Smith’s Food and DrugSmith’s Food and Drug recently released its coupon policy to assist customers in using coupons when shopping at the store.

A lot of grocery stores have been releasing their own coupon policies so that customers are clearly informed about what is and what is not allowed when using coupons to pay for purchases from the stores. Most of the time, these coupon policies are written in a simpler manner in order for customers to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. These policies also answer the most common customer questions about shopping with coupons. For instance, on the matter of the item being worth less than the coupon, Wal-Mart’s policy states that the excess amount will be given back to the customer in cash. Another common question asked by shoppers is if they can use a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon for the same item. Target’s coupon policy clearly answers this question with a yes.

Smith’s coupon policy however has some points that are quite vague. For instance, on the matter of using two kinds of coupon (manufacturer and store) on the same item, the store’s answer is a little unclear. Also, Smith’s coupon policy was unable to answer the question of a coupon being worth more than the item (coupon overage). This is an important question, as a lot of couponers have high-value coupons that they use for items that are on sale. The policy does not say if the issue of overage is allowed or not. If it is allowed, the store’s policy does not say if the excess amount will be refunded. Clearly, the policy needs clarification.