Start here: a rejected code is almost always a restriction, not a bug. In order of how often they turn out to be the cause: a stray space in the pasted code, a cart below the minimum spend, an account the offer was not aimed at, a region the campaign does not cover, and finally an offer that has ended. The first four are fixable in under a minute. Work down this list rather than retrying the same code, which never changes the answer.
1. A space came along with the code
Selecting a code by dragging across it usually picks up a trailing space, and the checkout treats that as a different code entirely. This single cause explains more failures than every other reason combined. Use a copy button rather than a manual selection, and if you have typed it by hand, delete the field and paste instead.
2. The cart is under the minimum spend
Many offers only unlock above a threshold, and shipping fees do not count toward it. Check the subtotal rather than the total. If you are a couple of dollars short, add something you were going to buy anyway rather than something you were not — a discount on an unwanted item is not a saving.
3. The offer was built for a different type of account
First-order welcome bundles and codes for returning shoppers are different campaigns. A welcome code applied to an account with order history will be refused, and correctly so. If you have shopped before, use codes that are specifically listed for existing accounts, like the ones on our Temu coupon code for existing users page.
Temu coupon code for existing users
Stacks on top of sale prices for returning shoppers. Apply it in the cart before you pay.
4. Wrong country or currency
Campaigns are run per storefront. A code circulating widely in the United States may simply not exist for your region, which produces an “invalid” message rather than an “expired” one. Nothing you do at checkout will fix this; move to another code.
5. You already used it
Most codes are one use per account, and some are one use per household or payment method. If a code worked last month and fails now, this is usually why. Check your order history before assuming the code is dead for everyone.
6. Another promotion is already applied
Usually only one code applies per order. If the cart already has a bundle discount or an automatically applied offer attached, a second code can be blocked. Remove what is applied, add your code, and compare the two totals. Keep whichever is lower — the bigger headline number is not always the bigger saving.
7. Excluded items are in the cart
Some categories are carved out of promotions: heavily discounted clearance lines, certain electronics, gift cards. If the code refuses to attach, try applying it to a cart containing one ordinary item to see whether the code or the cart is the problem. That test takes fifteen seconds and tells you exactly which it is.
8. The app is holding a stale cart
Carts get cached. Pull to refresh, close the app fully and reopen it, or open the site in a mobile browser and apply the code there. A surprising number of “broken” codes work on the second attempt in a fresh session.
9. You are signed in to the wrong account
If you have ever signed in with both an email address and a phone number, you may have two profiles. Rewards attach to one of them. Check which account the cart belongs to before deciding the code is at fault.
10. The code is capped and the cap is already reached
Percentage offers usually carry a maximum discount value. On a large basket, the code can apply and still take off far less than the headline percentage, which reads like a failure but is not one. If your cart is well above the cap, a fixed-value voucher often beats the percentage. Test both.
11. The offer has genuinely ended
The only cause on this list you cannot work around. Campaigns close without notice, and lists that never shrink are lists nobody maintains. When a code has failed for the reasons above and still will not attach, take the next one down the page instead of retrying.
Reading the error message
| What the checkout says | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Code is invalid | Typo, stray space, or the code does not exist for your region | Re-paste with the copy button, then try another code |
| Code has expired | The campaign has closed | Move to the next code on the list |
| Not eligible for this account | Aimed at new or at returning shoppers, and you are the other one | Use a code listed for your account type |
| Minimum spend not met | Subtotal is below the threshold | Add an item you already wanted, then reapply |
| Cannot be combined | Another promotion is attached to the cart | Remove it, apply the code, compare totals |
A method that saves the most
Build the whole cart first, spend any account credit, then apply one code and screenshot the order summary. Remove it, apply the next code, screenshot again. Whichever total is lower wins. It takes about thirty seconds and it beats guessing which headline number is larger, because the discount is calculated against a subtotal that has already been through several other layers.
If you want to know why a code that worked for someone else fails for you, the account-type distinction is the usual answer, and it is covered in detail on the home page comparison of existing and new accounts. Our checking process explains how dead codes get removed from these pages instead of being left to pad the list.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the same code work for someone else but not for me?
Eligibility is decided per account and per region. Account age, country, cart value, the categories in your basket and how many promotions you have already used all feed into it, so two people can get different answers from one code.
Are coupon codes case sensitive?
Generally no, but spaces absolutely do break them. Paste rather than type, and check there is nothing before or after the characters in the field.
Can I use two codes on one order?
Usually only one applies, though a code often stacks on top of item-level sale prices and account credit. Apply one, note the total, swap it for the other and keep the better result.
Should I make a new account to get a bigger discount?
No. The saving is one-time and duplicate accounts created to farm welcome offers can be closed, taking any credit balance with them. Codes aimed at returning shoppers exist precisely so you do not have to.
