Rite Aid: Wellness +UP Rewards Program!
(Thanks to I Heart Rite Aid for the picture above!)
I am sure most of you who shop at Rite Aid have noticed that Rite Aid recently introduced the new Wellness + UP Rewards program on a national level! In order to provide you with more information about the program, I made a +UP Reward purchase of my own and also contacted Rite Aid by email and phone (1-800-RITE-AID). Here is what I discovered…
My +UP Reward Purchase
I went to my local Rite Aid and browsed through the current circular to find an advertised UP+ Reward item. I then purchased a bottle of Trident Gum for $2.99 which was advertised to generate a $1 +UP Reward.
As you can see from my receipt below, my purchase generated essentially 3 +UP Reward coupons: $1/$10 or more Seasonal purchase, $1/$10 or more Household purchase, AND the advertised $1 off any non-prescription purchase (note that Cadbury owns Trident gum so this is why the $1 +UP Reward states “from purchase of Cadbury”).
+UP Rewards Guidelines
* The new +UP Reward program is an incentive program that allows manufacturers to provide a +UP Reward to consumers for buying a specific product and/or specific number of products. Every week, different items are advertised in the weekly circular that generate a +UP Reward. (This program is very similar to the Walgreens Register Reward program)
* You MUST give the cashier your Wellness card or the phone # associated with your Wellness card prior to the items being scanned in order to be eligible for the +UP Reward(s)
* The +UP Reward consists of a coupon or a number of coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt and can be used on your NEXT purchase.
* Each advertised +UP Reward is limited to 1 per wellness card (unless otherwise stated).
* According to Rite Aid Customer Service, you CAN use both a $5/$25 Rite Aid purchase AND a $1/$10 Household purchase coupon in the same transaction. However, it is always up to the manager’s discretion to make the final decision.
* There is no limit to the number of +Up Rewards redeemed in a single transaction so long as the pretax total is greater than the combined value of the +UP Rewards. For easy understanding, it’s best to think of these rewards as gift cards, except that you cannot leave a balance on them or use them to purchase less than the value of the +UP Reward .
Please share your thoughts about the new +UP Rewards program below.
Thank you for posting this. I was just looking at this online yestserday when I was doing the video rewards and printing coupons and was wondering how it would all work. You rock Collin.
interesting. Years ago, I used to shop all 3 drug stores. Then I quit doing RA rebates and looking at their weekly ads once I got heavy into CVS, then stopped shopping Walgreens when they dropped their monthly rebate program. Now, I’m slowly getting back into Wags RR, been rolling very well over the past month. Now that RA has their own rewards program, I may be back to doing all 3!!
Thanks for posting mor einfo but just a few questions: How many Up rewards can you use in one transaction to pay for your transaction? And I’m just assuming but they must not count towards the item to coupon ratio like RRs right? So I if they allowed you to pay with more than one UP reward I could use 5 UPs for 1 item?
If this is so, I think it’s great it’s like a combination of ECBs and RRs!
You can use as many up rewards as you want to pay for your items until your total is zero just like at cvs!
What I learned and did is: you can use 1 +up reward per purchase you have in a transaction. So, if you only have 1 item you cannot use 2 +up rewards. Also, each +up reward is linked to your wellness card and cannot be used by anyone else.
Ok, I am reading mine now and they say:
on the huggies +up coupon it says: on 1 purchase of at least $1 of eligible product excluding sales tax…..
on the +up reward for the household purchase of $10 or more
it says: One coupon per transaction
HTH
I was able to use the Huggies +Up of $11.99 (or $11.97) and use it on my mom’s card, and vice-versa during the week of 5/30-6/5, with no problems. I though I’d use her card to get her some points!
I only encountered a cranky cashier at one store, but that store usually has cranky cashiers/managers. They don’t like me using the $5/$25, manu coupons on my items, and store coupons if there are any, and hated that I was using the +Up reward to get my total to under $1+tax.
I used a Huggies +Up reward from my card to pay for a transaction using my husbands card which in turn generated another $11.99 +Up reward. I also have used both the Old Spice $4 and Huggies $11.99 rewards to pay for one transaction. I’m not positive but I think where it says “on 1 purchase of at least $1 of eligible product excluding sales tax…..” it only means that you cannot use part of your reward on a purchase and save the rest for another day.
I attempted Rite Aid last week, too, with grand plans for the UP rewards. I think it’s great that they’re “unlimited” in terms of being able to roll them to another purchase of the same item and then have unlimited purchase of that item. However, I was expecting it to be easier to use and to be more along the lines of CVS or Walgreens. It’s a pain (to me) to have to keep track of specific rewards that can only be used for specific items — baby, household, seasonal, etc. JMO…..
I was under the impression that once the Up rewards prints you can use it on a next purchase of anything. I was under the impression that if you got for example the Huggies $1 up reward you wouldn’t have to use it on another baby/diaper product.
