How to use a coupon code (and what to do when it doesn't work)
Aug 18, 2026 · 09:00
Most codes fail for one of five reasons, and four of them you can fix in under a minute.
Using a coupon code should take seconds, but the checkout page is where most people give up. Here is the order that works.
Copy the code before you click through. Once you land on the store's site, the code is no longer on screen, and retyping from memory is how typos happen. If the code is on your clipboard, you can paste it straight into the box.
Find the right field. Stores hide it under different names: promo code, discount code, voucher, gift card, or simply "Have a code?". It is usually on the basket page or the first step of checkout, occasionally behind a small link you have to expand. If you reach the payment page and still haven't seen it, go back one step.
Apply it before you pay, not after. Almost no store will add a discount to a completed order, and support will usually tell you to place a new one.
Check the total actually changed. A code can appear accepted and still take nothing off, typically because it applies only to full-price items and your basket is already reduced.
If the code is rejected, work through these in order. Check for a minimum order value, which is the single most common condition. Remove sale items and try again, since most codes exclude them. Look at whether the code is for new customers only. Check whether it is limited to one brand or category within the store. And finally, look at the expiry date on our page: if it has passed, the store's system will reject it no matter what you do.
One habit worth building: when a code fails, try the next one on the store's page rather than giving up. Stores usually run several offers at once, and the second or third code often works where the first didn't. We list them in order of how much they take off, so working down the list is rarely wasted effort.
If nothing works, tell us. There is a link at the bottom of every page for reporting a broken code, and we check those daily.
