Here’s how Kohl’s Cash and coupons work to score major savings

At Kohl’s, their Kohl’s Cash is king.

If you’ve shopped at the retailer before, you already know many of Kohl’s’ “it pays to shop” perks.

You can earn Kohl’s Cash in a couple different ways, but to start, make sure you sign up for sales alerts. Signing up for emails qualifies you for 15% off your next purchase, just to kick things off.

Here’s everything you need to know about using Kohl’s Cash to earn major savings.

Earning Kohl’s Cash is easy

There are three ways to earn Kohl’s Cash when you shop at a Kohl’s store or online.

1. Specific earning promotions: As long as you’re shopping in-stores or online during specific “earning” periods, you can make $10 Kohl’s Cash for every $50 you spend — with the exception of money put towards gift cards — in a single transaction. The amount you’ll get back — in a printed-out coupon, if you’re making your purchase at the store or in an email, if you’re shopping at Kohls.com — depends on the total cost of your purchase once all eligible coupons or additional discounts are applied and before tax is added. You can find out about Kohl’s Cash earning windows by checking out the Kohls.com homepage, promo announcements via email and in-store advertising.

2. Anytime you shop, if you’re a Kohl’s Rewards member: You can become a member of Kohl’s Rewards free loyalty program by creating an account online or signing up with a few registration questions in stores. By joining the Rewards program, you’ll receive 5% cash back on every purchase and 7.5% cash back on purchases made with a Kohl’s Credit Card. Your Rewards earnings are converted into Kohl’s Cash in $5 increments and issued on the first of the month following the month it was earned. You have 30 days to redeem your Kohl’s Cash.

3. When you make an Amazon return: If you didn’t know already, you can make Amazon returns at your nearby Kohl’s store. You just need to log the return at Amazon’s online return center first, selecting your Kohl’s store as the drop-off location. Then, you’ll receive a QR code from Amazon that you can show the Kohl’s associate when you bring your items for return to the customer service desk. They’ll handle the packing and delivery for you without having to pay for shipping. Once you make a return, you may receive a $5 off Kohl’s Cash voucher or varied promotional coupons from 15-25% off to use within a week of your return, according to The Krazy Coupon Lady.

Redeeming Kohl’s Cash is tricky

Kohl’s has certain stipulations on how and when customers can use Kohl’s Cash.

If you earned the Kohl’s Cash during in-store or online promotional periods, you’ll only be able to use it during the designated redemption period the following week that typically runs for one week. The redemption window for the latest Kohl’s Cash earning period is June 24 to June 30. If you miss the last day of redemption, you’ll have a grace period of 10 days to use the Kohl’s Cash before it expires.

If you’ve been earning Kohl’s Cash on in-store or online purchases as a Rewards member, you’ll get your percentage-earned back in Kohl’s Cash on that first day of the month the next month following your earnings. You’ll get the cash in an email. If your Kohls.com account is linked to your Rewards account, then your Rewards balance will also be automatically added to your Kohl’s Wallet. You have 30 days to use this Kohl’s Cash.

Combining Kohl’s Cash and Kohl’s Coupons is key

Whether it’s a percentage off, a fixed dollar amount off or free shipping perks, Kohl’s Coupons can add extra savings to your shopping cart.

Kohl’s lets you stack up to four coupons on a single online purchase. It doesn’t matter how you enter or add your coupons when you’re making the purchase, Kohl’s will always apply them in the following order:

1. Any department-specific dollar-off or percentage-off coupons will be applied to the qualifying items.

2. Any dollar-off coupons (like Kohl’s Cash and Rewards Cash) will be subtracted from total.

3. Only one sitewide percentage-off coupon can be applied to qualifying items.

Some exclusions apply

Unfortunately, Kohl’s Cash and coupons cannot be used toward a Sephora at Kohl’s purchase.

But a large majority of Kohl’s in-house brands, like FLX, LC Lauren Conrad, Jumping Beans, Simply Vera Vera Wang and other big name brands, in fashion, jewelry, home decor, kitchen and dining categories, are eligible.

Always remember to read the fine print on your coupons. Sometimes, certain exclusions or caveats may apply, but with a little attention to detail, you can stack and combine your Kohl’s Cash and coupons like a pro.

Kohl’s also offers free shipping for any orders $49 or more along with fast and free in-store pickup on select items.

Check out these summer-friendly deals you can shop now to start earning Kohl’s Cash.

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Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.