[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/","publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com#Organization1"}],"dateModified":"2026-01-21T19:52:32+00:00","description":"TL;DRCoupons reduce the price of products or services through discounts, promo codes or special offers.They come in many forms, including percentage-off","name":"What Are Coupons and How Do They Work?","author":[{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#BlogPosting_author_Person","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#BlogPosting_author_Person_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/rakuten-logo.jpg"}],"name":"The Smart Shopper Editors","url":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/author\/ebatessocial\/","description":"From the latest tech to the hottest fashions and everything in between, the editors at The Smart Shopper are in the know and ready share their expertise. Check out our posts on shopping secrets and product trends for those who live for a little retail therapy."}],"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/coupons.png","height":"592","width":"640"}],"subjectOf":[{"@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#1_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":"What Is a Coupon?","acceptedAnswer":[{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#1_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"

A coupon is a promotional offer that gives shoppers a discount on a purchase. Retailers use coupons to attract customers, encourage repeat shopping and promote specific products or categories. For shoppers, coupons are a way to save money by changing not what they buy, but how they buy it.<\/span><\/p>

Coupons can be used both online and in store, depending on the retailer and the offer\u2019s terms.<\/span><\/p>"}]},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#2_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":"How Do Coupons Work?","acceptedAnswer":[{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#2_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"

At a basic level, coupons apply a discount at checkout.<\/span><\/p>

Online coupons are usually entered as a promo code or coupon code before completing your purchase. In-store coupons may be scanned from your phone, clipped from a newspaper or flyer, or applied automatically through a loyalty account.<\/span><\/p>

Once validated, the coupon will reduce your order total by a percentage or dollar amount, or it will activate a special deal such as free shipping.<\/span><\/p>"}]},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#16_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":" Are coupons free to use?"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#18_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":" Can I use more than one coupon on a purchase?"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#20_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":" Do coupons expire?"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#22_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":" Why didn\u2019t my coupon work?"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#24_BlogPosting_subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity_Question","name":" Are online coupons better than in-store coupons?"}]}],"headline":"What Are Coupons and How Do They Work?","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/","datePublished":"2026-01-20T23:40:40+00:00"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Organization","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/rakutenrewards","https:\/\/youtube.com\/c\/Rakutenchannel","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rakuten_Rewards","https:\/\/twitter.com\/Rakuten","https:\/\/g.co\/kgs\/bTttHkr","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rakuten\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rakuten\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/rakuten\/"],"slogan":"Shop. Earn. Get Cash Back.","areaServed":"US","logo":"https:\/\/static.rakuten.com\/static\/svg\/rakuten\/rak-logo-brand-v1.svg","contactPoint":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/help\/other-questions","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/","description":"Since 1999, we've paid our members over $2 Billion in Cash Back. Sign up today to shop over 3,500 stores using coupons, promo codes or cash back with Rakuten!","image":"https:\/\/static.rakuten.com\/img\/campaign\/9244\/221024-55570-opengraph-q4-facebook-1200x628-v5.png","name":"Rakuten Rewards","@id":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com#Organization1"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Are Coupons and How Do They Work?","item":"https:\/\/www.rakuten.com\/blog\/what-are-coupons-and-how-do-they-work\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]