Catalina:   Coupons that print out at the register.  They usually say "redeem only at {store name}".  Even though they're store specific, they're manufacturer's coupons, so cannot be combined with another mfr coupon.

 

Tearpad:   Stack of coupons, usually stuck to the shelf by the item in the store, that you tear off one at a time (hence the name)

 

Blinkies:   Coupons from the containers sticking out from the shelves in store aisles where you pull out one and it spits out another.  Named for the red blinking light on the machine.

 

Wine Tag:   Coupons and rebates found on liquor bottles, usually hanging around the neck.  The best ones are for a dollar amount off something with no brand specified.  For example:  "$1 off beef".  Some require a liquor purchase to use, others don't, and some are only good in certain states.  Check the fine print carefully and let the other person know of any restrictions before trading.

 

Home Mailer:  Coupons sent in the mail usually by either the manufacturer or a particular store.

 

Store Coupon:  Coupons issued by the store that aren't manufacturer's coupons.  They'll usually state "store coupon" at the top by date.  An example are Walgreen's 7-day coupons that come in their weekly ad.  At most stores you can use both a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon on the same item.  I know this is true at Walgreens and Target.  Check your local stores for their policies.

 

Entertainment Cash:  Certificates good for free or an amount off such things as CDs, DVDs, movie tickets, movie rentals.  There's Entertainment Cash, Movie Cash, Concession Stand Cash, Music Cash, Book Cash and possibly a few others.

 

Gas Cards:   Gift certificates that look like credit cards redeemable at gas stations.

 

$$/#:  The first number is the dollar value of the coupon or offer, the second is the quantity you have to buy to use it.  For example:  $1/2 means one dollar off when you buy two and  .50/1  means 50 cents off when you buy one.

 

#/$$:  The first number is the quantity, the second number is the price for that quantity.  For example:  3/$5  means when you buy three of that item, you'll pay five dollars.   Some stores require you to buy the total quantity to get the sale price (in this case 3) while others charge you per item (in this case $1.66 per item).  Check your local store for their policy.

 

Double Coupons:  When the store doubles the face value of a coupon.  For example:  a .50 coupon will take $1 off your grocery bill.   The maximum amount doubled and the maximum it will double to vary by store and area.  My stores maximum is $1 off, so a .55 coupon will take $1 off.  In some areas, the .55 coupon may take off $1.10.  Check your local store for their policy.

 

Triple Coupons:  Same as double coupons except the face value of the coupon is tripled.

 

Super Doubles or Double Dollars:  When the store is running a special promotion where they double $1 coupons.  In this case, your .55 coupon in the example above would be worth $1.10.  A $1 coupon would be worth $2.  The maximum taken off with any one coupon will be $2.  (This may be a local thing because our stores don't normally double $1 coupons)

 

Start with 9 or Starts with 5:  Most coupon UPCs start with the number 5.  When a coupon says "do not double" on it, most registers will automatically double the ones that start with the number 5 anyway.  However, if the coupon starts with the number 9 some stores will still double it, some won't. 

 

TMF (Try Me Free) or FAR (Free After Rebate):   Rebates that refund the full purchase price of an item.  They usually refund the full amount shown on the receipt regardless of if a coupon was used, but some refund the price after coupon - check the fine print on your rebate form.  Almost always limited to one per person or household.

 

Premium Offer:   Form to get something free or for a special price when you buy a particular item.  For example:  Get a watch for only $1.99 when you send proof of purchase from 3 boxes of cereal.

 

Inserts:  The coupons that come in your Sunday paper.  Also known as SS (Sunday Supplements).  The common abbreviations for them are SS (SmartSource), V (Valassis, and PG or P&G (Proctor & Gamble).  When you see SS 9/14 at the end of a coupon line, that means the coupon came from the SmartSource insert on September 14. 

 

SS or Non-SS:  SS means the coupon is from Sunday Supplements (newspaper inserts).  Non-SS means it came from somewhere else (home mailer, tearpad, blinkie, etc.).