<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2004-10-31</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001087875</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COOLSAVINGS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>csav</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001257160</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FRIDDELL GUY R III</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>150 W BRAMBLETON AVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>C/O LANDMARK COMMUNICATIONS INC</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NORFOLK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>VA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>23510</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001257163</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>QUIST KARL B</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>150 W BRAMBLETON AVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>C/O LANDMARK COMMUNICATIONS INC</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NORFOLK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>VA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>23510</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001285782</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ALSTON MICHAEL W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O LANDMARK COMMUNICATIONS INC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>150 W. BRAMBLETON AVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NORFOLK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>VA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>23510</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001291693</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Fiveash Joseph G III</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O THE WEATHER CHANNEL INTERACTIVE, INC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>300 INTERSTATE NORTH PARKWAY</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ATLANTA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>GA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>30339</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Warrant</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>0.5</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-10-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>254311</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2004-11-01</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2009-07-30</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>254311</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>12693434</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Increases to $0.75 after July 31, 2005 if not sooner exercised.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Under the terms of an Amended and Restated Loan Agreement dated as of July 30, 2001, as amended (the &quot;Loan Agreement&quot;), between the Issuer and Landmark Communications, Inc. (&quot;Landmark&quot;) and a Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued to Landmark by the Issuer on November 12, 2001, interest on the loan outstanding under the Loan Agreement compounded on October 31, 2004, which, in turn, resulted in the grant to Landmark of warrants to purchase up to an additional 254,311 shares of the Issuer's Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (such warrants being reported herein).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Landmark owns the warrants reported herein.  Messrs. Friddell, Quist, Fiveash and Alston (members of the Board of Directors of the Issuer) are each employees of Landmark and/or its affiliates and, as such, may each be deemed to have an indirect pecuniary interest (within Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) in an indeterminate portion of the warrants owned by Landmark and reported herein.  Each of Messrs. Friddell, Quist, Fiveash and Alston disclaims beneficial ownership of all such warrants except to the extent of his respective indirect pecuniary interest therein, if any.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Guy R. Friddell, III</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-11-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Michael W. Alston</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-11-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Karl B. Quist</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-11-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Joseph G. Fiveash, III</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-11-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

