Sticky: Fred Meyer's coupons valid upon Xbox & Playstation GC's

[Cornelius]

This thread is to educate & announce when Fred Meyer coupons apply to video game accessories, and more specifically towards Xbox & Playstation gift-cards available within the Home Electronics department. About 1 week or weekend per month, Fred Meyer will offer either:

• a "save $10/$20/$30 off $50/$100/$150" savings certificate (aka coupon), or
• a "save xx% off video game accessories" coupon, or
• in the rarest of cases, a few days when 2 or more coupons overlap & apply simultaneously!

Here's how these coupons pertain to Xbox & Playstation gift-cards (herein GC's) ...

• If you have a "save $10/$20/$30 off $50/$100/$150 in Home Electronics, etc" coupon, this will take a fixed amount off the total of your qualifying purchases.
  Spoiler

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• If you have a "save xx% off Video Game Software & Accessories" or "save xx% off Video Game Accessories" coupon, then there's no limit to how much credit or games you can buy.
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• If you have both coupons overlapping & valid simultaneously, then you've hit the jackpot & will save 28-31% off video game accessories ... including Xbox & Playstation GC's!

The "Save $10/$20/$30..." coupon comes off after all other discounts apply (it says this right in the coupon's fine-print). Xbox GC's are typically only stocked in $25 and $50 increments, while Playstation GC's are stocked in $20 and $50 increments. Therefore, you'll need to do some quick math and mix-&-match to round up to the nearest $5 increment, if you intend to only purchase GC's using both coupons.

• When you have both a 10% coupon and a "save $10/$20/$30..." coupon (about 1x per 3 months), then you'll need to buy at least:buy $60 in credit & pay $44.00 ... aka 26.7% off ($60*.9=$54-$10=$44 and $49/60=73.3%).
• buy $115 in credit & pay $83.50 ... aka 27.4% off ($115*.9=$103.50-$20=$83.50 and $83.50/115=72.6%).
• buy $170 in credit & pay $123.00 ... aka 27.6% off ($170*.9=$153-$30=$123 and $123/170=72.4%).

[*]When you have both a 15% coupon and a "save $10/$20/$30..." coupon (about 2x per year; last seen June 2015), then you'll need to buy at least:

• buy $60 in credit & pay $41.00 ... aka 31.7% off ($60*.85=$51-$10=$41 and $41/60=68.3%).
• buy $120 in credit & pay $82.00 ... aka 31.7% off ($120*.85=$102-$20=$82 and $82/120=68.3%).
• buy $180 in credit & pay $123.00 ... aka 27.6% off ($180*.85=$153-$30=$123 and $123/170=68.3%).

[*]When you have 2 simultaneous "save 10%" coupons and a "save $10/$20/$30..." savings certificate (extremely rare; last seen Nov. 2014), then you'll need to buy at least:

• buy $65 in credit & pay $42.65 ... aka 34.4% off ($65*.9*.9=$52.65-$10=$42.65 and $42.65/65=65.6%).
• buy $125 in credit & pay $81.25 ... aka 35.0% off ($125*.9*.9=$101.25-$20=$81.25 and $81.25/125=65.0%).
• buy $190 in credit & pay $123.00 ... aka 34.8% off ($190*.9*.9=$153.90-$30=$123.90 and $123.90/190=65.2%).

Here's some helpful info when redeeming these coupons ...

• While you may find Xbox, Playstation, and other gaming-related gift-cards nearby on the "Gift Card Mall" kiosk in the Home or Grocery departments, only the shelf-hanging tags on the Game Accessories rack within the Home Electronics dept. are considered "accessories". remember these are amongst the Game Accessories (like gamepads & headphones), and NOT the Gift Card Mall kiosk or end-cap!
• Here are examples what the shelf-hanging tags look like ...
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• When you bring the shelf tags up to the Home Electronics counter, they will exchange these placeholder tags for actual pre-activated GC's they keep locked behind the counter. Keep in mind the quantity of tags on the Game Accessories shelf should correspond to the actual number of GC's they keep locked away, so if you don't see any tags for a particular denomination, that means they don't currently have them in stock.
• Because the shelf-tags correspond to actual GC's behind the Home Electronics counter, you shouldn't expect cashiers in Apparel, Home, Garden, Grocery, or at each outside entrance to be able to honor the coupons correctly, much less go back to Home Electronics to fetch the pre-activated GC's.
• The coupons can be presented either as the physical newspaper ad, coupons printed from the website at home, or simply on your phone ... but whatever you do, the UPC barcodes must be legible enough (with enough contrast) for their laser gun to read them. If you have the ability to print a coupon on your printer bigger (such as full page), or can magnify the coupon's image on your phone, then that saves you from begging the store clerk to manually type the UPC into the register (which they may refuse to do).
• You can redeem these coupons multiple times, but be prepared to drive around to several locations, since they reserve the right to only honor 1 redemption per store per day.

