Trading and Selling Coupons

According to the Federal Trade Commission, “There's only one legitimate way to use a coupon: Cut it out of the newspaper or other source and use it toward the purchase of the designated product.” Despite this, there are many outlets and coupon practices (especially on the Internet) that are questionable.

• Coupon Auctions . It is not legally acceptable to sell coupons themselves, especially in bulk. Some auction sites like eBay prohibit many kinds of coupon auctions, but sometimes unscrupulous sellers sneak through. Many times they claim to be selling a coupon clipping “service,” not the actual coupons. What they often don't say is that many coupons are “nontransferable”—meaning that the coupons you buy might not be valid once you buy them!
• Expired Coupons. All coupons should be used prior to their expiration date. Expired coupons have no value, and trying to redeem them or sending them to military personnel will only increase everyone's costs in the long-run.
• Trading Coupons. Product manufacturers often offer different coupons to different areas, depending on incomes, products offered, and legal restrictions. When we sidestep those intentions, manufacturers end up offering less coupons—hurting us all in the end. Coupon clubs can be a great way to learn more about money-saving techniques—but using them to swap or collect coupons might bring up some of the “transferable” problems mentioned above.