BJ’s Offers a Coupon-Saving Advantage Costco and Sam’s Club Don’t Match

Key points

• Unlike most warehouse clubs, BJ’s Wholesale Club accepts manufacturer coupons, which are discounts issued by product makers.

• Many of those coupons are available in the BJ’s app and on its website, where shoppers can combine them with in-store promotions.

• If you have a manufacturer coupon that is not listed on BJ’s site, it must be a printed coupon issued directly by the manufacturer and used in-store.

With grocery prices up sharply since 2019, shoppers are looking for ways to make their budgets go further. Loyalty programs can help trim costs, and for some families, paying for a club membership is one of the most effective ways to save over time.

For members of BJ’s Wholesale Club, which has more than 260 locations across the United States, there is an extra way to cut costs on top of the savings that come with bulk buying.

Unlike many other membership retailers, BJ’s lets shoppers use manufacturer coupons in store. It is a valuable benefit, but it does take a little more effort than simply picking up a discounted item from the shelf.

What are manufacturer coupons?

There are two main types of grocery coupons. Store coupons are issued by a supermarket and are valid only at that chain, and sometimes even at a specific location. They may be paper or digital, or they may appear on shelf tags. Many grocers also publish weekly ads online and in stores that highlight current deals.

Manufacturer coupons are issued by the company that makes the product. For instance, if Oreo offered a discount on its cookies, the shopper would use the coupon to get the lower price, and the store would later be reimbursed by the manufacturer for the difference.

Because these coupons come from the manufacturer, they can in theory be used at any retailer that carries the item. In practice, however, many stores — including ALDI, Costco, and Sam’s Club — do not accept them.

Manufacturer coupons are often available on coupon websites, on brand websites, and in newspaper inserts. For the biggest savings, shoppers can try stacking a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. If a store coupon takes $1 off and a manufacturer coupon takes off $2, the total savings would be $3 at checkout. Always check the fine print to confirm stacking is allowed, though many supermarkets permit one store coupon and one manufacturer coupon on the same item.

How to use manufacturer coupons at BJ’s Wholesale Club

BJ’s members can find a large selection of coupons through the warehouse’s app or website. The retailer lists both store-issued and manufacturer-issued coupons online, and the details for each offer indicate which type it is.

Some BJ’s coupons are clipless, which means the discount is applied automatically at checkout. Others must be digitally clipped first in the app, after which the savings are applied when you pay.

When both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon are available for the same product, BJ’s allows shoppers to stack them. Members may see both offers in the app, and customers have reported that the system usually prompts them to use both discounts. According to BJ’s coupon policy, only one store coupon and one manufacturer coupon can be used per item, and the combined discount cannot be greater than the item’s price.

Not every manufacturer coupon appears on BJ’s website, so it is worth checking other sources to make sure you are not missing any deals. Even so, the warehouse does not accept digital manufacturer coupons from platforms other than its own website, and it does not take coupons printed from third-party sites such as coupons.com. If you want to use a manufacturer coupon that is not listed in BJ’s app or on its website, you need to bring a printed coupon that comes directly from the manufacturer. A paper coupon from a newspaper insert would qualify.

Buying in bulk already helps lower grocery bills, and checking for coupons before shopping can create another layer of savings. Downloading the BJ’s app can help ensure you do not overlook any available deals. Once you get used to manufacturer coupons, you may want to start looking for them at the source.