Frugal Crafter: Coupon Tips for the Craft Store Triumvirate

This article was originally posted on June 14, 2012. At that time I interviewed a local Michaels manager over the phone and I specifically asked her whether the policies she provided me were local or nation-wide and was told they were the latter. Before I posted the article, I called the manager back to confirm that I had all of the details correct, and I got a green light on every single example I provided in the article below. In July, I used (at my closest Michaels) in one purchase a Michaels 40%-off printable Internet coupon, a Michaels 40%-off customer receipt coupon, a Joann's 40%-off coupon, a Hobby Lobby 40%-off coupon, and a Michael's 15%-off-total-purchase coupon. So, to the best of my knowledge and personal experience, the policies I'd relayed below are accurate.

However, I have since received an email from Michael's home office saying they only accept one coupon per day, period. I've also received almost a dozen emails from shoppers telling me their local Michaels allowed them to use more than one coupon, (as was my experience) that their local Michael's didn't accept their smart phone coupon, that their local Michaels wouldn't accept their JoAnn's coupon, and that their local Michaels would accept a regular 40%-off coupon and a 25%-off their entire purchase coupon during one transaction. So, as you can see, HQ may be saying one thing, but the local stores seem to be doing whatever they want. If you've had a different experience than mine, I apologize for any inconvenience. I posted the information in good faith, but I can't in good faith remove it since so many local Michaels stores seem to be open to some or all of the policies I listed below.

I suggest you call your local Michaels before leaving the house, or, better yet, just go to JoAnn's since they're much more generous about accepting multiple coupons.

I was very happy to learn that Michaels has recently improved its coupon policies, so I thought I'd review the policies of the Craft Store Triumvirate (Michaels, JoAnn Fabric & Crafts, and Hobby Lobby) and share my findings with y'all! 

I interviewed managers from three local B&M's ("Brick & Mortar"= physical store). I was told these policies below are corporate-wide and should apply nation-wide, but if your local store disagrees, contact the corporate HQ and see what's up.  

Michaels & JoAnn Fabric & Crafts 

Since these two stores now have almost identical policies, I've combined them with exceptions listed in red.  

Accepted coupons. Michaels, JoAnn Fabric & Crafts, Hobby Lobby.

Accepted format. Print media, Internet download, smart phone, store-issued.

Frequency. One uniquely-barcoded coupon per competitor per day per customer. 

My iPhone displaying this week's Hobby Lobby coupon.

Multiple coupons. See example scenarios below.

• You CAN use more than one competitor coupon per day. You have five items in your basket and the following coupons: three 40%-off coupons - one each from Michaels, JoAnn's, and Hobby Lobby. You can apply one coupon to Item #1, one to Item #2, and one to Item #3. (The register will automatically apply the coupons to the three most expensive items.) 

• You CANNOT use more than one coupon with identical barcodes in one day. You have five items in your basket and the following coupons: two 40%-off Michaels register receipt coupons and one 40%-off Michaels coupon on your smart phone. You can apply one of the register coupons to Item #1 and the smart phone coupon to Item #2. (You cannot use the second register coupon on this day because it has the same barcode as the other register coupon.) 

• You CAN use multiple same-store coupons with unique barcodes. You have five items in your basket and the following coupons: one 40%-off Michaels register receipt coupon, one 40%-off Michaels coupon from the Sunday newspaper, and one 40%-off Michaels coupon on your smart phone. You can apply the register coupon to Item #1, the newspaper coupon to Item #2, and the smart phone coupon to Item #3. (You can use all of these coupons because they have separate barcodes.) 

• You CAN use a single-item and a multiple-item discount coupon together. You have five items in your basket and the following coupons: one 40%-off Hobby Lobby coupon and a 20%-off your entire purchase coupon from Michaels. You can apply the 40%-off coupon to Item #1 and also receive 20% off of the rest of your purchase (the additional discount will not apply to the already discounted item). 

• EXCEPTION to combined single-item, multiple-item discount coupon usage. You have five items in your basket and the following coupons: one 40%-off Hobby Lobby coupon, one 40%-off JoAnn coupon and a 20%-off-your-entire-purchase JoAnn coupon. You can apply the 40%-off coupons to Items #1 and #2, but you cannot receive 20% off of the rest of your purchase. (Michaels only accepts single-item competitor coupons.) JoAnn's, however, does honor multiple-item competitor coupons, so you'd get the additional savings.

• Multiple-item coupons require the purchase of multiple items. You have one item in your basket and the following coupons: one 40%-off Hobby Lobby coupon and a 20%-off-your-entire-purchase Michaels coupon. You can apply the 40%-off coupon to your lone item, but not the 20%-off coupon to the remainder of your purchase because... you're not purchasing anything else. (A seemingly no-brainer, but not to the lady in front of me two weeks ago.)

Online coupon. Print or show cashier this image on your smart phone. 

Restrictions. Coupons will not apply to items on sale unless otherwise stated. Coupons will not apply to restricted items as stated on all Michaels coupons (like books and magazines - Boo!). Competitor coupons will not apply to restricted items. (JoAnn's will not accept a Michaels coupon on an item Michaels does not carry - fabric, for example.)

