Vouchers are not that different from coupons but unlike coupons, vouchers often come with promo codes, especially with online coupon websites. Companies often give vouchers and coupons to thank loyal customers, get rid of inventory from the previous system, to sell slow-moving products and to promote new ones. Vouchers and coupons both have expiration dates and with vouchers, you type in the code once you shop for your items. With vouchers, you often get free items for promotional purposes while coupons often include a percentage off the regular price although you’ll sometimes get coupons for free stuff.
A rebate is when a company offers a discount on items you purchase but unlike vouchers and coupons, you get this discount after you pay for the item and mail in certain information. For example, if I visit my favorite record store and purchase classic jazz vinyl albums to play on my radio show, the record store may offer mail-in rebates for those albums. If the rebates add up to $40 altogether and I’m paying $100.00 before I mail in the rebate, I’ll get a $40.00 check in the mail. When filling out the mail-in rebates, make sure you read all requirements because this determines whether you get the extra cash or not. If you’re filling out online rebates, you want to be sure the rebates are from a legitimate rebate website and if you’re not sure if a website is the real deal, check with the Better Business Bureau.