For a heavy coupon user like me, this is bad news. I had hoped that perhaps it was just one or two stores that were doing this but, unfortunately, this policy has finally come to my Wal-Mart and may be coming to a Wal-Mart near you very soon.
I asked the local manager why the policy changed and he didn’t have any real idea. He said he hadn’t gotten an explanation from the corporate office and didn’t know if it was a nationwide policy, or just for certain stores. I’ve thought about this new policy to try to find a reason, and it still makes no sense to me. I don’t think it’s money. Retailers are reimbursed for the face value of the coupons they submit back to the manufacturer and, in most cases, are given a few cents extra per coupon as “commission.” Since Wal-Mart doesn’t double coupons beyond face value, they aren’t losing money on coupons. They ought to be making money.