Learning the Walgreens ropes!

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Whenever I write about deals at Walgreens I assume that they are the same across our nation. This being said, you want to make sure you consistently read the weekly advertisement circulars to double check available deals within your region. You should receive the circular in the mail, or if that is not the case, you can find them in the Sunday Paper, view the online version on the Walgreens homepage, or you can pick one up at your local Walgreens store.

Learning the Walgreens ropes used to be a lot more complicated than it is today. There was a rebate program called Walgreens Easy Saver coupons but in May of 2009, Walgreens stopped this program and therefore making couponing at Walgreens much less complicated. The Register Reward program is still active, and can be compared to the CVS’s ECB program. However, unlike CVS, you don’t have to sign up for any kind of Walgreens Savings Card. So, after you’ve read this guide and you figured out what deal you want to take advantage off, you are ready to just head out and pay a visit to your local Walgreens store.

Register Rewards (RR)

Couponing at Walgreens is a little bit more complicated than couponing at CVS, especially when it comes to Register Rewards. The rules are a slightly stricter but here are a few important pointers to look out for and you should be golden:

- Walgreens Register Rewards (RRs) are manufacturer coupons that print out when your transaction is complete. These rewards will print out only if you purchased qualifying products and you will receive them separate from your store receipt.

- RRs are value coupons that can be used on your next purchase. When doing a deal that earns Register Rewards you absolutely can and should use coupons! Coupons have no effect on the deal. If the RRs don’t print then you possibly bought the wrong items, not enough items to get the deal, or there is a problem with the Catalina machine (machine that prints out RRs). If the Catalina machine is broken or out of paper, stay calm; usually the manager will resolve the problem.

- When you earn Register Rewards you CAN use them to buy other items that earn Register Rewards again, BUT NOT on the same deal. So if you decide to buy more than just one of the same item that offers RRs, you will have to alternate your transactions in order to get the deals for each item. Did I just confuse you? Here’s a more hands-on example:

E.g. Transaction 1: buy a deodorant for $3.99 and get $3 RRs.
Transaction 2: buy toothpaste for $2.99, earn $2 RR and use $3 RRs from first transaction to pay for it.
Transaction 3: Buy a deodorant for $3.99, earn $3 RRs and use $2 RR from second transaction to pay for it.
Transaction 4: Buy toothpaste for $2.99, earn $2 RR and use $3 RRs from third transaction to pay for it.
Etc,…It’s not that difficult, right?

- Unfortunately, you can’t use more coupons than items purchased (excluding Walgreens Ad Coupons). What does this mean? It means that when you buy one item you can use one manufacturer coupon and one weekly ad coupon. However, if you try to use a register reward (RRs) in combination, it will not let you. Walgreens Register Rewards are handled like regular coupons not like cash. But don’t get discouraged, there is a way around it! Add a cheap filler item such as candy or a pencil to your order and the register will accept the coupon.

- Also, if you want to buy 1 item you cannot use 2 RRs to pay for it because the number of coupons exceeds the number of items. In that case you once again will need another filler item.

- The weekly circular usually has items in the ad that say “Free after Register Rewards.” This means that if you buy the item, say at $2.99, then you will get a $3.00 in Register Reward back once you pay for your purchase. For your information, the Register Rewards always round up. If an eligible product is advertised as 2.99, you will receive a $3.00 RR, a product sold for $2.49, will earn a $2.50 RR.

- Make sure you use your RRs wisely. Use them on items that are equal or greater than their value. My stores won’t give me any money back and you want to be sure you’ll get the best deal possible without wasting your RRs.

Coupons in Walgreens Circular

There is one more type of coupon at Walgreens that you should know about. These coupons are called in-ad-coupons. You can find them in your weekly Walgreens circular. They CAN be combined with all other coupons. To make it easier, you can just point out the coupons in your circular! There’s no need to cut them! The cashier will happily scan them for you.

The in-ad-coupons are usually advertised by price (ie: Gum X 29¢) and limit (limit 3) on how many items you can buy. You must use the in-ad-coupon in order to get the advertised coupon price. If the coupon says Gum X 29¢, limit 3 then you can only buy 3 Gum X and use the one coupon. Once the coupon is scanned it will subtract a specific amount that will make all 3 Gum X 29¢ each. If you buy more than the limit then you will have to pay the regular price for the additional Gum Xs.

In what order should you hand your coupons to the cashier?

There are different ways you can hand your coupons to the cashier but the following has worked best for me: When shopping at Walgreens, I first use manufacturers’ coupons, then Walgreen Ad coupons, and last RRs. This way I can make sure that at the end my total is high enough to use my RRs effectively.

Also, when you’re at the register, don’t forget to ask the cashier for rainchecks for all the advertised items that they were out off. Are you asking yourself what a raincheck is or why you should ask for one? Click here to find out!

CVS Deals Posts from Sassy Coupon Mom

I post my deals in the following format: