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Coupon Barcode Basics
August 6, 2008 at
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Last Edited by slayers750 March 10, 2010 at 08:01 PMTHIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT POST COMMENTS RELATING TO WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT THE NARRATIVE / TEXT ON THE COUPONS!!!
A WARNING FOR COUPON FRAUD WILL BE ISSUED TO ANY USER WHO USES THIS INFORMATION IN ANY THREAD TO CIRCUMVENT THE NARRATIVE / TEXT ON THE COUPONS!!!
SHOULD WE GET TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO IGNORE THE STATEMENT ABOVE, THE THREAD WILL BE DELETED FOR GOOD.
SHOULD WE GET TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO IGNORE THE STATEMENT ABOVE, THE THREAD WILL BE DELETED FOR GOOD.
In the past two weeks there have been two instances where valid coupons are beeping and it's resulted in a TON of thread posts with complaints, questions, and stories from frustrated couponers. Just a little bit of knowledge about barcodes can equip you with a lot of ammunition when dealing with cashiers and managers (since most of them are clueless and you'd be teaching them).
I'll explain the coupon barcodes, then show you exactly why the Lifesavers and Pert coupons are beeping.
Coupons will beep if ANY PORTION of the barcode does not match the products in your cart.
A typical coupon barcode looks like this:
1-22222-333-44-5
1 - This portion of the code will be either a 5 or a 9. It deals with doubling. If your store doesn't double coupons, then this number has no purpose. If your store DOES double coupons, then any coupon coded with a 5 will double (up to your store's doubling limit) and any coupon coded with a 9 will not double.
22222 - This number is the manufacturer's code. This code is the reason why the Lifesavers and Pert were beeping, but I'll explain those situations below.
333 - This number is the family code. Most manufacturers break their products into families. If you see a three digit number with no zeros, the coupon is coded for a specific product. If there is one zero at the end, the coupon is coded for more than one *variety* product. If there are two zeros at the end, the coupon is coded for more than one *type or brand* of product. Here's an example of how it works:
25700 100 - any Ziploc or Saran Wrap item
25700 160 - any Ziploc item
25700 170 - any Saran Wrap item
25700 164 - Ziploc containers
25700 175 - Saran Wrap disposable Cutting Sheets
If the family code is 000, then the coupon will not beep with any product which falls under the preceeding 5-digit manufacturer's code.
Some products are not broken into any families and are coded as 992. A 992 coupon will do one of two things, depending on how your store has it's registers programmed. Either it will NEVER beep, even if you didn't buy the product, or it will ALWAYS beep and require cashier intervention. These coupons were severely abused by couponers who wanted to use coupons even though they didn't buy the product, so most major retailers have now programmed their registers to beep at every 992.
44 - This is the value code. It tells the register how much to take off. Regardless of what the wording on the coupon says, this code tells the register what you need to purchase and how much to take off. Yes, in many cases there are some VERY EXTREME differences between the wording on the coupon and what the barcode actually requires you to purchase (since there are only a limited number of value codes available). Here are the codes and, again, PLEASE NO DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM. The wording on the coupon is the manufacturer's intended use for it.
00 "Beep" - Manual Input Required
01 Free Item - Will normally beep so cashier can input value
02 B4G1
03 $1.10
04 $1.35
05 $1.40
06 $1.60
07 B3 $1.50
08 B2 $3.00
09 B3 $2.00
10 $0.10
11 $1.85
12 $0.12
13 B4 $1.00
14 B1G1
15 $0.15
16 B2G1
18 $2.60
19 B3G1
20 $0.20
21 B2 $0.35
22 B2 $0.40
23 B2 $0.45
24 B2 $0.50
25 $0.25
26 $2.85
28 B2 $0.55
29 $0.29
30 $0.30
31 B2 $0.60
32 B2 $0.75
33 B2 $1.00
34 B2 $1.25
35 $0.35
36 B2 $1.50
37 B3 $0.25
38 B3 $0.30
39 $0.39
40 $0.40
41 B3 $0.50
42 B3 $1.00
43 B2 $1.10
44 B2 $1.35
45 $0.45
46 B2 $1.60
47 B2 $1.75
48 B2 $1.85
49 $0.49
50 $0.50
51 B2 $2.00
52 B3 $0.55
53 B2 $0.10
54 B2 $0.15
55 $0.55
56 B2 $0.20
57 B2 $0.25
58 B2 $0.30
59 $0.59
60 $0.60
61 $10.00
62 $9.50
63 $9.00
64 $8.50
65 $0.65
66 $8.00
67 $7.50
68 $7.00
69 $0.69
70 $0.70
71 $6.50
72 $6.00
73 $5.50
74 $5.00
75 $0.75
76 $1.00
77 $1.25
78 $1.50
79 $0.79
80 $0.80
81 $1.75
82 $2.00
83 $2.25
84 $2.50
85 $0.85
86 $2.75
87 $3.00
88 $3.25
89 $0.89
90 $0.90
91 $3.50
92 $3.75
93 $4.00
95 $0.95
96 $4.50
98 B2 $0.65
99 $0.99
5 Check digit...no real relevance to couponers.
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Community Wiki
Last Edited by slayers750
March 10, 2010
at
07:56 PM
THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT POST COMMENTS RELATING TO WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT THE NARRATIVE / TEXT ON THE COUPONS!!!
