Walgreens News: Earn & Redeem Balance Rewards Points in the SAME Transaction

By Erica | Content Manager

Apr 24, 2016 @ 8:35 PM MDT

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Walgreens Balance Rewards Points If you shop at Walgreens, I’ve got great news to share with you! 😀 Starting today, Walgreens is now allowing you to earn AND redeem Balance Rewards points in the same transaction on unit offers (unit offer examples: Buy 2, get back 5,000 Balance Rewards Points or Buy 1, get back 2,000 Balance Rewards Points etc). This should help to lower your out of pocket expense even more since you can now pay with points AND earn points in a single transaction!

Keep in mind, you will still not be able to earn points if you use points to pay for a threshold offer (for example spend $30, get 10,000 Balance Rewards Points back). Therefore, you will NOT want to pay for threshold offers with points since you won’t receive points back.

walgreens points logo

Also, you will NOT earn EveryDay points on the portion of the purchase that was paid for using Balance Rewards Points. Example ==> if you purchase $5 in products and use $2 in points to pay for your order, you’ll earn EveryDay points on the $3 spent.

Check out this example highlighting current deals:

TRANSACTION #1:

Garnier

Select

Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner or Select Stylers 2/$8
Buy 2 = 2,000 Balance Rewards points ($2 reward)
Use two $2/1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo, Conditioner or Treatment (excludes 1.7, 2 and 3 oz) coupons found in the 4/10 RP (exp 5/7)
Pay $4
Get back 2,000 Balance Rewards Points ($2 reward) + 80 EveryDay Points (8¢ reward)

TRANSACTION #2:

Select

Buy 2 Mars M&M’s Chocolate Candies 9.9 to 11.4 oz 2/$5
(Buy 2 = 1,000 Bonus Points – $1 reward)
Use two $1/1 M&M’s Candies coupons found in the 4/3 RP
Total now = $3
Use 2,000 Balance Rewards points earned from first transaction
Pay just $1 for both bags
Get back 1,000 points ($1 reward) + 30 EveryDay points (3¢ reward)
* Then you can save your 1,000 points to roll onto a future points transaction!

(Thanks, John and Wild for Wags!)

Join The Discussion

onlinements 37

Ashley April 24, 2016 at 8:49 pm MST

Finally! Now I might consider couponing there again. Why was this ever even a problem?!

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visitor3 April 25, 2016 at 11:07 am MST

Agreed. I had switched to CVS waiting for Walgreens to catch up.

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Jessica April 24, 2016 at 8:55 pm MST

Along with the Mitchum spray deodorant deal you posted the other day, I went onto my balance rewards account and I also had get 1,500 points back when you buy 2! So make sure you check to see if you have that before buying! 🙂

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Shan April 24, 2016 at 10:49 pm MST

I bought two of them but I used my points to pay for them:-(((

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LF April 25, 2016 at 12:19 pm MST

They would only let me buy one! Cashier called the manager (two came up) and they said they are cracking down on coupons. Not sure how using a legit coupon is wrong but I literally felt like I onlinemitted a felony, so embarrassing! They make it too hard to shop there and with them buying out Rite Aid, that will be ruin them too!

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Jess April 25, 2016 at 6:33 pm MST

That sucks! I hope that doesn’t happen to me! It sucks to hear that so many people have trouble using coupons at Walgreens. I’m there at least one week with coupons and I never have an issue, I have only once, but the manager came up and pushed it through.

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Liz Ob April 24, 2016 at 8:57 pm MST

OmG Collin it’s not April fools anymore! Seriously! ?!

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Collin (Mrs. Hip) April 24, 2016 at 10:34 pm MST

Seriously! No foolin’ here! 😀

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Gia April 24, 2016 at 9:09 pm MST

Oh, geez…I’m gong to have to reread this a couple times to remember what u can and cannot do. All the different stores reward programs make my head spin some times.

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A April 24, 2016 at 9:17 pm MST

I know…it almost makes it more confusing.

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Kristen April 25, 2016 at 6:20 am MST

I know…I’m just more apt at this point to continue what I’ve been doing, and not try and redeem any points during any type of “earning points” transactions. My luck and the system would still screw up and I’d have to contact Walgreens to straighten it out anyhow…. just too confusing.

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Melissa April 25, 2016 at 8:10 am MST

I agree. This new change sounds like good news, but it seems to me to be adding yet another layer of confusion to Walgreens’ convoluted rewards system. I would still prefer something much for straightforward like what CVS has.

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Gen September 20, 2020 at 7:59 am MST

Can you use points and get register rewards?

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Gen September 20, 2020 at 8:02 am MST

Can i use my points and still earn the register rewards listed that week.

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Tera B April 25, 2016 at 7:39 am MST

I feel the same way. I think I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing, like Kristen.

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CJ April 25, 2016 at 8:42 am MST

Me too. Very confusing.

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Adrienne April 24, 2016 at 9:19 pm MST

Awesome news!!! Going to re-work my trip for the week.

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Heather C April 24, 2016 at 9:22 pm MST

Wooooo Hooooooo! 💗😋💗

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Judy Trac April 24, 2016 at 9:48 pm MST

Been buying stuff for years but never redeem my points

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mel April 25, 2016 at 7:30 am MST

I think you lose your points after 2, or it might be 3 years? I flip my points by using them on RR deals, then use the RR on point deals, that way I keep my acct active.

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Carol_R April 24, 2016 at 10:59 pm MST

Thanks for letting us know. I rarely shop at Walgreens anymore because the deals aren’t there anymore like they were a year or two ago.

