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How to Apply Promo Codes at Checkout, Online and in Apps

How to Apply Promo Codes at Checkout, Online and in Apps

Shopper applying a discount code on his phone

To apply a promo code, add your items to the cart, find the box labeled something like ‘Promo code,’ ‘Add a promo code’ or ‘Apply a coupon,’ type the code exactly as written, and select Apply. Then check that the order summary shows the discount before you pay. The box sits in a slightly different spot at every store, and that is where most people get stuck. This guide shows where it usually hides, how the steps differ in a mobile app, and what to check when a code is rejected.

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TL;DR

  • Add items to the cart first. Most stores only accept a code once an eligible item is in your cart or bag.
  • Look for the code box in the cart, the order summary or the payment step, then type the code exactly as shown and select Apply.
  • Confirm the savings in the order summary before you click Place Order. Some stores will not add a discount after the order is placed.
  • Most stores accept one code per order, and many exclude gift cards, sales tax and some shipping fees.
  • App-only offers need to be used in the retailer’s app. A code that works on the website may not work in the app, and the reverse can also be true.

Table of Contents

The basic steps, in order

The flow is nearly identical across US retailers, even though the labels change. Here is the version that works almost everywhere.

  1. Add eligible items to your cart. Target’s help page says to add items to the cart first and then enter the code. A code with no qualifying item has nothing to attach to.
  2. Open the cart or bag, not just the product page. The code field is almost never on a product page.
  3. Find the code box. Look for ‘Promo code,’ ‘Coupon,’ ‘Discount code’ or ‘Add a promo code.’ The next section lists common locations.
  4. Enter the code exactly as written. Copy and paste where you can. Codes are often case-sensitive in practice, and a trailing space or a stray character copied from a page can break them.
  5. Select Apply (or Redeem). Pressing Enter on your keyboard does not always submit the code.
  6. Check the order summary. You should see a discount line and a lower total. If you do not, the code was not accepted, even if the page did not show an error.
  7. Complete the order only after the discount is visible.

That last step matters. Macy’s says promo codes should be applied before checkout is completed, and that shoppers who forgot should contact Customer Care to see if help is available. Help after the fact is never guaranteed.

Where to enter a promo code or coupon code

The box is in one of three places: the cart page, the order summary beside the checkout form, or the payment step. These real examples show how much the placement varies.

Store Where the code goes Button
Target (website) Above the Order Summary, under ‘Potential savings’ Apply or Redeem
Target (app) ‘Add promo code’ under ‘Potential savings’ Apply or Redeem
Macy’s Shopping Bag, in the ‘Enter promo code’ field Apply
Walgreens Shopping Cart page, in the ‘Promo Codes & Coupons’ field Apply
REI Order summary, behind ‘Apply a coupon’ Apply
UNIQLO US Shopping cart screen, under ‘Coupon’ Apply
Kate Spade Outlet Shopping bag, ‘apply promo’ button, or the payment section Apply
Google Store Bottom of the checkout screen, ‘Add a promo code’ Apply
Shop (Shop Pay) At checkout, ‘Add a discount code or gift card’ Apply

The sources for the table are each store’s own help pages: Target, Macy’s, Walgreens, REI, UNIQLO US, Kate Spade Outlet, Google Store and Shop.

Three quirks worth knowing

The box may be collapsed. REI, for example, hides it behind a link you click first. If you see no field, look for a short line of text such as ‘Apply a coupon’ or ‘Have a promo code?’

Gift cards often have their own box. REI says Member Bonus Card or gift card codes belong in a separate ‘Apply gift card or bonus card’ box, not the coupon field. Pasting a gift card number into the promo field is a common reason for an error.

Some stores let you apply at the payment step. Kate Spade Outlet lets you apply a code during checkout in the payment section by checking a ‘use promo code’ box. If you missed the field in the bag, check there.

If a store uses a box labeled for a selectable coupon instead of a typed code, as UNIQLO does, you pick the coupon from a list rather than typing anything. UNIQLO also says coupons are not applied automatically, so you have to select one yourself.

Four ways coupon entry can vary at checkout

How to use coupons in a store’s mobile app

The steps in an app match the website, but the screens are laid out differently. The code box is usually in one of two places: the cart, or the final review screen.

  • Target app: open the cart and tap ‘Add promo code’ under ‘Potential savings,’ as Target describes.
  • Faire app: go to the cart, continue to checkout, and look for the ‘Promo code’ field under ‘Review your order.’ On the website the same field sits under the Order summary, according to Faire’s help center.
  • Shop app: during checkout, tap ‘Add a discount code or gift card,’ enter the code and tap Apply.

After you tap Apply, scroll to the order summary and confirm the discount line. Apps tend to show a small banner for a second or two and then move on, so it is easy to miss.

App-exclusive discounts and mobile coupons versus desktop

Some offers exist only in the app. Macy’s defines app-only offers as promotions available exclusively through its mobile app, and says you must shop through the app to get the discount. Eligible products, exclusions and requirements vary by promotion.

So what does that mean for you?

  • If a code is described as app-only, entering it on the website will not work. Open the app, add the items there and apply it in the cart.
  • If a code has no channel restriction, it should work on both. Macy’s lists a shopping-channel limit among the reasons a discount may not apply, so check the wording when a code works in one place and fails in the other.
  • Some app offers are tied to a new account. UNIQLO says first-time app downloaders who register receive a Welcome Coupon for $5 off purchases of $50 or more, and acquired coupons appear in the ‘Coupons’ section of the membership page. Policies like this can change, so confirm the current offer in the app itself.

There is no general rule that mobile coupons beat desktop ones, or the reverse. The offer’s own terms decide, and the cart will tell you whether it applied.

How to confirm the discount before you pay

A code that is typed but not applied saves you nothing, so verify it every time. Look for these signs.

  • A discount line in the order summary. Walgreens says the discounted price shows at checkout and in the Order Summary under Promotions applied to your order.
  • A confirmation near the code box. Faire says an accepted code shows in the order summary and again below the promo code field.
  • A changed total. Shef’s help page says that if the discount is not reflected in the order subtotal, the code was not applied.

Walgreens adds a small but useful detail: click the Apply link before you select Proceed to Checkout. If you type the code and click straight through, it may never be submitted.

If the total does not move, do not place the order hoping it will adjust later. Fix it first.

Why a promo code is not working

A rejected code is rarely random. Almost every failure comes from a short list of causes. Go through them in this order, from the quickest check to the slowest.

  1. A typo or an extra character. Gift Card Granny’s help page says to confirm the code was entered exactly as shown, including letters, numbers and special characters. It also suggests refreshing the page and entering the code again.
  2. The code has expired. Even a code that still looks valid on a coupon page can be past its end date. Our guide on expired promo codes explains when a lapsed code can still work.
  3. A minimum spend that was not met. Macy’s lists an unmet minimum purchase among the reasons a discount fails to apply. Compare your basket total to the threshold in the offer. The gap between the headline and the threshold is where it stings.
  4. An excluded item or brand. The same Macy’s page lists exclusions. A code can apply to part of your cart and ignore the rest. Our explainer on coupon fine print breaks down what common exclusions mean, and the page on clearance and coupons covers markdowns specifically.
  5. Another code is already applied. Faire allows one promo code per order at a time, Google Store allows one code per order and does not combine codes with other promotions, and Shop allows one discount code per order. Target says some offers require only one code. Read our guide to coupon stacking online for how stores differ.
  6. A one-use limit. Gift Card Granny says to check whether the code is limited to one use per customer or account. Faire says a code may fail because it was already applied to a previous order.
  7. The wrong channel. App-only offers need the app, as covered above.
  8. Your location or account. Google Store says the user must be 18 or older and live in the country where the offer is valid. Our piece on regional restrictions on coupons explains why one shopper’s code fails for another.
  9. A product type that is excluded. Target says codes do not apply to sales tax or gift cards, and may not apply to some shipping and handling fees. Walgreens says promo codes cannot be used toward gift card purchases. UNIQLO excludes gift cards and alteration fees.