Less important info & caveats ...

• Newspaper ads are frequently available at all outside entrances but in limited supply. Presenting the coupons within Fred Meyer's iOS or Android apps is strongly advised for simplicity ... but if your phone can't run the app, or you need multiple copies of the coupon, then the website offers PDF's of each ad page, in addition to a version of each coupon that's mostly plain text (albeit with only a small UPC graphic that sometimes doesn't scan).
• These coupons are good at all participating Fred Meyer locations in the Pacific NW, but not other stores within the Kroger family of stores (as always, YMMV).
• More math will be involved if you purchase other non-accessory merchandise from Home Electronics to meet the $50/$100/$150 thresholds, or if you purchase merchandise with additional discounts (such as "save an additional 40% off clearance-priced accessories").
• Sometimes the "save $10/$20/$30..." coupon is only for "Music, Movies, and Video Games" within Home Electronics, and other times it's for anything from multiple departments like Apparel, Garden, Home, and/or Home Electronics. As long as the coupon mentions "electronics", then it will always apply towards "video game accessories".
• The only caveat to a percentage coupon is that they never doubles with "Home Electronics Accessories" coupons, which will expressly exclude video game hardware, accessories, & software in the fine-print.
• Both coupons work across all gaming accessories, including gaming accessories in the clearance section. You can even buy other electronic crap with the "save $10/$20/$30..." coupon, but unless you're traveling around to redeem multiple times, then the most-efficient use is buying more virtual XBL & PSN currency with less actual currency.
• If you have consoles from both Microsoft & Sony, I typically favor the Playstation credit and only use Xbox credit to top off the threshold ... because sales on Xbox gift-cards are more frequent at other retailers like Safeway, Best Buy, and Fry's ... whereas Playstation gift-card promos at retail stores are fairly infrequent. Also, Sony's been knocking the online sales out of the park recently, and it's been much harder to keep my PSN wallet stocked (especially those $15 rebates after spending $100) rather than Xbox's less-than-stellar "Deals with Gold".

HOPE THIS HELPS!!!

 

[affa]

So to be sure I understand this, I need to buy $20 worth of food when I buy my PSN cards?? 80 bucks for a hundred? I guess that means I should just take my food to the electronics department, since my Freddy's has their cards behind the counter. Or am I missing another coupon?

 

[Bizzquik]

This Friday through this Sunday, $10 off $50 is back!

 

[DGenerateKane]

It was like pulling teeth to get this to work thanks to an uncooperative employee. The cards hanging in the electronics department did not work on the coupon. Took a lot of back and forth before he admitted they had a different version hidden behind the counter that Fred Meyer "owned" as opposed to the hanging ones that they don't. He admitted those ones work for the associate discount, so I convinced him to try those, and they did work. I don't know what the difference is on the back because I didn't look at the ones I grabbed off the rack, but they look identical on the front. Looking at the pic in the OP, they definitely do not say for Display only. So I guess at least my store does not have display only cards on their racks.

Oh, I can confirm Fred Meyer gift cards can be used to purchase them as well.

 

[captbrannigan]

It was like pulling teeth to get this to work thanks to an uncooperative employee. The cards hanging in the electronics department did not work on the coupon. Took a lot of back and forth before he admitted they had a different version hidden behind the counter that Fred Meyer "owned" as opposed to the hanging ones that they don't. He admitted those ones work for the associate discount, so I convinced him to try those, and they did work. I don't know what the difference is on the back because I didn't look at the ones I grabbed off the rack, but they look identical on the front. Looking at the pic in the OP, they definitely do not say for Display only. So I guess at least my store does not have display only cards on their racks.

Oh, I can confirm Fred Meyer gift cards can be used to purchase them as well.

Did you go to the Eugene store? They gave me a ton more hassle than usual and cited a guy who came in the night before and paid with gift cards. I eventually got them to do it, but not without a lot of dirty looks and multiple manager calls.

Not mad at you, just their weird reluctance to honor a deal we've all been getting for years. Itunes gift cards go on sale and no one bats an eye, but they were treating me like I was stealing from their personal stash.

 

[DGenerateKane]

Did you go to the Eugene store? They gave me a ton more hassle than usual and cited a guy who came in the night before and paid with gift cards. I eventually got them to do it, but not without a lot of dirty looks and multiple manager calls.

Not mad at you, just their weird reluctance to honor a deal we've all been getting for years. Itunes gift cards go on sale and no one bats an eye, but they were treating me like I was stealing from their personal stash.

Ha, small world. It probably didn't help that one of the gift cards I tried to use was declined, saying zero funds or something like that, which aggravated me since it should have had $100 on it. The guy then tried to tell me it was probably expired, which I had to inform him it specifically says funds don't expire right on the card. The employee was clearly annoyed someone was actually in the electronics section at 9:30 at night wanting service, as he wasn't doing anything when I walked in.

