Starting September 16, there will be a whole new way to shop at Walgreens! Introducing Balance Rewards…
Save on sale items with card
Get 500 points on every prescription and immunization
Earn points on thousands of items each week
Get 10 points for every mile when you Walk with Walgreens
Redeem instantly with as few as 5,000 points
The 4-1-1 on Balance Rewards
I know there has been a LOT of talk about the new “Balance Rewards” program at Walgreens, and how it will affect the Register Rewards and how it will work with coupons. The program starts September 16, and you will need to register for your free Balance Rewards account. You can grab a card in the store and link it to your account online, and you can also register in the store or on the mobile app. The card enables a member of Balance Rewards to access sales and promotional pricing, earn Balance Rewards points on certain purchases (“Points”) and redeem Points on certain future purchases at participating Walgreens Drugstore, Rxpress, Duane Reade or Walgreens Pharmacy locations. Going forward from September 16, you will need a Balance Rewards card in order to get the sale prices and use Walgreens coupons.
Certain items will include Balance Rewards Points with the purchase. For example, buy a certain shampoo and earn 1,000 points. All Points will be awarded to the Member’s account 3-5 days after purchase. On a return and/or exchange the Points will be deducted from the Member’s account that was used for the original purchase. When returning items paid with Redemption Dollars, the Redemption Dollars will be refunded to Member in the form of store credit.
Points will not be earned in a transaction where Redemption Dollars or Store Credit is used. Point Promotions will not apply to and Points cannot be earned on purchases of: alcohol; dairy; tobacco; stamps; phone/prepaid cards; money orders/transfers; transportation passes; lottery tickets; charitable donations; pseudoephedrine or ephedrine product; prescriptions, health tests, contact lenses or any other pharmacy items or services that must be excluded by law.
Once you accrue a minimum of 5000 points, you can exchange them for Redemption Dollars. If Member elects to redeem earned Points, the Points will be converted into Redemption Dollars and the value of the Redemption Dollars will be deducted from the total price of the Member’s purchase of items and/or services from a Participating Store.
(1) 5,000 points = $5
(2) 10,000 points = $10
(3) 18,000 points = $20
(4) 30,000 points = $35
(5) 40,000 points = $50
Redemption Dollars will not be paid out in cash or Store Credit.
Redemption Dollars can be used towards anything that Walgreens sells except: dairy; liquor; tobacco; stamps; phone/pre-paid/gift cards; money order/transfers; transportation passes; charitable donations; prescriptions; pseudoephedrine or ephedrine products; immunizations, health tests or other healthcare items or services; Prescription Savings Club membership fee; Take Care Clinic services.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Should any Balance Rewards Member not earn or redeem Points for 6 consecutive calendar months, the membership will be deemed to be inactive and all accumulated Points will be forfeited. For active Members, all Balance Rewards Points expire on a rolling 36 month basis.
► See the Complete terms and conditions of the Balance Rewards Program for full details.
How does this work with coupons?
This is a big question we want the answer to. Here is what we think will happen based on discussions we have all had behind the scenes.
If the offer says for example “Buy 2 of something and earn 2,000 Points” you can use coupons and still earn the 2,000 Points. Happiness!
But, there is always a catch right? Here it is: If the offer says for example “Buy $10 worth of dog food and earn 2,000 Points” then that $10 is AFTER coupons, meaning that after you take off coupons you must spend $10 to get the points. Yes, it kinda stinks…but look at it like this: you get more for your money by using the coupons. I am sure that some deals may even arise where NOT using the coupons (GASP!!) may be the better option. Only time and our experience will tell on this one, but you all know that we will figure out the best ways to make the Balance Rewards program work for us!
Are Register Rewards going away?
For now, that answer is no. There will be less of them, though, as Walgreens will be pushing the Balance Rewards offers. According to Walgreens, “Register Rewards will continue in its current form for the foreseeable future. Register Rewards is a couponing program while Balance Rewards is a comprehensive loyalty program that offers exclusive savings and the opportunity to earn points and instantly redeem rewards.”
Get registered for your Balance Rewards account and we will all learn the new Walgreens way together!
