Have you ever read about a printable coupon being available only to find that it didn’t appear on your Coupons.com, SmartSource, or RedPlum screen? I’ve had people request my zip code in the past, and I’ve always been reluctant to give out that information. In fact, if you’ve ever read my responses to zip code requests, you’ll see that I don’t give a zip code answer. It’s not because I don’t want you to know where I live. It’s because I wasn’t sure that you were supposed to change the zip code on your coupon printing pages. I’ve heard people argue both for and against the zip code issue.
I was thrilled to read about a conversation between RedPlum and Angela from The Coupon Project about this exact subject. She was able to chat with a RedPlum representative recently, and the conversation solidified my stance on not sharing zip codes.
The bottom line is that not all coupons are designed to be used in all areas. They may beep at the register, and the store may not get reimbursed for the coupon. You can read Angela’s post about changing your zip code and make your own decision on this topic. I just wanted to share the information with you, because I’d never seen any solid information from the coupon printing companies.
Funny you should post about this, because I was just thinking about it the other day. I regularly put in a different zip code than where I live, but it is the zip code for the nearest big city (Columbus). I figure since I buy the Dispatch, it is okay to use that zip code. I’m not sure about using a zip code for an obscure place far away just because they’ve got different coupons. It kind of defeats the object of them giving different coupons to different areas.
I think that using a zip that’s regional works. I’ve just seen a lot of bloggers say something like “Check the zip code for Beverly Hills” or something similar. I think that’s what the RedPlum rep was talking about. I’ve nosed around in other zip codes’ coupon offerings, and they usually have products that I’ve not even heard of mixed with the same ones that I see on my zip code. So I’m sure that some of the products are only available in those areas. I just thought it was an interesting topic! 🙂