With increasing advancements associated with the ease and money-saving capabilities of online shopping, the options to locate digital discounts are also growing steadily. However, if you’re going to shop online and expect to receive the best deals around, then you probably want the largest digital coupon resource in your back pocket.
This is where RetailMeNot.com comes in – a coupon treasure chest that has been saving users hundreds upon thousands of dollars with their deep discounts, online coupons, and promo codes since 2006. And, there’s a huge reason why many people do a quick search on RetailMeNot before making an online or offline purchase…
What is RetailMeNot.com?
One of the reasons that RetailMeNot is such a popular online coupon site is because of its community-based approach. By including the experiences, knowledge, and viewpoints of consumers and shoppers, the website is able to report the success rate, validity, and ease of use regarding the coupons, promos, and discounts they feature
Available for shoppers in the United States and Canada, members play an integral role in the success of RetailMeNot.com by giving a thumbs up or thumbs down for coupons that turn out to be duds, as well as reporting whether or not they were able to use the code at all – like if the coupon has already expired before its listed date. RetailMeNot uses all of this information and feedback to remove and categorize the entries that are not helpful, invalid, or expired.
Boasting the distribution of more than 500,000 coupons from over 50,000 stores, RetailMeNot allows users to save money in a wide range of retail categories that include clothing, electronics, beauty supplies, baby products, health, jewelry, toys, car services, home and garden, and travel.
You’re probably wondering how a website (that is completely free to join and use) is able to stay on top of all those coupons, as well as employ about 300 employees…and not have something up their sleeve. Of course RetailMeNot benefits from all the traffic they receive. One of the ways the site makes money is from having high Google search engine rankings from all the clicking going on throughout the website. No shady activities happening here…just an effective resource for finding the best coupons and deals online.
How Can I Start?
There is no requirement to join RetailMeNot and create an account in order to take advantage of the coupon codes featured on the website. However, it is necessary to sign-up with RetailMeNot if you would like to receive weekly and holiday email alerts featuring some of the best coupon codes and savings on the Internet. There is also an option to receive deal alerts associated with some of your favorite stores, such as Best Buy, Macy’s, Target, Pizza Hut, and Old Navy.
To set up an account, all you need is an email address and password.
How Do I Use RetailMeNot?
Coupons (both online and in-store) are the most popular feature of RetailMeNot, and there are a couple of ways to search for and locate the ones that will appeal to you most. The search bar is one of the easiest ways to start hunting for relevant coupons and promos.
Search by Store
RetailMeNot’s search bar allows you to easily find the coupons associated with your favorite retailers and businesses. To locate a store page of your choice, simply type in the name of a store in the search bar, and click on the proper name when it appears on the drop-down menu as shown in the example below. When searching for Victoria’s Secret, RetailMeNot is already formulating a list of possibilities in alphabetical order before the complete name is fully typed.
Clicking on the store name (Victoria’s Secret) redirects you to its RetailMeNot landing page, where you will find a list of coupons, offer codes, deals, and sales associated with the retailer. It is important to read the fine print and details associated with a coupon before using it. Take the time to read the coupon description, exclusions, success rate, number of up votes, the expiration date, and also the user comments, which span from sharing any glitches they’ve encountered to highlighting super deals that they’ve enjoyed from using a coupon code.
Search by Category
If you would like to see available coupons for a specific type of item or product, you can search by category on RetailMeNot. Place your cursor over the “Browse Coupons” button located to the right side of the search bar, and click on “Browse By Category.” For example, if you’re looking for a new office chair, click on the ‘Office Supplies’ category to reach a list of available store and product coupons from the likes of Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max.
Members of RetailMeNot are also able to store coupon codes in their personal accounts for later use by clicking the ‘star’ icon found alongside the coupons to save them. Users can also identify their favorite stores by clicking the nearby ‘heart’ icon, which keeps track of a retailer’s latest coupons and deals – all saved to a user’s RetailMeNot account.
Another thing about coupons on RetailMeNot is the way they are categorized…
Every coupon falls under one of three categories:
Popular
‘Popular’ coupons are those that receive the most up votes and possess a higher success rate than other deals.
Unpopular
Coupons with more thumbs down votes than up votes are deemed ‘unpopular,’ and are positioned below the more popular coupons. The success rate for these coupons are much lower, and most likely work for a limited number of products at a store, or have geographic restrictions.
Expired
Found at the bottom of store pages, some of the best recently-expired coupons remain. In some cases, they actually still work so you never know until you try to see if you get lucky with an expired coupon code.
Search for In-Store Coupons
RetailMeNot not only highlights online discounts, but also provides in-store offers that shoppers can print. Referred to as printables, these coupons can be emailed or texted to users, and are always set to be sent to your printed when you’re ready. To reach these savings, place your cursor over “Browse Coupons” found at the top of the RetailMeNot homepage, and click on ‘Printables‘ from the drop-down menu. Here is a direct link to the printables page.
After scrolling about to locate a deal to your liking, click ‘Show Coupon,’ and decide whether you wish to Print, Text, or Email the coupon to you. When you are ready to check out a store, show the printable or your smartphone, which has a unique number or bar code that puts your discount in motion. If you’d like to save an in-store coupon for later use, click on the star next to the deal, and it will be saved to your account.
Another benefit to using RetailMeNot to save coupons is that they will let you know when your saved coupons are about to expire – who doesn’t want a shopping guardian angel watching their potential savings? RetailMeNot even cleans up your account, keeping it clutter-free of expired coupons. When a store no longer accepts a certain coupon, they will remove it from your queue.
