13 Ways to Save at Shutterfly

While I’ve always been a fan of Shutterfly for its personalized gift-giving options, once I had a baby, my web browser saw a considerable uptick in Shutterfly visits. Luckily there are plenty of ways to save a little cash when frequenting this photo-lovers heaven. Use this guide to never pay full price for a photo product again.

1. Create an Account

Be sure to create an account directly on their homepage with both your email and home address so you can receive discount offers to your inbox and through the mail.

2. Cash In on the New Customer Offer

Once you create an account, new customers can cash in on a few freebies from the site, like a certain number of free prints, free magnets or a free set of address labels.

3. Check for Other Promo Codes Directly on the Site

Before doing any outside research, check out Shutterfly’s own promotion page. Deals often include things like free economy shipping or free upgrades to expedited shipping, as well as discounts on certain types of photo gifts.

4. Look Up Special Offers

Special offers are not the same as promos, so be sure to also check out Shutterfly’s special offers page for additional savings throughout the year.

5. Stack Your Coupons

Shutterfly allows you to stack multiple coupons (although sometimes free shipping can’t be used in conjunction with other offers, so keep that in mind). Be sure to try out all the available options together when ordering to see which ones stick.

6. Search for Shutterfly Coupons on Other Sites

A little Google search can go a long way in terms of finding additional promo codes for Shutterfly savings, but be sure to check some of the staples, like RetailMeNot, Goodshop, Groupon and Coupons.com

7. Put Together Your Project … Then Save it

Rather than trying to put together an album of your daughter’s first year of life by the time a coupon expires at midnight (ahem, been there, done that), try putting your projects together ahead of time and saving them to your Shutterfly account. If you don’t need them right away, that allows you to wait for the perfect discount offer to come along, thereby saving you cash and frustration.

8. Wait for Seasonal Sales

Like most other sites, Shutterfly will offer big savings around certain predictable times of year, like Black Friday, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. If you can hold off until these times to put together your projects, you’ll save a ton — which is sweet, particularly during peak shopping season, since high credit card balances can hurt your bank account and your credit score. (You can see how your credit card debt is affecting your standing by viewing your free credit report snapshot, updated every 14 days, on Credit.com.)

9. Don’t Throw Out Coupons From Other Packages Right Away

Shutterfly often partners with other companies to offer coupons that will come in their packaging. I’ve received Shutterfly coupons from Babies “R” Us packages and other children’s clothing stores.

10. Sign Up for Rewards Programs on Other Sites

While I’ve never personally tried this, I’ve heard that other companies often allow you to redeem points from their rewards programs for Shutterfly products (particularly if they’re family-friendly sites). Jo-Ann Fabric, Pampers, Huggies and Similac StrongMoms seem to be a few of the popular ones.

11. Use Social Media

Be sure to follow Shutterfly on both Facebook and Twitter to catch any exclusive deals it shouts out to followers, or at the very least to never miss a big sale that they’re sure to call out on their social sites

12. Follow Coupon Aggregate Sites on Social Media, Too

Following Shutterfly is a great way to score deals, but it doesn’t hurt to follow other coupon aggregate sites for potential coupons and promo codes, as well. Try Savings.com, Brad’s Deals and Coupon Sherpa to start.

13. Buy With a Friend

From time to time you’ll find free shipping codes for Shutterfly, but if you don’t have enough to meet the free shipping minimum yourself (for example, as of writing this, you needed to spend $39 to qualify), try combining orders with a friend to reach the minimum amount needed.

Want more brand hacks? We’ve got 14 ways to save at Overstock.com here and 15 ways to save a Bed Bath & Beyond here.

Image: AzmanL