Are you new to shopping at wholesale clubs? The following 6 tips will help you have a smooth couponing experience and make your cashier happy no matter what warehouse club you shop. BJ’s Wholesale is the only club to accept manufacturer coupons.
Looking back 10 years ago when I first started couponing at BJ’s there were some small errors I continued to make. It took a little bit of practice to remember to always have my membership card out and ready.
I quickly got used to waiting for a cashier to come over for self-checkout to scan my manufacturer coupons. I know in general if you can stay positive and share that energy with the cashiers at wholesale clubs or any store, in general, the entire process will be a pleasant one.
The following tips apply to any wholesale club like Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s but you can also carry these tips over to any of the stores you frequently shop.
Related:
- Check out the current BJ’s Wholesale Club Coupon Deals
- Check out the current Costco Coupon Deals
- Check out the current Sam’s Club Coupon Deals
HAVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD OUT & READY
All cashiers need your membership card before they can start scanning your items. Have it out and ready for them.
This one seems obvious but many times when I first started shopping at the club I would forget about this one little thing.
HAVE YOUR COUPONS ALL OUT AND READY
I go through my coupons a second time while the cashier is scanning me out. That way they can expect to use coupons and I can double check the stacking. Many times I bring in extra coupons in case I think it’s a good deal and skip out on it.
You want to make sure the coupons you have are for items you bought. Many members at BJ’s use coupons so it’s not a shock to see coupons. Have your coupons ready to go and you will make both the cashier and yourself a better experience.
Related:
KNOW THE COUPON POLICY
It is so important to know the coupon policy before you cash out. It is also helpful to know how many barcodes are in the product so you are correctly matching up manufacturer coupons. Of course, we are human and make errors, but the best place to start is using the coupon matchup list we create or checking the barcodes on the Pricebook.
It is helpful to print or save to your phone the official BJ’s Wholesale coupon policy. This way when a cashier questions your coupons you have the policy on hand.
Related:
- What to Do When a Cashier Says You Can’t Use Coupons
- The 6 Most Common Couponing Mistakes Members Make
SMILE & LISTEN
BJ’s members can struggle with using coupons because so many clubs vary in their policy according to the store manager. What I always find helpful is to listen to the cashier first. Sometimes we the member may be wrong. Before you get defensive or embarrassed remember that they are trying to do their job.
Listen first and then proceed with the facts. Sometimes you may need to speak to a manager if they refuse to accept multiple manufacturer coupons when you are following the coupon policy.
REWARD A CASHIER
Have you filled out the survey for BJ’s they offer on every receipt? Have you a chance to win a $500 BJ’s gift card? When you fill out the survey you have the opportunity to give a cashier/store location positive feedback. Working in the retail department for several years the survey results can make a difference in the overall store performance.
How many times are we quick to respond when we have had a negative experience? Instead, try offering a positive experience.
You can always reach out to corporate directly here too.
SHOP DURING NON-PEAK TIMES
Certain BJ’s Wholesale clubs are constantly long lines. This is why offering the scan and go is a great option for many clubs. If you shop at a high volume club try shopping with your coupons after peak hours. The evening after dinnertime always tends to be slower or before 11 am in the mornings.
This way the cashiers won’t feel the pressure from all the other members waiting in line and you can rest assured you aren’t taking up to much time if you need to discuss the coupon policy.
Related:
- Find BJ’s Wholesale Club Store Hours Here
- Find Costco Store Hours Here
- Find Sam’s Club Store Hours Here
GET READY FOR COUPONS TO BEEP AT SELF-CHECKOUT
If you are using self-checkout frequently many times coupons will beep. Plenty of times the BJ’s coupons have beeped and the cashiers will see something about it not being in the system yet, or it didn’t update. It seems their system is either outdated or just not user-friendly.
That doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong. You can rest assured that when even the store coupons are beeping it’s clearly their computer system.
So go in with the intention it may go off and you will need to have a cashier come and override it. Be friendly, smiling and patient.
If you know you have a lot of coupons it’s usually best to just go to a regular cashier lane. Then you don’t need to wait for someone to come over and manually types in the coupons.
Remember BJ’s is the only club that will take manufacturer coupons.
You can use Ibotta & Checkout 51 at Sam’s club and Costco.
What tips do you have for a happier coupon experience?
Costco Full Coupon Matchups & Deals
I am still very new and learning the does and don’ts . Thank you all for the great tips!!!
I keep forgetting about the surveys…aargh!
The digital coupons have made a huge difference in check out for me!
I Really hope this works its my 2nd time trying. Thank you Tasia For the info and the Goals to work towards !!!!!
Very good tips , will use these soon !
I still can’t decide on the instapot. It definitely gets good reviews on this site though. Hey Tasia, thanks for helping me get my week off to a great start. P.S. I’m still waiting for my son’s help!
Great tips. Thank you
Thanks for these tips! I also think leaving positive feedback is just as important as sharing when we have negative experiences!!
All good tips wherever you shop. No reason for anyone to be nasty.
Such great information, thank you!!
That’s a Great goal to work towards Thank you
These are all great tips! Thank you for posting these.
Thank you for this!!
Most of these sound like simple, common sense things, but a surprising number of people forget to do some or all of them. Sometimes, I think people get flustered and overwhelmed by the time they get to the cashier, they forget everything. Having it written out the way it is here is a good way to remember everything.
Thank Nancy. It’s true, simple but forgetful. I was guilty of forgetting to have my membership card out and ready plenty of times.
I had no idea that taking the survey would reward the cashier and store also. I will make it a point to do the survey as often as it allows me to.
You would think having your membership card out and ready would be the first thing people do but I have noticed many do not have it ready when I’m in line for the cashier.
Another helpful tip at check out is to have all the bar codes on the packages facing up for the cashier to see. Makes their job so much easier and faster. Today I did a lighter trip to BJs. I flipped the packages up to show the UPCs and left the items in my cart. The cashier was able to quickly scan the packages. I didn’t have to load them on the belt and she didn’t have to put them back in the cart. Win win!