Where do Lowes 10% off coupons come from?

[Wade Lippman]

You can buy Lowes 10% off coupons for $3; even less in quantity.
Where do they come from?

I know Lowes has 10% off "moving" coupons, but even if you could get a few hundred applications at the Post Office, you would have to get a few hundred email addresses and use each to apply for 1 coupon. Then you have to process orders and email out the coupons. I can't see doing all that work (even if it were possible) for $3.

They must have some way to get them in bulk, presumably from Lowes. I don't want to get into the business (even if Lowes gives them away, it is still too much work for $3...) but am extremely curious how it is done.

[Dan Hintz]

Printing those coupons in bulk would cost pennies per...

[Brian Elfert]

The coupons have a barcode so it would be basically impossible to print your own for use at Lowe's. Now, I do see a lot of Lowe's coupons sold as for use at Home Depot only so I someone might be making realistic looking fake coupons. I couldn't see the cost of duplicating these coupons as worth it unless you make many thousands and sell them in bulk to Ebay sellers. Even at $1 profit per transaction it would take a long time to pay the cost of duplicating the coupons. The real coupons I have had would be hard to make on a color printer.

[Dan Hintz]

The coupons have a barcode so it would be basically impossible to print your own for use at Lowe's. Now, I do see a lot of Lowe's coupons sold as for use at Home Depot only so I someone might be making realistic looking fake coupons. I couldn't see the cost of duplicating these coupons as worth it unless you make many thousands and sell them in bulk to Ebay sellers. Even at $1 profit per transaction it would take a long time to pay the cost of duplicating the coupons. The real coupons I have had would be hard to make on a color printer.

Why do you think barcodes are hard to print? They're not serialized, it's the same from coupon to coupon. $100 for 1,000 business cards on card stock isn't any different than 1,000 coupons on wax flier stock. Someone sitting at home stuffing envelopes is free labor, they just pay for stamps and envelopes (also in bulk). It's only $1-2/coupon profit, but it beats making nothing other than foodstamps (and the government doesn't know about the extra money).

[Michael Mahan]

I copy my own Harbor Freight coupons to use over & over again L O L

[Brian Elfert]

Why do you think barcodes are hard to print? They're not serialized, it's the same from coupon to coupon. $100 for 1,000 business cards on card stock isn't any different than 1,000 coupons on wax flier stock. Someone sitting at home stuffing envelopes is free labor, they just pay for stamps and envelopes (also in bulk). It's only $1-2/coupon profit, but it beats making nothing other than foodstamps (and the government doesn't know about the extra money).

Lowes puts a serialized barcode on each coupon specifically so they can be tracked and so they can only be used once. I'm pretty sure the code can also be used online. That is the reason a lot of the coupons on Ebay say they cannot be used at Lowes. It could be the code was really used, but just as likely they are fakes. I am a bit surprised that Lowes doesn't sue anyone faking coupons as it could be taking business away from Lowes since they can't actually be used there.

I've never purchased any Lowes coupons, but I did grab a few moving packets at the post office a few years ago. I seem to recall the coupons were printed on a paper that was very much like Tyvek. I suppose the cashiers at Home Depot would have no idea what a real Lowes coupon is supposed to be like as long as it wasn't on normal paper.

[Dan Hintz]

It has been years since I've seen a moving packet form the post office, but when they were available over the counter, the coupons were printed on the same stock as the Sunday newspaper flyer/ads... thin, waxed, full-color print paper. I don't remember anything other than a generic barcode, but who knows... coupons on eBay sure has changed the landscape from those days :-/

[Wade Lippman]

Again, the coupons all have unique bar codes. If you try to use one twice the cashier will tell you it has been used already.
They also have long numbers under the bar code that can be used on line, once. The second time will be rejected.

When you get the moving package you have to register on line. I haven't tried, but my understanding is that it is one per email address.

If there was something fraudulent about the coupons, I doubt ebay would continue to allow them.

[Brian Elfert]

The last Lowe's moving coupons I got from the Post Office were printed on a material that felt similar to Tyvek. The coupons themselves were perforated and about the size of a credit card after separated. This was about four years ago.

I've read that there are no more physical coupons and it is all electronic now, but then I also read that people are still getting physical coupons. I have never gotten an electronic Lowe's moving coupon to show up in my email. The post office really wants you to do change of address requests online now. You have to ask for the change of address kit in most post offices. (I've heard stories of people taking whole stacks of the moving kits for the coupons.)

[Lee Reep]

I have a Lowes card and get 5% off all purchases when I use the card. It ain't 10%, but I don't have them asking me why I move so often ...

[Jeff Erbele]

I circumvent all the nonsense and simply present my Military ID at Lowes, Home Depot, and a whole host of big box stores, retailers and food chains for the standard 10% off.


You can buy Lowes 10% off coupons for $3; even less in quantity.
Where do they come from?


You can?
From where?

This sounds absurd in that:
1.) Where can you buy these?
2.) They come from where you purchase them from.



I know Lowes has 10% off "moving" coupons, but even if you could get a few hundred applications at the Post Office, you would have to get a few hundred email addresses and use each to apply for 1 coupon. Then you have to process orders and email out the coupons. I can't see doing all that work (even if it were possible) for $3.


This makes no sense at all.
The US Postal Service and change of mailing address does not equate to one, or any amount of email addresses.
You would not want to change your mailing address unless you moved and wanted your mail delivered to a new address; where you moved to.
REALLY Now? You are going to fiddle and fart around with your own mail service in the sake of all this; coupons and percent off on.... How much do you purchase from Lowes in the first place? ...on a routine / monthly basis?

