I used to walk into Macys and just buy things. Full price, maybe with a single coupon if I remembered to check my email.
Looking back, I was leaving literally hundreds of dollars on the table every year, and I didn’t even realize it.
Everything changed for me during the 2024 holiday season when I accidentally uncovered I could mix my Star Rewards points with a promo code AND still get cash back through Rakuten. That single purchase saved me $87 on a coat I was going to buy anyway, and it sent me down this rabbit hole of figuring out exactly how all these systems work together.
Since then, I’ve perfected this whole stacking thing, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you. These are techniques I actually use every time I shop at Macys, and they’ve transformed how I think about department store shopping entirely.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by all the different discount options at Macys, or if you’ve wondered whether you’re getting the best deal possible, you’re going to love what I’m about to show you.
Understanding How Macys Structures Their Discount Ecosystem
Before we get into the actual stacking techniques, you need to understand something about how Macys structures their discount ecosystem. Unlike stores that try to prevent you from combining offers, Macys actually built their system to reward shoppers who engage with many programs simultaneously.
Think about it from their perspective. They want you shopping there regularly, using their credit card, joining their loyalty program, and coming back for more.
The more touch points you have with their brand, the more valuable you are as a customer.
So they’ve intentionally created overlapping reward systems that can work together.
The Star Rewards program gives you points and exclusive coupons. The Macys credit card provides opening discounts and ongoing earning potential.
Promo codes offer percentage-based savings on specific purchases.
And cash back apps provide a rebate layer that sits on top of everything else.
What blew my mind when I first figured this out is that these systems were designed by different teams at different times, which means they don’t always “talk” to each other in the backend. That creates opportunities for strategic shoppers like us to mix benefits in ways that maximize total savings.
The foundation of stacking is straightforward. You’re layering different types of discounts that calculate at different stages of the transaction.
A promo code might take 20% off your subtotal.
Star Money applies as a dollar-amount credit. Your credit card might give you points worth 5% back.
And a cash back app gives you a percentage of your final purchase price.
None of these directly conflict with each other because they’re technically different types of transactions. The promo code is a merchant discount.
Star Money is a loyalty redemption.
Credit card rewards come from the bank. Cash back comes from a third-party affiliate program.
They all coexist because they’re processed separately.
The Foundation Layer You Need To Establish First
The absolute first thing I do before any Macys purchase, and I mean this, I do this every single time, is activate my cash back session through Rakuten. This has to happen before you start shopping, not during checkout, because the tracking cookie needs to follow your entire session.
I keep a browser with my Rakuten extension installed specifically for shopping. When I’m ready to shop at Macys, I click through Rakuten’s portal to their site.
This establishes the tracking relationship that confirms I get credited for my purchase.
The cash back percentage varies, but I’ve seen it as high as 10% during special promotional periods.
Most people don’t realize that Rakuten’s cash back calculates on your final purchase amount after most discounts are applied, but before taxes. So if you’re stacking many other offers, your Rakuten percentage applies to the already-reduced price, but you still get the full cash back credit.
It’s honestly one of the best parts of this whole system.
There’s a practical challenge I ran into early on. Sometimes the Rakuten tracking doesn’t work perfectly, especially if you’re using many browser extensions or shopping apps simultaneously.
I learned this the hard way when I lost out on $23 in cash back because my ad blocker interfered with the tracking.
My solution is simple now. When I’m doing a serious Macys shopping session where I’m stacking many offers, I use a clean browser profile with only essential extensions enabled. Rakuten, and maybe Honey for coupon testing.
Everything else gets disabled temporarily.
It takes an extra minute of setup, but it’s saved me from losing cash back many times.
The other foundation element is understanding your Star Rewards status before you shop. I check my account dashboard every time because it tells me crucial information.
Am I close to hitting a new tier threshold?
Do I have Star Money about to expire? Is today a Star Money earning day?
This information completely changes how I approach the shopping trip. If I’m $50 away from Gold status and there’s a Star Money day coming up, I might intentionally split my purchase into two transactions.
