Ever notice that when you walk into a grocery store with a big stack of coupons, you always get the feeling you’re going to get a hard time from the cashier? I get that feeling every time. I can look at a line of cashiers and tell immediately who is going to give me a hard time. I suppose they somehow feel that you’re getting too good of a deal – “getting over” on them. If you have ever been in line and had a fast talking cashier tell you that your coupons are invalid or that you simply misunderstood how the coupon works, join the club! My advice is to know the coupons inside and out before you leave for the store, particularly if the coupons are conditional and require multiple purchases. There are other strategies but generally the best one is to be detailed, polite, and street smart.

Here are tips to get the cashier on your side or to win at using coupons:

• Immediately strike up a conversation with the cashier. Don’t be skeptical about personal relationships, particularly if you are a regular customer.
• Put your “free” items at the back of the conveyor belt so that the cashier doesn’t have to look these up – the cashiers appreciate this. Tell them you did it as well.
• Keep track of the type of cashier that you work with the best. I recommend going through the high school kid’s line. The high school kids don’t care a lot about your coupons. Other than young kids, there is no profile of age, gender or race that is the best. It has to do with your personality. It’s worth standing in a longer line if you know there is a cooperative cashier who you’ve worked with before.
• Put your coupons in order so that the bar codes face the same way. Cashiers appreciate this.
• Know your coupons! Know how they work. Know your store’s coupon policy. If the cashier encounters any problem, their tendency is to try to bamboozle you into not using them. Make sure they know you’re going to stand there until it’s done right. In other words, have a winning mentality.
• Do not raise your voice. Don’t start a war with a cashier. If there is a problem, make sure they know you’ll wait patiently until a manager comes to solve the problem. This is another good strategy.  
• If all else fails, ask that the item be removed from your grocery order. I have found that the prospect of the cashier having to replace an item or multiple items on the shelf inspires a new attitude regarding my coupons and “working it out.” No employee, particularly at local stores, wants to explain to management why a customer is buying less or why a customer is unhappy. 
• Remember that you are a regular customer and your business is valued by the store management. You are important and have power. This is particularly true if you aren’t just coming in for coupon items and you’ve got a basket full of other stuff. The store gets reimbursed for your coupons!