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Use Online RetailMeNot Coupon Codes
1. Click on the RetailMeNot.comcoupon code that you would like to use.
2. The chosen coupon loads an image that appears on the forefront of the website.
3. Click the blue ‘Copy‘ button to copy/remember the code. Sometimes, this step is unnecessary, and you can simply skip to the next step to shop at the store’s website like you normally would.
4. RetailMeNot will open the selected store’s website in a new tab, where you can browse products of interest, and shop as you generally do.
5. Once you have found items at the store that you’d like to purchase, simply paste the code from RetailMeNot.com into the promo code field, and click ‘Apply.’ To paste a code (which could be referred to as a promotional code, discount code, or coupon code (depending on the retailer), right-click for the edit menu, or use the PC keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V for Macs).
Does RetailMeNot Offer Cash Back Opportunities?
RetailMeNot does not offer payouts for cash back opportunities, but the site does list cash back options offered through other retailers, businesses, and websites. For example, one listing states that you can get 2X Cash Back for a limited time when using WuPay on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Although featured on RetailMeNot, the site is not responsible for making sure that you receive cash back if you decide to pursue this offer.
What to Expect with RetailMeNot
As a member and user of RetailMeNot, you should expect to find an incredible amount of coupon codes, promos, and shopping tips that help save money on purchases from what seems like an endless number of brand name and lesser-known retailers.
The addition of a community-based atmosphere comprised of individuals trying to do the very same thing you are trying to do (save money and get the best online deals), makes RetailMeNot one of the best couponing watering holes on the Internet.
RetailMeNot Video
RetailMeNot has posted the following video to help new users get acquainted with how to best utilize the features and coupon savings found on their website:
Consumer Review Video for RetailMeNot
To get an idea of a shopper’s experience using RetailMeNot, the video review below not only provides background information related to the website, but also highlights what happens when an individual uses RetailMeNot to conduct a Halloween-related search:
Special Features of RetailMeNot
In addition to offering a wealth of online and offline coupons, there are a few features that RetailMeNot.com provides to its users that keep them coming back for more, such as:
The Ability to Submit Coupons:
As part of the RetailMeNot community, account holders may submit and share coupon codes that they have found or have already used online. To submit a coupon code to the Community, you must:
1. Enter the name of the retailer or website.
2. Identify your submission as a coupon code, printable coupon, or sales/shopping tip.
3. Describe the offer.
4. Add the expiration date (optional).
RetailMeNot on the Go:
Users can redeem in-store coupons from their phone with the help of a free mobile app available for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Once you download the app, make sure to enable location tracking so that offers available at retailers in your current area are shown. After browsing the offers listed as ‘Today’s Hot Deals,’ or seeking out a specific store in the search bar, select ‘In-Store Offers.’ Once you find something that you like or can use, click on the specific deal and hit ‘Claim Offer.’ When you are ready to check out, simply show the clerk the coupon on your phone to enjoy instant savings.
RetailMeNot Live Chat:
For users who are confused about a coupon, there is a team of trained customer service representatives on hand to answer deal-related questions from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Central time. To connect with someone from the live chat team, click on the button that says “Need Help? Contact Us,” which is located on the pop-up windows of a coupon or deal.
RetailMeNot Community:
When signed into your RetailMeNot account, your activity is tracked and you have a chance to accumulate points for the various actions that you complete. Active Community members who share tips through the site with fellow shoppers will earn points, and have a chance to win prizes in various RetailMeNot contests. Other ways to earn points and “badges” is to submit coupons, use coupons, and leave comments within the Community.
Specialty Pages:
RetailMeNot creates a targeted collection of deals for special occasion-shopping, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas sales.
Any Complaints Regarding RetailMeNot? Is RetailMeNot a Scam?
With a great deal of traffic and endless coupons to sort, check, and monitor, RetailMeNot is bound to experience its fair share of criticism, as seen in the following gripes:
Some Retailers Unhappy with Misleading Offers: Some retail store supervisors and managers have voiced their displeasure in seeing inaccurate offers related to their business and company posted on RetailMeNot. The frustration settles in when stores must deal with shoppers who come in with misleading or incorrect offers printed off of a website that they do not operate.
Claims of Discounts that Don’t Exist: Some retailers believe that RetailMeNot ‘crawls’ their websites to find an average percentage off, and then post that everything on their site is on sale.
Receives ‘Click Thru’ Credits from Google: Some dismiss RetailMeNot as a scammy enterprise, accusing the site of posting fraudulent coupon codes to gain ‘click thru’ revenue and higher SEO rankings by sending people to sites under false pretenses.
Invalid In-Store Coupons: There have been complaints from some users who report they’ve attempted to use in-store coupons printed from RetailMeNot at clothing stores and restaurants, and suffered the embarrassment of the coupons being invalid or not accepted.
In a Nutshell…
RetailMeNot does not require any out-of-pocket expenses to use their site, and is often praised as one of the most comprehensive, current digital coupon resources found online.
The community atmosphere of the website provides valuable information that comes from shoppers who keep their ear to the ground. They provide a beneficial perk that goes beyond simply alerting users about expired or invalid deals; they also validate sales, coupons and deals by sharing their positive experiences and additional savings. Overall, RetailMeNot comes highly recommended as a place to check before making a purchase online…you never know when you’re going to save a little extra money.
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