Kroger digital coupons and fuel points

Kroger runs one of the most app-centered coupon programs in grocery. Its digital coupons attach to your shopper's card, and its rewards program turns grocery spending into points you can redeem. For years those were called fuel points; Kroger has since announced that they're simply called Points and can go toward fuel or groceries. Whatever the name on your app today, the mechanics are close to what longtime shoppers know.

Digital coupons: load, then scan

Kroger's digital coupons live in the Kroger app and on the website (and on the sites of Kroger-owned banners). You "load" or "clip" a coupon to your account, and it comes off automatically when your card or alternate ID is scanned at checkout. Digital coupons are generally one-time use: once redeemed, the coupon leaves your account.

Two lines in Kroger's coupon policy shape every plan:

• One coupon per item. The policy limits you to one store or manufacturer coupon, paper or digital, per item purchased. A digital coupon and a paper coupon can't both go on the same item.
• Digital first. Digital coupons are taken off the total before paper coupons or other discounts, and they can't be added back or removed once the card has been scanned.

That second rule matters if you have both a digital and a paper coupon for the same product. If the digital one is loaded to your card, it will apply first. If you'd rather use the paper coupon, unload the digital one in the app before you check out.

Steps: a Kroger trip

1. Build your list first. Then search the app's coupon section for those items and load what matches.
2. Decide paper vs. digital. If you have both for one item, keep the better one and unload the other.
3. Check your points balance. Decide whether to redeem toward groceries this trip or save for fuel.
4. Scan your card or enter your alternate ID at the start of checkout.
5. Hand over paper coupons after the scan. Digital coupons will already have applied.
6. Check the receipt for coupons applied and points earned.

How points work

You earn points on qualifying purchases when your card is scanned, and Kroger runs promotions that add bonus points on certain items or gift cards. Points can be redeemed at Kroger fuel centers and at partner fuel stations, which Kroger says vary by region, and Kroger's announcement describes redeeming them toward groceries as well. Redemption rates, per-purchase limits and daily limits are set in the program terms, and Kroger says selling or buying points is prohibited.

The expiration rule

Kroger's FAQ says points expire on the last day of the month after the month they were earned. Points earned any time in one month are therefore usable through the end of the next month, then they're gone. If you plan to redeem for fuel, check your balance near the end of each month.

Banners and local differences

Kroger operates stores under several names, and the coupon policy is published on each banner's own site. Kroger also notes that acceptance is subject to the manufacturer's restrictions on each coupon, and individual stores may add local rules. If something doesn't match what you read here, your banner's own policy page is the one to trust.

What we left out

Kroger has run special promotions over the years, from paper "super sale" coupons with their own rules to digital weekly deals. Those come and go, and each carries its own terms, so we don't describe them here.

Kroger's coupon policy and points program change. Check the official pages below before you count on any of this at the register or the pump.