Paper coupons still preferred, even by millennials
November 04, 2015
Despite technology available to today’s consumers, Americans prefer paper coupons, according to a CreditCards.com report.
A survey found:
- 63 percent of U.S. credit/debit cardholders who use coupons say they most frequently use coupons from newspapers, mailings, and other paper products.
- Entering a discount code online is a distant second, 17 percent), followed by using a coupon or discount code on a phone, 15 percent.
- 85 percent of Americans use coupons – 24 percent often, 29 percent sometimes, and 32 percent occasionally.
- Paper coupon usage decreases with income and increases with age, but even 18 to 24 year-olds are using paper coupons about twice as much as any other method.
“Plenty of Americans are still opening their snail mail and reading the Sunday paper,” said Matt Schulz, CreditCards.com’s senior industry analyst. “I expect paper coupons to lose some market share, though, as consumers and brands get even more comfortable using them electronically.”
Forty-two percent of credit/debit cardholders would prefer to have discounts automatically applied to their payment cards, the CreditCards.com survey found. Twenty-nine percent aren’t sure and 27 percent are opposed.
Schultz said American Express, Discover, and Bank of America are among those offering these card-linked deals.
Copyright 2015, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
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