Online B&M coupons. Michaels coupons can be found on the Internet, and you can also sign-up to have them emailed to you. All coupons - including those of competitors - displayed on your smart phone are accepted. According to the JoAnn's manager I interviewed, B&M coupons are not readily available on the Internet using a search engine - and anything you might find and print is usually counterfit and will not be accepted. However, you can sign-up at your local store for coupons to be emailed to you. If you sign up for coupons at the JoAnn.com site, you will receive only coupons for their online store - which are not accepted at B&M's.    

Additional info. Although JoAnn's will not accept a Michaels coupon for books or magazines, using coupons on these items is somewhat a moot point as it sells these items at a 10% discount 340 days of the year. About every six weeks on a Monday and Tuesday the discount signs will disappear, but they don't provide this information in advance, so using a coupon for publications is a crap shoot. (BOO!)

Hobby Lobby 

Accepted coupons. Hobby Lobby only.

Accepted format. Print media, Internet download, smart phone.

Frequency. One coupon per day per customer. 

Multiple coupons. Not accepted.

Restrictions. Coupons do not apply to sale items.

Online B&M coupons. Hobby Lobby coupons are the easiest to find on the Internet!

Additional info. Hobby Lobby is now the only one of the Craft Store Triumvirate that allows you to use coupons for the purchase of magazines and idea books every day of the year, (these never go on sale) but their inventory of choices is approximately 60% less than that of its competitors. 

What this all means....

Depending on the date, you could go to JoAnn's and purchase items using 40%-off any-item coupons from (1) a JoAnn flyer, (2) a JoAnn email, (3) a JoAnn newspaper clipping, (4) a Michaels receipt, (5) a Michaels newspaper clipping, (6) a Michaels internet print-out, (7) a Michaels magazine clipping, and (8) a Hobby Lobby coupon. You could, in addition, use a specific-item coupon (9) - a 40%-off Michaels coupon for Prismacolor pencils, for example, a specific-item JoAnn coupon (10) - 50% off one fabric selection, say, and (11) a 20%-off-your-entire-purchase coupon.

That's eleven coupons applied to one customer at one store on one day! If you had a total of 15 items at $10 each, you would have $150 worth of purchases before your coupons. With the coupons, you would end up paying only $99.00. 

Which is kind of cool, yeah?

And if you wanted and had more copies of those coupons, you could go down the street to Michael's and use most of them again!   

Enjoy your savings!!!

 

Comments

[janet wilson]

Splendid job, Deborah :)

Many thanks for taking the time to write this very informative post :)

[Lin]

Deborah, my dear, you are a gem! I should print this out and shove it under the nose of some of those nasty Michael's cashiers :)))) Then again, aren't we lucky that we have all these choices? Thank you so much!

[charlene]

so helpful!

[Barb]

Awesome info, Deborah! I have now bookmarked this for future use! Thank you! :)

[Ruth H]

Deborah, thanks so much for your fact finding mission!! Very helpful and useful info.

[Alice Isenbart]

Wish I would have had this wonderful blog post a few months ago when I tried using an ACMoore coupon at my local Joann's. The nasty manager was adamant about not allowing me to use it even though it was on my iPad because as she claims I could go to another Joann's and use it again. She made doubly sure I didn't use it by warning the cashiers about the coupon I had presented and advised them not to accept it. Perhaps she was having a bad day...lol. Thank you for all the great info!

[Irene Talaasen]

Thank you Deborah!! That is so helpful!
Irene

[A Facebook User]

THANK YOU!!
I have always been frustrated with couponing at these stores..Now it will be easier:)

[Brenda]

Good Lord, Deborah, I have a headache trying to master all this info. Thank you so much for all the effort to organize all the info. Giving examples of each "rule" is masterful!!!!

[Loly Borda]

Thanks so much! I didn't know they accept competitor's coupon. Great info.
Loly Borda

[Crafts Supplies]

This is really educational and very informative in this subject.Crafts Supplies Online Store

[Cindy C.]

Even none of the stores mentioned exists here where I am, I still appreciate the fact that you took the time to research and document/explain the coupon usage. Bravo Deborah!!

[Arlene from California, USA]

WOW... what a fantastic write-up! Thank you so much. We just got a Hobby Lobby and I did go and I did SPEND... all the Paper Studio products were at 40% off.

[Lisa]

Fabulous info, thanks for all your time and effort!

[Shelley]

Wow! I never knew that you could use coupons from flyer, e-mail and internet all at the same time!
I personally thank you for this information - but my husband NOT so much!! hahahaha

[judith hayes]

Deborah,you are a jewel to spend so much time in writing this detailed post. I have just used my phone app coupon at Jo Ann's and Michaels. I didn't know you could use them at each others stores. Your post is so helpful. Wish these stores could carry more Hero Arts stamps.
I've been fortunate to have nice sales ladies at both stores,but I imagine it is stressful for them at times .

[Judy Jung]

Sometimes your brain scares me!! This is great info, Deborah! I don't seem to be organized enough to gather multiple coupons!!