A WARNING FOR COUPON FRAUD WILL BE ISSUED TO ANY USER WHO USES THIS INFORMATION IN ANY THREAD TO CIRCUMVENT THE NARRATIVE / TEXT ON THE COUPONS!!!
SHOULD WE GET TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO IGNORE THE STATEMENT ABOVE, THE THREAD WILL BE DELETED FOR GOOD.
A WARNING FOR COUPON FRAUD WILL BE ISSUED TO ANY USER WHO USES THIS INFORMATION IN ANY THREAD TO CIRCUMVENT THE NARRATIVE / TEXT ON THE COUPONS!!!
SHOULD WE GET TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO IGNORE THE STATEMENT ABOVE, THE THREAD WILL BE DELETED FOR GOOD.
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In the past two weeks there have been two instances where valid coupons are beeping and it's resulted in a TON of thread posts with complaints, questions, and stories from frustrated couponers. Just a little bit of knowledge about barcodes can equip you with a lot of ammunition when dealing with cashiers and managers (since most of them are clueless and you'd be teaching them).
I'll explain the coupon barcodes, then show you exactly why the Lifesavers and Pert coupons are beeping.
Coupons will beep if ANY PORTION of the barcode does not match the products in your cart.
A typical coupon barcode looks like this:
1-22222-333-44-5
1 - This portion of the code will be either a 5 or a 9. It deals with doubling. If your store doesn't double coupons, then this number has no purpose. If your store DOES double coupons, then any coupon coded with a 5 will double (up to your store's doubling limit) and any coupon coded with a 9 will not double.
22222 - This number is the manufacturer's code. This code is the reason why the Lifesavers and Pert were beeping, but I'll explain those situations below.
333 - This number is the family code. Most manufacturers break their products into families. If you see a three digit number with no zeros, the coupon is coded for a specific product. If there is one zero at the end, the coupon is coded for more than one *variety* product. If there are two zeros at the end, the coupon is coded for more than one *type or brand* of product. Here's an example of how it works:
25700 100 - any Ziploc or Saran Wrap item
25700 160 - any Ziploc item
25700 170 - any Saran Wrap item
25700 164 - Ziploc containers
25700 175 - Saran Wrap disposable Cutting Sheets
If the family code is 000, then the coupon will not beep with any product which falls under the preceeding 5-digit manufacturer's code.
Some products are not broken into any families and are coded as 992. A 992 coupon will do one of two things, depending on how your store has it's registers programmed. Either it will NEVER beep, even if you didn't buy the product, or it will ALWAYS beep and require cashier intervention. These coupons were severely abused by couponers who wanted to use coupons even though they didn't buy the product, so most major retailers have now programmed their registers to beep at every 992.
44 - This is the value code. It tells the register how much to take off. Regardless of what the wording on the coupon says, this code tells the register what you need to purchase and how much to take off. Yes, in many cases there are some VERY EXTREME differences between the wording on the coupon and what the barcode actually requires you to purchase (since there are only a limited number of value codes available). Here are the codes and, again, PLEASE NO DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM. The wording on the coupon is the manufacturer's intended use for it.
