Green Talk

Photo by permission of Coupster

 

Coupon clipping is as American as apple pie. However, how many times have you gotten to the store or restaurant and realized you had a coupon at home or you left it on the counter? Kind of like, I could have had a V-8 moment.

Coupster was created so savvy shoppers no longer felt that “I left it on the counter” frustration again by being able to gain access to savings via their cell phones. Only requested coupons are delivered directly to your cell phone via text messages. The program guarantees no spamming. Presently based in South Florida but expanding to all over the country, Coupster is a green idea that will not only save you money, but will spare trees from being cut down in the name of printing coupons.

What makes Coupster Cool?

Here is how the system works. You sign up for the service at $4.99 per month. The first thirty days are free. Looking for a particular coupon for a store or restaurant? Call the toll free Coupster number, and follow the prompts to either choose your merchant by entering the first three letters of its name or follow the instructions to pick a category to find a specific merchant. Each merchant will offer three coupons. Pick the coupon you desire and it will be sent to you via a text message. Text messaging charges may apply.

Just show the coupon to the merchant when you are ready to pay. It can’t get easier than that. You can also check the website directory for listing of all participating merchants in your area.

Once you access a coupon, it is only good for twenty-four hours from the time you retrieve it. Some vendors will allow you to access their coupons a certain number of times during the month.

Coupster is available with the following cell phone carriers: AT&T, Nextel, Sprint PCS, Verizon, T- Mobile, Dobson, US Cellular, Boost, and Alltel.

Going for the Green with Convenience

Coupons have been a way of life since the depression. According to the Coupon Council:

86% of the United States population uses coupons.

Shoppers saved approximately $2.6 billion in 2006 by using coupons.

Coupster offers the convenience of simply calling your cell phone to retrieve coupons. No more wasted time searching for coupons in newspapers or the internet. No more clipping and filing or forgetting coupons you left on the counter. Most importantly, no more paper and ink needed to print the coupons.

My first reaction when I heard the price of the service was this is too expensive. Cary Schiffres, the president of Coupster, explained that one coupon could save you the cost of your membership for many months. He cited an example of a client who ate at Legal Seafood, an upscale fish restaurant, using a Coupster coupon. The coupon was for a “buy one get one free dinner.” The client saved $53.95 as evidenced by his testimonial on Merchant Circle, which allows individuals to rate businesses advertising on its website. Schiffres further explained that this is not always the norm, but the savings add up. See the other happy testimonials contained on Merchant Circle.

If you are a merchant, this service is free with no contract or long term commitment. All you have to do is provide Coupster with three coupons or offers per month. According to Schiffres, Coupster has only been in operation since December, 2007 and has already over 500 merchants with thousands of coupons in the South Florida area. This is just the beginning!

Fundraising

The Company offers an affiliate program. Both schools and not for profits organizations can sign up for the program. An organization receives a $10 bonus for every merchant referral, and a 10% commission for each subscriber for each month that particular subscriber stays in the Coupster program.

Although Coupster is young, it is expanding rapidly. Keep your eyes out for this company in your state. It’s one convenient green idea that helps you save your own green!

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