Ace's $50 free shipping only kicks in if you're logged into an Ace Rewards account, so set that up first. Watch out for heavy stuff like mulch or grills; they'll still hit you with local delivery fees. If you're under fifty bucks, just select free store pickup instead of padding your cart.

Ace doesn't do an online student discount at all. Honestly, your best bet is just signing up for Ace Rewards — you get a $5 coupon right away in the app. Also, since locations are independently owned franchises, flash your college ID at checkout in-store. Some local managers will manually punch in 10% off.

Don't bother buying online without an Ace Rewards account. You get an instant $5 bonus just for signing up, plus monthly coupons like $5 off $25. Heads up though—since Ace stores are independently owned franchises, local in-store pricing frequently differs from acehardware.com. Always set your local store first before adding anything to cart.

The Ace referral deal gives each of you $10 off $50, but heads up: brands like Milwaukee or Stihl are almost always excluded. Also, because locations are franchised, some cashiers refuse app coupons at the register. Just do store pickup online instead to make sure the code applies properly.