Google coupons now available on the go.
(Credit: Google)Google has been giving companies in its business listings ways to offer digital coupons to visitors since 2007. It wasn't until this week, though, that Google could bring the same coupons to mobile users.
It works like this: Businesses add a coupon to their listing in Google's Local Business Center. When you search a Google local listing from your Internet-enabled phone, any available coupons show up. As with other mobile coupon sites and applications, you'll simply present your phone face at the check-out stand. The checker will enter in the coupon bar code and you'll get your discount.
Google's mobile expansion of its digital coupons brings the search and advertising giant in direct competition with coupon providers like Coupons.com, Coupon Sherpa, Cellfire, and Yowza. With the exception of Yowza, which is a mobile-only application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, each service has a mobile coupons site and at least an iPhone app. Yelp has also jumped into the mobile deal business by letting businesses place special offers to Yelp users on Yelp.com and in its iPhone app.
Users' biggest complaints with mobile coupons tend to boil down to one thing: variety. While national chains are easier (and generally more effective) for a coupon service to sign, millions of other shoppers may prefer discounts for local or specialized brands, restaurants, and stores. Any business model that can capitalize on a self-service coupon sign-up for local and national businesses should have the upper hand.
So long as mobile shoppers navigate to Google's site from their cell phone browsers, Google's coupon business should grow. After all, Google isn't creating a brand-new business for digital deal distribution, but extending one that's already in place.
Two Pixar classics on Blu-ray for just $11. How can you go wrong?
Here's an interesting deal for anyone who has:
- Children
- A Blu-ray player
- A nearby Target store
- A love of Pixar films
With a little coupon magic, you can score the "Monsters, Inc." and "Up" Blu-ray combo packs for $10.98 (plus sales tax).
Each bundle has four discs: two Blu-ray Discs (one with the movie, one with extras), one DVD of the movie (bonus!), and one disc containing a DisneyFile Digital Copy (for viewing on, say, a laptop or iPhone).
Start by printing this $8 off "Monsters, Inc." coupon. You'll need to install a small app called Coupon Printer, but it appears to be harmless.
Next, print this $10 off "Up" coupon. It also requires Coupon Printer.
Finally, head to this Hot Coupon World post, scroll down to the Expiring November 25, 2009, section, and enter a '1' in the field next to "Blu-ray movies: "Up AND Monsters, Inc. together." Then scroll all the way down, click "Get Coupons," and print the coupon.
Now hop in the car and drive to your local Target. I'm not 100 percent sure they'll take all three coupons, but a blogger over at Frugal Find (source of this nifty deal) reported they had success using it.
As someone who has children, a Blu-ray player, a nearby Target store, and a love of Pixar films (particularly these two), you had better believe I'm looking for my car keys. How about you?
Save 50 percent on hundreds of Skinit decals for dozens of devices.
(Credit: Skinit)I'm a longtime fan of Skinit, which sells nifty vinyl "skins" (i.e. decals) for laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, and other devices.
These custom stickers are a great way to dress up otherwise drab gadgets. For example, I slapped a big ol' Michigan State University logo on the boring black lid of my Acer Aspire laptop.
From now until tomorrow (Oct. 22), Skinit is offering one of the best deals I've seen yet: 50 percent off all skins with coupon code HALFOFF.
Shipping will run you $2.99, unless your order tops $40, in which case it's free.
Skinit offers a gazillion designs, ranging from cars to sports to flags of the world. You can also create a custom skin by uploading your own photo or artwork.
The skins themselves are made of glossy 3M vinyl that promises to leave behind no residue if and when you decide to peel it off your hardware.
A 17-inch laptop skin usually sells for around $30, while an iPhone skin will run you $15. Cut those prices in half with the coupon and you've got some seriously good deals. Great gift item, too!
Sites like RetailMeNot are an excellent source of coupons you can use when you get to the checkout page.
