Who doesn't love free money?
Well, coupon codes are basically that: free money. When you shop online, you can instantly reduce your total purchase price by 20%, 30% or even more by simply entering that secret combination of letters (like "SAVE20" or "WELCOME50") during checkout.
No wonder promo codes have become so popular among shoppers.
However, finding a working discount code can be a challenge. Depending on the store, it is often very difficult to find a coupon code that actually works.
This guide is written for those shoppers who might be a bit obsessed with finding that working discount code. If you're willing to spend a few extra minutes looking for that magic code, bookmark this guide now. We've written the most comprehensive guide to finding working coupon codes and detailed strategies you won't find anywhere else.
Our mission at SimplyCodes is to help shoppers like you find discount codes that work, especially for hard-to-find stores. We wrote this guide to share our expertise in the field and to enlighten you on this under-discussed topic.
Basic strategies for finding coupon codes
If you are new to finding coupon codes, here are the easiest and most proven ways to find discount codes.
Google search
The easiest way to find discount codes is to do a quick Google search. For example, if you are looking for a coupon code for Pizza Hut, just go togoogle.comand look for "Pizza Hut Promo Code". You will see a list of websites that may offer Pizza Hut promo codes. Open the first one and try to find a working code. If that fails, try the next site, and so on.
This is the most common way to find coupon codes for a specific store. It can work in many cases, but sometimes no codes work. The main disadvantage with this method is the time it takes to try out a bunch of coupon codes, many of which may have expired or just not work.
Coupon Toolbars and Extensions
When it comes to finding coupon codes during the checkout process, many shoppers prefer the convenience of a browser extension. (Studies show that one in 12 customers looks for a discount code during the checkout process, so browser extensions are a real time-saver.) These are plugins that you can install on your browser, such as Chrome or Safari, that help you to promote Find codes while shopping online. Extensions like these (examples include Honey and SimplyCodes) will pop up a window while you're shopping on, say, Pizza Hut's website and automatically try to find a working coupon code for you.
To use a coupon extension, simply go to the extension store or gallery for your browser (egChrome-Shop, theFirefox-Add-ons-Shop, or select Safari Extensions from the Safari menu) and search for "Coupons" and you will see the options. Starting with iOS 15, Apple even started offering theseiOS Safari Extensions— Now you can also shop on mobile devices with coupons for easy access.
coupon sites
For the more motivated coupon seeker, you can take it a step further and bookmark some of the most popular and reliable coupon websites and search for codes there. Although there are many coupon websites online, stick with the most trusted brands as they tend to have more coupon codes for more stores and are better at filtering out expired codes.
Some of the most reliable coupon websites include:
- RetailMeNot
- Angebote.com
- Smooth offers
No coupon website is perfect and different discount codes are listed on the websites. You will also come across expired codes or codes that do not work for specific items that you are trying to purchase. Since many codes expire quickly and many have detailed limitations, finding a code that works can take some work.
On-store strategies for finding discount codes
A little-known strategy for finding discount codes that work is to search directly on the retailer's website. Often the coupon code you're looking for is right under your nose (especially on public holidays, as we found during our feature onFather's Day gifts). Use these techniques to find out where to find these offer codes right on each store's website.
Shop's own coupon page
What many people don't realize is that retailers often maintain their own coupon page right on their website. Sometimes that page is just hard to find or bury, so you may need to search the site header or footer at the bottom of the page for a link that says something like this:
- coupons
- Promotions
- special offers
Here is an example for Sears, you can find the deals and coupon pages in the site header:
In other cases, the store might actually be promoting a promo code on their main homepage, but we can overlook these as they often resemble advertisements. Scan the retailer's homepage for mentions of discount codes or coupons and you can often find one.
Subscribe to Newsletter
At many stores, you can often get a working discount code simply by signing up for their newsletter. Many retailers want to encourage shoppers to sign up for their newsletter, so they offer a discount code as a reward. These codes are usually personalized for you and consist of a long string of numbers like "WELCOME-AXS2883" and unlock a discount on a single purchase (after which they cannot be used).
To try and get a newsletter signup promo code, simply locate the newsletter signup box on the retailer's website (you can usually find it in the website footer at the bottom of the page) and enter your email address. Here is an example of a newsletter signup box on Revolve.com:
After signing up, check your email to see if you received your code.
Live-Chat
Another advanced technique for getting coupon codes is to chat with a customer service representative on the retailer's website. You'll often see a "live chat" link or even a pop-up chat window that appears on many ecommerce websites.
Sometimes if you ask an agent if they have discount codes available today, you'll get one. Nowadays retailers don't want to lose customers once they arrive on their website so they offer discount codes to motivate a shopper who is on the fence to complete their purchase. You can use this to your advantage when shopping online.
Exit your shopping cart
This strategy may sound strange, but it works sometimes. For retailers, losing a potential buyer is their worst nightmare, even after they've filled their shopping cart with items. As such, some stores have developed strategies to recoup those cart-abandoned shoppers with discount codes — and thatStatistics on coupons and discountsprove that they are worthwhile for this business.
To try this strategy, simply shop as usual on the retailer's website and add items to your shopping cart. Go through the ordering process and then register on the site (that way they have your email address). Then close your browser window and leave your shopping cart. Wait a day or so to see if the store emails you and asks you to complete your purchase. Is there a coupon code in this email? success if yes!
