This topic dives deep and stores policies may vary; I can't guarantee your experience will be exactly as outlined when working with Buy One, Get One Free coupons and sales, but at least I can help inform you on how they should work.

Common question:
I’m confused by the BOGO sales when they are matched up with BOGO coupons, how do the items come out free?

Let's start with the background info on how stores work. As I explained in my first ABC's of couponing post, stores get paid the full price of a scanned manufacturer coupon. But if a store has a sale or coupon that it releases, this is called a store coupon. This coupon doesn't get reimbursed - it is a form of advertising for the store.

If a store has a BOGO free sale (or store coupon), they are "taking the loss" so to speak on the free item. If you hand them a manufacturer coupon for a BOGO free item during their BOGO free sale, it doesn't affect the amount of money the store makes. Because the manufacturer reimburses them for the coupon.

True BOGO Free Sales:
At most stores, if a sale is buy one get one free, you purchase one and the other is free. So if you use a BOGO free coupon on top of the sale, both products end up free. The store gets reimbursed for the manufacturer coupon and the transaction is still profitable for the store! Even though you didn't pay money out of your pocket.

However, not all stores ring up BOGO free store sales (or store coupons) this way. Some insist that you must pay for one item in order to use your BOGO free coupon. Rather than giving you both items for free, you buy one and then receive two free (one free for the coupon and one free for their sale).

Non-True BOGO Free Sales:
Certain stores have BOGO free sales, but you don't have to buy 2 to get the sale price. You purchase one, and it rings up half price. Some examples of stores that work this way are Publix (except Florida locations, which are true BOGO sales), Bi-Lo, and Harris Teeter to name a few. If you use a BOGO free coupon with a BOGO free sale at these places, you will pay half price for one item and get the other item free.

Can I use two BOGO Free Manufacturer's coupons for two items?
No - if you have two BOGO free coupons, you'd have to purchase 4 items to use them both.

Can you use two manufacturer coupons on a buy one get one free store promotion?
Yes! Even if the store is giving one away for free, you can still use a coupon on it! So if you have two $1 off one item coupons, you could use both of them on a BOGO free sale! You just couldn't use two BOGO free coupons. (This may not work at every store so check store policies)

How does using a BOGO free coupon on BOGO half off sale work?
If you purchase two items that are $4, the store would ring up one item as $2. Then when the cashier scans your BOGO free coupon, it may only take off $2 for the cheaper item you bought. Other stores will take off the full $4. It depends on how your cashier rings you up.

Hope that helps you understand BOGO Stacking!!

Deidre is a wife, a mother, and a little Cuckoo for Coupon Deals! She loves finding in-store deals and posting pictures on her site so you can find the deals too. She also streams her free online coupon training courses - email her if you have a question you want answered in her next class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EER7DDLA4hw

I did this for the first time today on Swiss Miss. I had a BOGO and they had a peelie on each one for 55c/1. I gave them everything and all 3 came off. I wasn't sure if they all would, but it went through fine!

I tried to do a bogo sale at walgreens with a bogo coupon and the manager snapped and got loud in front of a store full of customers about how i was committing coupon fraud. i was only "buying" 2 body washes, but still, she flipped out. i contacted the company, and surprise surprise - no response. don't know if i'll try this again anytime soon.

Shelf clearing isn't as rampant as it's rumored to be.
Use Swagbucks to pay for Christmas - http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Jennifer1

Thanks!!

If you had a B1G1 coupon then you should have only been able to use one of the $0.55/1. You only got 2 items and you can only use one manufatured coupon per item. The B1G1 covers one of the items and the $0.55/1 would have covered the 2 item you got. If it was a store deal for the B1G1 then you could have used both of your $0.55/1 coupons... HTH

I have had two bad experiences using coupons at Walgreens......but I will not be stopped! I have seen some awesome results since I began using coupons a few weeks ago and I am on a mission to build a stockplie for me, my family and friends and any strangers who may be in need. Hang in there......

This is definitely one of the main areas I've even had a hard time figuring out. So glad to have a great folks that can explain things very easily & understandably. I'm going to get this down pat soon I know! Thanks Nathan!

It depends on the walgreens you go to and the cashier that you have I love my walgreens cashier she is very nice and I took my clean and clear BOGO coupon in and this was my first time using the bogo sale and my bogo coupon and I was full of butterflies but she scanned it and no problems it was wonderful I totally recommend getting to know the cashier at walgreens so they know you and your couponing and it won't be a shock to their system I go to our walgreens a lot and I know two of the cashiers and our CVS is the same I get to know the cashiers everywhere I go this way they aren't glaring at me when I hand over the coupons lol I have ran into a lot of grumpy cashiers because they do not like coupons who doesn't like coupons one day they too will see the light of couponing =)

I needed that info

I did the b1g1 deal at walgreens with the bodywash yesterday. The cashier said that he couldn't do it. I had a previous unrelated experience with Walgreens and spoke to corporate and the rep at corporate told me to keep my policy with the corporate phone number written on it on hand whenever I go into the store. So I called corporate after the rep told me I couldn't do the b1g1 deal. Corporate said that I most certainly can do the b1g1 deal and they would contact management. I went back into the store spoke to management and she said I could do it and kind of rolled her eyes at the cashier. She looked at him like she wanted to say I couldn't believe he said that. In the interim another manager called me from the same store today and told me that corporate contacted her and she was sorry and she informed her cashiers that they can do a b1g1 sale and a b1g1 coupon. I would just say keep your policy with the phone number on hand per corporate. Corporate also told me that I should call them while I am in the store so they can try to call the store while I am there.