The Ethics of BOGOs and Coupons that List Multiple Items

The links in the post below may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

There has been some confusion lately on the ethics of Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) coupons and coupons that list multiple items, so we’re here to set the record straight!

Almost all coupons are accompanied by the phrase “limit one coupon per purchase” (or something similar), meaning one manufacturer coupon is allowed per item purchased. For example, if you are buying one toothpaste and have a $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon, you may not use another manufacturer coupon on this item. If you have a coupon for $1.00/2 toothpaste, you may only use one coupon per two items purchased because the coupon attaches itself to both products. Got it? Okay, now on to BOGO and multiples!

Buy One Get One coupons come in different forms, such as “Buy ‘Product X’ and Get Another ‘Product X’ Free,” or “Buy ‘Product X’ and Get ‘Product Y’ Free.” These coupons are similar to $1.00/2 in that they attach to BOTH products, and therefore another manufacturer coupon CANNOT be used when only purchasing two products. By attempting to use a second manufacturer coupon on one of those two items, you are breaking the “one coupon per purchase” rule.

There are also B2G1 (Buy Two Get One) and coupons that list several items, and the same rules apply here: the coupon attaches itself to all products listed. Therefore, additional manufacturer coupons CANNOT be used when only purchasing those products.