How Tell If A Coupon Is Counterfeit

If you are new to the world of couponing, you need to be aware of counterfit coupons that are available on the internet.  I want to share with you how to avoid getting duped. Please remember:  If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.


The first thing that you need to be aware of is the source of the coupon.  Coupons that come from your Sunday paper have been issued by the manufacturer for various products.  These coupons are more than likely to be legit.

Never pay for coupons from a source that you don't know anything about. I have purchased Sunday paper coupons on Ebay and have had great success. Be careful when you do this, carefully check the feedback on the person that is selling his/her time for clipping the coupons.  Make sure that there is no coupons printed from the internet.

You can check the validity of a printed coupon here

Please be suspicious of any site you have not used before. When in doubt, ask questions. There are a bunch of coupon forums that you can join to ask other more experienced couponers if this site is legit. Some of the forums are: Coupon Mom and Hot Coupon World

You can trust coupons that are issued directly from the manufacturers site. This is a sure fire way to know that the coupon is legit.

How do you tell a coupon is counterfeit?

The first thing to look for is the bar code. When a coupon is scanned, it is scanned the same way your grocery items are at the check out.  General rule of thumb, no bar code don't use it.

If the savings seem unrealistic, don't use it.  Use your judgement if it seems too good to be true avoid using it.  If you are unsure if the coupon is valid or not, take it to your grocery store and stop by the customer service desk. Ask them to scan it for you. They will be happy to assist you in validating the coupon.

Go online and ask questions. The coupon forums are a great place to ask questions. Find out if anyone else has had issues with this coupon.

A couple of other things you need to ask yourself. What is the origin of the coupon? Did it come directly from the manufacturers site? Did it come from the Sunday paper? If it came from these sources, then it is probably legit.   Did the coupon come from a little known coupon web site? Then I would be a little suspicious.