Last week, I shared an email from a reader who was frustrated with issues related to electronic coupon loading and redemption. The reader was having issues with loading offers, receiving the message that the coupons were loaded, but then finding the coupons were not actually being applied at the point of checkout.

It was even more problematic for this reader because he did not own a smartphone, so there was no way to prove to the cashier, while in the store, that these electronic offers had been loaded and should have been applied.

While electronic coupon offers typically are reliable, it is extremely frustrating when they do not work as intended. What can shoppers do when a digital coupon is not applied in the checkout lane?

First, before going to the store, make sure you have a way to verify the offers you’ve loaded. If you did load the offers via a phone app, you’ll be able to pull the list of offers up on your phone. However, in the instances where an electronic offer might disappear before you have a chance to use it, it’s also a good idea to take screenshots of the offers you’re concerned about loading correctly.

If you’re not a smartphone or tablet user, print a copy of the electronic coupons you’ve loaded from the store’s website. Not only is this helpful to have on hand to refer to while shopping, it also makes the situation much easier if an electronic coupon you’re expecting to use is not applied at checkout.

If you use a coupon wallet, simply fold up the list of electronic offers and keep it in the corresponding store’s pocket. That way, you’ll have it readily available to refer to if needed. It also can double as a shopping list supplement showing all the coupons you currently have loaded for the store.

Then, when you notice an electronic coupon has not been applied as expected, bring the issue to the cashier’s attention. He or she likely will ask for proof the offer was loaded to your account, so be prepared to present that.

At times, a store might feature specific digital coupon offers in its weekly advertisement, too. If you’ve loaded one of these offers, and it is not applied at checkout, you also can point out the coupon was advertised to all shoppers and certainly should be among the offers working for that specific offer period.

I always am polite when an offer is not applied correctly at checkout, but I also will not leave the store until a discount is applied for the item I’m buying. Sometimes an issue such as this will need to be resolved at the store’s service counter, too, so have patience.

If you notice continued issues with your store’s electronic coupons, it might be worth bringing them to the attention of a manager, or if they persist, reaching out to the store’s corporate office via their website’s contact information. While technical glitches and mistakes do happen, an ongoing pattern of offers failing to redeem correctly is something that should be brought to the store’s attention.

Another aspect to consider, too, is whether your store’s app is up to date on your device. Typically, default settings will allow apps to update themselves, but if you’re experiencing ongoing issues with electronic coupons not being loaded correctly, it’s worth verifying you have the latest version of the app installed so coupons are loading correctly.

As a longtime paper coupon user, I do understand how frustrating it is when digital coupon offers do not apply correctly at the register.

Paper coupons do have a sense of security about them not unlike carrying cash. Shoppers know when a $1 coupon is handed over, their grocery bill will drop by $1 — and if it doesn’t, the cashier has a procedure to make it right.

We need to make sure that similar procedures are followed for digital offers are followed at our stores.