Ashley:
You’re right – you can use the reward coupons on anything you want to. So, if you get a +up reward for buying cereal you can use it on toothpaste.
What she means is the extra +up rewards you get – like Collin posted. You tend to always get extra +up rewards you can use for what it specifies. Like the $1 off any household item of $10.00 or more; you can only use on household items.
But, the reward for buying something +up’s coupons can be use on anything in the store except the normal: no tobacco products, stamps, alchohol etc…
HTH
thanks for the clarification! I had been avoiding single check rebates until i read your explanation on them, now i am confidentially using them and now I can confidently use up rewards too! Thanks!
Another question…how many +UP rewards can you receive in one transaction? I understand you are limited to 1 per deal per transaction, but are they like Wags RR in which you can do more than one advertised deal in a transaction and receive a RR or +UP reward for each different deal?
You can receive one +up reward for each special on a transaction.
For example:
You get:
2 packages of huggies
2 boxes of Post cereal
2 of those trident gums
—–
Well let’s say the advertisement says buy one of those items and get a + up reward, but you bought two of each and since it’s limited to one reward per trasnaction for each type, you will get 1 huggies +up reward, 1 post + up reward, and 1 trident + up reward for a total of 3 + up rewards and you can use those 3 +up rewards on your next purchase in one transaction as long as you have 3 or more items and they aren’t excluded per the receipt exclusions and your total does not go below the tax.
That is what I have done and been subjected too. HTH
momwhocares keeps saying the number of items much match or exceed the number of UP rewards you use. That clearly has been stated otherwise and I have never had to do that. I used 8 UP rewards on 1 item.
I’m just starting to learn to use CVS ECB’s. I think it will take a while to get myself using Rite Aids card. I did get it in the mail recently but… One baby step at a time for me!
Sticking with the Trident example. If I were to buy a pack and then buy another, would I be able to use the + up reward AND a manufacturer’s coupon or does the + up reward count as a manufacturers coupon like it does at Walgreens?
i use manufacturer coupons and RR for the same items at walgreens, i have never had a problem with that. you can use up and coupons at rite aid
I agree with anony: I have used +up rewards, store coupons, $5/25, and a manuf. coupon all in the same transaction for my purchases. The manager said it is ok to use with a manuf and rite aid coupons. He told the cashier to try it and if it works do it.
Thanks for clarifiing it, It still seems a little confusing to me and a bit of a hassel. but I probably just have to try to figure it out.
I have a couple other questions:
1) can you use a manufacture coupon for an item that generates the Up rewards?
2) How long is expiration for the Up reward (I love cvs’s 1 month expiration)?
My up reward expires 2 weeks (14 days) from the purchase date. Also, I purchased huggies this past week, used a manufacturer coupon, a Rite Aid Video Coupon and a $5 off $25 purchase coupon and received an up coupon. HTH!!
I wonder if they are going to phase out the Single Check Rebate. This seems like the same thing that Walgreens did…just saying!
So far I like the UP Rewards program. My Ra was a little confused with the $5 off of $25, but a call to coporate got that straighten up. The other day I bought 3 aveeno sunblocks – I used a $5 off of $25, used $2 in Up Rewards and a $1.00 off of $10 seasonal purchase. Total oop was around $18. I didn’t have a problem at all. The great thing – I qualified for $10 Rite Aid gift card and the bonus $5.00 gift through the single check rebates AND I submitted for the $10 rebate for Aveeno since my purchase wasover $25 before coupons. Making this purchase into a $7+ money maker =)
Well done!! That is awesome!
I just went to Rite Aid and used my 2 free Huggies Vouchers (1 from my sister’s card) AND a $1.00 video values coupons. I was able to get 2 $1.00 UP rewards from that transaction…..Maybe it was a fluke…..
I too bought 2 packages of Huggies and got 2 $1 UP coupons from the same transaction. I also used lots of manufactures coupons, video values coupons and the $5 off $20. They printed just fine.
This also happened to me on a different product. I bought the Old Spice body washes when they were 2 for $7. I used 2 bogo free coupons and left paying only $7 for 4 bodywashes. My receipt printed two +UP coupons for $4 off each. I loved how simple they made the transaction. No game or multiple transactions.
I did this two weeks ago, has some thing changed since then? Does any one know if Rite Aid changed their policy to limit one reward per transaction or are people assuming the rewards are limited to one per transaction just like Walgreen when it really isn’t?
I think I will have to give it another try just to test the waters.
I agree with the comment that the new program seems a bit of a hassle. It’s one more thing to think about — and to have to use up before they expire (unlike SCRs).
Very interesting. I am just getting starting with all of this but have had great luck with CVS first and now Walgreens. I was looking at the Rite Aid ad this past week and thought it looked like they offered printed out rewards but online I only saw single check info which is too much delayed gratification for me… 🙂 Thank you so much for posting this. I truly love this blog!
