 Re: Kroger TX/LA--Can you use Qs with cards?
Wow, have I been hiding out somewhere? Seems Amni is taking care of our forum while I have my head in the clouds.
This is my experience with the tax issue she is discussing. I found this out when working for hellmart(read walmart) for the 4 years I was in college.
The problem really arises when a cashier has to override a coupon and in the case of Kroger/Randalls/potentially Wags when you use a catalina/RR.
At hellmart, if a coupon would not scan, we had to manually override them by typing in $1 and then manf coupon button. After hitting that manuf. coupon button, the register would ask the cashier taxable(enter) nontaxable(clear) (I might be off on the buttons you had to actually press since it was over 10 years ago, but you get the idea)
Now, Walmart didn't really train me on what button to press, nor did I at the time really know what was taxable and what wasn't in TX, so I just always hit enter. This had the effect that Amniculus discussed above. It now made that coupon worth face value + local sales tax rate.
Kroger is similar in that if they have to override a coupon on a nontaxable item, it is going to take off tax, resulting in a negative balance if you don't have fillers. It is not just food that is not taxed. Many over the counter medicines are also not taxed so you need to consider your fillers wisely if you are hitting close to the mark. Or , as Amniculus suggests, don't hand all your coupons over at once. Hand them in groups and then you can always hold one or two back so as not to go negative. I have had to do that more times than I care to admit on this mega sale. Partly due to tax and partly due to miscalculations on my part on the overage of other items.
I typically add 8 cents per dollar since most the stores I shop have an 8.25% sales tax rate. This is especially important when you are using some catalinas but purchasing non-tax items. It does vary by catalina though too per store.
I know at Wags, the cats are programmed as taxable or nontaxable based on the item you purchased to receive the RR.
At Kroger, I am not sure it is 100% consistent but it mostly follows that rule as well. So for the Pillsbury catalina, no tax. For the Krusteaz, Dole etc, no tax. However, lately Kroger has changed their catalinas to beep now and so I have not tested the new system to see if these are removing tax.
Now, concerning wic and food stamps. I am by no means an expert as I have never used those programs, but what I have read, is you should ring your wic items up separately(to avoid locking up the register as a PP has mentioned)
Food stamps, I was read you need to be very careful using coupons with foodstamps, especially if you are purchasing ALOT of items that food stamps will not pay for with food stamp items. Examples I have heard happening to people.
Say someone goes in to buy a gallon of milk $2, loaf of bread $2, fruit $3 and puts this order with cat treats $2 but free after coupon, dog food $2.50 but free with coupon.
Ok, so their food total is $7 and their non-food total is $4.50
They hand over their coupons for a new total of $7 and then are suprised that their food stamps will only pay $2.50 of their total and they have to pay the other out of their own pocket. Why?
The register is taking the free pet food coupons off the food total and showing that they only have $2.50 that is elgible $7 food - $4.50 coupon = 2.50, even though the coupons were for the non-food items.
Now I am not sure if this is the case in Tx and anyone can verify this, but I have heard enough horror stories about this to maybe suggest someone test the waters first before getting flustered at the register.
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