What is a Raincheck? A raincheck is issued by a store to a customer for the sale price of an item when the item is sold out. This allows customers to take advantage of the sale price at a later date of their choosing. It’s kind of like an “IOU” issued by the store, so that customers are able to get a sale price if the stores were not properly stocked for a sale.
You can get a raincheck even if just one variety of a product is sold out. For example, say you wanted to get some Green Giant Steamers because they are on sale for $1. They have a lot of bags, but not the broccoli and cheese flavor. You are able to get a raincheck, even though they still have a lot of Green Giant Steamers in-stock, because one flavor/variety is sold out.
Rainchecks do not expire, and there is usually not a limit as to how many items you can get with the raincheck. This does sometimes vary by store or the person issuing you the raincheck.
You do have to surrender the raincheck at the time of your purchase, and you can use coupons with a raincheck. Rainchecks themselves are not considered coupons, so they do not interfere with the amount of coupons that you can use.
Why I Love Rainchecks:
- When I have a raincheck I usually don’t have to compete with other shoppers to get the deal.
- I don’t feel rushed each week to get all of the deals. I can usually just pick up a raincheck to get a deal later at my own convenience.
- Sometimes better coupons will come out, making my raincheck deal even better. Or, having my raincheck gives me a chance to get some coupons in bulk off of ebay or another source. A lot of times on ebay, if a particular coupon is in demand because of a sale, the auction price shoots way up. When I have a raincheck, I can bid on ebay and get a better deal on the coupons themselves, because I am not competing with everyone during the week of the deal.
- I can place a special order with the store at my convenience, so that I don’t wipe the shelves of something.
- Sometimes a great deal comes along to make the raincheck price even sweeter. Like my recent cereal purchase at Kroger this past week. I was able to combine my raincheck price with a $3 off in-store promotion and my coupons for an awesome deal. Promotions or rebates that come along later, can make your rainchecks very valuable, indeed!
- I can pick up a raincheck every time I go in a store if the item is still sold out. Say I go into Publix 3 times this week trying to track down a deal. If it is sold out every time I go in, that means I can pick up 3 rainchecks; one each time I go in.
- If I have already spent all of the grocery money that I am able to in a week, but there is a deal I really want to get, I can pick up a raincheck (granted the item is sold out), so that I can purchase the deal another week. Stockpiling Rainchecks for the best sales is really the way to go if you want to stretch your dollars.
I LOVE LOVE Rainchecks, and they really help me to save money. Do you use rainchecks a lot in your grocery shopping? How do you think they have helped you the most?
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Kroger’s raincheck says ” for the purchuse within 30 days”
Mine do not say that and it is my understanding that they are not supposed to put expiration on rainchecks. Legal reason being that the store could purposefully keep something off of the shelves for 30 days after the sale. It has to do with false advertising practices and why stores are required by law to offer rainchecks (1971 Federal Trade Commission issued the Retail Food Store Advertising and Marketing Practices rule).
So that is a new one to me.
Thanks for the reminder, I am terrible about asking for rainchecks.
Do you ask the cashier for a raincheck or do you have to go to customer service for it?
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The Thrifty Mama Here: You can get it from either place. I usually just pick them up at the CS desk, but your cashiers can do it as well.
I just found your site recently and love it… I linked you on my blog for my followers and I’m also taking your button there too !
Lynn’s last blog post..Free Junior Frosty at Wendy’s…
I always ask for rainchecks! My grocery store had the pepperidge farm garlic toast on sale for $1.98 2 weeks ago – they were out so I got a raincheck. I was able to combine that deal with the $1 off coupons from coupons.com – they came out cheaper than the store brand!!
I love getting rainchecks at CVS too for their monthly deals.
Thanks for the answer!
I love rainchecks for all the reasons you stated, Crystal. Gives me more flexibility, extends the sale if you will- to whenever I need the item or can combine it with great coupons. No downside, really. Just about any store does rainchecks and I make sure to get it for the most items they will make it out for. Lately I am very sure to get rainchecks to CVS items that carry ECBs since now you can get the item and the ECBs rainchecked as well (if that makes sense). reasonable managers.
At my local grocery store (it’s a local chain called Karns in the Harrisburg, PA area), they issue rainchecks, but you have to specify how many you wish to buy. I always tell them some ridiculously high number so that I don’t have to deal with limiting myself. Also, they expire, too. I’ve never heard about there being legal reasons that rainchecks shouldn’t expire.
You know I have yet to ask for a raincheck? I just started couponing last October so I guess it just hasn’t become a habit yet. I’ll have to remember this next time!
Wow! Thanks for posting this Crystal! I didn’t know a lot of what you posted about rainchecks! Thanks for the lesson–I am going to link back to this article on my blog!
Jenny
If I can’t use or don’t have space to store the item right away or if I don’t have the money on hand to buy it, I’ll go in during the sale anyway in hopes of getting the raincheck. This way, I can get the great deal once I have the space and/or money to buy it.
This week eggs are .99/doz at King Soopers and I bought 2 dozen tonight. I don’t have room to store any more and we might not use them in time before they get old. I’ll keep checking back during the sale in hopes that they will be out so I can get the raincheck.
Albertson’s here in Colorado also states that it is only good for 30 days. I didn’t realize that this was not legal so I tossed it after that time. I wish I had known – I would have kept it!
It looks like there is no mention of expiration dates in the Federal law and that this is regulated by the individual states, so it will depend on where you live.
I love rainchecks for all the reasons you mentioned.
My local grocery store chains, Giant and Weis, have a 60-day expiration and always limit the number of items.
My local small Tom Thumb grocery regularly runs out of the hot weekly produce specials. I go on Tuesday evening, the last day of the sale, see what’s gone, and get rainchecks. Something is ALWAYS gone. Then, I can go when I want and get, for instance, blueberries for $1 and strawberries for $1.50 when they are beautiful and plentiful and everyone else is paying $3.99 for blueberries and $4.99 for strawberries.
Hi, Im new to couponing and hoping to start my first transaction this week. Loved your site a lot! I understand everything so much better. Just curious on how to approach the cashier or the customer service when asking a rainchecks?
Just ask. That’s all there is to it.
Welcome to couponing!
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