Using social media to find coupon codes
Brands use social media to promote products and offers, and with the right strategies, you can sometimes find working code by searching social media.
Smooth offers
Slickdeals is a very popular forum where people share and discuss deals. There are thousands of deals and coupon codes listed in Slickdeals, but the downside is that it's organized as a forum - broken up into chaotic discussion threads, and finding a specific deal can be difficult if not impossible.
Luckily, you can use Google search operators as shortcuts to navigate Slickdeals more efficiently. For example, you can search google "site:slickdeals.net nike promo code" to try and find all current Nike promo code threads listed on Slickdeals.
A lot of people don't know this, but Reddit can be a great source for promo codes. Reddit is so big with so many topics that you can often find people discussing coupon codes for specific stores.
Just like Slickdeals, you can use some handy Google search operators to find promo codes for specific stores. Here is an example Nike coupon code: "site:reddit.com Nike coupon code"
Twitter can be a source of discount codes in certain cases. Some brands actively use Twitter to promote deals and tweet discount codes directly on the platform. Other times, you can find influencers or publishers tweeting discount codes or referral codes on Twitter.
To look for discount codes on Twitter, just go totwitter.comThen use the search bar to look for the retailer's coupon codes. Here is an example of Grubhub:
It's best to use the Recent tab to find the most recently posted tweets.
Youtube
Depending on which retailer you are looking for discount codes for, YouTube can be a useful tool for finding codes. Just search "brandname promo code" on youtube.com and filter the results. Brands often post videos that include offer codes, and creators often receive referral codes from brands to post along with their videos. Here is an example YouTube search for Sephora coupon codes:
You should probably focus on videos that have been posted in the past few weeks to maximize your chances of finding a working discount code.
Advanced strategies for finding working coupon codes with SimplyCodes
SimplyCodes is the expert tool for finding coupon codes. With over 5 million coupon codes in our database, we focus on making sure we have the most effective discount codes for each retailer compared to our competitors. We also offer advanced tools to help you find working discount codes, especially in those cases where other tools may not reach you.
SimplyCodes coupon extension
When using other toolbars, we were frustrated that they often didn't work - no discounts found. Indeed, in many of these cases, if we spent a little more time researching(using code finding techniques mentioned in this article), we were actually able to find a working discount code.
The fact is, many coupon toolbars work for a limited number of stores, often stores that the toolbar company partners with. SimplyCodes lists codes for every retailer in the US, even small and startups - and we're adding hundreds of new stores every day to make sure we have a code available every time we shop.
In fact, SimplyCodes currently has working discount codes for over 40,000 merchants, which is far more than any competing extension.
To try it out, just install it on your favorite browser. SimplyCodes notifies you when shopping online as soon as a code becomes available.
Recently expired coupon codes
At SimplyCodes we provide you with a complete list of all promo codes for a specific store, including recently expired codes. Why are we showing you this? Because sometimes these codes can still work. Often a coupon code has passed its expiration date, but due to an inconsistency or even an error, the code can still unlock a discount on the retailer's website.
For all US brands, you can find a full list of their recently expired codes here on SimplyCodes. Here is an example ofdestination codes:
To find this list for any retailer, simply search for any brand's name on SimplyCodes and navigate to the store's page. Then scroll down and you will find a complete list of this store's recently expired promo codes. You can even see screenshots showing buyers' recent attempts to use each code. This way you can see where to enter the discount code and check what dates the codes last worked.
Common coupon phrases
Did you know that the coupon phrase "WELCOME10" is the most used coupon code at retailers in the US? The code "WELCOME10" has been used by over 6,500 brands to unlock discounts of 10% or more.
With Mother's Day just around the corner, did you know that the coupon phrase "MOM" is the most common coupon code that works? Nearly 1,000 brands use this code for discounts during Mother's Day shopping season.
Knowing the most common coupon words like these is an expert strategy that can help you find a working promo code on those rare occasions when none can be found. Luckily we created oneDatabase of over 1 million popular coupon codeswhich you can browse next time you need to find working code.
Even better, here at SimplyCodes we also curate the most popular coupon phrases specific to each retailer. Want to know what Macy's coupon phrases are used most often? An updated list can be found here on SimplyCodes, just navigate toMacy's coupon pageand scroll down until you see:
We provide a real-time updated list of popular promo code words used by all brands. Just search for the brand name here on SimplyCodes to find their listing.
One-time discount codes
If you search your inbox, you will usually find a bunch of one-time use discount codes sent to you by various retailers. Brands send these coupon codes to customers and subscribers to encourage them to shop on their site again. Most of the time, however, these valuable discount codes simply lie unused in your inbox or spam folder.
On SimplyCodes our members can share their unused codesOne-time use voucher codesand collect points for it. As a result, we've collected millions of one-time codes for thousands of US merchants, all of which you can use when you need them.
To find disposable codes for any brand, just find their page here on SimplyCodes. Scroll down until you see the one-time code section, like this example forAdidas:
Just click to copy a code and enter it during checkout. Sometimes you need to try some codes because another member may have already used a certain code (and they only work once). Our system tries its best to remove used codes, but you may have to copy and paste some to find one that works.