Whether you're looking fordeals,life advice, or just want to see endless pictures ofbread stapled to trees, Reddit has probably got you covered. You can also findjuicy retail secretstoo. But… Reddit is, of course, also impossibly massive, complicated to use, and often prohibitively confusing for new users.
Since 2005, Reddit.com has established itself as one of top spots, if not the top spot, for credible crowdsourced information. Reddit is more than a Q&A site though. It's an entire social network that, like Facebook, allows people to share their knowledge, views, expertise, and ideas. The main difference is it puts the focus on following communities (or "subreddits") rather than individuals.
That doesn't mean you can't make friends on Reddit. (More on that later — and how you can make friends with benefits. Coupon benefits.) But what Reddit hangs its hat on is bringing people together to discuss one central topic or theme at a time.
Think of each subreddit like a big room or forum, where everyone can exchange ideas on one specific topic. That topic might be as heavy and important asworld peace, or as trivial and pointless as aconsortium of Timsreveling in their collective Tim-ness.
Somewhere between those two things on the scale of importance lie deals, bargains, and coupon codes. And there are lots of ways to find them...
What not to do to find deals on Reddit
Reddit has naturally become a place people turn to when hunting down discounts and coupon codes for their favorite websites, brands, vacation destinations, and more.
Certain features and aspects aren't so easy to find, though, so many people resort to tacking the word “Reddit” onto their Google searches. Searches like "Nike coupon code Reddit" might not be a terrible way to try to find a reliable, crowd-vetted coupon code, but is that the best way to find the most coveted and reliable info Reddit has to offer? (Short answer: No. Long answer: Keep reading.)
Google searches for “Coupons + Reddit”
Simply googling "[Brand name] coupons Reddit" might spit out a few results that look promising. But more often than not, you'll find those links aren't as helpful as they appear.
For example, when we googled "Apple Watch coupons Reddit," the top result was asubredditpromising 20% off Apple Watches at Nike.com with the coupon code "20SPRING". Cool, right?
But oops! Turns out the code is from the spring of 2018. Chances are it's been inactive for quite some time.
You'll get that same type of result with other products too. (Are you looking for an expired coupon code for Ancestry.com circa 2016? You'rein luck!) In other words, just including "Reddit" in a google coupon search isn't usually the best way to find the best deal.
So what should you do instead?
11 Best Strategies and Secrets for Finding Reddit Coupon Codes
Finding the info you're looking for on Reddit isn't hard once you knowhowto look for it. The good news is it's not rocket science (unless that'sthe subreddit you're looking for). So, once you've got a few tips and tricks in your arsenal, you'll be a Reddit discount hunting expert in no time.
1. Check out and "join" subreddits where people share discounts
Many subreddits allow anyone to join, and in most cases, you don't even need to be a member of a subreddit to read its content.
For example, the subredditsr/deals,r/DealsReddit,r/coupons,r/PromoCodes,r/PromoCodeShare, andr/DiscountedProductsare all open to anyone with an active Reddit account.
With more than two million members, the subredditr/Frugalhas become one of the most popular deal-oriented communities on Reddit, so be sure to take a look at that one too.
The main benefit of "joining" communities open to the public is that tracking their content moving forward becomes a whole lot easier. We'll get into that a little more in the next section. The point is many (if not most) subreddits won't make you join in order to view their content.
On the other hand, private subreddits liker/discountandr/couponing101do require prospective members to be approved by a moderator before they can read or join in on the discussion. Most aren’t exactly exclusive or hard to get into though.
In the majority of cases, "private" subreddits are only closed to the public to minimize the amount of spam and unsolicited ads posted in the comments section. So, don't be intimidated. If you ask to join, there's a good chance they'll take you. No hoops to jump through, and no hazing involved.
But don't join just any old subreddit — be picky. When deciding whether a subreddit is worth joining, pay attention to three things:
How many members does it have?
How long has it been around?
How active are the discussion boards?
You may stumble onto a specific subreddit that covers the exact topic you're looking for, but then realize the info is entirely outdated. You'd expect the subredditr/AppleDealsto have codes for Apple's newest line of phones and watches, right? But when we checked, none of its 2,000+ members had posted in more than a year.
Look for Reddit communities that are active and robust. If you find one that's been around for several years and people are still posting, there's a good chance that will continue to be the case going forward.
