Promo Codes That Always Work

James Crawford avatar

James Crawford

5 min reading - Jun 21, 2022

Shopping online saves us all a ton of time and offers unparalleled convenience. A bonus to shopping online is saving money by using discount codes at checkout. If you’ve ever felt a pang of regret after placing an order because you didn’t have a promo code, never fear. We’ve got a list of promo code hacks that always work and are worth the few minutes it takes to give them a shot.

What Is a Promo Code?

Promo, discount, and coupon codes are alphanumeric strings online retailers use to encourage shoppers to purchase from them. Popular promo codes are often part of an overarching marketing strategy used to drive sales and retain customers.

Common online coupon codes focus on:

  • Welcoming new customers
  • Enticing shoppers to not abandon their electronic carts
  • Seasonal sales
  • Special event promotions
  • Free shipping

If a site’s checkout page has a spot for a promo code, there are generally promo codes that work; you just have to find them.

How to Get Promo Codes That Always Work

Sometimes, retailers will send promo codes to you when you sign up for text messages or add your email to their marketing list — but not always.

Not everyone wants to be inundated with emails and texts from every online store they visit. So, how do you get promo codes if you haven’t been sent any?

The best thing to do is head to a reputable promo code tester site, like DealDrop, that searches and tests common discount codes to find the promo codes that actually work.

But what if there are none available and you’ve even tried the expired codes? We’ve run extensive promo code tests and compiled a list of popular promo codes to try on any website!

1. Welcome

Capturing new business is at the heart of any company’s sales strategy. If you’re new to a site, one of the best promo codes to try is the word WELCOME, followed by a numeric value like 10 or 20.

If you’re a returning customer, the site may reject this code because it’s often intended for accounts making their first purchase. If you’re a newcomer, we find this is a promo code that always works on most popular retail sites. Try these combinations:

  • WELCOME
  • WELCOME10
  • WELCOME 15
  • WELCOME20
  • WELCOME2022
  • WELOCMEBACK

2. Off

One of the most used discount codes by retailers is the word “OFF” — either preceded or followed by a keyword or numeric value. This one may take a few tries because so many possible combinations exist. However, when you get it right, the payoff is worth the few minutes spent doing a coupon code test.

Common promo codes using the word “OFF”:

  • 10OFF
  • 20OFF
  • 25OFF
  • 50OFF
  • OFF10
  • HALFOFF

Get creative here and try higher percentages first. For example, a site’s most used coupon code could be 10OFF, but they also have a HALFOFF on file. Go big!

3. Free

We’ve all been there. You get a great price on an item you want to buy only to find the shipping cost puts you over budget. Companies know how valuable free shipping is to consumers. That’s why a free shipping promotion is one of the most used discount codes in the online shopping space.

The promo code “free” can also work for free gifts, samples, or BOGO sales. This is one of the promo codes that work on any website; it’s just a matter of timing. Try different combinations, including:

  • FREESHIP
  • SHIPFREE
  • SHIPSFREE
  • FREEGIFT
  • FREESHIPPING
  • FREEBIE
  • FREE

4. Save

Saving is what promo codes are all about, so it’s no surprise that the best coupon codes include the word “save.” This does more than offer a welcome discount or free shipping. “SAVE” is one of the most used promo codes that work for everything shoppers have in their cart.

Because this is one of the most common coupon codes that always work, there are many variations to try so you can score the best deal:

  • SAVE10
  • SAVE20
  • SAVE50
  • SAVE
  • SAVEBIG
  • SAVENOW

As with “off, “we suggest you first test promo codes at higher percentages for the best price.

5. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Online retailers almost always create periodic sales pushes, making seasonal codes among those promo codes that always work on most sites. Like other good discount codes, it’s best to test coupon codes that offer the highest discount and work down from there.

Check your calendar and the weather, then type into the box a combination of the current season and a number for one of the best promo codes around. All seasons on our list are interchangeable:

  • SPRING20
  • WINTER15
  • SUMMER30
  • FALL10
  • SUMMERSAVE
  • HELLOSPRING
  • FALL
  • WINTER50

6. Test

While the “test” coupon code isn’t one of the most common discount codes, when it’s accepted, it’s generally a promo code that always works for that particular site. Therefore, we suggest simply typing the word TEST into the promo field. When it works, it will become one of your most-used coupon codes for that retailer.

Best Practices

For big money savings, always test discount codes wherever you see a promo code box.

If you want a feel for the most common coupon codes issued by your favorite retailer, consider creating an email account for your shopping sites. Companies will send you promo codes that work for their platform that you can test to see if they work on any website.

Coupon Codes That Work for Anything All in One Place

If you want to find a database of the most used discount codes that always work, head over to Deal Drop. We continuously seek out coupon codes that work and provide our visitors with the most common, popular, and effective promo codes anywhere.

Never wonder why coupon codes don’t work again. We are expert coupon code testers, and our only mission is to save you money!