If you can track the Rite Aid deals and Up Qs, more power to you! I’m a Wags girl myself, and it is about all I can manage for drugstore purchases plus my grocery store runs. Thanks Collin for keeping us on track with all of this – you are awesome!
I love this blog! I could never manage finding all these deals with work and children…you are the best! I am loving the Rite Aid +UP! I was already doing the rebates but now my trips are even less. I truly believe Rite Aid has paid me to shop there this year. I live in a small town so Rite Aid is the closest of all the ones you blog. I do believe my husband is a little overwhelmed by my stock pile but we have been able to donate more than 5 large bags of supplies to the local Food Pantry! Thank YOU!!!
I wish I had a Rite Aid…. 🙁
I have been told (twice by 2 different cashiers) that you can only redeem 1 UP reward per transaction (like it says on the bottom of the UP reward). Unlike ECB, where you can combine them. I guess I will call corporate before my next trip to RA.
Also, I purchased more than one pack of huggies together and got an UP reward for each one.
And I have had no trouble using them in combo with $5/$25 and manu coupons. But I hope they don’t get rid of the SCR’s…because the +UP program is more confusing!
Oh man I was hoping to be able to use a whole bunch of UP rewards on 1 transaction to get my OOP expense down. I wonder if it’s dependent on the store…I hate testing stuff like this out. : )
LOL, the cashier yesterday told me that I could use as many UP rewards as I wanted in one transaction but that I needed to have at least that number of items. Like i could buy 5 toothbrushes and use 5 up rewards.
I’m thinking that each store is different. I am sure when corp made up this whole program they didn’t even think of all these little details : )
I think this reward system is very misleading and a bit deceptive. They are trying to advertise like RR or ECB but it doesn’t work that way and they are so specific. …I dont’ think I’ll even bother. They shouldn’t say…”buy 1 old spice deo. at 4.99 – 1+up reward…it’s like paying 3.99″ it really isn’t because the coupons are specific, you may not be able to use them. I can’t say I love this program, and will just stick to Wags and cvs for the return, Rite Aid is good for in-ad Q’s and rebates.
The +up rewards aren’t specific…you can use them on any purchase excluding pharmacy. There are other coupons that print out as well that are specific…I’m not sure if it’s random or depends on what you buy that triggers it…like $1 off seasonal.
okay this is all in the same line of things we will all get it down, sooner or later, and if this continues to be a rolling deal RA might be my new favorite place to shop!!! I avoid RA because I’m bad about actually submitting my SCR’s so I spend on items I wouldn’t normally buy
thanks a bunch for posting these details. I really wanted to know more about the program. 🙂
I buy my newspapers from Rite Aid on Sundays…mostly because it is closest and I can run in and out with the kids. I wonder if I can use the up rewards to purchase newspapers? I might try it tomorrow with the Colgate $2 reward purchased in one transaction (with my $1/1 coupon to make it free of course) then use it to pay for my newspapers in the next transaction.
I LOVE my Rite Aid and wish it was closer…I have been going infrequently since i’m way stocked up and only got out for the gangbuster deals now, but this got me going back. I think it’s actually much EASIER than Walgreens, which I do coupon at but hate to with the 1/1 ratio and filler items and making sure you don’t acccidentally roll…hassle! Plus, they’re always out of the moneymakers, but at Rite Aid if you get a rain check you can still get the SCR later even if it’s technically over. I got $108 of product for $22 this week after all the rebates, SCRs, etc, including 6 jumbo packs of diapers and $50 in skin care products (Neutrogena & sunblock). Took 5 transactions but it was so much easier than it would have been at Wags, and I got 3 diaper +UP rewards in one transaction!
“I wonder if they are going to phase out the Single Check Rebate”
—————
I give it about 6 months tops. Buy Jan’11 I think SCR’s will be history. Which makes me ill because I love receiving that monthly check.
Please hang in with the program Rite Aid!
I WENT TO MY LOCAL RITEAID LAST WEEK AND PURCHASED THE OLD SPICE BODYWASH
THAT GENERATED AN UP REWARD. I USED MY PREVIOUS UP REWARD FROM OLD SPICE
TO PAY FOR IT AND I DID NOT GET AN ADDITIONAL UP REWARD. I’M NOT SURE THAT ALL
THE UP REWARD MONEY WILL ROLL LIKE IT HAS BEEN STATED. SO I ESSENTIALLY LOST
$4 IN UP REWARDS. JUST THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE YOU A HEADS UP ON THIS.
