Tips for Shopping at CVS

Thanks to WUC

Beauty and Diabetes Clubs

Beauty Club

This club offers discounts and Extracare Bucks earned for buying items considered "Beauty" in CVS. To sign up for it follow this link HERE and provide all the correct information.

Qualifying Beauty purchases include items from the following categories: Cosmetics, Ethnic Hair Care, Fragrances, Hair Accessories, Hair Appliances, Hair Care, Hair Color, Healthy Skin Care, Hosiery, Skin Care and Sun Care. Excludes items from Beauty 360, items from Trial & Travel, gift cards and prescriptions

~ It's FREE to join!

~ Whatever the item rang up at the register is what will count toward your total. Clearance items DO count toward your Beauty Club total!

~ It takes around 48 hours for the system to update the total on the bottom of your receipt so don't be alarmed when it doesn't print immediately. You will get your $5 ECB either at the red scanner or at the bottom of your receipt when it updates in your account.

~ It also doesn't matter what coupons you use, the amount is added from what it scanned at so your total can add up pretty fast!

~ The expiration date on Beauty Club ECB's expire in 2 weeks (regular ECB's are 4 weeks)

Extracare Advantage for members with Diabetes(or any member interested in the information provided)

To join this program, follow this link HERE and provide all the right information.

This program provides:

~Double Bucks on 100+ products you need**
~Special ExtraCare rewards and offers.
~ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes e-newsletter.
~Free membership!

**Double Bucks offer applies only to select diabetes-related products and does not apply to prescriptions or MinuteClinic® purchases. Excludes alcohol, gift cards, lottery, money orders, prescriptions, postage stamps, pre-paid cards, tobacco products or items reimbursed by a governmental program**

Also after signing up for this, you'll receive $2 ECB upon scanning your card at the red scanner machine!

Green Bag Tag

What is the Green Bag Tag:

A CVS Green Bag Tag, is a tag you attach to your reusable shopping bags or your key chain (for those who don't shop with the same bags at CVS over and over) and have the cashier scan as your make your purchase at CVS. It costs $0.99 and is available near the counter at most CVS Stores. If you are interested in purchasing one, but cannot find them, ask a store associate for help locating them! Occasionally you will also find these on ECB special, they have been free after ECB before, and will likely feature in a similar deal like that again at some point.

I Get Rewarded for Being Environmentally Friendly?!:

The answer to that is YES you do! For every four scans you do, you receive a $1 ECB, which will print once the 4th scan has been made. This is to thank you for helping CVS become more environmentally friendly (and you as well!). Please remember, you can only scan once per day for credit. Which means while they could scan the tag at each purchase you make, ONLY the first scan will count towards your (4) for the $1 ECB print. Remember to always scan your Extracare Card before your bag tag so your scan will count towards your account!

What Kind of Bag Would I Use For This?:

You can use this bag tag on either reusable bags or plastic bags that you bring in yourself. Please mention that you have these before making your purchase and remember that you cannot scan your tag if you use their bags.

$ off $$ CVS Coupons
So you're wondering, why should you give CVS your email? And what on earth are these coupons for $3 off $15, $4 off $20, etc, and where are people getting them? How do you start?! The paragraphs below give a detailed explanation for the benefits of giving your email to CVS and the details on the $/$$ (or amount of total purchase) coupons. If you have any questions, please feel free to just ask! Thank you!

$ off $$ or Total Amount off Your Purchase Coupons:

Even though an ECB will print out when you purchase something, it's still in your best couponing interest to sign up an email you use regularly to receive the various $/$$ (or amount off your total purchase coupons) that CVS sends out weekly. The $/$$ (or amount off your total purchase coupons) are also a ONE print use coupon. Even though you are presented with the option to print more than one, only one will be valid. The second one will beep and the cashier will know that the original print has been used already. The restrictions on these coupons are the same as the ECB as well. You may not use these on Tobacco, Alcohol, or Lottery purchases. Some may come with other restrictions based on the offer presented to you, please read all fine print before making your shopping plan!