A smaller one now to hit the threshold, then the bigger purchase on the earning day when I’ll get the Gold benefits.
Strategic Timing Changes Everything
I’ve learned that timing matters more than almost anything else when it comes to stacking Macys discounts effectively. The difference between shopping on a random Tuesday versus during a Friends and Family sale can literally be 40% or more in total savings.
Macys follows predictable sales cycles that I’ve started tracking in a simple spreadsheet. January is always massive post-holiday clearance, with some items marked down 70-80% off original prices.
But that’s just the starting point.
You can then apply extra discounts on top of those clearance prices during the right promotional periods.
The semi-annual sales in July and early January are particularly golden for stacking because Macys tends to allow their broadest range of coupons to work on already-reduced merchandise. I’ve successfully combined a 20% off sitewide code with 60% clearance pricing, then earned Star points on the purchase, got credit card rewards, and received Rakuten cash back all on the same transaction.
There’s a specific challenge with timing that I want to address directly. The fear of missing out.
It’s tempting to buy something immediately when you see a good price, but I’ve trained myself to pause and check the calendar.
Is there a bigger sale event coming in the next two weeks? Will Star Money days align with my purchase window?
I created a simple decision framework that’s worked well for me. If the item is full price or less than 30% off, I almost always wait unless I need it immediately.
If it’s 40-60% off and I’m outside a major sale window, I’ll check if there are stackable coupons available today.
If it’s 70%+ off, I generally buy immediately because those deep clearance items often sell out before another stacking opportunity comes along.
The Star Money earning days deserve special attention because they’re genuinely crucial for Silver and Gold tier members. Unlike Platinum members who earn on every purchase, lower tiers only accumulate points during designated earning periods.
Macys announces these in advance through email and their app, and I’ve started adding them to my calendar with reminders.
What I’ve uncovered is that you can maximize Star Money earning by making larger purchases during these windows, then using the accumulated Star Money during non-earning periods when you’re shopping for basics. This creates a rhythm where you’re essentially pre-buying your future discounts during the times when you’ll earn the most points.
Credit Card Selection Strategy
The Macys credit card question comes up constantly, and honestly, my answer has evolved significantly as I’ve gotten deeper into stacking strategies. The opening discount is genuinely attractive, usually 20% off your first purchase, sometimes 25% during special promotional periods.
But that APR of nearly 30% is absolutely brutal if you carry any balance at all.
My personal approach: I applied for the Macys American Express (not the store-only card) during a 25% off opening period when I was already planning a major furniture purchase. I knew I had the cash to pay it off immediately, so I essentially treated it as a one-time discount on a $1,200 purchase.
That saved me $300 right there, which more than justified the application.
But I also keep a general cash back credit card that offers 5% rotating categories, and I use that whenever department stores are in the featured category. During those quarters, I’m actually getting better returns from my Chase Freedom Flex than I would from the Macys card, even with the Star points earning.
The practical application is matching the payment method to the specific purchase situation. For everyday smaller purchases under $100, I’ll use whichever card is offering the best cash back rate at that moment.
For larger purchases where Star points matter more, or when I’m trying to reach a tier threshold, the Macys card comes out.
One technique I’ve used successfully is the gift card pre-purchase strategy. Fluz and other cash back apps let you buy Macys gift cards at a discount, sometimes 7-9% back.
I’ll buy these during high cash back periods, then use the gift cards for purchases where I’m also stacking coupons and earning Star points.
The gift card effectively becomes a pre-applied discount layer that works with everything else.
There’s an important nuance here that I wish someone had explained to me earlier. When you use a Macys gift card, you still earn Star Rewards points on the purchase amount.
The system treats the gift card as cash, not as a discount.
So you’re getting the upfront cash back from buying the gift card, then still earning loyalty points when you spend it. It’s genuinely one of the best stacking loopholes available.
The challenge with this approach is managing many gift card balances and making sure you’re tracking everything correctly. I keep a simple note in my phone with current gift card balances and their source, which cash back app, what percentage I earned. It takes maybe five minutes a month to maintain, but it confirms I’m not leaving money unused or forgetting about smaller balances.
