Many readers have expressed frustration at redeeming coupons at King Soopers lately, namely coupons not being accepted at checkout. And it might be due to the grocery store’s new strict coupon policy. But knowledge is power! Coupon clippers fully understand that to be a good bargain hunter you must first know a store’s coupon policy.
It gives you power at the checkout stand, especially when there’s an issue. And, nowadays, redeeming coupons is not as easy as it once was. Not to mention, it’s harder to find manufacturers’ coupons than ever before.
What is King Soopers’ limit on coupons?
According to the store’s coupon policy, “Limit one store/manufacturer coupon (paper or digital) per item purchased.”
For bargain hunters, that means you can no longer “stack coupons” — combine a manufacturer’s coupon on top of a store coupon. You can now only use one or the other on an item, but not both.
Be careful, if you’ve added a store digital coupon to your account, you won’t have a choice. The store coupon will automatically apply and be the only one accepted, even if the manufacturers’ paper coupon in your hand has a better value.
What about the popular Weekly Digital Deals?
In addition, when you take advantage of King Soopers’ popular weekly digital deals, you cannot use a paper manufacturer’s coupon on that same purchase. The store’s weekly digital deals are applied as a digital coupon, so that meets the limit of one coupon per item.
The same issue applies to the store’s popular “Save More” sales, where you have to download a coupon, for say, an additional 50¢ off per item (up to five times.)
What about personalized coupons?
Also, be cognizant of those personalized coupons King Soopers sends out or that you add to your account. They cannot be combined with another digital coupon deal or manufacturer’s coupon. In many cases, the personalized deal will be applied first to your item at checkout — even if another store or manufacturer’s coupon on your account (or physically in your hand) has a higher value.
Are general sale items affected?
The coupon limit applies to any store sale that requires you to download a digital coupon to your account, If you download (aka “clip”) a digital coupon, that’s the only coupon you can use on that item. No other coupons will apply.
As of now, we don’t believe items discounted or “on sale” with simply the swipe of your shopper’s loyalty card are affected. On those items, you should still be able to use one additional digital or paper store coupon or manufacturer’s coupon. If we learn otherwise, we will update the post accordingly.
See an example of how digital coupons are redeemed on this receipt…
Photo: Mile High On The Cheap
We purchased five six-packs of soft drinks at $2.99 each, as part of King Soopers’ popular Weekly Digital Deals.
However, because we already had a Best-Customer Bonus coupon on our account of 75¢ off one six-pack, the system would not allow the weekly digital deal to be applied to one of the six-packs.
In the past, we would have received the weekly sale price and the store coupon discount together and been able to purchase one six-pack for $2.24. Unfortunately, that no longer applies — just one coupon per item, regardless of whether it’s a paper or digital store or manufacturer’s coupon.
And, if they’re digital coupons, you have no control over which coupon will be applied at checkout. It appears King Soopers applies the coupon with the lowest value first. However, it may vary by customer and/or transaction. It may also be tied to the order in which the coupons were downloaded to your account.
At this time, we don’t have any official confirmation on how multiple digital coupons for the same item are applied.
What other rules apply to using coupons at King Soopers?
Acceptance is subject to any restrictions on the coupon from the manufacturer.
All coupons will be accepted at face value on the purchase of the correct description on the coupon, including brand, size, quantity, color and/or flavor.
Expired coupons will not be accepted
Coupons presented on an app or mobile device will not be accepted. King Soopers only accepts digital coupons found on its app or website.
Coupons that are copied, blurry, out of proportion, altered or will not scan at the point of sale will not be accepted.
Coupons are limited to three (3) redemptions of the same coupon per day, per household — unless noted otherwise on the coupon.
If the order total is negative from coupon use, the balance will be added to merchandise return card.
Additional restrictions for Internet Coupons/Print at Home (PAH) Coupons include the following: “Free Item” Internet coupons can be accepted if all purchase criteria are met; only one internet/PAH coupon per item will be accepted; and Internet coupons are limited to two (2) redemptions per household, per day.
Can you still use store digital coupons, if you don’t have a digital account at King Soopers?
Yes, you can! And that includes the popular Weekly Digital Deals.
Note: You must still sign up for a King Soopers shopper loyalty account.
According to King Soopers’ coupon policy, “Shopper Card holders who do not have a digital account may receive the discounted pricing offered in a digital coupon or offer by speaking to an associate at any customer service desk. Customers will be required to show their Shopper’s Card or provide their Alternate ID.”
Finally, it’s important to note that the store manager has the right to accept, decline or limit the use of any coupon or offer.
Review Kroger’s full coupon policy here. (Kroger is the parent company of King Soopers.)
Thank you for this post.. I’ve been having coupon rejections at King Soopers recently, and some clerks are clueless as to why. The “old timers” that have checked me out for years will typically override the rejections vs. the newbies just shrug it off and refuse to do anything. Thus, I appreciate the clarification and am now aware of the ‘less shopper friendly’ policy in place. Crossing my fingers the merger does not go through in CO, as I fear that will be even more expensive groceries for CO shoppers.
This only complicates my shopping experiences, also takes more time online before actually going to store. I almost always find inaccuracies on my wkly shopping receipt, have to return to courtesy desk to get corrected. Price tags on shelves or not in computer. Shopping each trip has become so frustrating, & as a senior citizen that even has good computer knowledge, what help is there who don’t have the knowledge or time to pay your store games aka digital coupons, limits of use etc. Don’t think Kroger/King Soopers has to care as buying food & supplies is not an option for any household! What’s my commentary worth?????
Have been told by the employess that they no longer control the sale prices on anything that Corporate does it automatically and there is no way for them to over ride the price. Amd tje [roces pm tje sa;ebargaom area jave s[oled sp ;ott;e breal tjere////rea;;u. dau p;d dpmits fpr $4!
