SnipSnap Coupon App for iPhone review: say goodbye to carrying stacks of coupons with you everywhere you go

By Leanna Lofte
last updated

Clipping and saving coupons is the most classic way of saving money, but in today's digital world, it feels rather archaic. SnipSnap for iPhone lets you say goodbye to physical coupons by taking photos of them to carry with you at all times and store clerks can scan the processed bar code right on your iPhone.

To add a coupon, you simply take a photo of it, or "snip it". SnipSnap will then process the coupon for you by converting the barcode on the photo into one that can be scanned by a store clerk (this process may take a few minutes). SnipSnap will also look at the dates valid and display when the coupon is redeemable or expires on the main Coupons page.

When viewing a coupon, you'll see all the details like minimum spending requirements. You can also look up the important dates, bar code, promo code, offer details, consumer restrictions, and retailer legal. SnipSnap also allows you to mark coupons as a favorite and share to Twitter, Facebook, or email.

When redeeming a coupon with SnipSnap, you have two different options for the clerk. The easiest one is the barcode which can be scanned by a store scanner. If that doesn't work, you can also display the coupon's code in nice, big, easy-to-read text. And if the store clerk is still a little suspicious of your coupon, you can show them the photo you took and allow them to pinch and zoom to see the details.

Another cool feature of SnipSnap is the Discover tab that shows coupons being snipped by other SnipSnap users. You can also use the search field to search for coupons at a specific store. I really like this feature, but sometimes I get coupons that are one-time use only (like on a receipt) and don't want to share it publicly in fear of someone "stealing" it. SnipSnap does allow you to disable sharing snipped coupons to the community pool, but I wish it'd let you do it on an individual basis.

A feature that makes SnipSnap way better than keeping track of physical coupons is that it will remind you when a coupon is about to expire. You can choose the notification to be sent at 1-3 days or 1-2 weeks before expiration. Additionally, when you arrive at a store that you have a coupon for, SnipSnap will send you notification reminding you of your coupon.

The last thing I want to mention is that SnipSnap does not work with "manufacturer coupons". This is not a fault of SnipSnap, however. These coupons require stores to collect coupons and return them to the manufactures. Until manufacturers change their rules about these coupons, I don't expect to see manufacturer coupon support anytime soon.

The good

  • Quick and easy to use
  • Processing only takes a few minutes
  • Reminders when coupon is about to expire
  • Location reminders
  • Discover coupons being snipped by other SnipSnap users

The bad

  • Can't edit sharing options when uploading coupon. Must set a universal setting.
  • Not compatible with "manufacturer coupons" (because these types of coupons must be physically collected and turned in to the manufacturer by the store)

The bottom line

Personally, I've never been much of a coupon user unless they come through my email inbox because I can't keep track of them nor remember to bring them. Now that I have SnipSnap for iPhone, I look forward to the savings in my future. But if I'm not careful, I may see myself making unnecessary purchases due to me "not wanting to miss out on a deal" before my coupons expire!

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Leanna Lofte
Leanna Lofte

Former app and photography editor at iMore, Leanna has since moved on to other endeavors. Mother, wife, mathamagician, even though she no longer writes for iMore you can still follow her on Twitter @llofte.

14 Comments
  • This app also doesn't appear to handle one-time use coupons unless the system into which they are scanned does. It would have reconize when a coupon is being reused and deny that coupon. That's one reason manufacturer's coupons are collected. A future way to handle these is to make a connection between the phone and the retailer's checkout process and have that process collect all the relevant coupons deleting the one-time use coupons from the phone. This would have to be easy and quick so checkout lines are not made longer. Perhaps future pay by phone apps could also handle the coupons.
  • I emailed the people who put out this app to ask that very question. They told me that there would be an update soon that accounted for single-use coupons. I'm not sure if they delete them after they're used or what, but the person who responded said that these either wouldn't be shared with other users or you would have the ability to specify whether you want to share.
  • Read the fine print on the coupons... This app will void most of them.
  • Question is where the coupon is voided? If the savings is recognized by the store and applied to the sale, but is not recognized by the vendor when the store seeks reimbursement, then good for you and bad for the store.
  • this is an app waiting on the coupon market to change.
    it's going to require unique one-time codes be equal to a piece of paper (think airline tickets where a barcode retrieved info is the ticket)
  • Honestly, no one ever pays attention to the fine print when you redeem coupons. I'm always able to use ones that are expired without any problem
  • I just downloaded this and checked out coupons in the system yesterday. I have not had the opportunity to try it at my store (Kroger) yet. I am hopeful it will take all the coupons in the newspaper/circulars I receive. I also noticed there were several of the Kroger store coupons, but not sure these will work either, since the barcodes are printed on the BACK but the written information is on the front. I would think the store will have to have the barcode data to scan, but if you have that, you don't know what the item is--unless someone gets really fancy and scans both sides, then takes the snapshot.
    I do LOVE the idea it will tell me when one is about to expire---I seem to be digging out old coupons every other month!
  • The issue I had with this app was that none of the stores around here will use them, because manufacturer or not, they require it be printed somehow, because to make their drawer even they have to have a physical coupon for every redemption.
  • Target included.
  • I agree with Ame, a lot of retailers require physical copies of store coupons as well as manufacturer coupons to prevent coupon fraud. The chain I work for requires every coupon to be turned in to stop misuse and abuse. This app is pretty worthless.
  • I've had experiences with stores that will take coupons on a phone, and that's money saved for me. Bath and Body Works is one such example, where I continually forget to bring in my coupon. To my mind, coupon apps are worthwhile, even if every store won't take them. I love the app, and that it's free.
  • Thank you so much for introducing me to this amazing app!
    I don't know what all these comments about it not working at grocery stores are all about. When I installed the app clearly stated that he didn't work at grocery stores. So what! It's pretty awesome every store I've tried so far. And yes, I used it at Target
  • Great idea but will probably be more useful in 5 years when more retail stores are willing to accept coupons on the phone. Today, you still run into too many that require the physical coupon. It's not worth the hassle.
  • Target has done a good job on this app. Spreading it's coupons online ( https://bluepromocode.com e.g. ) has been all over online. Printable coupons are always useful too.