San Diego bans digital-only grocery coupons

[Zorro]

The City Council voted 8-0 in favor of the new law this week, despite strong objections from the California Grocers Association and a local grocery chain.

A new San Diego law requires grocery stores to extend digital discounts to all customers — even those who lack smartphones or access to the internet.

The City Council voted 8-0 in favor of the new law this week, despite strong objections from the California Grocers Association and a local grocery chain. The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce also raised concerns.

Supporters of the new law, called the Grocery Pricing Transparency Ordinance, say San Diego is the first city in the U.S. to approve such legislation.

But the law is similar to legislation approved by four states: New Jersey, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts.

The goal of the law is helping seniors, people who aren’t tech-savvy and shoppers who speak limited English get access to the same discounts as everyone else, city officials said.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/03/27/grocery-coupons-digital-discounts-supermarket/

[hlthe2b]

1. Krogers-owned King Soopers does a three tiered pricing system that pisses the hell out of me...

Some sale prices are only for "ordered online pickup" rather than purchasing by going directly into the store and picking it up yourself. How is that ethical?

And yes, you have to pay MAJOR attention as to whether sale prices are based on digital coupons or not and that can be a much as a 50% difference when you buy several of the same item. Unbelievable.

I am no Luddite, so this is not more than a real annoyance, but it is not fair--that's for sure.

And don't get me started on how often the registers at self-check out are not correctly programmed with these "specials" and "digital coupon" prices.

That's why I go at 6Am when they open--so that there is no crowd and they are forced to correct these issues.

[Buddyzbuddy]

2. When possible, I avoid shopping at markets that use digital coupons.

[NJCher]

3. at ShopRite

When they mess up, you get the item free. I have this mind for prices--I know the price of everything (haha and the value of everything, too!) so I let them make the mistake at the check out stand.

Then I take my receipt to the customer service window and show them and get the item(s) for free. The last item I got for free was a can of green chilis that were supposed to be 99 but rang up at $1.29.

From reading this article, I see my state, NJ, is looking at a law like this, too.

At ShopRite, though, they have these kiosks where you can just go to the digital section and put them all on your card.