What is a Catalina?
Catalina Category Marketing (CCM) rewards purchases of promoted products with “Catalinas,” also called “checkout coupons” or “YourBucks offers.” These coupons offer discounts valid on your next shopping trip to that same retailer. There is usually a 2- to 4-week window on any given promotion. (information provided by Hot Coupon World).
Where can I locate details on Catalina promotions?
- In-Store Signs
Some stores will advertise the deal near the product – on a shelf tag, small or large sign or even a large floor sticker. - Store Ad
At times, the Catalina promotion will be featured beside the participating product in the weekly store flyer. - Catalina Printout
Some upcoming Catalina offers will be advertised on printouts directly from the Catalina machine – watch what you get with your receipt closely! (I save these as future proof just in case!)
Where is the Catalina offer I expected?
If you thought you were supposed to receive a Catalina (checkout coupon) at the register and nothing printed after you completed your purchase, please….
CHECK the REQUIREMENTS
Refer to a store ad, sign, printout or website for the details of the Catalina offer.
THEN CHECK CAREFULLY:
- Did you buy the correct brand and quantity, the exact size and type required? Catalina promotions can be finicky unless participating items were purchased.
- Did you use a Catalina coupon earned from buying the same items to pay for your transaction? If you did, you may have stopped the Catalina from printing. For example, if you bought 5 Kraft cheese and received a $4 checkout coupon, then used it to purchase another 5 Kraft cheese, a new Catalina may not print. Many Catalina coupons cannot be used again to purchase the same offer.
- If you followed all of the requirements, then you’re entitled to your checkout coupon.
CHECK for a BLINKING LIGHT
If nothing at all printed from the Catalina machine, check to see if there’s a light blinking on the front of it. The blinking light shows that there is a machine error, such as the printer is offline, out of ink, has a paper jam or an empty paper roll. The printer simply wasn’t working when your order was scanned.
VISIT CUSTOMER SERVICE
If you have time and a bit of patience you can try to visit the customer service desk and explain your situation. Many times, an assistant will be able to help you in the store, often reimbursing you with cash or a handwritten Catalina for the expected amount. Meijer stores should have a record of eligible Catalina offers in their computer system (though not all customer service attendants are able or willing to access it). Customer service may not be helpful, especially if they cannot prove the offer you’re claiming. If they’re unable to help, simply skip the store level and contact Catalina directly.
CONTACT CATALINA MARKETING for your COUPON
If customer service is unable to help you, contact Catalina Marketing as soon as possible with your request (try to do this within 5 days; 14 days after the transaction, your request is no longer valid). If you feel your transaction qualified for an offer, please complete an online form at Catalina Marketing Consumer Support Online. Or, call 1-888-826-8766 within 14 days of your transaction.
You will need to confirm that “you made the qualifying purchase(s) at a participating store, within the valid offer period, on a lane/register that had a Catalina printer (if applicable) and did not receive the offer or coupon.”
Be prepared with your receipt to give the following information:
- store name and address
- the date/time of your shopping trip
- the total amount of your transaction
- the complete row of numbers following the date/time on your receipt (*SEE BELOW)
- the Catalina offer and amount you expected to receive
- your name & mailing address
- optional: a scanned copy of your receipt for verification (whole, complete, readable)
If emailing, you should expect a response within 2 to 3 business days.
*Complete Row of Numbers following date/time on your receipt
On a Kroger receipt, this is not difficult to do. Following the date and time there are numbers (Example: 436 8 27 351).
On a Meijer receipt, this is a bit more challenging. Below the bar code on your receipt, you’ll see a row of numbers followed by the time stamp (Example: Tx:210 Op:557 Tm:106 St:212). Link together these numbers (without letter or punctuation) for the form: 210557106212. Thanks, Rachael!
NOTE: This would be handy information to keep in your coupon binder, if you have one!
Last updated: Sept 2014
If it is an advertised catalina deal (Meijer's has them sometimes) I have informed the cashier and they have voucher forms to fill out and give to customers you can use instead of the catalina coupon. I have had this happen a couple of times at Meijer's and have no problem getting it resolved with the cashier if I could show her the deal in the store ad.
I emailed [email protected] recently about a catalina I didn’t receive at Kroger. They got back to me in a day or two requesting information from my receipt. In about 3 weeks, I had a fresh catalina arrive in the mail.
Perfect timing for this post! I was at Meijer today and mine didn’t print (although I now know it was because the machine wasn’t working).
I just had to do this and my $2 for the Capri Suns did not print. It is crazy because they sent UPS and it expires tomorrow (arrived today) a $2 coupon. The package being sent cost more then the coupon and after all the hassle they could of extended it for at least a week. But I got it so i should not complain 🙂
Did you know that the Meijer Mealbox site now has a list of the current catalina offers? I printed off the ones I was using – and sure enough, neither of them printed last night. I could then show them to the Customer Service person, who hand wrote me me the ones I should have received. To see the list of the current catalina offers, just click on the custom coupon tab next to the coupon offers. This is so helpful!
It’s helpful, to a point. Meijer only lists the first tier of each Catalina offer. So let’s say it’s “buy 3, get $1.00” – but they don’t tell you that it’s also “buy 4, get $2.00 and buy 5 or more, get $3.00.” And if you were to purchase the larger quantities, Meijer would only give you $1.00 (if there’s a problem) since that’s what’s advertised on their site. Helpful, but it can also be a little frustrating. That’s where contacting Catalina directly can be helpful – they know the ENTIRE requirements of the offer and will reward accordingly.
Thanks, Jolyn, I didn’t know that!