Friday, February 10, 2012

Coupon.com's Savings Club: Are you willing to pay $30 a year for 'premium coupons'?

I don't know how I missed this, but coupons.com is offering a Savings Club that promises 'premium coupons' and other benefits for $3 a month ($30 a year).  What are your thoughts on this?  Would you be willing to pay $3 a month to gain advance access to coupons and potentially get coupons with a higher value?

This is a hard question.  Arguably, I pay $9 a month for a paper I only read on the weekend, and the market is smaller, so I don't get the normal coupons that a larger metro area gets.  Many times, the coupon inserts are so thin or full of $1/4 or $1/5 offers that it makes me wonder why I even bother.  As I sit here, I wonder if paying $30 a year might actually be a better deal for me. 

On the other hand, I dislike the idea of having a special club where you have to pay to get those 'premium' coupons.  Sure, you could save more money, but I'd want to see a list of coupons to be offered before making that type of decision.  I've had really good luck with companies offering great coupons just for being their Facebook fan.  Many companies freely offer coupons from their own sites.  Plus, you're not allowed to "sell" coupons and this type of program does seem to be a bit of a gray area.  Just as some eBay sellers of coupons would argue that you aren't paying for the coupons, you are paying for the time to gather, clip, and mail them to you, companies that see their coupons listed for "sale" on eBay don't necessarily like it since they count on most coupons not actually being redeemed.

If you read the FAQ, it sounds like a lot of hassle since you don't even print all of the coupons, only add them to Savings Cards.  You can max out on coupons loaded on to cards, and some coupons are only able to be used at specific stores.  You'll need to print a list of coupons you have loaded on so you know you have them loaded on the card to use.

What are your thoughts on this?  If you've signed up and used coupon.com's Savings Club, please share your experience.

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