Before you get into this business (business unknown) perhaps you want to research the US Postal Service regulations and minimum fines and sentences for postal service violations; many of which are a minimum fine or $250,000 and/or 10 years in prison. One could get both, or more of both.

Perhaps I am missing something or simply do not understand, but I find the OP very bizarre.
You are going to BUY (spend money) COUPONS (to save money), via some percentage off on your, maybe purchases.
Maybe one could realize a savings, if you needed the items the coupons applied to and actually purchased them.

All of the OP smells like a fish and sounds like a scam.

And just exactly what is this business? ...the one you don't want to get into.
If it (this unknown business) were so lucrative, people would already be in it

[Michael Mahan]

I myself would never 'Buy' a coupon for Lowes , I know you can buy food stuff coupons from people who collect them outta the Sunday papers as those are not single use coupons . But I don't eat much processed food & most if not all are processed food &/or cleaners , paper products .

[Dan Hintz]

I circumvent all the nonsense and simply present my Military ID at Lowes, Home Depot, and a whole host of big box stores, retailers and food chains for the standard 10% off.

Kind of avoids the question for people who don't have military IDs, don't you think?


You can?
From where?

This sounds absurd in that:
1.) Where can you buy these?
2.) They come from where you purchase them from.

Wade was asking where the sellers get such a large quantity of the coupons, and I'm actually curious myself. If they are truly serialized, as others have pointed out, then it does beg the question. They're either in the supply chain or they're putting on barcodes that fit Lowe's algorithm (but haven't been used yet... a tactic, I might add, that was used with great success for a while with gift cards before they started verifying the purchase at the register)


This makes no sense at all.
The US Postal Service and change of mailing address does not equate to one, or any amount of email addresses.
You would not want to change your mailing address unless you moved and wanted your mail delivered to a new address; where you moved to.
REALLY Now? You are going to fiddle and fart around with your own mail service in the sake of all this; coupons and percent off on.... How much do you purchase from Lowes in the first place? ...on a routine / monthly basis?

Before you get into this business (business unknown) perhaps you want to research the US Postal Service regulations and minimum fines and sentences for postal service violations; many of which are a minimum fine or $250,000 and/or 10 years in prison. One could get both, or more of both.

Again, Wade specifically said he wasn't interested in repeating the process, nor would I expect most here would want to do so, either. And there's no need to change your actual address... you make up a random address for the "moving from" with your current as the "moving to". You'll get a bunch of packets at your doorstep within a week of the moving date. And quite possibly a very annoyed postman.


Perhaps I am missing something or simply do not understand, but I find the OP very bizarre.
You are going to BUY (spend money) COUPONS (to save money), via some percentage off on your, maybe purchases.
Maybe one could realize a savings, if you needed the items the coupons applied to and actually purchased them.

All of the OP smells like a fish and sounds like a scam.

And just exactly what is this business? ...the one you don't want to get into.
If it (this unknown business) were so lucrative, people would already be in it

Spending $3 to save $100 on a $1k purchase sounds like a worthwhile ROI to me. Not sure what got you up on the wrong side of the bed, but cut the guy some slack... it was a valid question, and if anyone finds out the real answer, I wouldn't mind hearing it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have a Lowes card and get 5% off all purchases when I use the card. It ain't 10%, but
LOL!
I have the same card!
The 5% discount doesn't even cover the sales tax - but - it's better than a sharp stick in the eye. :D

[Greg R Bradley]

I have both personal and business charge cards for both Lowes and Home Depot. They all get you a 5% discount on every purchase. Either one gets you a discount at the other. In other words, if you show your Lowes card at Home Depot, they will "match" the 5% discount even if you don't have a Home Depot card. Lowes seems to have this together better than HD. Just swiping the card recalculates the total with the discount. Some HD will require that you ask for the discount, sometimes even if it is their OWN card.

I believe the Lowes 10% coupons are fraudulent. They are designed to use at Home Depot so they will match the competing offer from Lowes. Even if you are willing to commit fraud, I assume Home Depot will eventually figure this out.

Military ID gets you 10% on each purchase. I'm fairly sure retired military ID is still valid as I was helping my father on a project recently and watched him use his at Home Depot.

Some people have found that Lowes and Home Depot will honor other discount coupons such as a 20% Harbor Freight coupon, which are EVERYWHERE. Their price match is supposed to be on like items and sometimes that would be a tough sell to the managers as Lowes and Home Depot have different items than Harbor Freight.

eBay hates to lose business but would eventually shut down some fraud if people complain. Who is likely to complain over a $3 item?

[Rick Potter]

Easy now,

The original post is not a scam. The original poster is simply asking a very interesting question, as evidenced by all the response.

I have also wondered where all these coupons come from. Maybe an inside job? A worker at Lowe's printing service? It has to be costing them a lot of money.

Rick Potter

[Dan Hintz]

Some people have found that Lowes and Home Depot will honor other discount coupons such as a 20% Harbor Freight coupon, which are EVERYWHERE. Their price match is supposed to be on like items and sometimes that would be a tough sell to the managers as Lowes and Home Depot have different items than Harbor Freight.

I've found the HF coupon acceptance to be very hit or miss... depends upon how the register folks are trained, as well as the mood of the manager. I've used it successfully at some stores, while at others they say no way.