The exact same thing Amy B described happened to me with the Old Spice body wash. ):
I went to Rite Aid today to take advantage of the Motrin PM that’s on sale for $3 & get a $3 UP with it. I did it in 3 different transactions & was going to use two of them buy $6 worth of toilet paper. The cashier had just mentioned that she barely knew anything about the Wellness/UP program. She told me that I could only use 1 of my UP’s since it said “One per purchase”. I tried to explain to her that a purchase is a item & they don’t want you using 2 coupons on 1 item ( I was also getting Motrim in that “transaction”). She called over her supervisor & the lady took one look at the “One per purchase” and said No & walked away. I’m planning on calling corporate tomorrow to speak to someone about this.
So I went to Rite aid and bought some makeup. I wanted to use a manufacturer’s coupon, a rite aid video values coupon, an in-ad coupon and a $1 off $10.00 or more wellness+ coupon on my transaction.
The cashier told me I was only allowed to use the manufacturer’s coupon and ONE rite aid coupon – either the video values or the in-ad coupon or the wellness coupon. I tried to explain that I have done transactions like these before and have had no problem. She said that there was a maximum use of two coupons per item. In addition, I tried to argue that the $1 off $10.00 or more wellness+ coupon applies to my whole cosmetic purchase, but she still decline my use of them. In the end, I could only use two coupons. Can anyone tell me if she was correct? Collin sometimes advertises deals uses both a video value coupon and an in-store coupon so I thought that this was fine! I am not sure if I am wrong or the cashier was. I would really appreciate some guidance in this. Thanks!!
You should be able to do it. I would just try to get a different cashier next time.
Ugh, why can’t the people who write coupon verbage just say “one coupon per item” and not use “purchase” which seems way too open to anyone’s interpretation (like the cashiers’)… Just venting 🙂
I did my first UP purchase yesterday — I got some L’Oreal Preference haircolor using the $2 in-ad coupon and a $3 mfr coupon and got $2 +UP back. I am going to try rolling it into another haircolor purchase, since I have another $3 mfr Q, and hopefully will get another $2 +UP back. We shall see… I really think these +UPs are more like CVS’s Extra Care Bucks than Walgreens RRs because there doesn’t seem to be a restriction on what you can use them for (except prescriptions). On the other hand, if you can’t combine them — say use a $2 +UP plus a $1 +UP plus another $2 +UP to pay $5 against your whole transaction — then I guess it’s not as good as ECBs.
Too confusing really, but as someone said, we’ll get the hang of it – LOL! Thank you, Collin, for posting about this!
My +UP rewards aren’t even printing at the bottom of my receipts!! I should have received $3 in +UP rewards last week ($1 for Huggies and $2 for Coppertone) but none printed, cashier didn’t know why. Not sure why they advertise this like they do because the +UP rewards are for specific purchases (like Seasonal or Household) and my Rite Aid is strict for what you use them for. Asked the cashier what a “Household” purchase was and she didn’t even know….boo Rite Aid…..
In previous shopping trips to RA, I have used a $5 off $25, a video coupon, a manufacturer’s coupon, an in-ad coupon, an UP reward, all for one transaction on the same product (like the Aveeno sun skin) and the machine did not beep and the cashier had no issues. However, I have noticed some cashier’s are starting to read some of the coupons more carefully. WAGs and Target seem to be doing this and limiting multiple coupons.
My daughter jumped right into the +UP program and was told the 2nd time she went in that you could not use the +up rewards to another purchase the same day. In other words you can’t turn around and roll them to pay for the next purchase on the same day like CVS. She called corporate and confirmed that very thing. She asked if that had changed since they rolled out the program and the person she was talking to said yes…that they had made some changes to the policy in the last few days. I guess everyone was getting a little too excited about the fact that RA was actually doing something that SEEMED to match what cvs is doing so they decided to tack a few more rules on. Too bad…it seemed good.
Does the +Up count as a coupon?
Example: if I by the two advertised Crest toothpastes next week 7/11 (# 128,131, page 17-July directory) and check out with two Crest $1 Q’s and a 2$ +UP will it not go through, because it (counts as) 3 Q’s for 2 items?
How do you get the single check rebate? Does it print off or do they give it to you at the register? Forgive me as I’m pretty new to this & still learning lots! Thank you in advance!
You can either submit the receipts online and follow the instructions or fill out their form from the store and send them in to process. If you submitted online, then you have to wait 2-5 days for the system to verify the purchases, then you will see qualify rebates showing, when you are ready to get request rebate, make sure you have your current contact information, then hit request check. You should receive your check within 3 weeks.
I have done pretty good with the +up rewards, except, twice since it started I didn~t get my +up reward. The clerk didn`t know why it didn`t come up. I was told that I would have to come back when the Manager was there and ask him. To make a special trip back to the store wouldn`t be worth i t because of the gas I would use going back and forth. I live outside the city. By the next week, I usually forget to bring my last receipt with me.
What exactly does the “UP” stand for ….what do the initials mean?