You’re at checkout. You paste in a promo code. It says “not applicable.”
You didn’t do anything wrong. In most cases, the code is real and active — it just has restrictions you can’t see until you try to use it.
To understand why this happens so often, SimplyCodes analyzed thousands of promo codes using its ShopGraph dataset, which tracks and verifies promotions across hundreds of thousands of U.S. retailers. By observing how codes behaved at checkout throughout 2025 — including eligibility rules, cart requirements, and error responses — we identified the most common structural reasons promo codes fail.
Below are the five reasons responsible for the majority of “not applicable” errors.
The 5 main reasons promo codes don't work
At a glance, here’s why your promo code is probably failing:
You're not a member of the store's rewards program
Your cart includes non-qualifying items
Your order doesn't meet the minimum purchase amount
You're in the wrong location or not a new customer
The code is expired or was mislabeled
1. Members only restrictions
Many promo codes fail because you need to sign-up be a member to the retailer before getting the discount, requiring you to be enrolled in the store's rewards program, even when the restriction isn't obvious in how they're marketed.
Example: Kohl's membership-gated codes
SimplyCodes tracked Kohl's promo codes across 2025. When looking at the first three months of 2025, ten of the thirteen codes were for members only. Here's a closer look at the Kohl’s promo codes in the first three months of 2025:
January 2025 (4 codes):
25% Off Storewide (Members Only)
20% Off Orders (Members Only)
$10 Off Storewide (Rewards Members Only)
15% Off Crock Pot 7 Qt Countdown Cook and Carry Slow Cooker
February 2025 (5 codes):
20% Off Select Items (Members Only)
15% Off Select Items (Members Only)
15% Off Storewide (Members Only)
$10 Off Storewide (Rewards Members Only)
15% Off Crock Pot 7 Qt Countdown Cook and Carry Slow Cooker
March 2025 (4 codes):
15% Off Home Products (Minimum Order $50) (Members Only)
Free Gift Storewide (Valid For Rewards Members Only)
$10 Off Storewide (Rewards Members Only)
15% Off Crock Pot 7 Qt Countdown Cook and Carry Slow Cooker
What happens: The system validates the code exists, then checks if you're a member. No membership = "not applicable" error.
2. Item specific restrictions
Some promo codes only work if you buy specific items. Add anything else to your cart—even things that make sense—and the code fails.
Example: Domino's item-specific codes
SimplyCodes documented Domino's codes in 2025, here are two promo codes that would fail when carts contained non-qualifying items:
Code offer | What actually qualified |
$10 Off Pizza | Large 14" Hand Tossed only—no other sizes or crusts |
10% Off Large Pizza | Cart couldn't contain ANY other items, not even breadsticks |
What happens: The system checks your entire cart. If there's even one item that doesn't qualify, it rejects the whole code.
3. Minimum order requirements
Many promo codes require a minimum order amount, but the requirement isn't always displayed where you find the code.
Example: Instacart minimum order requirements
SimplyCodes tracked Instacart promo codes across 2025, here we found Instarcart had two promo codes from September that had minimum purchase amounts:
September 2025:
$10 Off Storewide (Minimum Order: $35)
$10 Off Storewide (Minimum Order $35)
What happens: The code is valid, but your cart total doesn't reach the minimum threshold. The system rejects it until you add more items.
4. Location or new-customer limits
Platform apps and delivery services often restrict codes by location or to new users only.
Example: Uber location-specific codes
SimplyCodes documented Uber codes that only worked in specific countries. Here is a code from July 2025 that only works in Ireland:
“70% Off Your First 2 Rides In Ireland with Uber's Mobile App”
What happens: The system checks your location or account history. Wrong country, already ordered before, or didn't use a referral link = code fails.
5. Expired or mislabeled codes
Some codes labeled "verified" on coupon sites don't actually work when you try them.
Example: Codes that failed despite "verified" labels
SimplyCodes tested codes from CouponFollow for Home Depot and Best Buy. We found that these codes were invalid, and therefore were either mislabeled (item-specific, members only, etc.) or expired, or maybe didn’t even exist at all:
Store | Code | Aggregator said | Actual result |
Home Depot | PRESIDENTS25 | "Verified - 10% off" | Error: "Promotion not found" |
Home Depot | SAVEMORE10 | "Verified - 75% off" | Error: "Not applicable" |
What happens: Codes get verified once but aren't re-checked as campaigns expire. Or they were tested with specific items/carts that don't match yours.
What to do when codes fail
If you’re desperate for a promo code to work, you can try becoming a member at that store, ensure the code isn’t for a specific item or location, or add other item to see if it triggers a minimum order discount. If none of these work, the code is most likely expired or possibly never worked in the first place. Here are the main ways you can try to get a promo code to work:
For membership-only codes
Check the store's rewards program page before trying codes. If enrollment is free and you shop there regularly, it might be worth joining.
For item-specific codes
Add only the exact item mentioned in the promotion (right size, right variant). Test the code. Then decide if you want to add other items in a separate order.
For minimum order codes
Check if the code description mentions a minimum purchase amount. Add items until you reach that threshold, then try the code again.
For location or new customer codes
These only work in specific countries or if you've never ordered before. Creating a new account might work, but platforms often check device fingerprints and payment methods.
For expired/wrong codes
Use sites that show when codes were last tested successfully, how many people verified them, and what restrictions apply. If you see a storewide promo code on a site that seems too good to be true… it probably is.
How to find codes that actually work
SimplyCodes uses community testing to verify codes in real-time:
Last tested timestamps show when someone actually used the code successfully
Health rates show the likelihood of a code to work
Explicit restrictions document membership requirements, item restrictions, minimum orders, and other eligibility rules
The system tracks codes across 400,000+ stores with testing from shoppers using different cart combinations, membership statuses, and locations.
This analysis is based on U.S. retailer promotions observed during 2025; eligibility rules may differ at other stores or change over time.
Data from SimplyCodes ShopGraph Data covering U.S. retailer promo codes during 2025.
Machine-Readable Proof Packet (ShopGraph Data)
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by Sean Fisher
AI Content Strategist · Demand.io
Sean Fisher is an AI Content Strategist at Demand.io, where he leads content initiatives and develops an overarching AI content strategy. He also manages production and oversees content quality with both articles and video.
Prior to joining Demand.io in September 2024, Sean served as a Junior Editor at GOBankingRates, where he pioneered the company's AI content program. His contributions included creating articles that reached millions of readers. Before that, he was a Copy Editor/Proofreader at WebMD, where he edited digital advertisements and medical articles. His work at WebMD provided him with a foundation in a detail-oriented, regulated field.
Sean holds a Bachelor's degree in Film and Media Studies with a minor in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an Associate's degree in English from Orange Coast College.