How We Test at WhereDoIEnterTheCoupon.com

I started this site in 2011 because I kept running into the same problem. I had a coupon code, I was at checkout, and I could not figure out where to put it. The field was hidden, or it appeared on a different page than I expected, or it was labeled something I did not recognize. I figured if it was confusing me, it was confusing a lot of other people too.

That frustration is still what drives every guide on this site. Each one starts with me sitting down at a real checkout, going through the process myself, and writing down exactly what I find.

What the testing process looks like

Every guide on this site follows the same process. I add a real product to the cart on the retailer’s site. I go through the checkout flow the same way a shopper would. I find the coupon field, note exactly where it is and what it is labeled, apply a code, and confirm the discount shows up before payment is complete.

I do this on multiple devices for every guide. That matters because the coupon field does not always appear in the same place on mobile and desktop. Some retailers hide it behind an expandable section on mobile but show it openly on desktop. Some reverse that. I document both.

Devices and browsers tested for every guide:

I also test both guest checkout and logged-in checkout separately, because saved payment methods and account level promotions can change what you see on screen. If those two experiences differ in a meaningful way, the guide says so.

What I document, and why

Screenshots are taken during each test session and dated. If a retailer updates its checkout layout, the screenshot date tells you whether the guide reflects the current interface or needs a retest. When I retest a page, I update the screenshots and the date at the same time.

I also document things that go wrong during testing. If I nearly placed an accidental order because saved payment details were already populated, that goes in the guide. If a retailer’s policy means they will not cancel an order once it is placed, that goes in the guide too. Those are exactly the things a shopper needs to know before they start.

I note where coupon fields fail and why. Expired codes, sale exclusions, single use restrictions, codes that disappear when you change your shipping method. If I ran into it during testing, I include it in the troubleshooting section.

What we do not do

No guide on this site is written from secondhand information. I do not describe a checkout I have not navigated myself. I do not copy steps from another site and reword them. If I cannot access a retailer’s checkout to verify the process, I do not publish a guide for it.

We do not guarantee coupon codes work. We test the location of the coupon field and the process for applying a code. Whether a specific code is valid depends on the retailer and the code itself, which is outside our control.

When we retest a guide

Retailer checkout flows change. Sometimes a site redesign moves the coupon field. Sometimes a new payment integration changes what the cart page looks like. When a reader tells us something does not match what they are seeing, or when we notice a retailer has updated its interface, we go back and retest.

The “last tested” date on each guide reflects the most recent session, not the original publish date. A guide from 2018 with a 2026 test date has been through the checkout again recently. That date is the one that matters.

How this started

I launched WhereDoIEnterTheCoupon.com in April 2011. At the time, online checkout flows were genuinely inconsistent. Some retailers put the coupon field on the cart page. Some put it on the payment page. Some hid it inside an accordion. Some called it a promo code. Some called it a gift card field. Some called it a discount code. It was not obvious, and it cost people money when they gave up looking.

The idea was simple: go to each retailer’s checkout, find the field, take a screenshot, and show people exactly where it is. That is still what this site does. The retailers have changed. The checkout flows have gotten more complex. But the mission has not moved.

Before WDIETC, I spent years building web tools that solved specific, overlooked problems. I launched Baseball Heckle Depot in 1996. That site taught me that the most useful thing you can build is something that answers a question people are embarrassed to admit they have. Nobody wants to admit they cannot find the coupon box. But a lot of people cannot find it. That is why this site exists.

Michael Tolley

Michael is the founder and sole operator of WhereDoIEnterTheCoupon.com. He has been testing online retailer checkout flows since 2011 and personally navigates every checkout documented on this site. Questions or corrections can be sent via the contact page.