Companies have been using coupons to market their products to the masses for more than a 110 years.
In 1894, Atlanta businessman and co-owner of Coca-Cola Asa Candler used handwritten tickets for a free glass of Coca-Cola to help market his new soft drink. Within one decade Coca-Cola was in every state and within two decades one in every nine Americans had received a free Coca-Cola soft drink.
One year later, grocer C.W. Post began using coupons to help sell groceries. His coupon gave people a one cent discount on his new breakfast cereal, Grape Nuts.
During the dirty thirties clipping coupons had become necessary for many American families who struggled to afford groceries.
By the 1940s chain supermarkets, which were popping up all over the country, continued the tradition of using coupons that the smaller neighborhood grocery stores had developed.
In 1957, The Nielson Coupon Clearing House was established devoted entirely to coupon redemption.
Half of all American households were clipping coupons by 1965.
By the mid 1990s retailers began offering printable coupons which could be downloaded from the Internet. The new millennium saw internet retailers using coupons in the form of coupon codes to encourage shoppers to buy their products. These codes are also commonly referred to as "discount codes", "key codes", "promo codes", "promotional codes", "promotion codes", "shopping codes", "source codes" or "voucher codes". Most online coupons provided for a reduced cost, percentage discount or free shipping on orders.
By 2006 one of the most popular online coupons is the free shipping coupon which gives the shopper free shipping on their purchase. Free shipping has become one of the most important factors in determining where to buy online.
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