Sunday, January 23, 2011

New CVS Coupon Policy And Tips



Turn CVS into a “GOLDMINE” with this new CVS coupon policy and tips. CVS coupon or couponing itself for some is a bit intimidating but as you get the hang of it, you'll get hooked to coupon collecting I bet! 

The primary thing to do is to get your CVS customer loyalty card. It is called the ExtraCare card. You can simply pick this Extra Care card up in the store before you go shopping. Show ExtraCare card every time you check out in order to get your Extra Care Bucks (ECB’s). To reap more benefits from CVS, you can register online at CVS.com and you'll receive your coupons after your registration through email.


Now with your Extracare Card and CVS coupons, its time to learn the basics..... 

Just like most of the grocery stores the ExtraCare system is a customer loyalty program that is identical to what their competitors are offering. Remember to make it a habit to bring with you your ExtraCare card and show it to receive the benefits. In the CVS ad (every Sunday), allows you to see what products qualify for ECB’s. You can also check my blog at Home Blogging Moms And Discount Seekers as I am putting all the best online deals on my blog or link you to another place that has the complete list with the coupon match-ups. The proper use of the ECB system and coupons that lets buy  stuff at CVS for FREE or at a very low price.


How to do that?
Here is a short shopping trip to try to explain it easier…

Go into CVS and buy 1 of the free after ECB items. The first time you shop, you will have to pay real money, after this, if you plan right, you should be paying very little or just tax on your items. A good example of how to get freebies is toothpaste. CVS quite often runs toothpaste free after ECB’s. 

For example, in the ad you see that when you purchase Colgate Toothpaste for $2.98 you receive $2.98 in ECB’s and there is a limit of 2 (CVS usually limits the number of deals you can purchase). You remember (or see on a blog) that you have a $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste from SS 1/14. Now the fun begins..

Buy:

1 Colgate Toothpaste $2.98

Use $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste (SS 1/14)

Pay $1.98 plus tax and get back $2.98 in ECB’s printed on your receipt.

Now what….continue to next page

Now go back and grab another Colgate Toothpaste and a pack of gum, or something else that costs about a buck.

Buy 1 Colgate Toothpaste

1 dollar item

Use $2.98 in ECB’s from previous transaction

Use another $1/1 Colgate Toothpaste Coupon

Total $2.98 before tax. Remember, you will have to pay some tax.

Get back another $2.98 in ECB’s to use on your next trip!

Tips:

1. Always be sure to give them a $$/off $$$ (like the $4 off $20) coupon first, then ECB’s last manufacturers coupons & store coupons. 

2. Always have a list of exactly what is free, sometimes it is very specific items and you want to make sure you are getting the right things. I usually grab a copy of the ad when I walk in, or carry mine from the paper with me.

3. If you are using a $4 off $20 or type of coupon like that make sure you have a few backup plans to hit your $20 in case your CVS is out of something. If this does happen, you can always request a rain check.

4. Take in a calculator to help you quickly add up your total to make sure you are going to have the right amount for you ECB’s to cover it.

5. Only ECB’s earned with your card will work with your card. You cannot use ECB’s acquired by someone else’s card.

6. Take a second to scan your ExtraCare card at the big red box at your store, these print coupons that may be valuable.

7. Coupons that are emailed to you are only good with your card. You can’t pass these on to a friend.

8. You need to always make sure that what you are buying is equal to your ECB’s or a little more (pennies). You can pay for $4 worth of items with $5 in ECB but you are losing money that way and don’t really want to do that. You can always find some filler items that you like, $1 disposable razors, a pack of gum, some candy.

CVS COUPON Policy directly from CVS customer Service July 2010
To print this go HERE

Thank you for contacting CVS/pharmacy. Your e-mail has reached the Customer Relations Department. We appreciate the time you took to contact us with your inquiry. Our coupon policy is not available on our Web site. We reserve the right to change this policy at any time.


Our registers are set to allow 1 CVS coupon and 1 manufacturer coupon per item. Free coupons or “offers at the register” (OAR’s) are unearned and issued to you as a valued member of the CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare program. These coupons take the form of “open ended” coupons such as $3 off $15 or a certain dollar amount off a specific item. In any given transaction our registers will allow only one “open ended” coupon per transaction. CVS Extra Buck coupons are earned when you make a qualifying purchase. These print out instantly at the register upon reaching the threshold for the offer. You can use more than one Extra Buck coupon provided the purchase threshold has been met for each offer amount on a per-transaction basis.

In the case where a particular item is on sale for “buy one get one free” (BOGO), you are only allowed to use one manufacturer’s BOGO coupon. For instance, if Revlon lipstick is on sale for BOGO, you can use one manufacturer’s BOGO coupon. You would get both items free and pay any applicable tax. We reserve the right to limit quantities after the first purchase. If our store is running a sale for BOGO, you can use two manufacturer’s coupons for a specific dollar amount off. For example, if Revlon lipstick is on sale at our store for BOGO, you can use two $1.00 off Revlon lipstick manufacturer coupons.

CVS/pharmacy does accept manufacturers’ coupons that have been obtained from manufacturer sponsored and/or authorized Web sites. The coupon should be complete and contain a bar code that can be scanned at the register. If the coupon does not scan, the cashier should politely inform you that we cannot accept your coupon. We do not allow manual overrides at the register for coupons printed from the Internet. CVS/pharmacy will not accept offers printed from unauthorized Internet postings or reproductions, copies, or facsimiles.

We do not accept competitors’ coupons for front store items. We feel that our sales and ExtraCare program are comparable if not better than any sales or coupons offered by our competitors. We also do not accept any expired coupons, CVS or otherwise. We do not “double” or “triple” coupons.

Again, thank you for contacting us. We value your business and look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely,
Korrine
CVS/pharmacy
Customer Relations
09122540

Thanks Mama Cheaps