory Santos

Cory is the senior credit card editor at BestCards, specializing in everything credit card-related. He’s worked extensively with credit cards and other personal finance topics, including nearly five years at BestCards. Cory’s extensive knowledge is an essential part of the BestCards experience, helping readers to live their best financial lives with up-to-date insights and comprehensive coverage of all facets of the credit card space, including market trends, rewards guides, credit advice, and comprehensive credit card reviews.

Advertiser Disclosure

BestCards is an independent, Florida-based credit card comparison platform. Many of the card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which BestCards receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). BestCards does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace.