[LauraO]

If you get the Smartsource coupons out of the blinkie machines at one store, shouldn't you be able to use them at any store? I got some blinkies from Food Maxx, and tried later to use some of them at Winco Foods, and they told me that they were not manufacturer coupons, so they couldn't accept them. I read the coupon, and nowhere on the coupon does it say, "manufacturer coupon."

[Natesmom]

I thought you could use them anywhere too until one day i tried to use one at walmart and they said "oh, we cant take this, this is a Giant Eagle coupon" which is where i got it, but it didnt say that on there?!? I just checked a blinkie coupon i have here and I could not find that it says manufacturer coupon either, never noticed that!

[LauraO]

Right, but they don't have the store names printed on them, and Smartsource is a reputable coupon company, so I am wondering what the problem is, and whether or not it makes any sense to even save blinkies for trading....

Doesn't anyone know????

[joshmamabear]

This is what I've read. Coupons like blinkies that have store names/logos are joint coupons with the manufacturers. that means, THEY SHOULD BE USED AT THE STORE WHERE YOU FOUND THEM. one has to check with manufacturers for exceptions like PandG because according to them, even if blinkies have store logos, they can be used anywhere that accepts coupons, and the store you use them will be reimbursed the face value plus a handling fee. Otherwise, some manufacturers will NOT reimburse the store if they take a coupon that has another store's logo/name. when in doubt if the store will be reimbursed, it is best to ask the manufacturer since they are the ones paying for these coupons. Let us be careful when using coupons with store logos because if stores don't get paid for them, they may quit taking all these coupons, regardless of source

Overall rule is no manufacturer can force a store to take their coupons. Customers just have to find stores that will take their coupons.

[LauraO]

In my situation, the coupon wouldn't scan, but there was no store logo on it. The other store wouldn't accept it, and I was wondering if this is the case with all blinkie coupons, because I have been seeing a lot of blinkie coupons in trades. If they are no good for trading, we need to know this.

[LauraO]

ing... Hopefully we can get more info on how blinkies work and whether or not they are good for trading (especially if they do not have a store name printed on them).

[violetblue]

I think it really depends on the blinkie. I've never run accross a blinkie that was not a mfg coupon (I rarely run accross blinkies at all come to think of it). If the coupon says "Manufacture Coupon" on it then you should be able to use it anywhere UNLESS it says "redeemable only at xxx".

I've used several blinkies that I've received in trades and never had a problem. It sounds like the one you found was only a store coupon so that was the problem

[LauraO]

My problem is that my store has tons of blinkies that DO NOT say "Manufacturer Coupon" but they also DO NOT have the store name on them either.

[princesspsu57]

I've heard that blinkies won't scan at certain stores, like Wal-Mart...I've had that happen to me there. Something about how most blinkies start with a "9", so the Wal-Mart registers don't recognize them. They do work at Target, so I just use them there if I have a good one to match a sale. Anyway, most of the blinkies I've seen don't have a specific store printed on them, so I would think you could use them anywhere. Well, I guess anywhere they will scan, !

[dzhope]

Okay...here is my blinkie knowledge in a nutshell...

Blinkies ARE manufacturer's coupons. Even though most are no longer saying this, a smart-source blinkie machine filler told me they still are. He didn't know why they no longer are putting the phrase on them. They should be accepted at any store, BUT as you all know even manufacturer's cannot MAKE stores accept there coupons and smartsource is no different. Just b/c a coupon has their well-known and very legitimate name/logo on it, doesn't mean people aren't going to balk at it.

Not all blinkies start with a "9" and a coupon starting with a "9" does not mean it is going to give you problems scanning. It means that a computer will recognize it as not being meant to double and it will not allow it to double as some coupons may say DND, but the computer doubles them anyway as it does not read the words. There are a lot of non-blinkie coupons out there that do start with a "9" and Walmart's computers do read them without issue. Something I have noticed more and more is that when a chain does double or triple, they are beginning to lean towards these blinkies that start this way. It saves them money in the long run because the doubling and tripling comes from the stores pocket and not the manufactuer's.

I don't know why Walmart's computers flip out at blinkies, but they have for a long time whether the blinkie started with a "9" or a "5," I think back to about 4 years ago when the hot Electrasol blinkie was out and most WMs had to manually enter them, notice I say most...I've seen a few Walmarts who actually have no problem scanning them. Don't have a clue why and can't even begin to speculate. I've also seen it help for one of the two barcodes to be covered when scanning them at some stores. Again, go figure.

IMO, its worth saving decent blinkies for trades. MOST places are going to accept them, at least from my experience in several parts of the country. Some blinkies are really great and it would be a shame to not share them with those who are as fortunate as you are to have that particular one in their area. If I got one in a trade and tried to use it and it was denied, I would be disappointed but not blame the person who traded it at all....you cannot guarantee that any coupon is going to be accepted so its really no different in this situation.

[LauraO]

dzhope... THANK YOU so much for the wonderful information!!!!

[wlcross]

Not all blinkies are by SmartSource... The ones that I install are by floorgrafix and are manufacturer q's with no specific store on them. Now when I do install them I have to pull the first 10-20 out because they are not actually q's.... they look like one but no barcode or anything saying its a q other than "save $1.00 Now" on whatever the item is. These q's are suppose to be good whereever you decide to use them since we install them in all kinds of different chains.

[Little J's Mom]

Most of the coupons are manufacturer coupons; however, I have seen very rarely a store coupon in some blinkie machines.

[LauraO]

[meredith1629]

I'm not really sure but I always try to put where I got the blinkie when I am doing any trades involving them. I've not tried to use any blinkies other than the store where I got them. I'm not much help.

[PirateQueen]

I'm in Ga and I use blinkies I get at one store at another store all the time. The only ones I've had a problem with are the Kraft ones for .75. At Food Lion they beeped and prompted the cashier to enter .75 cents onto the coupon, she looked at the coupon and said "it already has .75 cents on it!" and pushed it through. They beeped at Kroger too, but both places accepted the blinkie q.

[lilracer1999]

i use the blinkies all the time at walmart and have never had any problems, but where i live some people are not the brightest and we just tell thim to hit the override or manu. q button. they usually listen

[heznjon]

I've used blinkies at stores where I havent gotten them. Say I find a blinkie at safeway I've used it at walmart, walgreens and other stores.