PSA: These Are the Only Coupons Trader Joe’s Accepts

If you’ve shopped at a Trader Joe’s store before, chances are you’ve noticed a lot that’s different from your average supermarket. Besides the smaller footprint and casual California surfer hut decor, most of the packaged items have a Trader Joe’s label rather than the big name brands you would normally see. Big name brands usually offer in-store and online promotions in the form of coupons. So what is Trader Joe’s policy on coupons? Is that unique as well? Here's what you need to know.

Does Trader Joe’s Accept Coupons?

Trader Joe's doesn't make and distribute coupons for its branded products. You also won’t find promotions like “buy one, get one free” or “three for the price of one” or even “20% off, today only!” Trader Joe’s firmly believes in being a small neighborhood grocery store. They also believe in having great prices throughout the store every day, meaning customers don’t have to rush to take advantage of a sale or feel limited to certain items. 

Since the majority of products are Trader Joe’s brand, they can control the prices as well as the inventory: They won’t need to discount excess product in order to get it off the shelves, and they can rotate the items that appear on the store floor as they see fit. Put simply, Trader Joe’s doesn’t accept coupons for its products because their prices are already low, and they’re not beholden to big name brands that are trying to keep their product moving. 

Is There an Exception to Trader Joe’s Coupon Policy?

There is one exception to Trader Joe’s no-coupon policy that many shoppers don’t know about: Trader Joe’s carries a few manufacturer’s products—brand-name items that do not have a Trader Joe’s label. These items can have their own promotions with related coupons that can be accepted at checkout. Coupons for these items will come from the brands themselves rather than from Trader Joe’s. Be sure to check for these online and to read the fine print for information about their use, including the expiration date. 

How Can I Save Money At Trader Joe's? 

Trader Joe’s is known for having low prices on a lot of staple items like pasta sauce, nut butter, eggs, and cereal. To save money on other items, look for bulk items that are a better value per pound (a bag of avocados will often cost less than the same number of individual avocados). If you want to try something new, Trader Joe’s is always introducing new products, many of which are $5 or less. Of course, there are items that are just too good to keep out of your cart—you might want to stock up on a few of these too.