A rejected coupon can be frustrating, particularly when the offer looks relevant. The failure may come from a restriction, an expired promotion or a mismatch between the code and your order. Work through the checks below before changing what you planned to buy.
Start with the checkout message
Read the message shown by the merchant. “Minimum spend not met” gives you a different next step from “Code expired” or “Not valid for these items.” Some checkouts only show a general rejection, so you may need to consult the offer terms.
Keep the exact wording available if you contact the merchant. Do not include payment details or passwords in a support request.
Check the code itself
Copy the code again and remove any spaces before or after it. Check that you did not copy the offer title instead of the code. Avoid guessing alternative spellings: use the characters supplied with the offer.
Make sure you selected the right merchant and regional website. A code for a US store may not be valid on a separate international checkout.
Check the eligible order value
A minimum-spend rule may refer to eligible products rather than the full amount displayed in your basket. Delivery charges, taxes, gift cards and excluded items may be treated differently by the merchant.
For example, an illustrative $60 basket containing $15 of excluded products would leave only $45 of eligible items. That would not satisfy a $50 eligible-spend requirement. Follow the actual merchant’s terms rather than assuming every item counts.
Look for product and account restrictions
- Selected items: some categories, brands or sale products may be excluded.
- New customers: an offer may be limited to a first purchase.
- Account requirements: signing in or joining a merchant’s programme may be necessary.
- One-time use: a previously redeemed code may no longer be available to your account.
- Subscription terms: a promotion may apply only to a specific billing plan.
These conditions can explain why another shopper reported success while your order received a rejection.
Check whether discounts can be combined
A merchant may allow only one promotional code per order. An automatically applied offer can also conflict with another code. If the checkout permits it, compare the options separately and keep the one with the lower final total.
Do not remove a working discount without checking whether you can restore it.
Check expiry and availability
A promotion can end, reach a redemption limit or be changed by the merchant. Our listings hide offers after their stored expiration date, but an offer without a known expiry date can still stop working. A visible listing is not a guarantee of current eligibility.
Choose the next useful step
If your basket meets the stated rules and the code still fails, try another relevant offer or ask the merchant about eligibility. Our Help page is available for reporting an incorrect listing; order and billing questions belong with the merchant.
If you tested a coupon, sign in and submit a Yes or No result through its community reports panel. Report the outcome of your attempt, rather than guessing from the badge or other shoppers’ results.