Not everyone gets these in their email or in their online account, though and they tend to come less and less often after an unstated time once you add your email to your CVS card. It also seems that the more you shop, the less you receive these in your email. It is almost a luck thing, some people get them on a regular basis, and some very rarely, but they are indefinately valuable and worth registering for! You may also receive these coupons after you make a purchase at your local CVS or at the "red machine", which is the coupon scanner found in most CVS stores.

I also want to mention that these coupons are SPECIFIC to your card, all $/$$ coupons from CVS with VERY few exceptions are specific to your card and are not something you could trade or transfer.

Registering Your Card with a Personal Email Account:

Registering your card has many other benefits as well, you may receive coupons directed to just you concurring with that card that allow you to take advantage of other programs or discounts that CVS is offering. There are often programs that you can sign up for that you need an email account as well, such as their Diabetes Extracare Advantage Program.


What is a Raincheck?

A Raincheck is a slip of paper that you receive from a CVS employee after you've discovered that an item you were attempting to purchase is out of stock. Always ask if they have any in the back before asking for your raincheck, as they are only supposed to be issued if that store is entirely out of of stock on that item.

Each raincheck will contain lots of information, it's always best to double check and if there is something left off, ask the CVS employee. If something has been left off, it's almost always an accident and they will be happy to take care of the issue before you leave the store.

Look for:

~Store Number: this is how you tell what store you received this raincheck at. You don't have to redeem your raincheck there, but it is included for their records.

~Date: this simply records the day you received your raincheck on. Rainchecks NEVER expire, so this is simply for CVS's records once the raincheck is redeemed.

~Item: this part of the raincheck gives the complete name for the item you're receiving the raincheck for, sometimes even including a specific scent you requested.

~Size: most every sale item at CVS comes with a specific size in the advertising for that week, your raincheck will have that exact size listed here to make it easier to redeem for the correct item.

~Quantity: CVS has a right to limit the quantity you may receive on any item in the store, but most sale items have stated limits in the current sales ad or on their tag, and they will include that limit there. If you have a question about the limit, ask then so they can address any questions you may have before filling this section out.

~Regular Price: this gives the employee who redeems this a "check" system by giving them the original price so they can compare it to the currect price.

There's then a section for all the details on items that feature an Extracare Bucks Promotion:

~Extra Bucks Amount: this is where they write the amount of extracare bucks you are supposed to receive with this purchase. It also lists whether they are for a single item or if you have to purchase more than 1 to receive them. This ECB amount will be force printed at the register after you purchase the items.

~Event Code: there is not always a promotional code available, but if there is, make sure they list it so when the raincheck is redeemed the store receives the full credit from corporate!

~Cashier Signature: it is the signature of the CVS employee issuing the raincheck

What Are the Rules When Using a Raincheck?

~Rainchecks NEVER expire

~They CAN write you a raincheck for a specific kind of item(like a scent or size) that they are out of, even if there are other options available.

~You may STILL use coupons with a rainchecked item: Unless part of the original deal you are having rainchecked prohibited coupons to begin with, which they will likely note on the raincheck.

~No matter what store you receive the raincheck from, it can be used at ANY CVS store

~You have to get exactly what the raincheck specifies to use the raincheck, ex: If it says "Pink bottle, 10oz" you cannot get the pink bottle that is 11oz to substitute.

~If an item you're using a raincheck on is also an ECB item that week and there is an ECB promotion on the raincheck, you will NOT receive both ECB promotions. You will only receive the one attached to the raincheck, so weigh which ECB reward/price combination is better for you that week!

~You can only get a raincheck to the limit of that item and normally only 1 raincheck per store visit, so if you're looking for more of the item and return to find that there is again no product to be had, get a second raincheck.

~Even if an item is on sale, you cannot use both that sale price and your raincheck for a better deal. The raincheck sales price will always be the one that your cashier will enter in.

Helpful Hints on Rainchecks and their Uses:

~Rainchecks are GREAT items to have when the ECB offers are low and you have ECBs expiring. By using those rainchecks which you have saved, you can roll the soon to be expired Extracare Bucks and receive some with a longer expiration date.

