Copper and tin have distinguishable geochemical properties whereas Cu- Sn paragenesis or coupled mineralization is common in the major Cu- Sn metallogenic belts of the world. For example, the Youjiang, Nanling (southern Hunan Province) and southern Great Xingan Range (eastern Inner Mongolia) in China, the Iberia in Portugal, the Andes in Peru, the Cornubian in England, the Erzgebirge in Germany, southwest Japan, Far East Russia, and New Brunswick in Canada are all characterized by intensive distribution of coupled Cu- Sn deposits. Coupled Cu- Sn deposits are mostly magmatic hydrothermal deposits that are dominated by skarn type and vein type. Volcanic hydrothermal sedimentary type, porphyry type, and greisen type are also present. Ore minerals of Cu ore bodies mainly include chalcopyrite, with the presence of bornite, tetrahedrite, and chalcocite. In contrast, ore minerals of tin ore bodies are cassiterite and minor stannite. The source of ore- forming materials of Cu- Sn coupled deposits (especially whether the source of copper and tin elements is consistent) remains highly controversial. Tin is generally considered to be of magmatic origin, while the source of copper may be diversified. The change of redox environment and fluid mixing during the ore- forming fluid evolution may be the key trigger for Cu- Sn coupled mineralization. Available studies on Cu- Sn coupled mineralization focused on chronology of deposits, trace element and conventional isotopic geochemistry of single minerals (e.g., chalcopyrite, cassiterite), and fluid inclusions, which have limitation in determining the Cu- Sn coupled mineralization process. The genesis and the establishment of exploration model for coupled Cu- Sn deposits are of great theoretical and practical importance. In this paper, we propose that future studies can be conducted by using combined tracing of multiple unconventional stable isotopes (e.g., Cu, Sn, W, Zn isotopes), precise comparable analyses of in situ geochemical characteristics of marked ore minerals (e.g. scheelite, sphalerite, garnet, tourmaline, apatite), fluid inclusions, low- temperature thermochronology (e.g., mineralization at different depth and uplift- exhumation histories), to precisely probe into the source of ore- forming materials, fluid evolution, and mineral exploration of Cu- Sn coupled mineralization.