A more primitive method of online couponing, the register-to-postal is when consumers visit a manufacturer's website and are asked to submit their home address, and possibly other information, in order to receive manufacturer coupons in the mail. This method is somewhat primitive because the manufacturer doesn't electronically distribute the coupons. Although some manufacturers do utilize this method, it is not the most popular or the most cost effective type of online coupon.

Another somewhat primitive method of online couponing, the offline retailer coupons are offered by brick-and-mortar companies for redemption in the store. The coupons are either placed on the store's website for printing or are delivered to consumers via email. The issue with this method is security - because these do not go through a coupon clearing house, there is no security practice utilized. Offline retailer couponing is generally used by smaller companies, like your local bakery, with the purpose of driving consumers into the physical stores.

The redeemable codes method of couponing is when a manufacturer or retailer distributes particular codes for consumers to use to receive a particular discount on a particular item. Consumers then enter their code into a promotion field before checking out with their shopping cart. These codes can be delivered via email, as a link to the particular page of a website or as a code in the text of the email. The redeemable codes can be distributed by a retailer as part of a mass marketing campaign, used as a gift certificate from another consumer, or distributed as an incentive from a third party.

These types of coupons are not solely online coupons. Instead, these are coupons received in a physical store upon purchasing a particular item. For example, when a consumer buys Hunt's ketchup, the system may print a coupon for a subsequent Hunt's purchase or an offer for a Heinz product.

There is also the "Webbuck" - which is printed by the consumer from a website and then used in the physical store. The Webbuck is essentially an add-on to an existing online coupon that acts as a trigger for a subsequent purchase coupon to be issued. The Webbuck is scanned by the cashier at the time of checkout and subsequently, a separate coupon is printed that the consumer can use at a later date. These subsequent coupons may be for a particular item or a percentage discount on the next shopping order. This method is commonly used by supermarkets.

The least common method of online couponing, the frequent shopper card coupon requires the consumer to register their frequent shopper or credit card information on the supermarket's website. Once entered, the consumers are asked to select the types of offers in which they are interested. Then, the card information and offer selections are passed on to the retailer, who associates particular discounts to that consumer's card. So, when the consumer checks out of the supermarket with their frequent shopper card, those particular discounts are automatically applied to the bill. There are only two retailers, Giant Eagle and Kroger, currently offering this type of "coupon."