About Drug Stores

Drug stores also offer incredible opportunities to save, which is why they’re among the popular stores for expert shoppers. Like grocery stores, each drug store has its own policies about couponing and its own rewards system. Learn how you can get big discounts on everyday items such as toothpaste, razors, candy and more.

CVS

CVS uses Extra Bucks (EBs) to give shoppers an instant rebate for a future purchase. Similar to grocery stores, CVS distributes a weekly and monthly ad pamphlet outlining the deals for each time period.

When you use your Extra Care Card to purchase an EB item, you’ll receive an instant rebate. This rebate is printed at the bottom of your receipt and should be kept for your next shopping trip to CVS. Some items are free after your EB rebate, while others are significantly discounted. Combine EBs with manufacturer coupons for even greater savings.

It’s important to know that this program is tied to your Extra Care Card, so you’ll need to present your card when you’re ready to redeem the EB. And like most coupons, EBs have expiration dates.

Rite Aid

This drug store’s monthly rebate program is called Rite Aid Single Check Rebate and is available both in-store and online. Rite Aid’s monthly ad flyer includes items that are free after rebate, as long as you buy the item during a specific time period. The real bonus comes when you combine Rite Aid rebates with manufacturer coupons to get more money back than you actually spent on the product!

To participate in Rite Aid’s program, you will need to create an account on RiteAid.com. Then, when you’ve purchased the specific rebate items offered, you will enter the information found on your receipt into your Rite Aid online account. And once all the information has been entered, you can request a rebate check no more than one time per month.

Here are some things to keep in mind with the Rite Aid Single Check Rebate Program:

• Most of the rebate items have limited quantities.
• You can request a check only once a month. It generally delivers within 10-14 days.
• Rite Aid will email you a reminder to request a check, if you haven’t done so recently.
• These checks can be taken to your bank for deposit or cash – or you can use them at Rite Aid for additional rebate items.

Walgreens

Walgreens has program called Register Rewards (RR), which are coupons that print along with your receipt if you have made a qualifying purchase in the same transaction. Most of these rewards are “On your next order,” which means you can use them like cash on your next purchase at Walgreens.

This style of coupon is called a Catalina. Catalina machines are generally programmed to print one Register Reward coupon for one qualifying item. If you purchase more than one of the same qualifying items per transaction, you will only receive one Register Reward coupon. If you are expecting a Register Reward to print and it did not, you can contact Catalina directly at 888.322.3814 or online at http://www.catalinamarketing.com/contact/

Here are three important things to know about Walgreens RR:

1. You can “roll” Register Rewards into other RR-eligible purchases, as long as you’re not “rolling” one reward for two of the same item. For example, if you buy Nivea body wash and receive an RR from that item, you cannot use it to buy another bottle of Nivea body wash and expect to receive an additional Register Reward. But you can use a Register Reward you earned from purchasing the razor toward the purchase of another bottle of Nivea body wash and you’ll receive a second RR for that bottle.
2. Register Rewards are technically manufacturer coupons, so you cannot have more coupons than you have items. Let’s use the Nivea body wash example. If you’re buying a bottle of the body wash and you have coupon P42 plus a $3 Register Reward, then you have two coupons and only one item. You’ll need to add another item to your basket to ensure you have the same number of items as you have coupons. We call these items “fillers.” Pick a small, inexpensive item like a $.33 caramel and you’ll be able to use both coupons towards the body wash.
3. The subtotal of your sale must be enough to absorb the amount of the Register Reward. That means if the item you are buying is $2.99 and you have $3 Register Reward to pay for it, the register won’t accept the discount. An easy remedy is to add in a small filler item to push the total over $3, and you’ll be good to go!