New to shopping at Walgreens?  We are here to help!  Walgreens is more complicated to shop at than some other stores, but worth it in the end.  Here is our guide to shopping at Walgreens:

Coupons:

The first thing to note is that Walgreens has a Balance Rewards card, so be sure to sign up for one to get the sale prices!

Walgreens will not let you use a larger number of coupons than the number of items that you are purchasing.  If you have 4 items and 5 coupons, one of the coupons will not go through.  The way around this policy is to also purchase a “filler” item or another item that you know you will use.  Filler items are small, cheap items like candy or pencils and are used for the purpose of raising your total item number.  Also, if you have a coupon that is $1 off of 2 items, Walgreens will count this coupon as 2 coupons.

Walgreens has several different types of coupons.  Here are the details:

Weekly Ad:

Walgreens puts out a weekly ad that contains sale priced coupons.  These coupons will generally show the final price of the item as well as a limit on that item.  If the item limit is 2 and you purchase 3 of the same item, you will only receive the sale price for 2 of the items and will pay full price for the 3^rd item.  You must actually use the coupon for these items to get the sale price.  They will ring up full price otherwise.

EasySaver Coupons:

You will find the Walgreens EasySaver Book in from of the store along with the other ads.  They have Instant Value Coupons (IVC) in them.  These say manufacturer coupon, but most Walgreens will treat these coupons like “store coupons.”  So, you should be able to combine these coupons with a manufacturer coupon.  These will typically have a purchase limit on them as well.    

RR – Register Rewards:

The Walgreens Register Rewards program is similar to the CVS Extra Care Buck program, but does have a few differences.  Like CVS, these coupons will print out after you make an eligible purchase.  The coupons are to be used on your next purchase.  You are able to use manufacturer coupons and store coupons on the purchases that offer Register Rewards.  Walgreens has a few restrictions on the eligibility and redemption of Register Rewards as shown here:

• Register Rewards will only print on one like deal per transaction.  If there is a deal that you want to purchase 2 of, you will have to purchase them separately to get the RR on both deals. 
   
• Register Rewards may not be used to purchase the same deal that you earned the RRs on – even if you are purchasing them in a separate transaction.
   
• Register Rewards may not be used to purchase any items or deals that are from the same manufacturer.  These restrictions will usually show on the Register Reward.

• You MAY use Register Rewards on other deals that earn Register Rewards.
  

Balance Rewards:

Walgreens offers Balance Rewards Points with qualifying purchases.  You can see what rewards you will earn from the weekly ads and/or sale tags.

Earn Points

First, you must scan your rewards card to earn your points.  You must also purchase the correct products.  Easy, right?

Check the ad to see if there are limits to the amount of Balance Reward points that you can win.  You can still use manufacturer coupons and register rewards on your products… and still earn points.  However, you may not earn points if you use Walgreens Savings Book coupons.

Unlike your CVS, your card does not accumulate your transactions.  You will have to reach your limit in a single transaction to earn your points.  But, you points will show up on your receipt right away! 

To Redeem Points

You can begin to redeem your points at 1,000.  Save your points for larger rewards!

(1) 1,000 Points = $1.00
(2) 2,000 Points = $2.00
(3) 3,000 Points = $3.00
(4) 5,000 Points = $5.00
(5) 10,000 Points = $10.00
(6) 18,000 Points = $20.00
(7) 30,000 Points = $35.00
(8) 40,000 Points = $50.00

Ask your cashier to redeem points.  Remember, you are not able to earn additional points if you use your Balance Reward Points as payment.  There are some limits to what you can redeem your points on.  You may not use them on prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, stamps, dairy, phone cards, or lottery tickets.

Coupon Order:

Walgreens employees are trained to accept coupons in the following order: Manufacturer Coupons, then IVCs, then Walgreens Ad Coupons, and finally Register Rewards.  There has been some debate as to whether this is the best order in terms of savings, but I would rather lose a few pennies and be on good terms with the Walgreens employees.  Some couponers prefer to ring up Register Rewards first and then Manufacturer coupons next.  Try out both methods and see what works the best for you!

Walgreens Coupon Policy

You can find their coupon policy here:  Walgreens Coupon Policy

Walgreens Matchups:

You can find my matchups for Walgreens here: Walgreens Matchups.  I have done the work for you, but remember that your ad may be slightly different than mine depending on your location.  If you have any questions about shopping at Walgreens, please let me know!