I have heard what is a catalina? Is that a type of dressing? You use a cat at the grocery store? Huh.
The questions surrounding catalinas are funny. It is quite an odd word. So here is my “oh I get it” description of a Catalina.
What exactly is catalina?
The catalina is just this – a coupon that you get at checkout. So when you get your receipt you receive a “checkout coupon” a.k.a. catalina. A purchase of particular items will trigger the catalina to print.
Where does a catalina come from?
The catalina coupon prints out from the catalina machine at the register. (Be sure to check the machine to see if the coupons have printed.) See Photo so you can recognize them in the store. They are little boxes that are next to the register. Make sure your catalina box has a green light on if you are using self checkout. They will print out after you pay for bill.
What are the catalina’s good for?
It depends. Some Catalina’s are good for any purchase. So basically, if it is $2.00 off your next order, you can use it towards any purchase.
There are some exceptions for this. Some companies do not allow you to use the catalina to “roll” or to use on the same product purchase. For example, P&G often has a $10.00 off your next order, but it is NOT good on P&G products.
Most catalinas have a store on them and can only be used at that particular store.
There are some coupons that come out of the catalina machine that are manufacturer coupons and sometimes that are specific to that store.
What if my catalina didn’t print?
Try going to the customer service desk first. Sometimes they will just give you cash back on the order. Another alternative is calling 1-888-8COUPON . You may have to leave a message.
Go ahead and leave comment with your catalina questions and I will update the post with the answers.
beatrice rosario says
what is P&G coupon where can i get them?
diane says
I was wondering if I can you get the same catalina more than once? Like if it’s buy 4 boxes of cereal get $6 off plus a coupon for free milk on next order, can I buy 8 boxes of cereal and get $12 off and 2 milk coupons? Thanks!
Alice Ko says
@diane,
you can usually do that, as long as the store doesn’t state there is a limit per transaction. usually you can do as many as you want, as long as you purchase the cereal (or whatever) in multiples of (in your case) 4. i would ask the cashier just to make sure :-)
Jeni says
Can you tell me how I can find a listing of items on sale with Catlalina coupons? It seems I never know when I am getting them.
Jeni says
I’d like to know where to find the listing of those items available through Catalina. I’ve searched their website and don’t see it. I usually find them accidently as I go through the store.
jenn says
How can I earn Catalina coupons?
Anonymous says
they wont give you cash back, but you should get the item for free. i do this all the time!
Janis Comstock says
The best one I ever got was when my eye doctor told me to use Blink eye drops. That week, if you bought a bottle, you received the EXACT equivalent in register rewards, which DID rollover, as long as an additional item of any amount was purchased simultaneously.
P.S. I just took the $8 Dulcolax Balance coupon to Walgreens, where it’s on sale for $5.99 and the mgr. would not give it to me free. I told him about the new Walgreens national policy, which has been umpteen other stores’ policy for eons, but he told me that if a coupon exceeds an item’s price, that you do NOT get it for free. What should I now do? He would not give me the district mgr.’s name.
ChristineKH says
FYI – Catalina refers to the marketing company that came up with this idea and who “invented” coupons – Catalina Marketing. http://www.catalinamarketing.com/
Andrea says
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
Sue says
Thank you! I’m new to this and didn’t know I could make a call when my catalina didn’t print. I made the call and the customer rep. was very helpful.
Linda Griggs says
I have noticed that when I use the self-checkout & write a check there are no catalina coupons because your receipt comes from the helper at the self-checkout. Why is this?
Shannon says
@Linda Griggs,
Linda, I have no idea, unfortunately. I have no wrote a check in the store in about 10 years. :)
Alice Ko says
@Linda Griggs,
then go to an actual register.
if the self-checkout doesn’t take checks, don’t go there! you just become a burden on the attendent, who has real problems to take care of.
Lana says
Not sure about the catalina. I would ask the attendant. They are there to help the customers just as a regular cashier . They can just help more because they are not ringing and bagging they are completing the sales and addressing issues only. You are never a burden on an employee being paid to take care of a customer.
Allison says
Shannon,
Thank you so much! I’m learning a tremendous amount from your site daily, and my fiance is VERY excited about our now-lowering costs of things! : ) Thanks again for all the great stuff you do!
Allison says
Hi! I am a coupon newbie, by far. My fiance and I are planning/paying for our wedding in just a few months and, obviously, the less we have to pay for things the better! Anyway, I was just reading about Catalinas and was wondering: Is there a way to know what items will trigger a catalina to print out? Is it just for a certain amount, do you have to buy a certain product? Sorry if it’s a dorky question, but I really have no idea. Thanks! Allison
Shannon says
@Allison,
No question is DORKY! Plus, I am a total dork, so I love dorky questions! :)
You can find most catalinas in ad or in the store on tags. Some catalinas are national and will be listed across the country.
Alice Ko says
@Allison,
usually if the store says you get something in return for buying certain products (for instance free milk or $2.00 off your next shopping trip) it will be in the form of a catalina coupon :-)
ann says
does Winn Dixie have these?
ted hurley says
Bad experience trying to use free redbox rental with coupons from kroger. The code does not work. Tried contacting redbox amg kroger. Redbox gave me number of carolina marketing who after giving all the info said he would call me back. He did with another code which of course also did not work. Instead of calling carolina m back and spend 40 minuted on the phome I tried emailing with an email address that was on their answering machine and of course it did’nt work either. Looks like redbox anf kroger have gotten in bed with the wrong marketing co,
Reply
SKIZZATT says
That is the first time I ever heard that name for the coupon.
