I have finally caught the CVS reward fever. Could someone help me with this question:


Since we have different people with different prescriptions in my household, do I set up an Extra Bucks account for each person, or do we share the same account?

And, if we share the same account, does that mean we give the cashier the same ExtraCare card every time we shop?

Since CVS doesn't have a household account system in place, you have to set up individual account for each member.

CVS will email or send out promo or item-coupons to account holders, based on their shopping patterns. Besides, the Extra Bucks Rewards (ECBs) are account-specific and certain sales/promo have a cap (from 1 to 5 purchases) on each account. It won't be wise to concentrate your household spending using one card if you want to maximize your ECBs.

One thing to keep in mind though. Because quite a few people have been seriously "abusing" CVS's loyalty program (meaning the same person having, I don't know, 10 cards or more by her/himself, and clear out the shelves grabbing sales items) and open their own "red-cross" shops (), CVS has placed a limit on how many cards one household (maybe by mailing address?) may have. They will lock the cards and suspend ECBs if suspicion has been raised. I don't know how many family members you have. You may not want to have say 4 cards registered to one address, just to be on the safe side.

I advice you to visit SD's drugstore forum (link: here). It's a very active forum with tons of tips and deals to maximize the ECBs earning and rollover ECBs. The Newbie Guide to CVSing sticky thread should be very useful .

Thank you, lin821.

So, let me try to understand this in a simple summary.

With 3 people in my house, I will need:

1 ECB account (i.e. Card) for each person,

but

Can I tie these 3 different ECB accounts to the same online account for ease of manangement?


Another question, if I am filling a prescription for Mr. CTM, does that mean I need to use his ECB card to pay for his prescription?

Yes, I would think preferable so.

Do you mean use the same email address to register three ExtraCare accounts? I am not sure since I'm my household.

But I assume you will be losing the opportunity to receive e-coupons for each members. CVS has been experimenting sending both one-time use and account-specific coupons. If there's only one email address in file, I guess you'' lose out" on the other two one-time use coupons for one specific promotion or sale? Making sense?

Well, ECBs are different from ExtraCare Card.

ECBs are the cash-equivalent coupons redeemable in CVS stores. There are quartly ECBs and instant ECBs. ECBs can only be redeemed when the specific ExtraCare loyalty card associated with has been scanned for the intended transactions. Each ECB has the registerd account holder's name printed on it. But ECBs can't be used on prescriptions, giftcards..etc. Read the exclusions of the ExtraCare program.

ExtraCare cards, on the other hand, have to be scanned in order to enjoy the sale price or member privilege. Just like if you scan your say Safeway card if you want the discounts.

I rarely need prescription refilled at CVSs and I am no expert in ExtraCare program with med management. Being a poor student, I mainly CVSing to save money on say household items and drinks/cereals/bread..etc with my ECBs. I have been enjoying the "free" items I got from CVS in the last couple of months.

I don't know what's the best way to manage your hubby and your ExtraCare accounts, giving they allow you to record your spending and refills..etc. I don't want to give you the wrong answers either.

You better visit SD Drugstore forum and post your specific questions there. I believe they are the true experts on these sort of topics. There are some very helpful SDers there as well.

lin, thanks ago. I meant the ExtraCare card for prescription purchase, not ECBs. I am still getting a handle on the different terms.

The great thing about CVS, IMHO, is that they will take other stores' prescription coupons for transfers or for new prescriptions. CVS hasn't run any prescription coupons lately (that I have seen), so I have been using Ralph's $30 offer at CVS (unfortunately Ralph's coupons expire at the end of June '09 and I haven't seen any new ones yet).

Plus CVS lets you pay for your transfered or new prescription with a previous gift card. Pay for $4 prescription with earlier gift card, use coupon, get $30 gift card. Sweet! Especially if you hav e 7 or 8 prescriptions a month. @:-)

Sadly, CVS take over of Long's has eliminated the competition there and there appear to be far fewer coupons in the paper. Although I did see some $25 transfer coupons in the Sunday L.A. Times a couple of weeks ago.

Pl;us CVS has been running a promo for an Extra Buck on every two filled prescriptions (with another coupon).

Rite Aid constantly has $25 off prescription transfer coupons, even printable.

CVS has had many $25 prescription coupons in the Los Angeles area lately. I got one in my Los Angeles Times yesterday and it also came in the snail-mail Red Plum weekly supermarket ads for Ralphs, Vons, Pavilions, Albertsons yesterday as well.

Walgreens is the drug store with the least prescription coupons.

Thanks for the info.

I wonder if it depends on where you live in the L.A. area as to whether there are coupons in your paper/mail or not?

I'll be keeping a look out. Although, after doing this for a year or so I am starting to get a few funny looks when I transfer a prescription back again.

Guess it is my own version of socialized medicine--at least for durgs. @:-)

For those of you who like to play the ECB game (and who doesn't like free stuff?), I'd check out Hot Coupon World (The link will take you right to the drug store section.). It's sort of the FT of coupons. There is a ton of activity on the CVS board and they know as much about maxing out ECBs as we do about FF miles. Each week, someone goes through the circular and designs coupon runs.

Yes, I have no life.

Mike

I use my CVS card so that I may get the discounts and the extra bucks. I dont attempt to buy anything extra that I need/want. I prefer to use Drugstore.com and get the extra miles. Not go to a store and deal with lazy employees and their rude customers. The program has not made me anymore loyal than I was before.

Interesting.. I wonder if having an employee discount affects the amount of ECBs accrued.