~One trick to using rainchecks with as little hassle as possible is to clip the advertisement containing the deal you have had rainchecked and staple it to the raincheck for the benefit of both yourself and the cashier. This helps in an instance where the raincheck is hard to read and a few key pieces may be illegible.

~If you're using a X/XX(or Amount off your total purchase) coupon and are lacking some to make it to that amount, a raincheck can help you get to that amount and provide extra ECBs returned.(if that item had an ECB offer attached)

~Some stores will take expired coupons, which can make redeeming your rainchecks much easier. Always ask an employee what the store's policy is before planning to shop with expired coupons though. Even if they do not take expireds, don't fret! Most coupons are distributed on a revolving schedule and we see them over and over. So hold onto that raincheck for the next round of coupons on that item!

What is an Extracare Buck?

Extracare Buck = a reward that prints at the bottom of your receipt after buying a promotional/advertised item at CVS. Items with extracare bucks are often listed in the weekly ad, though not always and most have a tag in the store located on or near the shelf the item is located with all the information on how many you have to buy to receive the item and the amount of extracare bucks you will receive for doing so. The ECB will only print after you've purchased the correct item or amount of items. It does not apply to your Extracare Card but prints as a coupon good for up to the reward amount off your next order.

What are the Facts on Extracare Bucks (also known as ECBs)?

Unlike the similar Register Reward, there isn't much you can't use an extracare buck on. There are a few exclusions that are included on each and every extracare buck in the fine print at the bottom.

They include:

~Prescriptions
~Alcohol
~Gift Cards
~Lottery
~Money Orders
~Postage Stamps
~Pre-Paid Money Cards
~Tobacco Products

Beyond this you can use any combination of extracare bucks to pay for ANYTHING in the store, from our coupon deals to things you may just need. Also, extracare bucks can be adjusted down, if you are a few cents shy and don't want to add anything to your total, CVS can adjust it down.

Extracare bucks can be combined with both manufacturer coupons and CVS coupons, including a $/$$ (or amount off your total purchase) coupon for maximum savings.

ExtraCare Bucks also don't expire for 30 days, so if you don't see something to "roll" it onto, don't fret, there will most likely be another deal a week or two after! To "roll" an extracare buck means to use it to pay on another advertised deal that has an extracare buck offer attached to it and receive that extracare buck after you pay. Thereby rolling the old extracare buck into a new one. If the limit is more than one, you can roll one extracare buck into another for the same item, it isn't prohibited, and another extracare buck will print!

Important Points to Remember:

~Also Extracare cards are limited to ONE PER HOUSEHOLD, which means that the deals are limited to that one card also.

~The limits are listed in the ad and often on the tags at the store as well. Each limit is subect to change throughout the week, but the beginning limit is how many times you can receive an ECB for purchasing that product(s). You CAN roll a previous ECB onto the same deal, and you do NOT need fillers to use coupons at CVS. You could use 10 different coupons on one item(so long as the value of the coupons & ECB doesn't exceed the value of the item, then they will be adjusted down).

~If your extracare buck does NOT print at the bottom of your receipt after your purchase, talk over the purchase with your cashier, check the product against the one in the advertisement and if you and the cashier know for sure you bought the correct product, ask for a force print. This gives you an extracare buck that does not necessarily list that item, but will have an apology printed on it for the missed extracare buck. You can use these the same as any other extracare buck. The last 4 digits will look a little different to your normal ECB's that print. Don't fear! These are still tied to your extracare account and will not beep when they are redeemed!

~Extracare buck offers usually do NOT include clearance items (especially makeup) You will NOT receive an ECB because you purchased clearanced items in the same line as the offer in the current ad. Please DO NOT ask for them to be force printed!

~Always give your CVS coupons and extracare bucks first, then your manufacturer coupons to take advantage of the most savings. They will eat into your tax where your ECBs will have to be adjusted down. While this is okay, this is still a "Your Mileage May Vary" and some stores won't allow it at all.


Hope that helps in shopping at CVS!!!