The Checkout Sequence That Maximizes Your Savings
This is where most people completely mess up the stacking process, and I know because I did it wrong for months before I figured out the optimal sequence. The order in which you apply different discounts during checkout genuinely matters because of how Macys system calculates each successive discount.
The exact sequence I follow every single time: First, I make sure I’m logged into my Star Rewards account before I even start adding items to cart. This confirms that any member-exclusive pricing is already reflected in the item prices I’m seeing.
Second, I add all my items to cart and review them carefully. I’m specifically checking for any category exclusions that might prevent certain coupons from working.
Beauty products and designer items are the usual culprits here.
If I have excluded items, I sometimes split them into a separate transaction to maximize coupon use on everything else.
Third, I proceed to checkout and apply any promo code at the very first discount field. This is crucial.
The promo code needs to calculate against the full subtotal before any other reductions.
If you apply Star Money first, your promo code might calculate against the reduced amount, giving you less total discount.
Fourth, after the promo code is applied and I can see the new subtotal, I apply any Star Money I want to use. Star Money works as a dollar-amount credit, so it comes straight off the post-promo-code total.
The system treats it like a gift card or store credit at this stage.
Fifth, I add any Macys gift cards I’ve purchased through cash back apps. These apply after all other discounts, which means I’m essentially using “discounted dollars” to pay for an already-discounted purchase.
It sounds complicated, but in practice, it just means entering the gift card numbers in the payment section.
Finally, I finish the purchase with my chosen credit card. Whether that’s the Macys card for Star points, or a general cash back card for category bonuses, this is the last piece of the payment puzzle.
The credit card rewards calculate on whatever the final amount is after all previous discounts.
I cannot stress enough how important this sequence is. I’ve tested variations, and applying things in different orders has cost me money every single time.
Macys system processes these items sequentially in the checkout flow, and reversing the order, especially applying Star Money before promo codes, consistently results in smaller total discounts.
Category-Specific Rules You Need To Know
Different departments at Macys have wildly different stacking rules, and understanding these nuances has honestly saved me more money than any other single piece of knowledge. The beauty department is probably the most restrictive, with most major brands excluding themselves from percentage-off coupons.
What I’ve learned is that they often allow manufacturer coupons to stack with gift with purchase promotions. During Macys beauty events, you’ll often see offers like “Free gift with $35 Clinique purchase.” What I do is mix this with manufacturer coupons from the brand websites.
Clinique, Estée Lauder, and similar brands often have $10-15 off coupons.
Then I use a Macys gift card purchased at discount, and still earn Star points on the full purchase. Even though I can’t use a Macys promo code, I’m still stacking three layers of savings plus the free gift.
Home goods and furniture are interesting because they often have their own separate promotions that can stack with sitewide codes. I bought a couch last year during a “20% off furniture” event, used a 15% off sitewide code which the system allowed me to mix, applied $40 in Star Money, and got 8% back through Rakuten.
The total effective discount was over 40% off the original price.
The workaround for designer exclusions is timing. During Friends and Family sales, which happen maybe three or four times a year, many designer items that normally exclude from coupons suddenly become eligible.
I’ve started keeping a wishlist specifically for designer pieces I want, then I only pull the trigger during Friends and Family events when I can stack the discount with everything else.
Clearance items have their own quirks too. Most clearance merchandise is eligible for extra percentage-off coupons, but some final clearance items, usually marked with specific colored tags in-store or clearly noted online, exclude from further discounts.
I’ve learned to specifically target the 40-60% off clearance zone where extra coupons still work, as opposed to the 70-80% final clearance where nothing else applies.
Real Example From My Recent Shopping
Let me walk you through an actual recent purchase I made to show you how all these layers work together in practice. I needed a new business suit, and Macys had a Calvin Klein suit I wanted originally priced at $495.
First, I waited for a sale. The suit went on sale at 40% off, bringing it to $297.
Already a solid deal, but this is just the starting point.
I checked the Macys promo code page and found a “SAVE20” code for an extra 20% off. Applied to the $297 sale price, this brought me down to $237.60.