New groups with only a handful of members might not be as valuable. And if anoldgroup only has a few members, everyone involved may have already abandoned ship, and joining might be a waste of time.
You can also use Reddit’s search to find more subreddits. Search for a keyword, then look for the option to search for "Communities and users."
You might find a whole new subreddit on the topic you're researching.
2. Create a custom Reddit feed to get the best deals
Following subreddits will add them to the feed on your Reddit home page, making it easier to track new posts and not miss anything. But Custom Feeds (formerly "multireddits" or "multis") allows you to group your various subreddits into categories, so you can easily skim the newest posts from all the couponing groups you follow.
Here's how to do it: First, consider what type of umbrella category you want to create. For now, let's say we're looking for deals on gifts for the holidays.
We found a great subreddit onr/blackfridaydeals. Looks promising! But we know we'll find more subreddits that also fit under the umbrella of "Holiday Gifts." So before we dig in, let's create a Custom Feed and put r/blackfriday in it.
Once you've created your Custom Feed and added at least one subreddit, you'll be able to find it under the dropdown menu in the upper left-hand corner of any Reddit page.
The point of creating Custom Feeds, though, is to add multiple subreddits, not just one. That way, you can browse all of them at once. For example, if we addr/cybermondayandr/GiftIdeasto our "Holiday Gifts" feed, we've suddenly created a one-stop shop that can help us find the best gifts and discounts for the holidays. (Read more about creating Custom Feedshere.)
3. Search within subreddits for discount codes
Once you're in a community or subreddit, use the search box at the top of the page to only search those specific posts.
Here's an example: The subredditr/BurgerKingcovers all sorts of topics, from new menu items to what it's like to work at the stores. But see the search box at the very top?
With the "r/BurgerKing" tag in there, you'll only be searching posts from that specific subreddit. So when we searched for the word "coupons," the top result was a thread with abig listof coupon codes for deals on Burger King menu items — and that thread is still being updated constantly by users sharing new coupons.
Once you've found a reliable subreddit on the brand you're interested in, dig deeper by searching within that topic for deals, coupons, and more ways to save.
4. Get specific with the type of deals you're looking for
If there are any types of discounts you already take advantage of, there's a good chance you'll find a Reddit community devoted to them. For example, subreddits forr/MilitaryDiscounts, r/StudentDiscounts,r/SeniorDiscounts, andr/teacherdealsalready exist. (We’d be remiss if we didn’t use this moment to also recommend the search engines we’ve built for those discounts if you want another source. Over on Knoji you can search 200k+ businesses to instantly find out if they offerMilitary Discounts,Student Discounts,Senior Discounts,Front-line Worker Discounts,Teacher Discounts, and more.)
Is there another type of discount that doesn't have its own subreddit yet? Start one yourself. The beauty of Reddit is users are constantly improving and expanding its content.
5. Use Reddit to get stuff for free
There are several popular subreddits dedicated to tracking and sharing info onr/freebies,r/giveaways,r/Contest, andr/sweepstakes. You can even find communities devoted toclass action rebatesor ways to earnfree crypto.
(Remember the 1985 classicReal Geniuswhere Val Kilmer's friend Lazlo got rich by endlessly entering "no purchase necessary" giveaways? No? Just me? The same actor played Uncle Rico inNapoleon Dynamite. Still no? Okay, I'll stop. Anyway… be like Lazlo, and take advantage of those sweet, sweet freebies.)
6. Search for coupon code hunting tips and tricks on Reddit
There are a lot of upper-level couponers on Reddit who are always coming up with new techniques to find coupons and save money, and you can take advantage of their expertise.
For example, someone in the subredditr/LifeProTipsadvised that if you've got a coupon code like "CODE10" for 10% off, why not try "CODE20" or even "CODE30" first?
One commenter said asimilar code for 50% off worked at Papa John'sfor several years. (Another off-Reddit plug: We put together our list of themost common coupon code phrasesif you’re angling to try to find more off-book codes.)
7. Make friends (and ask questions)
Redditors are usually pretty responsive and active — users take the community aspect of the site seriously — especially when a solid question or topic is posted. So become a Redditor, create posts, and ask for advice about specific products, sales, and coupon codes.
Just be sure to practice good "reddiquette" as you connect with other Redditors, and point each other in the direction of bigger deals and better discounts.
8. If a Redditor posts a good tip, follow them
Good couponers who share one tip on Reddit will usually share a lot more. So if you find a user who posts solid tips, head to their profile and click that "Follow" button.
