Since I have new readers everyday I thought this was a good topic to cover again.
A Catalina is a coupon that prints at the register after you are done paying. It prints out of a machine next to the register, after your receipt prints. It is usually triggered by an item that was purchased in that transaction. Most the time you have to buy a certain number of times, like buy 10 items and get a $10 catalina. It also can be triggered when you buy a dollar amount like $20 of participating products and get a $5 catalina back. They offer incentives good on your next shopping trip to that retailer, A few different things can print, an ad, a coupon but what most of us are looking for is a coupon for a dollar amount off your next purchase, that you can use like cash.
If you ever have a problem with the store not printing your catalina, save your receipt and call the Catalina company 1-888-8coupon
Photo credit Fabulessly Frugal
Here is an example of a transaction I did, that printed at catalina. The catalina promotion was, buy $20 in participating P&G products and get back a $5.00 catalina to use towards your next shopping trip.
I bought 3 pack of wipes, $5.99 each, 2 puffs facial $1.25 each
This brought my subtotal to $20.47 plus tax
It is VERY important that you get to the $ amount BEFORE tax, or your catlaina WILL NOT print.
Once you have hit your required $ amount before tax, you can then use coupons to bring your total down. I used 3, $1.00 wipe coupons, and 2 $.25 puffs coupons. This took off a total of $3.50. My store was doing double coupons that day, so they then doubled the 3 $1.00 coupons,taking off another $3.00. For a total of $6.50 in coupon savings.
I then paid with a gift card that I had for transferring a prescription, that bought my total down to $7.70.
I forgot to take another photo, but I then paid with $5.00 catalina from a prior purchase (we call this “rolling” your catalinas) , that bought my total down to only $2.70, which I paid for with cash. After I paid my $5.00 catalina printed out.
Each store is a little different in how you can use these coupons. A few tips that my be helpful.
Albertsons Catalina tips:
- Will not honor after it expires, so watch your expiration dates close normally you have about 2 weeks to use it
- Albertsons will only take their own catalinas
- You can pay with more than one catalina as long as the catalina total does not go over the amount due. They will not give cash back.
- You can use a catalina coupon for the same product – example If you buy cereal and get back a $5 catalina you can buy more cereal and use your $5 catalina coupon, and another coupon will still print.
- Make sure you only buy the amount of items the sale says- example if the sale says buy 5 fruit snacks and get back a $2 catalina, but if you buy 10 fruit snack all at once you will still only get 1 $2 catalina to print. It is best to buy 5 at a time and each set of 5 you will get $2 back.
- Pay close attention the selection and size, if just one item is off it can cause you catalina to not print.
Walgreens Catalina tips:
- At Walgreens they call a Catalina a Register Reward or RR
- Will not honor after it expires, so watch your expiration dates close
- Walgreens will ONLY take their own catalinas
- You can pay with more than one catalina as long as the catalina total does not go over the amount due. They will not give cash back. But you have to make sure you have more items than coupons, and they consider a catalina coupon. Example- If you try to pay for a your two toothbrushes with 2 MFR coupons and a catalina the register will beep at you……it is because the Walgreens only allows one MRF coupon per item. They count the Catalina as a MFR coupon. If you have more coupons than items, some times you have to use “filler” item, find something cheep like a 10 cent pencil. Some cashiers know why the register beeps for this problem…….but most of them don’t. If you get one that does not know, They get flustered a will tell you that your coupon is not good……It is always so important to be an informed shopper!
- DO NOT use your catalina to pay for the same item or another catalina WILL NOT print.
- Make sure you only buy the amount of items the sale says- example if the sale says buy 5 fruit snacks and get back a $2 catalina, but if you buy 10 fruit snack all at once you will still only get 1 $2 catalina to print. It is best to buy 5 at a time and each set of 5 you will get $2 back.
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