I had $20 in Star Money available from a previous purchase, which I applied, bringing the total to $217.60.
I’d before purchased Macys gift cards through Fluz at 8% cash back, so I used $200 in gift cards which cost me $184 after cash back, plus put $17.60 on my Macys credit card.
Because I clicked through Rakuten before starting my shopping session, I earned 5% cash back on the final purchase price. 5% of $217.60 equals $10.88.
I also earned Star points on the pre-discount amount because I’m a Platinum member, which added 595 points worth about $59.50 in future Star Money.
Adding it all up: I paid $184 in gift cards plus $17.60 on my credit card equals $201.60 out of pocket. Then I got $10.88 back from Rakuten, making my net cost $190.72.
Plus I earned $59.50 worth of Star Money for future use.
My effective price for a $495 suit was $190.72 with $59.50 in future credits, a total value capture of about 50% off the original price plus future spending power.
People Also Asked
Can I use Macys Star Money with promo codes?
Yes, you can use Star Money with most promo codes, but the order matters. Always apply your promo code first at checkout to get the percentage discount on the full subtotal, then apply Star Money as a dollar-amount credit after the promo code has reduced your total.
Applying them in the wrong order will cost you money because the promo code will calculate on the already-reduced amount.
How do I earn Star Rewards points faster at Macys?
Silver and Gold tier members only earn Star points on designated Star Money earning days, so concentrate your larger purchases on those days. Platinum members earn on every purchase, which makes reaching that $1,200 annual spending threshold valuable.
You can also speed up earnings by using the Macys credit card, which provides extra point multipliers on top of your base Star Rewards earning rate.
Does Rakuten cash back work with Macys coupons?
Yes, Rakuten cash back calculates on your final purchase price after Macys coupons and discounts are applied, but before taxes. This means you can stack a percentage-off promo code, use Star Money, and still get the full Rakuten cash back percentage on whatever total you end up paying.
Just make sure you click through the Rakuten portal or activate their extension before you start shopping to confirm proper tracking.
What is the best time to shop at Macys for stacking discounts?
The semi-annual sales in January and July offer the best combination of deep clearance prices and broad coupon eligibility. Friends and Family events, which happen three to four times per year, allow coupons on designer items that normally exclude.
For Star Rewards members in Silver or Gold tiers, always align major purchases with Star Money earning days to maximize point accumulation while stacking other discounts.
Can you use manufacturer coupons at Macys with other discounts?
Yes, manufacturer coupons can stack with Macys store promotions in most departments. This is particularly valuable in the beauty department where Macys percentage-off coupons typically don’t work on major brands.
You can mix a manufacturer coupon from the brand’s website with gift-with-purchase promotions, Star Money redemption, pre-purchased discount gift cards, and still earn Star points on the full purchase amount.
Do Macys gift cards count toward Star Rewards points?
Yes, when you pay with a Macys gift card, you still earn Star Rewards points on the full purchase amount because the system treats gift cards as a payment method, not as a discount. This makes pre-purchasing gift cards through cash back apps extremely valuable.
You get upfront cash back when buying the gift card, then still earn loyalty points when you spend it.
Key Takeaways
Stack your Macys savings by activating cash back apps first, applying promo codes before Star Money at checkout, and using pre-purchased discount gift cards as your payment method while still earning loyalty points on the full purchase amount.
Time your major purchases around Star Money earning days if you’re Gold or Silver tier, and align those purchases with seasonal clearance periods when percentage-off coupons work on already-reduced merchandise for most multiplication effect.
Different Macys departments have different exclusion rules. Beauty needs manufacturer coupons instead of Macys codes, designer items need Friends and Family timing, and home goods often stack department-specific promotions with sitewide codes.
Pre-purchasing Macys gift cards through cash back apps at 7-9% back creates a discount foundation layer that combines with all other stacking strategies and still allows full Star Rewards point earning on your purchases.
Track your annual spending toward tier thresholds and strategically time large purchases to maximize your earning tier status across calendar year boundaries for sustained long-term value.