If you shop online frequently, then you probably saw that little coupon code box that shows up in the cart or during checkout. It might be a promo code, gift code, discount code, or some other name.
Whatever it’s called, the thing is it is an opportunity for extra savings on your order. If you know how to use it properly, you can maximize your potential savings.
Want to learn more about getting free online coupons on the Tanndu website? Check our article below!
What Is an Online Coupon?
An online coupon is usually a number of characters or a word generated by a store to provide a discount. We have a special section with coupons on Tanndu.
Coupon codes are usually around 4- 10 characters in all caps and sometimes appear completely random. Other times they spell out actual words or portions of words (e.g., FREESHIP60). The code itself can give clues as to what kind of discount it provides. For example, FREESHIP60 would likely be free shipping with a $60 minimum purchase.
Coupon codes are generated and issued by retailers through various channels, at Tanndu we have a lot of coupons from our partners such as eBay, Amazon, Aliexpress, etc.
Types of Online Coupon Codes
Most often, you’ll see online coupon codes cover the following types of discounts:
- X% off: Codes for these discounts take a certain percentage off and can apply to your whole order, or only select items.
- $X off: These will take a fixed dollar amount off your order. Alternatively, they could apply to a single item.
- Shipping: These coupons tend to offer free or discounted shipping on your order, and will often look like “FREESHIP” or something similar.
- Bonus item: These codes will usually add a free gift (with certain purchases) to your order. They tend to reflect whatever the gift is, so a code like “FREETOTE60” could be for a free tote with a $60 purchase.
Online coupons usually require a minimum order amount in order to be redeemed. In other words, you have to spend a certain amount on eligible items before you can receive the discount. Also know that codes can apply to most items a store sells, or only to specific items or categories.
How to Use Online Coupons
Once you find a code at Tanndu, you should click on the “use coupon” or “get deal” hyperlink to apply it.
Tips to Maximize Coupon Savings
Count First
Once you’ve found coupon codes for a store or a few stores, you may discover that there are a variety of different codes available.
One of the biggest considerations is whether you’ll be charged shipping. There’s nothing like a hefty shipping charge to downgrade an otherwise great deal.
Unless you know you’re getting free shipping, you’ll want to figure out how much shipping will cost you and compare that to the discount another available code would provide, to see which is greater. Of course, coupons that give both a discount and free shipping are even better.
Meet Free Shipping Minimums
The same concept can apply to shipping charges. Stores often have ongoing free shipping offers that don’t require a code, or they may have a coupon for it. If your order is close to a free shipping minimum, consider what shipping will cost and how much extra you’d have to spend to get it free. If shipping is $9.95 and you’re $10 away from getting it free, adding another item would be worth it. If there’s a larger difference in what the total will be, and you’re not prepared to spend more, then you may have to bite the bullet and pay the shipping charges.
Granted, it isn’t always easy to exactly meet a minimum or get very close to it at many stores, due to their pricing structures. And spending more might not be a favorable option if you really don’t need additional items. But it’s definitely something to consider if your order is hovering near the minimum for a better offer, and you want to get the most bang for your buck.
Spend More, Save More
Spending more on an order can have its advantages. When multiple coupons are available, you’ll want to think about whether increasing your order total to meet a minimum for a larger discount might actually work out better for getting maximum value out of your order. Be careful, though, as this can easily lead to overspending. If you’re bulking up your order, make sure you’re adding items you need to your cart and not just throwing random products in to meet that higher minimum.
Use the Opportunity of the Online Coupons
While most stores only allow one coupon discount per order, others let you stack online codes, which means more than one coupon can be applied. These stores might display several coupon code boxes at checkout, or there may just be one box for applying each code individually. If there is only one box, and you still see that box available after applying a code, you might be able to add another one.
What’s the catch? There may be heavy restrictions on the types of codes you can combine, and the store may not have more than one coupon available that applies to your order. Combining two percentage- or dollar-off coupons is less likely to work, but a free shipping code with one of those offers typically will. Regardless, it never hurts to experiment with available codes at any store that allows for stacking, to find out if they’re accepted together.
To sum up
Online coupons can be the best money-savers for you! Do not forget to use them while shopping with Tanndu!