Sorry about that! My grandma has been giving me a gift card almost every month for some reason (I think she thinks I'm starving or something) so I finally decided to use some of them on something. I never shop at Fred Meyer, so they've been piling up.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[tribalnoise]

where is the coupon? i couldn't find it in the ad when i went today. i want to use an original coupon instead of the shared copy posted here (less suspicion by employees).

 

[Bizzquik]

This Friday through this Sunday, $10 off $50 is back!

where is the coupon? i couldn't find it in the ad when i went today. i want to use an original coupon instead of the shared copy posted here (less suspicion by employees).

Click on my Fred Meyer link above, then scroll down to the ad that says "3-Day Sale." There are many inserts at Fred Meyer's this week, but that will show you which one to look for.

 

[Bizzquik]

original ad to look for in stores, if you're so inclined.

 

[Cornelius]

Here we go with a ONE DAY coupon good only for Sunday, Nov. 18th, but I have a feeling we’ll see other coupons soon!

 

[Cornelius]

Looking at the pic in the OP, they definitely do not say for Display only. So I guess at least my store does not have display only cards on their racks.

According to associates I’ve talked to, the shelf-hanging FOR DISPLAY ONLY cards are supposed to match the stock in the drawers, so that when they’re out of $50 PSN cards, for example, then the $50 shelf tags should get removed. When in doubt, just say you want the cards that match the UPC codes on the FM-printed price sticker above the hanger. :lol:

 

[Cornelius]

BAD NEWS ... they’ve gone back to stocking Fastcard GC’s behind the register. At 1 store, neither the shelf tag nor the GC had Fastcard’s brand (just obvious white space in the corners), but neither XBL nor PSN cards allowed the coupon.

At the 2nd store I went to (in a flurry of sad emotion), they’d just remodeled & don’t stick GC’s behind the register anymore. Instead the employee pointed to Fred Meyer’s own gift card rolling 3-sided display with a “get 2x has rewards” sign on top. And I already knew I was in trouble because the “display only” shelf tags (at the 2nd store) had Fastcard’s brand on the back where the 1st store’s had blank white space ... but the shelf tags were otherwise identical in instructions, fonts, UPC code, etc.

If I had to guess, I think Kroger has negotiated a deal with Fastcard for all their GC’s, but some stores still have unbranded cards from when Kroger was activating some GC’s themselves.

Crap.

 

[Bizzquik]

BAD NEWS ... they’ve gone back to stocking Fastcard GC’s behind the register. At 1 store, neither the shelf tag nor the GC had Fastcard’s brand (just obvious white space in the corners), but neither XBL nor PSN cards allowed the coupon.

At the 2nd store I went to (in a flurry of sad emotion), they’d just remodeled & don’t stick GC’s behind the register anymore. Instead the employee pointed to Fred Meyer’s own gift card rolling 3-sided display with a “get 2x has rewards” sign on top. And I already knew I was in trouble because the “display only” shelf tags (at the 2nd store) had Fastcard’s brand on the back where the 1st store’s had blank white space ... but the shelf tags were otherwise identical in instructions, fonts, UPC code, etc.

If I had to guess, I think Kroger has negotiated a deal with Fastcard for all their GC’s, but some stores still have unbranded cards from when Kroger was activating some GC’s themselves.

Crap.

Thanks for doing the homework.

Sucks that we're back in this predicament again. ...I'll check my local branch next time I see a %-Off coupon to see if I'm impacted, as well. (I'm sure I am.) Sounds like the end of an era. Again.

 

[tribalnoise]

BAD NEWS ... they’ve gone back to stocking Fastcard GC’s behind the register. At 1 store, neither the shelf tag nor the GC had Fastcard’s brand (just obvious white space in the corners), but neither XBL nor PSN cards allowed the coupon.

At the 2nd store I went to (in a flurry of sad emotion), they’d just remodeled & don’t stick GC’s behind the register anymore. Instead the employee pointed to Fred Meyer’s own gift card rolling 3-sided display with a “get 2x has rewards” sign on top. And I already knew I was in trouble because the “display only” shelf tags (at the 2nd store) had Fastcard’s brand on the back where the 1st store’s had blank white space ... but the shelf tags were otherwise identical in instructions, fonts, UPC code, etc.

If I had to guess, I think Kroger has negotiated a deal with Fastcard for all their GC’s, but some stores still have unbranded cards from when Kroger was activating some GC’s themselves.

Crap.

thanks for the heads up but...you gotta be kidding me. Right before their annual triple dip coupons?! literally next week!

ugh...i hate liking a post with bad news

hopefully some of you were able to load up using walmart's online coupon last week. it ended up being almost 30% off.

 

[io]

I don't get the paper any more so I'll be looking here for the gift card deals/savings coupon combos.  As far as I'm concerned that is the only really good gaming deal left in retail any more.  It sucks that they've eliminated the gaming sections though (especially for a stupid sports apparel section that no one is ever in when I'm there).