Is it a Good Idea to Buy Coupons Online?

There are many different reasons that people purchase coupons online. Technically, they are paying a clipping fee and not necessarily buying the coupons because it is illegal to sell coupons anywhere. They are supposed to be free.

Most extreme couponers buy coupons online on a regular basis. They are able to scan their local sale ads to determine which items are the best deals then go to their coupon clipping seller and purchase only the coupons that they want or need for that particular sale. It can save time that would be spent clipping the number of coupons they have determined they need to add that product to their stockpile.

If there is a reason that a couponer can not make it out to purchase their newspaper(s), they won't have to miss out on any of the deals. Some clipping services offer entire uncut inserts for purchase. The couponer can easily purchase the inserts that were missed the previous week.

Some couponers purchase grocery coupons online because the coupon was not released in their area or it may be a considerably higher value. Some coupons for groceries and other items are regional which means the coupon may be included in the inserts that are put out in Illinois but that same coupons may be missing from the insert in California or may be double the value in Indiana.

Others purchase coupons online in lieu of buying any newspapers at all. They do this so they have coupons only for the items that they want.

The popularity of TLC's Extreme Couponing show has created a rise in coupon clipping services and coupon sellers online. There are more options now for buying coupons than ever before.

Ebay- The auction site Ebay has a section specifically for coupon sales. The coupons are auctioned off or listed at the "buy it now" price. Sellers have a lot of the hard to find coupons on the site along with clipped coupons that you see in your weekly inserts. Prices vary by listing type, the popularity and rarity of the coupon and the number of coupons in the lot.

Website Clipping Services- Some coupon sellers have created websites where you can pick and choose your own coupon packages. Some of these sites will allow you to purchase single coupons up to their entire inventory count. The "clipping fee," or price of the coupon, varies by the value of the coupon. They do usually start at 4 cent each and go up from there.

There are certain things that you need to check on before deciding if buying coupons online is a good idea for you. It doesn't matter if you are buying from one of the clipping sites or from a seller on Ebay. With the popularity of couponing, fraud and other problems that can create a not so great experience are out there.

Check Feedback- You want to always check the feedback of the seller or website you are buying your coupons from. Ebay is easy, just click on their feedback number. For a website you will want to visit Google and do a quick search.

Shipping Speed- How are the coupons going to be sent to you? First Class? Priority? Or is the seller going to try and save a buck by sending them Media Mail? Each one of these will make a difference in how long it takes the coupons to arrive. You will also want to watch for a seller or website that charges you for Priority Shipping but sends them Media Mail.

Terms of Service- Most websites have a TOS and most Ebay sellers have their rules written in their auctions. If you are uncomfortable with ANY of these things, move on. Starting a transaction on an uncomfortable note is not going to lead to a good experience.

It depends on you and your personal situation. Some people purchase their grocery coupons online on a regular basis and are very happy with it. Some have tried it and didn't have a good experience.

It's worth a try if there is a specific coupon that you are looking at and are not able to get in your area. Or if you need a larger number of just one coupon. Otherwise you may be better off to stick with the coupons that you receive from your regular sources.