Walgreens rolls out their loyalty card program, Balance Rewards, on September 16th. Sign up online now. When you pre-enroll before September 15, you are entered in a drawing to win 1 million points.
Many shoppers were concerned that Register Reward would be done away with when the new loyalty card program went nation wide. At least for now, some Register Reward are are still being offered. Take a look at Walgreens 9/16/12 Ad.
Clair at Mummy Deals wrote up a good explanation of the program. Thanks, Clair!
What is Walgreens’ Balance Rewards?
Balance Rewards is an innovative loyalty program, that offers easy enrollment, instant points and endless rewards. You can sign up now for free and start saving September 16 2012. After September 30 2012 you will need a card to get the sale prices.
What are Instant Points?
- Members can instantly earn and redeem points for thousands of items in store and online.
- Members will earn points for activities that help them stay well, like Walk with Walgreens, immunizations and — where states allow — for prescriptions.
- Members receive exclusive access to the Walgreens online Pharmacy Chat service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
What are Endless Rewards?
Members can redeem points immediately in-store or online for a little something special or hold off until they have earned more points for an even greater reward.
Points will not expire as long as members remain active by shopping at Walgreens at least once every 6 months and redeem their points within 3 years.
How Do I Sign Up For Balance Rewards?
- Sign up is FREE. Join at checkout or any photo kiosk, online at walgreens.com/balance or with your mobile devices and begin earning points immediately.
- Members receive exclusive savings every week on popular products.
- Earn points when you show your Balance Rewards card, provide your telephone number or scan your mobile phone.
- Members can access their point totals at checkout, online or through their mobile device.
We will all be learning how to coupon with the Balance Reward program. What are your thoughts about the change?
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What they don't tell you in their blurb is that you can not earn balance rewards on something when you use balance rewards to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why this new program will basically end my Walgreens shopping. I know there will still be some Register Rewards for a while, and I will do those. However the key to both Walgreens and CVS shopping is to roll whatever you earned from your last purchase into your next purchase. I use very little cash at either drugstore and mainly just "buy" with the previous rewards. Walgreens has changed their Prescription Savings Card to penalize couponers as well. In my opinion CVS tries to get coupon shoppers and Walgreens is trying to discourage them. I feel couponers help a store's bottomline, so I think we are customers a store should want. My latest CVS receipt shows I have "spent" $1666 at their stores this year. This quarter I have used less than $12 in cash (which is high for me). CVS is not losing that money. They are paid by the companies whose products I buy. In the past I have bought considerably more products at Walgreens. I am not the only couponer at my Walgreens. If they lose all our business, it will effect how much they sell. Also I have always gotten my prescriptions at Walgreens. I will change to CVS. Prescriptions are very important to a pharmacy's profit. My theory is if a store does not want to have the good deals to get me in the front of their store, they will not get me in the back. CVS wants my coupon shopping, so they will also get my prescriptions. Just my opinion
DeleteThanks for the heads up that you won't get Balance Rewards when you spend them.
DeleteWalgreens Employee - After spending some time looking at the ad scan for the week of 9/16, I have lots of questions. I hope Wags posts a FAQ page about Balance Rewards.
DeleteMy big question is - is it like RR where you get just one per offer even if you purchase more than the stated amount.
Example: Get 1000 points when you buy 1. If you buy 2 in the same transaction or even later in the week do you get points for every one purchased?
It will depend on how many points they offer for purchased items. If an item gives you like 1000 points, rewards can add up quickly but if you only get 50 points for each it will take forever. Will see how it goes but if I wont be getting things close to free or at great discounts, I wont be buying much there anymore.
ReplyDeleteHi CJ - I spent some time looking at next week's ad. I am pleasantly surprised with some of the Balance Reward deals. I know shoppers in the test market weren't too happy with the program. Hopefully Walgreens learned and tweaked the program before they rolled it out to the rest of the country.
DeleteWill we get points for every purchase or just certain items that are in the ad? I have so many other questions, I hope they do put additional info on the website or pamphlets in the stores.
ReplyDeleteI've read the "fine print" on Balance Reward several time. Don't remember seeing anything about getting points on every purchase, but that doesn't mean we won't. I see something I've missed every time I look at the info.
DeleteBalance Rewards terms & conditions:
http://www.walgreens.com/images/balancerewards/BalanceRewards_termsandconditions.pdf
hopefully, the little wizards who are trying to engineer this new Wags points program will be be changing it a bit as things progress.
ReplyDeleteI used to avoid going to CVS because it was such a hassle to do their deals. But they started offering better coupons at the red-box, they started the bag-tag, and then started the Beauty club, ya know?
Hopefully, Wags will do the same thing, tweaking the program as they go along. As a military family, we had to move our prescriptions to CVS in January.
I KNOW it was a significant hit when I stopped going there. EVERYbody knew me at my store and they yell my name and hug me when I go there! lol
(of course, I am adorable!)
ArmyMomx2
The only thing I dont understand so far is how we redeem our Rewards? Say I have 5000 points saved up. Do I tell the cashier I want to use them, scan my card and it takes $5 off my total?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure either. I was going to ask my favorite Beauty Counter cashier yesterday, but she was covering the front register, so I didn't have time to find out much - except she told me they have had problems with the register freezing up. Employees were issued cards several weeks ago to test the system. I'll have to see if I can get back this week and talk to the manager.
DeleteOne more question - I signed up on line the other day but I dont recall seeing how we get the actual card. Will it be sent in the mail? I know we can give our phone number at the register when we purchase but I dont want to do that, I want to use the card.
DeleteI don't know the answer. I've tried to find out more info online, but am not finding much of anything. You can put the card on your phone with Walgreens Ap. I think I'll do that - if I can figure out how to do that.
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