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Collin (Mrs. Hip) April 25, 2016 at 8:50 am MST

You’re welonlinee!

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Joni April 25, 2016 at 2:41 am MST

Couponing at Walgreens is difficult. My printed coupons do not want to go through. The last deal with the Clorox wipes went down like this; Clorox wipes for 2/$5. I had a manufacturer coupon for .50 off and savings book coupon for $1. The coupons were not onlineing off and when he tried to manually adjust the prices, the first container came up $2, but I was charged $2.79 for the other container. I’m over fighting with them and having to go in and have my receipt adjusted.

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Collin (Mrs. Hip) April 25, 2016 at 8:51 am MST

Darn! Sorry to hear that 🙁 That does sound frustrating.

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Mel April 25, 2016 at 6:15 am MST

Thanks for the info! Wags has to be the most infuriating store to shop with all the different things to remember. I joke with my friends you need a degree to navigate the ins n outs LoL!

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Faith April 25, 2016 at 8:10 am MST

It is a lot to remember to do wags…I used to do A LOT of coupon on there before they cracked down a couple years ago and I still do some stuff but I have a couple of cashiers who are easy to work with and a manager who’s very aconlinemodating so I know I’m lucky! I say that but I have taken a year long extreme couponing break in 2016 (perishables and TP only…and gifts…and whatever else catches my eye…ok it’s hard to not! Haha!)

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Jen April 25, 2016 at 6:47 am MST

My wet and wild didn’t ring up bogo 50 off, forgot to scan pts booster and my rr on snickers didn’t print, Too much to remember they know this why it’s so onlineplicated.

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Juanita June 11, 2016 at 9:35 pm MST

I have a question about threshold deals. This past week, I had a Balance rewards perk -Spend $20, get 7000 points. I spent $23, but used manufacturer coupons so my end total was lower than $20. I did not receive the 7000 points. I did NOT use any points to pay either. I called customer service and they said it was because I used coupons. Is that how it works? I thought you just had to meet that threshold BEFORE coupons.

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Erin October 8, 2016 at 9:36 pm MST

Does anyone have coupon problem in CVS? I’m in NY. My local CVS store cashier told me today only 1 coupon per transaction. Like if I buy 3 bags of pampers diaper, if I want to use 3 coupons, then I have to do in 3 separate transactions. They said one coupon per purchase means per transaction. I am confuse with CVS and Walgreen coupon policy now. Each shopping trip like a little journey, sometime store app coupon not working, sometime the newspaper coupon not able to redeem even the right item, sometime the extra buck not print. Same as in Walgreen, I bought 2 Venus shave gel, and used 2 $2 off Venus shave gel coupon, their onlineputer system only allow to take 1 coupon even I bought 2 items.

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Tracey R December 4, 2016 at 3:15 am MST

I’ve had similar problems at CVS – got a “lecture” from a cashier there on Black Friday about how “people only shop there for the free stuff, yada yada”! When I mentioned my coupon problems there and how I have a problem almost every time I shop there, he made it sound like it was my fault. Oh, and that particular store limits customers to two transactions so after my first one, he called the next customer in line before he rung my second one – without even saying a word to me the was going to do that! So before I left I told him “thank you so much for making me feel like I’m cheating the system by using coupons!” Of course he tried to be nice but too late then. Anyway, yesterday I stopped into Walgreens for the good deals on ALL detergent, etc; I hardly ever shop there but thought I’d check it out. The lady was so nice and manually entered my coupons that didn’t scan correctly. I’ve decided that which ever store you decide to shop with, find one with helpful, kind people. Unfortunately couponers have to develop a tough skin!!

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Melissa November 6, 2016 at 8:14 am MST

Hey All,
It’s funny I stumbled upon this article. Walgreens has gr8 savings; as noted in the article, keep your eyes peeled for the orange stickers for amazing savings. They are scattered throughout the store.
Also, in the back of the store, usually at the the end of the hair care aisle are bins of awesome sales.
Every other week, “Arizona” iced teas (all flavors) are 2/$1. Grab as many Rasberry as you can-they go quickly.
Having their coupon book on hand, which is found at the front of the store with the weekly flyer, will save you a lot on a range of products for a while.
Before you spend a fortune on skin care, check out Walgreens first. They have many of the “Allure” products at reasonable prices. For example, “Maybelline New York” Instant Age Rewind Concealer and Treatment with Haloxyl. They also have a broad range of skin-care suited for every need.
This is long. What can i say? I’m a sucker for a .50 beverage.
Happy Shopping!

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Melissa driver June 13, 2017 at 10:50 pm MST

So I got pionts for buy shavers when u spend 20 get 5000 pionts if I use those points to purchase shavers again with I get my pionts for spending 20

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Jessica Castro June 23, 2018 at 2:47 pm MST

I have a question about the register rewards when it says spend $30 get $7 RR, can we use points or no on this deal to earn it?

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Liza (Hip2Save Sidekick) June 23, 2018 at 3:34 pm MST

Hi Jessica! You will not earn points if you use points on a “Spend X amount” offer. If the offer is “Buy 3, Get X points” then yes, you would earn points even if you spend points. Hope that helps!

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Kim Beginski August 4, 2020 at 5:32 am MST

Walgreens will not allow you to redeem points and earn points in same transaction .

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Amber (Hip Sidekick) August 4, 2020 at 6:53 am MST

Hi Kim! This is an old post, however you can still earn and redeem points on unit offers. Find all of the most recent details on that in our Walgreens Store guide over here –> https://hip2save.online/walgreens-store-guide/

Hope this helps!

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Marina Garcia November 15, 2020 at 9:38 am MST

Walgreens is the place

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