Too many rules, too much confusion about coupon use …
I wish stores would stop playing games with prices requiring loyalty accounts in exchange for personal details. Why must I give out my name, home address, phone number and email just to save a dollar? How is it anyone’s business when and where I buy groceries?
Stores should set one price for everyone like in the good old days before digital coupons, when customers could shop anonymously and nobody electronically tracked my individual purchases.
From the consumers’ point of view, the proposed merger would be a serious blow to competition and prices would rise as customer service continues downhill even below the current declining levels.
The coupon restrictions are another example of corporate maximizing profit at the consumer’s expense.
Safeway is no different from King Soopers.
Prices and quality vary at Sprouts and Trader Joe.
On a budget, I comparison shop and do the best I can to save a penny here and there.
I have been aware of the “one coupon only – no stacking” policy at Kings for years. That is nothing new around here. But, I am shocked that they apparently have the “lowest value coupon will be applied first” policy now! Safeway allows stacking in some instances (combining a personalized price coupon with a cents off coupon), but they usually will not let you combine two “cents off” coupons. HOWEVER, they do have a stated policy of the HIGHEST value coupon always given priority. It’s reprehensible that Kings (Kroger) has the exact opposite policy. Another example of nickel and diming customers out of the best deals and the reason why I now shop Safeway wayyyy more than Kings. Used to be the reverse, but Kroger has ruined all chains they buy out. That’s why I’m praying the government bans the proposed merger of Kroger and Safeway/Albertsons. The result will be disastrous for all of us!
To avoid the lower of two coupons being applied, remove the lower coupon from your account. You can always add it back after you use the better coupon/price, as long as it has not expired! Don’t let them get away with this “cheat” policy.
The King Soopers coupon regulations are about as clear as mud, which is the primary reason I , along with several of my friends, seldom shop there anymore. Everyone is feeling “squeezed” by inflation now and hopefully King Soopers will not be allowed to take over Safeway/Albertsons as it will only result in higher pricing for the consumers. You can see the writing on the wall — if allowed to take over, K.S. will initially refrain from jacking up their prices for the first 3-6 months in order to look good to the general public and following the “honeymoon period”, watch out!! K.S. will be the only winner in this proposed takeover.
I would buy a lot more groceries at King Soopers if I didn’t have to jump thru so many hoops. Who is sitting “behind the curtain” making up all these ridiculous rules? Why can’t we just come and shop for what we need, pay and get back to our lives. I don’t have the time to figure out all your silly rules. I would rather shop where I can just shop without all the other crap!!!
At my nearby Safeway recently, I was pleasantly surprised that a digital coupon I had downloaded was applied in addition to a Buy Two Get Two Free advertised offer. So look for that combo, but of course your results may vary. My concern now is that deals where you have to buy say five items in a category in order to get say $1 off each item might be negated on most of the items by a separate digital coupon applied to just one of those items, so for now I get an extra item just for the digital coupon usage.
Stores should set one price for everyone like in the good old days before digital coupons, when customers could shop anonymously, and nobody electronically tracked my individual purchases.
I find an even bigger problem is products that are charged at the wrong price. When I lived in Connecticut, if a product was charged other than the shelf or advertised price, by law, the store had to give that item free. Result was almost never a wrong price charged. At both Kroger and Safeway stores I almost every time have to spend extra time to get back the extra, I am charged at check out. If you do not check to see what you are paying for each of your items, at check out, you are probably paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year that you do not even know about.
This week used the Weekly Digital Deal to purchase five 16 oz soda 6 packs at $2.99 each. Had a mailed paper store coupon for $1.50 off a $10 or more soft drink purchase. Was expecting the paper store coupon not to work but it worked without any override needed.
Read the terms of service you agree to by using the Kroger website or app.
I agree with so many on here. The digital coupons are time consuming and another hassle to deal with. I hope you forward these comments to them. Thank you for bringing up the problems we encounter all the time.
Kroger Corp. earned a $1.7 billion profit on sales of $137.9 billion in 2020…during the worst and first year of the pandemic.
The salary for the CEO of Kroger was $18 million in 2021.
The pay for the typical worker at Kroger rebounded and rose by 8.7% in 2021 to $26,763 per year. The ratio of McMullen’s pay to the median Kroger worker was 679 to 1. This was a decline from the 909 to 1 ratio from the prior year.
And now Kroger is nickel and diming us for couponing.
I’ve pretty much quit going to Kingsoopers because of their this “what is my sale price“ confusion, their stores just getting ran down and dirty looking, and their phone app is just terrible. I found Safeway to be better and switched.
I’m sorry so many of you have complaints and problems at King Soopers. I always find the staff friendly and very accommodating if a price or sale is off, with zero hesitation or issues to rectify it.
I ts just too complicated. I’m 70 and on a strict budget. I’d be much happier if we didn’t have to struggle to save a little money!
While I may have time to peruse coupons, who has energy!
One of my biggest complaints is getting to the after down loading the stores special prices and being treated like it is my fault that the computer didn’t register it in my account. Another problem is signage tells you have a deal and if look closely it is last weeks ad. I don’t like having to buy 5 items to get the discount. I have noticed that Kingsoopers is not offering as good of mark downs on damaged and discontinued items but if you look a lot of stuff remains in their closeout sections. I have found that If I take photos of signs and my coupons have downloaded it helps with my smart phone? it helps. You still have a clerk that doesn’t want to honor your discount. Safeway always has several items that don’t ring right and it is an inconvenience to go to customer service to get the right price. Both Kings and Safeway are guilty of you getting taken advantaged of. So always take photos of shelf prices and any coupons you download.