I thought it had something to do with salad dressing.
What a weird name!
Shannon says
Hehe the company is called Catalina Marketing. Funny you know so many people have said that.
Susan says
Shannon, Does our Walmart print these out if I buy the cereal? thats a great deal if it does. Thanks
Shannon says
Susan,
No :( Walmart doesn’t participate in them.
Sheila B says
Thank you for explaining. I never knew what that thingy was called. But I do love when it goes nuts after a grocery shopping trip.Sometimes my haul is as tall as I am.
traci s says
ok i know this is going to sound stupid but how do i get the kelloggs coupon/catalina?
Melanie says
Does anyone know how to get the catalina offers for a particular store? I would buy one more can of Pillsbury biscuits if it meant I would receive a catalina coupon.
Thanks
Shannon says
Melanie,
There isnt really a comprehensive list.
Alison says
I love the catalinas but I am confused on the promotions for different stores. Sometimes I get something from Harris Teeter and the same promotion is good at Giant and Safeway and others are not good at the other stores. I know that it is the same company that prints the coupons but how do you find out what stores they are good at?
Lydia says
Hey, that is good to know. I don’t want to do anything dishonest and I would hate if a store didn’t get reimbursed for the coupon. I did ask at Giant before I used it and they said as long as it has an address on the coupon saying where to mail it is fine. Maybe they aren’t totally informed of all the “rule”?
Shannon says
Lydia,
Just note the bottom — I know you wouldn’t want to be dishonest.
Sarah Coulsey says
Oh thank you thank you thank you!!! I have read that word numerous times, and was too lazy to find out what it ment!!! Thank you for answering my question, even though I was too lazy to ask it!
Sarah
Anonymous says
I would like to know the answer to Michelle’s question too.
Shannon says
Answered.
Shannon
MandM says
When I first started learning the RR system at Wags and didn’t realize that you could not roll RR (which are catalinas), many did not print for me. I simply called Catalina Marketing each time, gave them the receipt information and they sent a RR. It takes some time though – – I would say about 10-12 weeks….but I always eventually got it, and the new RR has a better expiration date (about 4 weeks later vs WAGs typical expiration which is 2 weeks out after it’s printed). Hope this makes sense. Good luck!
Samantha (Savings Cravings) says
Also if anyone is interested, the origin of the ‘Catalina’ name is because of the company Catalina Marketing that runs most (if not all) of the Checkout Coupons.
Brianna says
Most of our local stores won’t accept a cat from another store, even if it is a manufacturer coupon, but Wal-mart will!
Shannon says
Even our Walmart won’t . Some even say only to be redeemed at X store, so this is a YMMV thing too :)
Anonymous says
I appreciate this post too- most helpful!
Jennifer says
This may be a little off topic, but I went to Genuardi’s yesterday to do the Bounty/Charmin catalina deal and my P&G esaver coupons didn’t come off (I had loaded them onto my card earlier that day, but apparently they were still “pending store approval.”) I was a little bummed to be paying $6 more than what I had expected, but I figure that $4.50ish per package was still a good bargain since they normally sell for $15-$16 each.
My question is this: Have you ever had this happen to you (where the esaver amount is not deducted) and do you know if P&G offers any kind of rebate if this happens–or in my case doesn’t happen–when making a purchase like this?
Thanks for any advice, and thanks so much for all of the valuable information you provide here!
Shannon says
Jennifer,
See all the comments here..http://www.forthemommas.com/deals-and-steals/genuardissafeway-bounty-charmin-deal
This should help.
Shannon
Michelle says
oops! that was suppose to be GREAT post! (not “get”)
Michelle says
Get post! I just have one question, can you use a catalina MF coupon with other MF coupons for the same item (i.e. I have a buy 5 GM cereal catalina coupon get $2 off can I combine this with my other GM cereal MF coupons?) Thanks for your help with this!!!
Shannon says
Michelle,
No you cannot per a conversation I had with Catalina in the fall.
They are both considered manufacturer coupons – UNLESS it is Dollar off Dollar orders.
Sorry :)
Erin Hans says
I have had issues with one store printing out the catalina manufacturer coupons which clearly state “MANUFACTURER COUPON” at the top not being accepted at other stores. I guess because they see the logo of the store that originally printed it on the bottom. Still, it is a manufacturer coupon. Anyone else had issues with this?
Shannon says
Erin,
Most of them have really small verbiage that say REDEEM AT: and they are designed to be used at the same store to increase patronage. From what I have read some of the cats are sponsored by the store chain and not the manufacturer.
Lydia says
Great info! You did well at making it simple to understand.
I just wanted to add that if the coupon says Manufacturer’s Coupon at the top some grocery stores will allow you to use it even if it has another store’s logo on it.
For instance, I got a catalina at Weis but was able to use it at Giant, which is where I typically shop.
Shannon says
Lydia,
Becareful with that. Some say on the bottom in very small verbiage that they are only to be redeemed at XXX .
I found out through a conference call with Catalina that some of the promotions are paid by the store and not the manufacturer. Its kinda like the Rite AId coupons that say Manufacturer but are really Rite Aid coupons.