Here's an example: This user found a solid promo code on gnomes. Yes, gnomes. I enjoy purchasing cheap gnomes. Let's go to their Reddit page and follow them. That way, their new posts will show up in our feed each day, and we won't miss out on the next deal they spot.
You can also dig for gold by looking back through the Redditor's previous comments to see what else they've posted in the past.
On that note: See if your favorite brands have official (or unofficial) Reddit accounts too. For example,Nordstromhas aReddit accounton which they occasionally post insider info on deals, codes, and more.
9. Use Reddit to get hard-to-find Etsy coupon codes
It can be tricky to find coupon codes forEtsysellers — but Reddit just might be the best place to do so. Etsy has its ownsubredditthat covers all sorts of topics related to online selling, including posts about deals and coupon codes. You know they'll work, because the Redditors themselves are the Etsy shop owners.
Here's an exampleof a post asking Redditors with Etsy shops to share permanent coupon codes meant just for people on Reddit. Redditors supporting other Redditors. Now that's the epitome of good reddiquette.
10. Sort Reddit feeds by "Best," "Hot," "Top," and "New"
Above any Reddit feed, whether your home feed, your custom feeds, or any subreddit, you'll see several options for sorting the posts, and each one offers its own specific benefits depending on what you're looking for.
"Best" allows Reddit to choose the results it thinks you'll like best.
"Hot" will show you posts with lots of recent comments and upvotes. It’s also the default when you go to a subreddit.
"Top" sorts posts by upvotes alone.
"New" will show you the most recent posts, regardless of how popular or helpful they might be.
For some of these sorting options, you can also specify the time frame (today, this week, etc.) — for coupons, you’ll want to see newer posts.
This sorting is particularly helpful when viewing your Custom Feeds. For example, if you're checking your "Holiday Gifts" feed for the third time today, you might want to sort by "New." Otherwise, you'll likely be scrolling through posts you already saw the first two times you logged on.
On that note: “New” is also a good way to find posts about couponsbeforethey hit the default feed of a subreddit (the “Hot” feed, again, is the default). Be the first to grab great coupons by spotting them when they’re new.
11. Follow key subreddits with RSS feeds
While it can be entertaining to search, sort, and dig through all of your coupon-friendly subreddits looking for codes, sometimes you just want the codes brought to you. And you can do that using a little-known Reddit feature: Turning subreddit searches into RSS feeds.
You can turn pretty much anything on Reddit into an RSS feed — a subreddit, a subreddit sorted in a certain way, a user’s posts, a comment thread, and more. And by setting up RSS feeds for your top coupon code spots, you can have new posts delivered right to you after they go up. Usually, setting up the feed is as simply as adding “.rss” to the end of any Reddit URL.
Here are a few examples of RSS feeds you could use:
To follow the main feed of r/couponing, the RSS feed would behttps://www.reddit.com/r/couponing.rss
To follow the newest posts on r/couponing, the RSS feed would behttps://www.reddit.com/r/couponing/new.rss
To follow posts from that deal spotting user we discussed earlier, the RSS feed would behttps://www.reddit.com/user/SubjectBattle3.rss
To follow the new comments on that Burger King discounts thread we discussed earlier, the RSS feed would behttps://simplycodes.com/analytics/Y39EDcomments/oxeo4s/coupon_sharing_thread.rss?sort=new
You can read more tips on setting up RSS feeds for Reddithere.
Once you have your RSS feeds, you’ll need to put them into your RSS feed reader. Recently, some users have found Reddit seems to be limiting RSS bandwidth to web-based RSS readers, but desktop clients likeRavenaren’t having any issues.
If your RSS service of choice isFeedly, they offer the ability to directly follow subreddits, no RSS hacking required, with their premium plans.
And if you want to take your Reddit RSS alerts a level further, you can use a service likeZapierto automatically forward updates to your email, text message, Twitter, or a Google Sheet.
Conclusion
Reddit can be a great place tofind promo codes and deals— but it takes a little savvy and a little work. The best way to get started is to follow the major deals feeds, then, as you get more comfortable, branch out from there.
And remember: One of the best ways to get the conversation and more promo codes flowing through Reddit is to share some there yourself. The more active the community, the more likely you are to find better codes.
Found this article useful? Continue learning about deals and savings on ourcoupon knowledge blog.