If you worked through the list and the code still fails, contact the retailer’s customer care before you order. Do not ask them to fix it afterward unless you have to.

What if you forgot to apply a code?

Act fast. Macy’s says to contact Customer Care to see if help is available. Faire says brands can add promotions to orders that have not shipped yet, so shoppers who forgot should message the brand through Faire Messenger as soon as possible. UNIQLO notes that if you cancel your order within 30 minutes, the coupon is reissued, though it will not be reissued if the product is returned to the warehouse for customer-related reasons like a missed pick-up deadline.

These policies belong to each store. Neither a coupon site nor a help article can promise an adjustment.

Our view: verified codes save you the guesswork

We hear the same complaint from shoppers again and again: they did everything right at checkout and the code still failed. In many cases the problem was never the steps. It was the code.

That is why we check each code before we publish it. Our editors look at the store, whether the code is valid and what the discount actually covers. We believe a short list of codes you can trust beats a long list of codes you have to test one by one at the register.

The mechanics above will get you through any checkout. A verified code with its terms in plain sight, such as the minimum spend, the exclusions and the end date, gives you the other half of the job. Read the terms first, apply the code second, and confirm the discount third.

CouponHub Team

Find a verified code, then apply it

When you are ready to shop, start with a code that has been reviewed. CouponHub gathers discount codes for over 3,000 online stores, and each one is verified before it is published. You can browse by store, by category or by how recently a code was added.

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Search your store on CouponHub, copy the code, and follow the steps in this guide at checkout. If you want a quick look at what is new, our daily coupon picks page is a good place to start, and our free games are there if you want a break from browsing. For a broader walkthrough of saving online, read our online couponing guide.

A pre-checkout routine that takes two minutes

If you do this each time, you will rarely lose a discount.

  1. Read the offer terms before you shop: minimum spend, excluded brands, end date and channel (website, app or both).
  2. Check that the cart total clears the minimum after removing anything excluded.
  3. Make sure you are not in the wrong place: app-only offers belong in the app.
  4. Copy the code instead of retyping it.
  5. Apply it in the code box, not the gift card box.
  6. Confirm the discount line and the new total.
  7. Only then enter payment details and place the order.

If you collect codes regularly, our guides on how to find promo codes that actually work and on exclusive promo codes will help you spot good ones sooner.

FAQ

Where do I enter a promo code at checkout?

Usually in the shopping cart or bag, or in the order summary beside the checkout form. Look for a box or link labeled ‘Promo code,’ ‘Coupon’ or ‘Add a discount code.’ Some stores, such as Kate Spade Outlet, also allow it in the payment section.

Can I use more than one promo code on an order?

Usually not. Google Store, Shop and Faire each allow one promo or discount code per order. Target says some offers require a single code, though it also lets you enter additional codes one at a time on eligible orders. Shop does allow a discount code together with a gift card.

Why does my code say it is valid but the total does not change?

The most likely cause is that the order does not meet the terms: the minimum spend is not reached, an item is excluded, or the offer is limited to the app or to one use. Check the order summary for a discount line, and reread the terms of the offer.

Do promo codes work on gift cards, tax and shipping?

Generally not on gift cards or sales tax. Target says codes do not apply to either and may not apply to some shipping and handling fees. Walgreens and UNIQLO also exclude gift card purchases.

Do I need the app to use a mobile coupon?

Only for offers that say they are app-only. Macy’s describes such promotions as available exclusively through its app. Other codes work on the website and in the app, so the offer’s terms are the thing to read.

Sources