In the past few years retailers have been offering incentives to fill prescriptions at their pharmacies instead of the competition. It has been heating up dramatically especially with CVS and Walgreens the two major pharmacies.
When you fill prescriptions each month why not get some benefit from the pharmacy you choose to fill it at? You’re getting the same prescription regardless of which pharmacy fills it. But who has the best pharmacy rewards program? We shall take a look deeper into CVS, Walgreens, and big retailers such as Target.
CVS ExtraCare Rewards.
For the pharmacy benefits of ExtraCare Rewards every time you fill a prescription, you get 1 credit. If you fill a 90-day online prescription, you get 3 credits. When you have 10 credits, you get $5 ExtraBucks Rewards that can be redeemed at CVS. You need to fill 10 prescriptions to earn $5 ExtraBucks.
Additional ways to earn credits:
1 credit each time you get a flu shot or vaccination from a CVS pharmacist which you can get yearly
3 credits when you add prescription management to your CVS.com account
1 credit when you sign up for Refill Reminder emails in the Online Prescription Center
1 credit when you sign up for prescription text alerts in the Online Prescription Center
Walgreens Balance Rewards.
Balance Rewards provides you with 500 points each time you fill a prescription. You can start redeeming points for actual rewards once you reach 5,000 points. 5,000 points can be redeemed for $5 that can be spent at Walgreen’s. Walgreens rewards 500 points for each flu shot or immunization yearly like its rival CVS.
Most do not know that if you save your points you can get a better point to dollar redemption ratio.
10,000 points – $10
18,000 points – $20
30,000 points – $35
40,000 points – $50
Target’s reward program is very straightforward: fill five prescriptions, get a certificate for 5% off a day of shopping. The certificate comes in the mail and can be used on as many purchases as you want, as long as it’s within the same day. That means they can be used on as many transactions as you want. When you get your 5% off certificate it then comes with a coupon code that can be used online as well. This amounts to a full day of saving 5%. The 5% savings can be stacked with the standard 5% you save when you use your Target REDcard. Target has had double months where you get 2 credits for each Rx filled which is another benefit. Other rewards programs you may try are Kroger and your local grocery store may offer an RX Program.
Bottom Line
While Target Pharmacy Rewards has no cap on your savings CVS seems to give more discounts in their ExtraCare Rewards program in general. You will get emails for random $2 off Bonus Bucks or 20% off all purchases that day. Although you only have to spend $50 at Target with your 5% off certificate to match the savings you’d receive at CVS or Walgreens. While CVS would normally be more expensive than Target I think I would go with a 20% than a 5% off. You also need to consider how much time you will spend in the drive-thru at CVS and Walgreens as I know the one near me takes forever. I like to get everything shipped to me and still reap the rewards benefits. Which one of these benefits you the most? Comment below if we need to add a pharmacy.