00 "Beep" - Manual Input Required
01 Free Item - Will normally beep so cashier can input value
02 B4G1
03 $1.10
04 $1.35
05 $1.40
06 $1.60
07 B3 $1.50
08 B2 $3.00
09 B3 $2.00
10 $0.10
11 $1.85
12 $0.12
13 B4 $1.00
14 B1G1
15 $0.15
16 B2G1
18 $2.60
19 B3G1
20 $0.20
21 B2 $0.35
22 B2 $0.40
23 B2 $0.45
24 B2 $0.50
25 $0.25
26 $2.85
28 B2 $0.55
29 $0.29
30 $0.30
31 B2 $0.60
32 B2 $0.75
33 B2 $1.00
34 B2 $1.25
35 $0.35
36 B2 $1.50
37 B3 $0.25
38 B3 $0.30
39 $0.39
40 $0.40
41 B3 $0.50
42 B3 $1.00
43 B2 $1.10
44 B2 $1.35
45 $0.45
46 B2 $1.60
47 B2 $1.75
48 B2 $1.85
49 $0.49
50 $0.50
51 B2 $2.00
52 B3 $0.55
53 B2 $0.10
54 B2 $0.15
55 $0.55
56 B2 $0.20
57 B2 $0.25
58 B2 $0.30
59 $0.59
60 $0.60
61 $10.00
62 $9.50
63 $9.00
64 $8.50
65 $0.65
66 $8.00
67 $7.50
68 $7.00
69 $0.69
70 $0.70
71 $6.50
72 $6.00
73 $5.50
74 $5.00
75 $0.75
76 $1.00
77 $1.25
78 $1.50
79 $0.79
80 $0.80
81 $1.75
82 $2.00
83 $2.25
84 $2.50
85 $0.85
86 $2.75
87 $3.00
88 $3.25
89 $0.89
90 $0.90
91 $3.50
92 $3.75
93 $4.00
95 $0.95
96 $4.50
98 B2 $0.65
99 $0.99
5 Check digit...no real relevance to couponers.
00 "Beep" - Manual Input Required
Is this a free coupon? This must mean that it works for anything with the product code but the cashier must manually put in the price.
The second barcode on your coupon is inactive right now. All coupons will change to this new coding system beginning in 2010. It will make manual decoding almost impossible. ...snip...
I did some research on the new upc coding that is coming in 2010 (is actually being phased in on the software/hardware now). I don't think that manual decoding will be a thing of the past.
Here is a really easy to follow website that I found about the new coupon barcodes. The (8101) appears to be consistent on all of the extended barcodes that I have that are in the correct format. The offer code will be set by manufacturers so we should be able to follow those fairly closely and look for trends. While a five digit code offers 99,999 possible offers, each manufacturer will have to determine some numbering protocol. On giants like P&G the same offer code will have to be used multiple times before much time passes.
This really is interesting stuff to me, thanks for the thread!
but always use that site to decode.
I was wondering what happened as the decoder just stopped about 2 months ago.
I thought it had something to do with the lawsuit that he was fighting.
I do not understand why he pulled it, but he was a very brave man to stand up and fight....
Maybe they were shut down..
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- What you are saying is in contradiction to what has been taught me by non-couponing supervisors/managers at 3 different stores across 2 different chains.
- What you are saying is also in contradiction to what has been confirmed by other couponers in other areas who have spoken directly with their store managers.
- The terms and conditions of a catalina coupon are also stated plainly on the front & back of the coupon, and it is not directed at any specific store, but rather "Grocer: (address of where to send the coupon)" & "Retailer: (t&c of mq redemption).
For CVS, I cut off a catalina's store name to highlight the facts, not to be "sneaky." At CVS, where all coupons that start with 99 beep, the cashier is forced to make a decision every time. Most CVS cashiers who are ignorant of coupon basics will come to the incorrect conclusion that the coupon beeped because it is only good at the store indicated. By cutting off the store name, I eliminate that distraction, so that they only deal in the actual facts on the coupon and not where it originated.
I don't cut the store name off a catalina from Ralphs to use it at either Vons or Target. Most catalinas don't beep at these stores. If a cashier questions the store name before scanning, I just note to the cashier (or supervisor called over by the cashier) the terms on the coupon... that they are standard manufacturer coupons directed to the retailer. When the coupon scans without issue, it confirms what I've said and one or two more people have been trained in coupon basics.
Yes, I do understand that many store managers have little knowledge of how coupons work & how they are processed. And that is why many of us wisely choose where we shop or use particular coupons, even within a particular chain. In any case, I don't want to "coupon down" to the level of a coupon-ignorant store. Rather than stress whether my legit coupon will be accepted, I arm myself with coupon facts and avoid the stores that make up their own coupon facts to suit their agenda. I'd rather "coupon up" to the level of a coupon-savvy store, so that I can learn a thing or two.
Here is an example of a non-couponing, yet coupon-knowledgeable, assistant manager at my Ralphs store: I gave him the $0.50 Propel mq that I'd torn from a Food-4-Less flyer. The mq was about 10" x 5" in size. He scanned it, the coupon doubled, making my Propel free. He didn't like how big it was; it didn't look like it would fit nicely in his register. He held the coupon against the edge of the counter and tore off the barcode portion. Putting the barcode in his register, he tossed away the rest. Shocked, I said, "You can do that?"
Certainly, if my understanding about catalinas is faulty, I welcome your correction... but please, only with facts. And for anyone else reading, please weigh in also!
example -$2 off store brand bottled water when I buy one special K cereal bars & special K protein water mix
next- says $2 off produce when I purchase one cereal and ceral bars
so does that mean any two items would work for the purchase of $2 off
example -$2 off store brand bottled water when I buy one special K cereal bars & special K protein water mix
next- says $2 off produce when I purchase one cereal and ceral bars
so does that mean any two items would work for the purchase of $2 off
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