Walgreens is my favorite drug store to shop at. Actually, it’s one of my favorite stores overall. I’m very lucky to have a Walgreens with a super-friendly staff! That really helps a lot! I know that the drugstores can get really confusing, so here is a quick tutorial on WALGREENS. Feel free to ask any questions.
Walgreens uses a “register rewards” system. These are similar to CVS Extra Bucks, because you need to make a purchase of a certain item, or items, and a catalina coupon will print out at the end of your order called a Register Reward (RR). The RR is treated like a coupon when you pay for your next purchase. Registe rewards are good for 2 weeks. Treat these like cash! Keep an eye on that expiration date, I have yet to find an employee that will take an expired RR.
You do NOT need a CARD to receive a register reward. These will automatically print if your buying the items required to get the RR. Therefore, these are not “tracked” so you can get as many rr’s as you like (in separate transactions)
You cannot “roll” RR’s into the same deal. What does this mean? If you receive a register reward for purchasing a bottle of Tide detergent you CAN NOT use that register reward to buy TIDE and receive another register reward. You CAN buy the Tide using the register reward, but it WILL NOT print another register reward. You can, however, use your Tide register reward to purchase a different item, like, Kelloggs cereal, then take your Kelloggs cereal RR and buy Tide, and keep going back and forth as many times as you like!
Using coupons at Walgreens:
Make sure you do not have more coupons than items. This includes register rewards. This does not include STORE coupons. Example:
You buy 2 hershey bars. You use (2) .50/1 hershey coupons. YOU MAY NOT PAY THE BALANCE using a register reward. You have used 2 coupons and only have 2 items, the register reward is treated like a coupon, so the register will not allow more than 2 coupons.
IF you want to use a register reward to pay, add in a small “filler” item, like a single pencil for .10 or something similar.
Another Example:
You buy 2 hershey bars. You use (2) .50/1 hershey coupons. You also use (1) .50/1 Walgreens store coupons. THIS IS FINE. The register does not consider the walgreens coupon in the coupon to item count.
ALWAYS Give your coupons to the cashier in this order: MANUFACTURER coupons, THEN store coupons or in-ad coupons.
Another note: There are some cashiers that will not let you use more than ONE register reward per transaction. I have never had this happen to me (again, I have a super coupon friendly walgreens), but i have heard of this happening to others.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS! If I forgot anything, let me know!
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
Can you receive multiple RR in one transaction? Like right now you get $2.50RR for buying Kotex products. If I buy 3 Kotex products, will I get 3 – $2.50RR coupons?
No, one register rewards per item per transaction. You must purchase the other (2)-Kotex items in two other different transactions. If your’re a multiple transaction customer, some store prefer you check out either in photo or cosmetics. Visit Lake mary 24hr walgreens- best service so far!
What if you are buying 2 different items that both give rr, would these have to be 2 separate transactions? Thanks.
Awesome, awesome 101. You really helped me understand how Walgreens works! I never seem to “win” there. CVS is my favorite but I’m looking to get into Walgreens a little more. Thanks for your help again
I had no idea! We just got Walgreens here and I haven’t shopped them. I thought they just had good ice cream. I’m definitely shopping there now. Thanks!
Hi, thanks for the help. I’am new to couponing and I’am learning by reading these posts. It is very helpful to all of us. Please keep us posted with your great finds, I find that I’am saving money. Thanks so much!
I been doing couponing for a while now, but never done continously.
I been going to Walgreens but I did not know that you cannot use RR to purchase milk. I thought RR is just like cash, but I used it one time and the cashier told me I can’t use it to buy milk.
In that reason, I like CVS now because I can use the ECB to buy milk which I always do.
@ Laurel- no you would have to do seperate transactions to get the RR 3 times
@Islander- They always let me use my RRs to buy milk? Try again, maybe the cashier was just misinformed.. I had a cashier on Monday tell me I couldn’t use a coupon on a product and still get the RRs .. I told her nevermind, and came back and was able to get them no problem multiple times.
I’m a walgreens fanatic. I got $70 worth of razors for free this week. I love that store!
@ Laurel- no you would have to do seperate transactions to get the RR 3 times
@Islander- They always let me use my RRs to buy milk? Try again, maybe the cashier was just misinformed.. I had a cashier on Monday tell me I couldn’t use a coupon on a product and still get the RRs .. I told her nevermind, and came back and was able to get them no problem multiple times.