(Credit: RetailMeNot.com)This post is an update of one I wrote nearly a year ago. Due to recent events, I thought it deserved a second look.
There I was, about to order a pack of paper for my new Dell Wasabi printer, when I spied one of those omnipresent promotion/coupon code boxes.
The paper was already on sale at Dell, but I figured, hey, might as well try. So I did what I always do when faced with a checkout page: I went trolling for coupons.
In other words, I searched Google for "Dell coupon codes." These searches routinely lead me to sites like DealLocker, RetailMeNot, and Techbargains, which collect discount codes under one roof for easy searching and browsing.
And guess what: found one! There's usually trial and error involved, as some codes work and some don't. (Sometimes you'll know from the description if a code is valid for your item.)
But this past weekend I batted 1.000, scoring discount codes for four out of four purchases: the aforementioned printer paper, a Brother toner cartridge from SuperMediaStore, a hard drive from HP, and a patio furniture cover from Kmart. Total savings: about $30. Not a fortune, but a pretty good return on my investment of about 10 total minutes.
I can't guarantee you'll have the same level of success (I'd say normally I manage to find a working coupon one time out of three), but for heaven's sake, try! A few minutes of searching might save you a few bucks--or more than a few.
Got a "found coupon" success story to share? Hit the comments and make your fellow readers jealous.
Get 20 percent off your next Denny's Grand Slam (and everything else on your bill) with this coupon.
(Credit: Denny's)People--supermodels, mostly--often stop me in the street and say, "Rick, your tech deals are insanely awesome, but what about food? Surely finding all those bargains makes you hungry?"
Then I say, "Yes, but don't call me 'Shirley,'" and they shake their heads sadly, having realized that bloggers are just as unfunny in person as they are online.
Anyhoo, it being Friday and all, I thought I'd take a tech break and serve up some cheap eats you can score this weekend:
- This printable coupon from Boston Market (PDF) gets you 20 percent off "any restaurant purchase." I'm not sure if that means the entire bill or just one item. Anyway, it's good until October 24. I recommend printing several.
- This printable coupon from Denny's (PDF) gets you 20 percent off your entire check. It's good until October 24. I recommend printing several.
- At Jamba Juice, you can buy one smoothie and get a second one (for a friend or kindly blogger) for $1. Here's the printable coupon. It's good through September 27.
- At Papa John's, you can buy a large two-topping pizza and get a large cheese pizza for 25 cents by applying coupon code 92209 at checkout. (Obviously you have to order online.) In other words, one pizza for the grown-ups and one for the kids. Good through October 4.
- Finally, old standby Restaurant.com is offering major savings on its gift certificates when you apply coupon code TREAT. $25 certificates will cost you just $3 apiece, while $10 certificates drop to just $1.20. That's some cheap eatin'! I'm not sure when the code expires, but you should definitely check out each restaurant's requirements before purchasing.
OK, there you go, food fans. Anything here whet your appetite? Me, I'm all about the pizza, the world's most perfect food.
Also, speaking of this weekend, my CNET overlords are chaining me to my desk for the remainder of this "100 Days of Deals" holiday thingy, so check back tomorrow (and every Saturday until 2010, apparently) for another deal from yours truly.
As for Sunday, well, it's anybody's guess what those crazy "CNET Staffer" kids will come up with, but if it's as bad as last weekend, we'll all have a good laugh on Monday.
Cheapskate out. (Wow, that's a terrible sign-off.)
Don't even think about it. The ladies at the reception will know you are not me.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)I went to the gym yesterday and forgot my membership card at home. Like many times before, I was able to smooth talk the reception ladies into letting me in anyway. But the point is, it's really a hassle having to carry those cards around.
I have one for the gym, one for my car insurance, one for my health insurance, another for my dental insurance, and another, of course, for Subway. There's only so much room in a wallet.
Coincidentally, my colleague Josh Lowensohn pointed me this morning to a really cool iPhone app called CardStar.
