The Beginner’s Guide to Couponing at Walgreens
The Walgreens Coupon Policy Explained
Couponing at Walgreen’s – it can be complicated.
But:
The savings are worth it!
Walgreens uses Balance Reward points, Register Rewards, coupons and ratios.
There’s no worry though, as this guide will explain it all! Start with one step at a time and before you know it you’ll be a pro when it comes to couponing at Walgreens.
Also Read: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Couponing – Learn All the Basics!
Getting Started
The first thing you’ll want to do is sign up for a Balance Rewards Card. You can use it at checkout to earn points and other store rewards.
Use it by scanning the physical card, mobile card or by entering your phone number.
With Balance Rewards, it’s easy to earn points for the things you already buy — including prescriptions and photos.
It gets better:
You’ll also get access to Members Only Perks and paperless coupons. You can even get rewarded for the healthy choices you make every day, like walking, managing your weight, tracking blood pressure and more.
Balance rewards points = dollars off future purchases.
More About Balance Rewards Points
With Everyday Balance Rewards Points, you’ll get 10 points per $1.00 spent on almost everything — every day.
Plus:
You can get BONUS points on featured products each week, and use paperless coupons on select items.
What else can you earn points on?
Get 100 points per 30-day prescription including those covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Earn 300 points per 90-day prescription, plus 100 points per immunization.
NOTE:
Due to state and federal laws, points can’t be earned (or redeemed) on some items, including alcohol, tobacco and dairy items.
Will I Earn Points if I Pay With Points?
You CAN use Balance Reward Points to pay for unit offers and still earn points.
For example:
If it’s Buy 2 Get 2,000 Reward points, you CAN use your BRP (Balance Rewards Points) to pay.
However…
…If it is a threshold offer, like spend $20 get 5,000 points, you CANNOT pay with points and earn points.
How Many Points Do I Need Before I Can Spend Them?
Points can be redeemed at Walgreens once you reach the levels in the chart below:
How Do I Earn Points for Making Healthy Choices?
Get Balance Rewards points for setting and achieving goals, as well as daily tracking.
Click here to learn more about this.
Other BRP Facts to Know…
Points CANNOT be shared.
And:
Points expire 3 years after they are earned or if your account has been inactive for six months.
Your account is considered inactive if you haven’t used your card (physical card, mobile card via App or phone number) in store or online.
Walgreens Coupon Rules
Ok there are quite a few rules that are a part of couponing at Walgreens. MOST of these are your common sense rules that you find at most stores, though.
It may take you some time to remember them all, but don’t beat yourself up about it. Walgreens is definitely one of the harder stores to master.
#1. All coupons are to be presented to the cashier at the time of checkout.
#2. Walgreens does not accept expired coupons.
#3. Walgreens will not accept fraudulent or counterfeit coupons as determined by Walgreens. (basically it is up to the cashier to decide)
#4. All coupons have no cash value. Coupons and their face value cannot be exchanged for cash or gift cards.
#5. Competitor’s coupons are NOT accepted by Walgreens.
Something else to be aware of:
Some stores won’t accept manufacturer coupons that say something like “Available at Walmart, Kroger, etc.”. It’s silly, but it is up to the manager.
#6. The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register Rewards/Savings Rewards manufacturer coupons, shall not exceed the number of items in the transaction.
For example:
If you are buying one pack of Skittles you can use one coupon. Store Coupons do NOT count against your ratio.
So, IF you had a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon for the same item, you can use both.
IF you had a store coupon, MFR (manufacturer) coupon and a Register Reward, you must buy at least one more item AKA a filler item.
#7. The total value of the coupons shall not exceed the value of the transaction.
#8. Walgreens does NOT accept coupons that exceed the selling price of an item.
No cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons. For example, if you buy a product for 99¢ and the coupon is for $1 off they will REFUSE the coupon.
#9. Coupons that appear distorted, blurry or altered in any way shall not be accepted; all coupons must have a clear and scannable bar code.
#10. For offers when multiple items are purchased and additional items are free (buy 1 get 1 free; buy 2 get 1 free, etc.), the number of coupons applied to that offer cannot exceed the number of items required in the “buy” portion of the offer.
#11. Coupons may NOT be applied against any free item received in any offer.
What this rule and #10 means that if there is a buy 1 get 1 free sale, you can only use a coupon on ONE of the items.
#12. Paper coupons will be processed before digital coupons.
#13. Walgreens reserves the right to limit quantities to customers and employees.
#14. Manufacturer coupons must include a valid redemption address.
#15. Walgreens will accept manufacturer coupons for items that are on sale.
#16. Buy One Get One FREE coupons cannot be used with a Buy One Get One FREE sale.
#17. Walgreens does not accept “free product” internet printed coupons.
Can I Use More Than One Coupon Per Item?
Yes! This is called coupon stacking, however at Walgreen’s there are more restrictions than most other stores on stacking.
When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
When purchasing multiple items, Walgreens accepts multiple coupons for multiple qualifying items, as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified on the coupon.
Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased and/or prohibit the purchase of excessive quantities.
Total off store offers/coupons cannot be combined, i.e. 20% off your whole purchase (circular coupon), Seniors Day, Friends and Family, Veteran’s Day, employee discount, etc.
Some Examples of Coupon Stacking
- You buy one package of gum and have a MFR coupon and a store coupon (store coupons do not count against ratio of coupons) – this is acceptable.
- You buy one package of gum and have a MFR coupon, store coupon, and an RR to use. Store coupon does not count against ratio, but this means you have 2 coupons and one product. You MUST buy one more item to be able use the second coupon. (This is called a filler item) It can be something as simple as a 25¢ caramel by the register.
What are Register Rewards (RR)?
Register Rewards are store rewards that print out at the register when you buy select products. An RR is a special coupon you can use on your next purchase.
Register Rewards will ONLY print for in-stock merchandise during the promotional period. Register Rewards can only be earned for eligible items. No substitutions are permitted.
There is a limit of ONE Register Rewards coupon per offer per customer per transaction.
Customers redeeming Register Rewards against the same offer may NOT receive another Register Rewards coupon.
RR’s are forfeited if the qualifying merchandise is returned.
RR’s cannot be redeemed on the following:
Alcoholic beverages, dairy products, gift cards/phone cards/general purpose reloadable cards, health care services, including immunizations, lottery tickets, money orders/transfers, postage stamps, prescription savings club membership fee, prescriptions, special event/entertainment tickets or passes, tobacco products, transportation passes, any items prohibited by law.
Other Ways to Save
- Clip Paperless coupons to your Balance Rewards Card – no printing & no forgetting coupons!
- Watch your email for special coupons/offers.
- Look at your receipts for special coupons printed on them.
- Look at the weekly ad online or via their app for the latest savings offers.
You made it all the way to the end and that was a lot to take in!
But:
With time and practice couponing at Walgreen’s will be become second nature. I suggest bookmarking this page and referring back to this guide if you’re ever unsure about anything.
Also Read: The Beginners Guide to Couponing at Target, Walmart, CVS & Rite Aid
About Jen
I’m Jen, one of the co-founders of College Life Made Easy: a lifestyle blog that focuses on helping students navigate college life on topics of finance, organization, dorm living and more.