Getting Familiar with Catalina Coupons

Catalina coupons are a product of Catalina Marketing Corporation, and they supply the little coupon printers at checkout registers.  Some types of Catalinas that are generated at checkout:

• Informational (upcoming deal)
• Product-specific ($1.00 off Kraft Barbecue sauce)
• Dollars off on your next order (OYNO).

Catalinas are store-specific, they will have a store logo printed on the coupon in addition to the coupon details.  Sometimes another store will accept them, but generally you should plan to use these at the store where you received them.

Catalina Marketing also has an online source for coupons, called CouponNetwork.com. To take advantage of this additional source:

1.  Sign up for a CouponNetwork.com account.

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2.  Add Stores (My Account / List of Stores You Like / Enter your zip code / pick from map locations). Stores in NNV area who participate:

• Big K
• Food Source
• Raley's
• Savemart
• Smith's
• Target
• Walgreen's

3.  View Printable Coupons or YourBucks Offers (tabs at the top of the page)

Printable Coupons have blue text descriptions.

YourBucks Offers have green text descriptions.

YourBucks Offers are not coupons you use at time of purchase, but are advisory coupons letting you know about a reward you'll receive after you make a purchase.  For example:

Save up to $4.00 in future savings when you buy three or more DIGIORNO® Small Pizzas GET COUPON

When you click on 'offer details', you will see additional information as follows:

Save up to $4.00 in future savings when you buy three or more DIGIORNO® Small Pizzas

Participating Retailers: Big Kmart, Food Source, Raleys Supermarket, Safeway, Save Mart, Smiths Food & Drug (see more stores)

To see specific purchase requirements, you'll need to print the offer.  (In the copy I printed, it says this offer is good 3/19/12 through 4/15/12; if you purchase (3), you'll get $2.00, or if you purchase (4) you'll get $3.00, or if you purchase (5) or more you'll get $4.00 coupon on your next order.
Note: If you purchase (6) items in the same transaction - you will not get two separate $2.00 catalinas, you will get one for $4.00. Therefore, if you want to buy a large quantity you might consider purchasing in separate transactions so you can maximize the number of catalinas you receive. Most grocery stores allow you to use a OYNO catalina to purchase the same item, known as 'rolling' the catalina, and still receive another catalina when the purchase requirements are met; Walgreen's usually does not generate another catalina when one is rolled.

I don't print all YourBucks offers, but I may print ones I think I might use if a sale is offered during the valid dates. A printed copy helps me remember this offer is available.  (I typically use scrap paper and draft printing mode since these are not coupons that need to be scannable.) 
Note on printing:

• 1 coupon prints in the middle of a page
• 2 coupons print in the middle of the top half of a page, and the middle of the bottom half of a page
• 3 coupons print on one page

Other catalina observations:

• Watch for shelf stickers alerting you to offers (i.e. Buy 3 and Get $1.00 coupon good on your next order)
• Some offers are never published on CouponNetwork.com's YourBucks Offers list, and the only way to find out about them is through word-of-mouth (bloggers' pages). 
• OYNO coupons are a handy way of lowering the cost of products that don't normally have coupons.
• Like any other coupon - make sure to use them before they expire! (Organize them in an obvious place so you don't forget you have them.) 

If you become aware of a catalina offer, we'd love to hear about it. 

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