This is your expert guide to saving money when shopping at JC Penney.

Be sure to check out the BeFrugal $100 JC Penney gift card giveaway as part of our Daily $100 Gift Card Giveaway!

Today (12/7) you can earn 1.3% Cash Back through BeFrugal, and if you sign up for a free Cash Back account today, you can also get a $10 bonus! Sign Up Now!

Visit the BeFrugal page for JC Penney to check out promo codes and coupons for additional savings.

1.        Coupons & Promo Codes

Each week, JCPenney offers multiple printable coupons, online promo codes, or sales events. Generally, JCPenney coupons are specific to departments, such as 15% off all fine Jewelry.  But occasionally, you can find storewide coupons. To find the latest online and printable coupons, check BeFrugal.com for JCPenney Coupons.  You can also find more coupons at jcp.com in their store ads section.

With both online and printable coupons available, the question becomes, should you buy online or at the store? In many cases, both the printable and online coupons for JCPenney will be identical offers. (But there are times when a coupon is exclusively for online use or in store use.) To maximize your savings, you should check both types of coupons and go with the lowest price for your specific order. You'll also want to consider if and how much shipping will be if you buy online, how much time and gas money it will take to get to the closest JCPenney, and how quickly you would like to get the product.

In addition, Facebook and Twitter can be a useful online tool to find JCPenney deals, coupons and promo codes. You don’t need a Facebook or Twitter accounts to view JCPenney Facebook and Twitter pages.

2.        Sign up for JCPenney FREE Rewards Program!

Sign up for JCPenney’s free rewards program to start earning bonus points on all your purchases.  When you sign up, you can link up to 3 of your credit or debit cards to earn bonus points when you use these forms of payment on JCP purchases. You will earn 1 point for every $1 spent on regular or sale-priced items. When you accrue 250 points, you’ll receive a $10 JCP rewards certificate good for any in-store or online purchase totaling $10 or more (You can earn up to 3 $10 certificates per month).

JCPenney has constant opportunities to earn double points on qualifying purchases or during certain bonus points days. Plus, when you make a purchase of any amount your first month as a JCP rewards member, you’ll earn double points the following month. Plus, if you have a JCPenney Credit Card linked to your Rewards account, you’ll earn 25% more points!

You’ll also be the first to know about their frequent sales events through the mail. For more details, review the quick guide to JCP rewards.

3.        Open a JCPenney Credit Card

To receive the maximum amount of savings, we recommend applying for a JCPenney Rewards Credit Card. When you apply for your JCPenney credit card, you’ll receive 10% off your first online purchase. JCPenney offers Red, Gold or Platinum cards depending on your monthly spending levels.

After you open a JCPenney credit card account, link it to your JCPenney Rewards to earn 25% more points. You’ll accrue more points faster to receive those $10 JCP rewards certificates sooner!

JCPenney cardholders also receive extra % off certain deals. For offers like receive 15% off fine jewelry, if you pay with your JCPenney credit card you’ll receive 20% off fine jewelry. The benefits are endless for cardholders with sneak peeks to upcoming sales events, exclusive savings, birthday reward certificates, and much more.

4.        Free Shipping on Online Orders $69+

Shopping online is easy and convenient, but who wants to pay for shipping? On jcp.com, if your order is over $69, use promo code SHIP69 and your shipping is free! If your purchase is under $69, you can use promo code SHIP299 and have your order shipped to your nearest JCPenney store for only $2.99. These are ongoing offers – JCPenney has not announced an end date.

5.        Shop Online Outlets & Clearance

For super savings, shop the JCPenney online outlet for 40-80% off discounted and overstock merchandise. You’re bound to find some amazing deals! In the outlet, they have specific pages for Top Sellers, Mark downs or $9.99 or less to help you sift through the deals. Free shipping promo codes can be applied to online outlet orders as well.

6.        Grab the JCPenney Weekly Flyer

Check your local Sunday newspaper for JCPenney’s weekly ad flyer! Occasionally, you’ll find a money-off coupon based on a specific final total amount such as $10 off a $50 purchase. You can also view their weekly & daily ads online at JCPenney’s store ads.

7.        Sign up for Email Alerts

The easiest way to stay up-to-date with JCPenney offers is to receive alerts right into your inbox.  JCPenney will notify you of upcoming sales and clearance events, plus exclusive free shipping offers and promo codes for online orders. As an incentive to sign up for their emails, JCPenney will give you a $10 off $50+ coupon, but you have to wait a few days for your discount email after you sign up.  (Tip: Make sure your JCPenney emails aren’t being filtered to your spam folder – you don’t want to miss those deals!)

8.        Earn Cash Back on Your Online Order

Earning cash back on all your jcp.com orders is easy and free, plus you can stack this on top of promotional codes for extra savings! Sign up as a BeFrugal.com cash back member and you’ll receive cash back on all your JCPenney online purchases. 

9.        Buy Discounted JCPenney Gift Cards

You should never pay full price for Gift Cards! Either for gift ideas or just for yourself, you can purchase discounted gift cards for up to 25% off their retail value. The best places to find JCPenney discounted gift cards would be to search ebay.com or use a discounted gift card finder.

10.     Become a JCPenney Employee

The ultimate, most extreme way to never paying full price and know the inside scoop on sales at JCPenney is to work there! JCPenney employees receive a 20% discount on everything store-wide. Employees can also earn additional savings during certain sales events. Some JCPenney stores contain other businesses such as salons, portrait studios, Big & Tall, and even Sephora. Your employee discount can be applied at those businesses within the JCPenney’s you work at (JCP employee discounts are not eligible at stand-alone Sephora’s).

A Few Other Things You Should Know

After all this shopping and saving, if in the unfortunate event you are unhappy with your recent JCPenney purchase you have 3 options:

Call Customer Service

The first place to start addressing your concerns is directly with JCPenney Customer Service – Either in-store or through their online customer service center, where you can browse through their self service topics.

JCPenney Return Policy

All jcp.com or in-store purchases can be exchanged or returned in-store for a full refund with a receipt after 90 days. For all online orders, return shipping and handling is free. No-receipt returns are accepted but you’ll receive a store credit for the lowest price of the item in the last 30 days.  Be aware of their return policy because restrictions due apply on certain items. Items purchased in-store can only be returned back to the store, they cannot be mailed to jcp.com.

Reaching Out to the Better Business Bureau (BBB)

JCPenney works extremely hard to provide their customers with the best shopping experience and friendly customer service. JCPenney has been a BBB Accredited Business since 1968 with an A+ rating. In the unlikely event you would like to submit a complaint to the BBB seeking their mediation, you can visit their BBB Business Review page and click the file a complaint link under quick links.

Download BeFrugal com's PDF Guide to JC Penney.