Your local pharmacist may not know you by name, but your drugstore loyalty program knows all about you—from the vitamins you take to your fondness for trying new nail polish colors. In addition to giving you discounts just for spending money, many of the programs are using that info to reward you for taking care of your health.
All of the enhanced programs are free, and it’s easy to sign up at your local store or on retailers’ websites. You’ll earn points for filling prescriptions, getting a shingles vaccine, testing your blood pressure, or even going for a walk. (In the case of CVS and Walgreens, you’ll have to sign up for their standard loyalty programs first.) Just show your card or phone app at the store to earn points.
Rack up rewards and you can cash them in to buy stuff (generally excluding some items such as alcohol, gift cards, lottery tickets, prescriptions, and certain other purchases), or put them toward health screenings, gym discounts, and other perks. Details vary by program (see below). Also be aware that some states don’t participate, and some exclude certain prescriptions.
Find out how blood-pressure monitors did in our tests and which blood-glucose meters measured up.
CVS ExtraCare Pharmacy & Health Rewards How to rack up loyalty program rewards
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10 credits when you sign up and register your prescriptions.
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1 credit every time you fill or refill a prescription, or 3 credits for 90-day prescriptions.
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3 credits for adding prescription management to your account, which allows you to refill orders, view your prescription history, see your prescription calendar, and more.
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1 credit when you sign up for refill-reminder e-mails and prescription text alerts.
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1 credit every time you get a flu shot or other vaccination from a CVS pharmacist.
What you get
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10 credits gets you $5 in ExtraBucks Rewards.
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Earn up to $50 in rewards each year.
Extras: Advantage for Diabetes. You’ll earn double points when you buy select products, such as blood glucose meters, test strips, and foot-care products.
Good to know: Points aren’t available to use immediately. Each time you earn 10 credits, it takes about a week for the $5 ExtraBucks Rewards to be added to your account. Credits expire at the end of each year.
Rite Aid Wellness+
How to rack up loyalty program rewards
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1 point for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
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1 point for every dollar you spend on government-funded (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid) prescriptions.
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25 points for every non-government-funded prescription filled.
What you get
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250 points, or bronze level, gets you 10 percent off Rite Aid brand products for a year, plus 10 percent off everything during one shopping trip.
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500 points, or silver status, gets you 10 percent off everything in the store for a year plus a free wellness reward, such as a gym-membership discount, magazine subscription, or health screening.
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1,000 points, or gold level, earns you 20 percent off store purchases for the year.
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Points expire at the end of each year, but if you reach bronze, silver, or gold level this year, those discounts are good through the end of next year.