The order I stack savings: sale price, coupon, cashback, gift card

Why the order matters

The first two layers lower the price. The third pays you back on what you paid. The fourth is how you pay.

Cashback is the reason the order matters most. Rakuten’s terms say cash back is earned on your net purchase amount, which leaves out taxes, fees, shipping, gift wrap, discounts and credits, returns and extended warranties. So cashback is paid on the price after the sale and the coupon. A coupon lowers that base a little, but you still come out ahead: the coupon saves more than the cashback you give up on it.

A gift card goes last because it isn’t a discount. It is money you already spent. Its value comes from how you got it.

The click order is different

The math runs sale, coupon, cashback, gift card. The clicks don’t. Rakuten’s own advice is to activate cash back first, through the portal, app or extension, then fill the cart, apply the coupon at checkout, and pay in the same session. If you apply codes first and only later try to turn on cashback, the order may not track.

Layer 1: a sale price that is real

Everything else stacks on this number, so it has to be honest. A big “was” price means nothing if no store ever charged it. Two of the SlickRish Deal Laws cover this: fake discounts get killed, and before a pick goes up I check the merchant, Amazon and Google Shopping. You can do the same:

• On Amazon, use the Price History link right next to the price on the product page. Amazon says price history is available to customers in the US, UK, Canada and India, with 30- and 90-day views; the 365-day view is still rolling out.
• At Walmart and Target, search the exact model on Google Shopping and at the other stores before you trust the discount.

The full method is in how I tell a real discount from a fake “was $399”.

Layer 2: clip coupons and promo codes

Each store handles coupons its own way. Read the terms on the offer itself, because they change.

Amazon

• Clip coupons. Select Clip Coupon, add the item to your cart, and the discount applies at checkout if the item qualifies. Amazon’s terms say coupons last a limited time and are limited to one per customer. If you return the item, the coupon value may come off your refund.
• Promo codes. Enter the code in the Gift Cards and Promotional Codes box at checkout, exactly as written. Amazon says to confirm it worked by checking the price on the final checkout page.

Walmart

• Walmart.com also has promo codes from marketplace sellers, with their own terms. Walmart’s terms for those codes say to check that the “Sold by” name matches the seller offering the code. You can enter up to five unique promo codes per transaction, and unless the offer says otherwise, a promo code can’t be combined with other offers.

Target

• Target Circle deals mostly apply on their own at checkout. Target Circle Bonuses, coupons and rebates are different: you save or activate them first.
• Target allows one manufacturer coupon, one Target category offer and one Target item-level offer per item. When a Target coupon works online, it comes with a promo code you enter at checkout.

If you plan to use cashback, stick to codes the portal lists, or read its terms first. The cashback section explains why.

Layer 3: cashback portals

A cashback portal gets paid a commission by the store for sending you there, and shares part of it with you. SlickRish links to two of them: Rakuten and Capital One Shopping. Both of those links on SlickRish are my referral links. If you join through them, SlickRish may earn a referral bonus. It doesn’t change what you pay, and you still get the same cash back those programs advertise. Details are on the disclosure page.

Rates and stores vary a lot

Rakuten’s terms say cash back amounts vary by store and product category and carry exclusions. Here is what the three stores in this guide looked like on Rakuten as of September 2026:

• Amazon: Rakuten does not list an ongoing cash back rate for Amazon purchases in the US. Its Amazon page lists only a new-member offer: $5 back on each of your first 3 eligible Amazon orders, made within 60 days of signing up, through the Rakuten extension or app. Rakuten says the offer can change at any time, and that Amazon is not a Rakuten partner. Outside that offer, plan on no Rakuten cash back at Amazon.
• Walmart: Rakuten’s Walmart page showed “No Cash Back.”
• Target: Rakuten’s Target page listed cash back on some categories only. Toys, home electronics, grocery, gift cards and many other categories were excluded.

Capital One Shopping works a little differently. It is free, and you don’t need a Capital One card. Its browser extension finds coupon codes and applies them at checkout, and it pays Shopping Rewards on eligible purchases at partner stores. You redeem those rewards for digital gift cards. Capital One says redemption rates vary and can change.

How to check the current rate

Before you shop, open the store’s page on the portal, or visit the store with the portal’s extension on. Read the rate and the terms and exclusions. If your item’s category is excluded, or the store shows no cash back, skip this layer. That is the Deal Law: cashback gets stacked when it helps. If Rakuten or Capital One Shopping pays on a store, I’ll say to start there first.

Layer 4: gift cards

A gift card saves you money only if you got it for less than it is worth. There are a few legitimate ways:

• Store gift-card promos. Stores sometimes give a free gift card with a qualifying purchase. Watch the fine print: Rakuten’s Target terms say an order that earns a free gift card has its cashback-eligible amount reduced by the value of that card.
• Buying e-gift cards through a portal. Rakuten has a gift card shop where buying an e-gift card earns cash back like any other Rakuten purchase. The brands and rates in the shop change, so check that the store you need is listed and what it pays. Buying gift cards on the Amazon or Target store pages themselves doesn’t earn Rakuten cash back.
• Rewards paid as gift cards. Capital One Shopping rewards are redeemed as digital gift cards.

Be careful with discounted gift cards sold by strangers or resale sites. Amazon lists buying a gift card from an unauthorized third party as a prohibited activity, because it can’t guarantee those cards are legitimate. Walmart’s gift card terms list the same thing. Amazon, Walmart and Target also don’t let you use their gift cards to buy other gift cards.

The bonus layer: card-linked offers

Your credit card may carry its own store offers, such as Amex Offers or Chase Offers. They sit on the payment side, next to the gift card, and they have strict rules:

• Add the offer before you buy. Amex says the offer must be on your card before the qualifying purchase. Chase says to add the offer to your card, then use that card for eligible purchases during the offer period.
• Pay with that exact card. Each Chase Offer is linked to one account, and Amex counts only purchases on the enrolled card.
• Buy from the store directly. Amex says its offers don’t count purchases made through resellers, delivery services or other middlemen, and that gift cards and other cash equivalents usually aren’t qualifying purchases.

One catch: the part of an order you pay with a gift card isn’t charged to your card, so it can’t count toward a card offer’s spend.

When stacking breaks

Most lost savings come from tools stepping on each other. These are the ones the programs themselves warn about:

• Coupon extensions steal the tracking. Rakuten says clicking a link from another coupon or rewards site after you activate Rakuten turns off your cash back, and that competing extensions stop it from tracking your trip. Capital One Shopping’s terms say its rewards may not be available if another rewards, coupon or cashback extension is installed. So use one portal per order and turn the other off.
• Codes from somewhere else. Rakuten’s Target terms say coupon codes not listed on Rakuten void cash back. Its Amazon new-member offer excludes vouchers and promo codes not featured on Rakuten.
• Paying with a gift card. Rakuten’s terms say purchases paid with a gift card may not earn cash back where the store’s offer terms exclude them. The Amazon new-member offer excludes any gift card redemption.
• Privacy tools. Capital One Shopping says ad blockers other than its own, VPNs, private or incognito browsing, and clearing cookies can stop it from confirming your purchase.

The checklist before you pay

1. Check the sale price is real.
2. Open one portal, read the rate and exclusions, and activate it. Turn off other coupon extensions.
3. Fill the cart and apply coupons the portal allows.
4. Add any card-linked offer to the card you’ll pay with.
5. Pay with a gift card last, if it doesn’t cancel a bigger layer. Check the final total first.

Current deals by store: Amazon, Walmart and Target.