Monday, June 30, 2014

Understanding Walgreens Rewards and Coupon Policies


So far some of my best deals have come from Walgreens as you learn to coupon, you have to learn the idiosyncrasies of each store.




Important things to note about Walgreen's Coupon Policy:


  • You can combine Store Coupons and Manufacturer's Coupons.
  • The total number of Manufacturer's Coupons and Register Rewards cannot exceed the total number of items purchased.  (You can supplement this buy buying "filler" items, usually items that are a quarter or less.)  Although, you can have one Manufacturer Coupons or Register Reward and one Walgreens coupon per item.
  • You cannot use a coupon on the free portion of a Buy One Get One Free sale.
  • You cannot use a coupon that exceeds the price of an item.


To complicate things a little further, Walgreens has two different rewards types, Register Rewards and Balance Rewards.


Register Rewards

Register Rewards (Often Shortened to RR) are coupons that will print out at the register when you buy a qualifying product.  From my experience so far, there are often Register Rewards that will get you a "free" product, basically you will buy an item and they will give you a Register Reward worth the pre-tax amount.  Now, if you have a coupon for this product or a rebate on an app like ibotta, then you have a moneymaker.  If you use Register Rewards to purchase items that give a Register Reward or a Balance reward, this is called "rolling" your rewards.

Important things to note about Register Rewards:


  • You cannot get multiple of the same Register Reward in the same transaction.  If you get a $2 Register Reward for one bar of soap and you buy two bars of soap in one transaction, you will still only get one $2 Register Reward.  If you buy one bar of soap, pay for it, then buy a second bar of soap, and pay for it, you will get a $2 Register Reward with each transaction.
  • You cannot use the same Register Reward to purchase the same item and get another Register Reward.  So if you had the $2 Register Reward for soap, if you try to buy another bar of soap with that $2 Register Reward from the first, your Register Reward will not print.
  • Usually Register Rewards expire two weeks from the original purchase date, so you will want to make sure you use them or roll them before they expire.
  • Have Register Rewards scanned after all other non-Walgreens coupons.  Otherwise the computer may not accept some of your other coupons.
  • Some other stores will accept Register Rewards since it is a Manufacturer Coupon.  I have had success doing so at Lowe's Foods and Harris Teeter locally.



Balance Rewards

Walgreens other program is Balance Rewards.  (Often shortened to BR.)  This is a point based loyalty program.  There are several different ways to earn points: exercising  filling prescriptions, and the one we we will focus on here, buying stuff that give Balance Rewards.

Balance Rewards start off at 1,000 points = $1 until you get to 18,000 points.  Once you reach 18,000 points the conversion rate changes to the below:

  • 18,000 points = $20
  • 30,000 points = $35
  • 40,000 points = $50

So like the Register Rewards, you have a moneymaker when the purchase price becomes less than the value of the points awarded.

Important things to note about Balance Rewards:


  • Balance Rewards will not be earned on any transaction that you redeem Balance Rewards or Store Credit.  (So use them on Register Rewards Transactions.)
  • Points expire three years after they are earned.

If something is unclear or you have a question, let me know in the comments, I'll do my best to answer it.  And if you see something important I left out, definitely know about that as well.


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