Basically, it's database software designed to store most, if not all, of your membership cards for virtually all merchant and service categories: drug stores, grocery stores, gyms, libraries, retailers, and travel and entertainment agencies.
The app includes about 130 companies in the U.S., Canada, and U.K. If you are a member, you can just enter the membership number and the barcode of the card will be automatic retrieved and stored in the iPhone. Next time you need to use the service, you can just display that code on the iPhone's screen and show that to the scanner instead of the card.
The nicest thing about CardStar is that it also allows for entering membership of merchants or companies that are not already included in the app. I tried that with 24 Hour Fitness and it worked. Now all I need to get into the gym are tight shorts and my iPhone, which I would normally carry anyway.
Mesa Dynamics, the developer of CardStar, said that going forward, it would add more features, including access to additional information of a merchant, plus coupons and promotional content.
The CardStar app is available now at App Store. It normally costs 99 cents, but currently is available for free. Do your overstuffed wallet a favor and go get it.
Score a day's worth of deals at Sam's Club with a one-day membership pass.
(Credit: Sam's Club)Want to stock up on batteries, toilet paper, rice, and other bulk essentials? Head to your local warehouse club.
Of course, normally, you have to pay an annual membership fee to reap the savings, but Allstate has a coupon (PDF) that'll get you into Sam's Club for a day--and waive the usual 10 percent upcharge that nonmembers pay.
I realize this isn't a tech deal, per se, but Sam's Club does carry a variety of computers, electronics, and the like. Plus, the coupon lives on the Web, so it kinda sorta fits, right?
Anyway, there's nothing to indicate you need to be an Allstate customer to use the pass (which is good until March 31), but you do need to visit an actual Sam's Club store: The coupon isn't valid for Samsclub.com.
What say you, fellow cheapskates? Are you already out the door and heading for your nearest Sam's Club? Or do you find warehouse clubs much ado about nothing?
Personally, I'm a Costco guy. While I do love their produce and bulk batteries, I find their computer/electronics prices to be a little on the high side. Of course, Costco's return policy is pretty awesome.
Though DTV converter boxes are stacked up in most electronics stores, there are not enough guaranteed government coupons for them since the funds for the program began to run out.
(Credit:
DTV2009.org)
With the scheduled transition to DTV broadcasting fast approaching (slated for February 17), one company is encouraging us to share the wealth. Retrevo's Good Neighbor Coupon Exchange Program links up those who have unused converter box coupons with those who are in need of them.
On Retrevo's DTV site, you simply choose whether you have a coupon to give or if you need one. Enter an e-mail address and a ZIP code and Retrevo will connect people living near each other so they can exchange. (Note: the person you are connected with will have your e-mail address, so consider that ahead of time.)
You can choose to give or receive your coupon through the mail or via an in-person exchange, but the only thing that can change hands is the coupons themselves--no buying or selling allowed.
(Credit:
DTV2009.gov)
While most American TV watchers and broadcasters are preparing for (fretting over) the long-planned DTV transition in February 2009, broadcasters along the U.S. southern border are requesting an exemption from shutting down their analog broadcasts--up to five years after the deadline. The House of Representatives, according to an article by HD Guru, has already passed the DTV Border Fix Act bill by unanimous consent. ... Read more
If you buy GE's lackluster DTV converter box, are you stuck with it?
(Credit: CNET)We finally got one of our government-issued DTV converter box coupons in the mail, and one of the notices on the accompanying information sheet caught our eye:
IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING REFUNDS: You will not be able to receive cash or credit for the coupon amount, but you can receive cash or credit for any amount you paid out of pocket, if the store policy permits.
To be honest, that's not much of a surprise when you consider how the coupon program actually works. If consumers were able to get credit or cash for returned DTV converter boxes, unscrupulous buyers could return a DTV converter box then use the credit to purchase any piece of electronics they wanted--which is definitely not the spirit of the coupon program.
But what happens if you get your DTV converter box back and it's broken?... Read more