I’m a walgreens fanatic. I got $70 worth of razors for free this week. I love that store!
I had a problem today at Walgreens. I was trying to do the Buy 3 Renuzit air fresheners, get 3 free. Well, I tried to use the manufacturer coupon (B3G3) and then the store coupon (sale for 79 cents). They wouldn’t let me use it in that order. The manager said that would be coupon fraud because I was not paying the full price amount because of the Walgreen coupon. I told them they would get back more money if they used the man coupon first, then the store.
What should I have said and who can I complain to?
Be sure to read the fine print on your coupons. But if it had no restrictions on price than you would be right. The coupon was buy 3, get 3, not buy 3 at full price get 3 free. I had trouble a while back with them when Dove was on sale for $1.99 with store coupon, paired that with a $2 off MQ, and they tried to say the same thing. I just stood my ground that it didn’t state $2off IF the price was more than $2, and they finally conceded my view.
Hi I am new to the coupon thing and I am loving it! I just have a question: Yesterday when I went to wags I purchased the airwick compact air freshener which is on sale this week 50% off so the item would cost $3.99 after the 50% then I used the $4 off coupon and the cashier kept telling I could do this because the item is on sale but it does not state this anywhere. Has this ever happened to you? She also said she couldn’t do it cause the item cost less than the coupon. What should I do?
You can ask for a manager (or call corporate) – what she did is agains their policy
you have to have a subtotal that is greater then the RR to use the RR. You cant pay for a 2.00 item with a 3.00 RR coupon.
Does Walgreens take Target or CVS coupons?
No
I am very new to the couponing world and I love it so far. I never knew how much money you could save, much less getting items and groceries for FREE……I am so looking forward to learning a whole lot more…thanks for your post, they have been so helpful.
When you pay with your RR and the total is less, do you get the difference back in cash?
How many RR’s can you use at once? For example, I have 2 RR’s for $4 each and one for $1. Can these all be used at once?
Hey Mary,
I know if Publix has a BOGO on an item I can still use two coupons as it is considered two transactions, can I do this at Walgreens as well? I am loving couponing!
Thanks!
yes
You are awesome and just made my day!
Question:
Can you receive more than 1 RR for different items in 1 transaction? Like if Puffs has RR as does Coppertone, can you purchase both of those items in 1 transaction?
thanks!
Dawn
walgreens also has a program with AARP and i save a fortune. i get a ton of coupons and RR with this program
Does Wags do rainchecks ??
Yes and no. They will give them to you for sale prices/sale items, but not products that produce register rewards
So, I have my register rewards. Can I only use them at Walgreens? Or can I use them at my Publix that also accepts competitor coupons?
There are a FEW Publix stores that will allow register rewards b/c they say “manufacturer coupons” on them. But MOST of them will NOT.
Walmart takes Walgreens RR. : )
Ok so I have been told that store coupons count towards the coupon total, so for example this week:
I am using the in-ad coupon to make the UP2U Gum .99 and the Walgreens coupon for 1/2 and a Manu that is 1/2, so would that be considered 3 coupons or 2? I am going to grab a filler just in case, I thought I understood but now I am more confused!
Hi Mary! Today I was at Walgreens and I bought 2 Purex detergents that were on sale. I had 2 manufacture coupons (one for each detergent) and also a Walgreen’s coupon but the register wasn’t accepting my Walgreen’s coupon. The cashier was very friendly but didn’t seem to understand why the register wouldn’t accept it. Of course then the line was getting long and I felt pressured to not to pursue the matter any further so I just paid for it and left. Could this be because I didn’t give the cashier my manufacture coupons first, and then give him the Walgreen’s coupon second?
Also, can I bring my Walgreen’s coupons back with the receipt to get a refund for the amount of the coupon I was trying to use? The Walgreen’s coupon was not expired and it was for the exact item that I purchased.
Thank you!
Walgreens Store Coupons don’t affect the coupon count, so I don’t understand why it didn’t take it. (unless they changed something). It didn’t make it go below zero did it? If it causes it to go negative (before tax) it won’t work and they have to adjust it down
I am still a little confused about all this couponing but stacked a couple at CVS for Aveeno body wash ($6.99) and purchased it for $1.69. I am so excited that I could do that. Thanks Mary..