BASIC FAQS:
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Here is some basic information about Walgreens. To my knowledge they do not have a printed coupon policy that is available. Also they do allow for significant freedom at the store level to interpret this policy.
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Walgreens DOES allow for “stacking” of coupons- you can use 1 manufacturer coupon and one Walgreens coupon per item as long as neither coupon prohibits it.
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Walgreens does not price match other stores.
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Walgreens can adjust the price of an item to the value of a coupon- i.e. adjusting a .99 item to $1, so a $1 coupon can be used. They will not give cash back on the difference.
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Walgreen’s will not allow a post-sale coupon. If you forget to use the coupon at the time of purchase, you will need to return the item and re-purchase it if you forgot to use your coupon.
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If you return an item that you used a coupon on, you will get the full retail price back. If you used a Walgreens coupon, you will get the purchase price refunded only.
(Please take care when returning items you use coupons on. It is something I do not advocate.)
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In general you only need 1 Walgreens coupon regardless of how many items you buy. The Register will automatically deduct the coupon amount for every item in the transaction.
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The cashier does not need to keep Walgreens coupons. So you do not need to tear apart an ad- they can just scan it. You can also keep coupon booklets and the Walgreens Activity booklets in tact and continue to use the same coupon over and over.
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Walgreens occasionally issues x/x coupons- typically a $5/25 amount. They require that your total AFTER all coupons have been applied is $25. Then you can use the $5/25 coupon. (This includes Register Rewards). So you will spend $20 out of pocket if you want to use a Walgreens $5/25 coupon.
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REGISTER REWARDS:
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Walgreens has a catalina program they refer to as “Register Rewards” there are a few quirks to the Walgreens system that make it a bit different. It can be a little tricky.
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A Register Reward is a manufacturer coupon and can only be used at Walgreens. The exception is if you have a store, like Publix, that accepts competitor coupons. Some Walmart stores will also accept them- but you need to check with your particular store.
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Register Reward. This is the term Walgreens uses for it’s catalina program. A catalina is a coupon that prints at the cash register- it can be for products or it can be for a dollar amount off your next transaction. So when I say $2 Register Reward- that means when you purchase that particular item you will get a little coupon after you pay that is good for $2 off your next purchase.
You can see a more detailed explanation of the Register Reward program and how it works HERE.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Register Rewards:
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I was told my Register Reward didn’t print because I used coupons?
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This is not true. You CAN use coupons on an item and still get a Register Reward. It may not have printed because:
1. The machine is broken or out of paper.
2. You bought the wrong item/ size/ quantity.
3. You used a Register Reward from the same company to pay for an item with a Register Reward.
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Can I use a Register Reward to pay for another item that generates a Register Reward?
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Yes BUT you need to have a filler if you are also using coupons and you need to be careful that you don’t use a Register Reward from the same company.
For example- if Huggies and Pampers both have Register Rewards, you CAN use a Pampers Register Reward to buy Huggies diapers. You will get a Huggies Register Reward. You can not use a Pampers Register Reward to buy more Pampers diapers as the Register Reward will not print. This gets a little tricky remembering what company is what. In the case of Pampers, you are talking about the parent company Proctor and Gamble. If you use a Pampers Register Reward to buy Tide, you will not get another Register Reward as they are the same company.
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My tip is to look at the right side of the Register Reward – it will say “compliments of xyz company” then look at the back of the product you are buying. Sometimes that can help in identifying the same company.
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Can you buy multiple items that have Register Rewards?
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Yes and no. If you are purchasing x product that has a Register Reward you can only get one reward at a time. So if you buy 10 of them in one transaction you will not get 10 Register Rewards, you will get 1. It is better to do multiple transactions- in this case 10 separate transactions- to make sure you get all your Register Rewards. Many people like to roll the Rewards back and forth to minimize the out of pocket expense. So if x product is $2 and has a $2 Register Reward and you want 10- you will spend $20 total out of pocket and you will get (10) $2 Register Rewards back. It would be better to find another item that you can roll the rewards back and forth between. So if item y is also $2 and has a $2 Register Reward, buy item x, pay $2 get $2 Register Reward. Then buy item y, use prior Register Reward and pay 0- get another Register Reward- use that to pay for x again and so on…
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What do I do if my Register Reward didn’t print?
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The store can scan the products again and void the transaction to give you your reward. They typically won’t do this- so a better bet is to call Catalina Marketing directly at 888-322-3814. They need your receipt information and will either tell you why the catalina didn’t print or they will mail it straight to your home.
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What happens if the Register Reward beeps?
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The cashier will give it back to you. You can do a quick assessment and make sure you have enough items to coupons or you can do quick math to make sure your reward isn’t higher than the pre-tax total. (So you can’t use a $1 Register Reward on a .99 item even if tax makes the item $1.07). Most Walgreens stores have .33 caramels right at the Register- you can always add one to your transaction and then give the Register Reward again to see if that solves the problem.
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COUPON ORDER:
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There are two schools of thought on what order to give your coupons to the cashier (and yes it does matter!)
#1. Give coupons like this:
Register Rewards
Manufacturer Coupons
Walgreens coupons
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The idea is that if you mess up your coupon totals- so you have 4 coupons and only 3 items- you’d rather apply the highest value (likely the Register Reward) first to make sure it goes through.
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Personally I always give my Register Rewards last. The reason is if I mess up and have more coupons than items I can always grab something very cheap at the register to even out the totals. If I am planning to pay 0 for toothpaste because it is $1 and I have a $1 coupon, I don’t want the toothpaste anymore if I have to pay $1 for it. So if I give the Register Reward first and then my toothpaste coupon beeps, I have just paid $1 for that toothpaste because my Register Reward was already applied.
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One other quick tip. The Walgreens registers are programmed to apply coupons based upon the total cost of the item. So if you have a $4 razor coupon and the razors are clearanced to $2 each, you can either have them adjust the price of the item up to $4 and get it free or you can buy (2) razors for $2 each and use the $4 coupon to get both for free.
Anonymous says
Yesterday I went to Walgreens and tried to make 3 transactions. Each transaction would have had an identical RR item. The manager told me I could not have multiple RR from the same item, that they are 1 per customer not 1 per transaction. I purchased a couple anyways because they were still okay deals with the coupons but the RR that spit out of the machine he tore up! Does anyone else have this problem? and do you know what Walgreens policy says about multiple transactions such as this?