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I’ve never formally written a post on how to play the “Drugstore Game” at Walgreens, so I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to their Register Rewards program.
In many ways, this program is very similar to the CVS ExtraCare program. When you purchase certain items and/or a certain dollar amount of items, a coupon will print out that is good on your next purchase at Walgreens.
Much like CVS, to maximize your savings the key is to combine a Register Rewards producing deal or a great sale price with a manufacturer’s coupon and possibly even a store coupon. This allows you to purchase items at the lowest possible price so you can build your stockpile at a minimal cost.
However, there are some important differences that you need to be aware of to take advantage of the program to its fullest:
- Walgreens does not require the use of a store loyalty card to earn Register Rewards, aka RRs.
- You will only earn RRs once per deal per transaction. In other words, if Excedrin is producing $2 in RRs in a given week, you must purchase each bottle in a separate transaction to earn the Register Rewards. If you purchase 3 bottles in one transaction, you would only receive $2 in RRs.
- RRs cannot be “rolled” on like transactions. Using the Excedrin example again, you could not purchase one bottle of Excedrin and use the RRs received to purchase a second bottle. The Register Rewards will not print out when the second transaction is completed. Instead to roll RRs, you need to alternate it with another deal. So if Pantene was producing $2 in RRs as well that week, you could purchase the Excedrin, use the Excedrin RRs to purchase your Pantene, and then turn around and use the Pantene RRs to purchase the Excedrin again and so on.
- While Register Rewards are essentially cash, the Walgreens registers treat them as manufacturer coupons. The problem with this is that Walgreens only allow you to use as many manufacturer coupons as items on the transaction. This creates a need for “filler items” if you have a coupon for every item you’re purchasing and wish to pay with a Register Reward. Filler items are inexpensive items that you add to an order so you have a non-coupon item that will allow your Register Rewards to be processed.
- There is some debate about the best order to hand over your RRs and coupons at checkout. The method that I’ve found to work best personally is Register Rewards first, Walgreen’s store coupons second, and manufacturer’s coupons last. Feel free to change it up if it’s not working well for you.
Finally, a word to the wise – treat your RRs like cash. They cannot be replaced if lost. Generally Register Rewards expire two weeks from when they are generated, so watch those expiration dates!
Ready to try your hand at shopping Walgreens? Check out the Walgreens Weekly Deals where I lay out the best deals for each week along with the coupons you need to maximize your savings.
Questions? Comments? Leave them all. I’d love to create an FAQs page to help guide readers through the process of learning to shop at Walgreens, so I welcome your input.
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Lindsey – I’ve used 3 different RRs and they scanned fine without beeping. According to your scenario, you should have been able to use the second RR. The cashier seems misinformed, and it might be worth writing Walgreens customer service about it. If he had tried to scan the second RR, it probably would have taken without beeping.
I’ve never been told by either Wags in my area that I can only use one RR per transaction. The only three problems I’ve encountered using RRs are: (1) the manufacturer+RR count cannot exceed the total number of items purchased; (2) the balance must be greater than or equal to the value of the RR (you can’t use a $1 RR on a $0.99 bill – they won’t even adjust them down like CVS does); and (3) the RRs for an active deal won’t print if you use a RR that was produced by the same manufacturer.
I’ve received some great deals at Walgreens, but I do agree that their program could use some improvement…..Does anyone know about how Walgreens deals with returns when the item being returned is more than the amount you paid in actual cash? I used a bunch of coupons and register rewards and my Out of Pocket was $3.00, but I realized that the listerine I purchased was not the correct one for the listerine deal. I want to return it, but don’t know how they deal with this????? HELP
Amy – it’s pretty much YMMV. I went to return some Benadryl this week because we bought too much (a communication error on our part) … the manager at one store refused to give me more than the amount I actually paid because I had used (2) $1/1 coupons and a $3 RR. I told her that the store will get reimbursed for the coupons and RR, but she still refused, saying that I would make a profit from the refund. Another store gave me cash back, no problem. I’ve also had stores insist that they have to load the amount onto a gift card. It’s pretty inconsistent.
If you want to 2 separate RR deals (i.e. buy Carefree liners for $1.99, get $1.99 RR and buy Excedrin for $x.xx, get $2 RR), do you have to ring them up separately, or can they ring them up together and have both RRs still print out?
There are a few RR deals I am thinking about doing this week, but I don’t want to have to do several transactions/make several trips to do them.
