Buono vs. coupon
Both buono and coupon are used in Italian to refer to vouchers or discounts, but they function differently. Buono is a broad, traditional Italian term that usually requires a qualifier to define its specific type (like gift, meal, or refund), while coupon is an English loanword typically reserved for marketing promotions and digital discount codes.
Buono
B1This is the standard Italian word for a voucher or ticket that holds monetary value or facilitates a transaction. It is rarely used alone and is almost always combined with another word to specify its purpose, such as buono regalo (gift voucher), buono pasto (meal voucher), or buono sconto (discount voucher). It can imply store credit or a pre-paid service.
Per il suo compleanno le ho regalato un buono da spendere in libreria.
(For her birthday, I gave her a voucher to spend at the bookstore.)
L'azienda fornisce un buono pasto elettronico ai dipendenti.
(The company provides an electronic meal voucher to employees.)
Se non hai lo scontrino, possiamo solo farti un buono merce.
(If you don't have the receipt, we can only give you a store credit voucher.)
Hai diritto a un buono sconto del dieci percento sul prossimo acquisto.
(You are entitled to a ten percent discount voucher on your next purchase.)
Coupon
B2This is a direct loanword from English used primarily in the contexts of marketing, advertising, and e-commerce. It specifically refers to a promotional code or a ticket used to redeem a limited-time deal or a price reduction. Younger generations and online shoppers use coupon more frequently than buono when referring to digital checkouts.
Inserisci il codice del coupon prima di completare il pagamento online.
(Enter the coupon code before completing the online payment.)
Ho ritagliato un coupon dal volantino del supermercato.
(I cut out a coupon from the supermarket flyer.)
Questo coupon scade alla fine del mese.
(This coupon expires at the end of the month.)
Iscriviti alla newsletter per ricevere nuovi coupon via email.
(Sign up for the newsletter to receive new coupons via email.)
Summary
Use buono as the general term for any voucher representing money or goods, especially fixed types like gift cards (buono regalo) or meal tickets (buono pasto). Use coupon specifically for commercial discounts, promotional offers, and codes entered during online shopping.