As long as they are separate deals, you can do them in the same transaction. But if say you wanted to do two of the Carefree deals in the same transaction, you’d only earn RRs on one. Does that make sense?
i tried walgreens this weekend…..my first transaction…and i must say “I loveeee CVS”. At Walgreens, the staff does not seem properly trained. I asked for a Healthy Savings Booklet and she said, “Its been discontinued as people are using it for the wrong reasons!!” I thought thats hard luck. My husband tried in another store and he got that booklet…wow! So inconsistent. I dont feel like going to that store anymore..:( I truly love CVS.
I’m so discouraged with Walgreens program. I thought RR worked the same as they do at CVS, but I was slammed today with not being able to use my $25 worth of RR b/c I also had MC. I’ll try it the way you mentioned next time, RR first. So frustrating.
Does anyone know the official policy on Register Rewards? I thought you could use 1 manufacturers coupon per item with RRs counting as a manufacturer coupon. Today I had 5 items with 2 coupons and 2 RRs and she said I could only use 1 RR per transaction. I had her void it and do 2 separate transactions but what a pain. If I have to each item separately, I’ll stick with CVS.
My final OOP keeps ending up about $2. Can anyone tell me why? I’ve had two different Walgreens tell me they have to scan the MF coupons first and RR last…. could this be the reason for my OOP expense being so high? thx!
Walgreens cashiers are trained to ring up manufacture coupons first, and then the RR. If you have too many coupons, it will automatically void off the RR. So trying to hand them over in a different order is not going to work.
You can’t get something for nothing. Its time to realize that, and stop harassing the poor employees who are just doing their jobs.
Concerned Walgreens Employee,
I have actually worked at a Walgreens before and I understand your frustrations. Please understand that we are not trying to “get something for nothing” but utilize the program set forth by these companies to our greatest advantage within the rules. I have never “harassed an employee” and have actually helped educate some of the employees on their own guidelines. Respectfully, I believe you should take up your concerns with management in your company as opposed to the consumers. I hope that your environment gets better for you!
When you do multiple transactions in order to roll your rewards, how do you do it? Do you do all transactions at once or do you go through the line, then go grab what you need for the next transaction and go through the line again?
It depends on whatever you’re comfortable with, Gerri. You could have them ring up several transactions consecutively, or you could do a couple at the pharmacy and a couple at the front checkout.
How do you know which register rewards are good for the whole month and which are just a weekly deal?
It’s funny that you asked the question about which RR’s are for the whole month. I just was shown the answer from my favorite Walgreens employee. Sometimes the products are on endcaps in big boxes, on them are the dates that it is good for… alot end on 10/31/09. Also, if you are going the isles & you see the red & white cards in front of the products…that usually means all month. But check the dates because they may have accidently left one up. I hope that helps
I have been to Wags hundreds of times & have never had a problem with my register rewards…until today. I am completely aware that I cannot “roll” my RRs, but I can use my RRs from one deal to pay for a completely seperate deal that produces RRs (i.e. use RRs from excedrin one week to pay for candy deal the next week & earn more RRs); I have never had a problem & my new RR’s have always printed out.
Well, today I went to wags & made a large purchase. I used 2 RR’s (totaling $13) to pay for part of my purchase. I was expecting 3 RR’s back totaling $15. Before I paid the cashier said to me, “You do know that if you use your RR’s to pay for this, you will not receive any new RR’s back?” I replied yes, but thought she didn’t know what she was talking about because I have never had a problem. Well, she was right! I did not get any new RR’s even though the RR’s I paid with were not related to any of the products I purchased.
Is this a new Wags policy? Has anyone else had this problem?
Is there a new policy that walgreen coupons are used as manufucture coupons and can not be combine with a real manufacuter coupon? I am new to couponing. I went to 2 walgreens for the theraflu/ triamedic offer and I used one RR coupon and a walgreen coupon from the health savings coupon book and then I tried to use a manufacturer coupon but 2 stores would not let me. Oh and I also had 2 other products that I bought. They tried to ring it up but the machine would not take them. What do you think went wrong?
I am fairly new at Walgreens RR too! I have been told if I have 5 items I can use only 5 “coupons” i.e., being RR and/or manufacturer coupons. So…..if I have a pack of gum for $1.00 and I have two coupons, (1 RR and 1 manuf. coupon -OR- 2 RR’s) they will not take them. Your last senario with the Dove shampoo/cond bogo sale…..I counted 14 items and you had 15 coupons and RR’s!!! I usually see the same girl when I check out on Mondays and she looks at me like I am a total cheapskate. Sorry babe! Gotta love those coupons! This is how I get to stay home and raise my kids – by clippin coupons and stretching my dollars!!!!
I got some awsome deals at WAGS in October but I have realized that my store is awful when it comes to displaying signage for sale prices and RR.
Is there a place to find an official list of register rewards from WAGS?
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