Walgreens Shoppers: New Balance Rewards Program (In-Store & Online Beginning 9/16)
Heads up for all you Walgreens shoppers! As you may have heard, starting September 16th, Walgreens will be rolling out a brand new rewards program called Balance Rewards!
Pre-Enroll now through September 15th and you could win 1 million points in the Walgreens Balance Rewards 10 Million Point Giveaway! During this time, customers who join Balance Rewards online or through the mobile app will have a chance to enter to win. Customers can earn additional entries into the sweepstakes by referring friends and family to the program.
10 Grand Prize Winners will each win 1 million points in their Balance Rewards account (which basically equates to a $1,200 reward!) that can be redeemed at Walgreens stores, Walgreens.com, or Duane Reade stores.
The national launch of Balance Rewards is Sunday, September 16, when customers can enroll in-store, online or via the mobile app and begin earning points and special savings, and start redeeming rewards.
Important info on the new Balance Rewards Program, directly from Walgreens:
You will be able to instantly earn and redeem points for thousands of items in store and online and receive exclusive savings. Balance Rewards will include many of the best aspects of existing loyalty programs and have distinct features that competitors do not match, including:
• Members can earn points for making healthy choices, such as getting an immunization or participating in Walk with Walgreens (walk.walgreens.com).
• A lenient, customer-friendly expiration policy – points will not expire as long as members remain active by shopping at Walgreens at least once every six months and redeem their points within three years.
• Members may earn and redeem points for both in store and online purchases.
• Exclusive benefits for AARP members.
We’ve received a lot of questions about Register Rewards over the past week and also seen a lot of misinformation about the program online. To clarify, Register Rewards will continue in its current form for the foreseeable future. Register Rewards is a couponing program while Balance Rewards is a comprehensive loyalty program that offers exclusive savings and the opportunity to earn points and instantly redeem rewards.
As we get closer to the national Launch, September 16th, I will have more info and details for you. I am also planning to post a video on the new Balance Rewards Program… so stay tuned!
(Thanks, Heavenly Savings, Shruthi, Stacy, and Alina!)
Hoping that the Balance Rewards offers equal the Register Rewards savings! Looking forward to your video, Collin!
I happened to ask my Walgreens cashier about this program last week as I had heard about it previously. She asked me if I would like to sign up right there so I did. She gave me the option of having a card or just using my phone number and I chose just using my phone number. Though I am most loyal to CVS, it’s nice to see Walgreens adding some loyalty benefits for it’s customers.
Oh man, she could get in trouble for that! We are not supposed to be enrolling customers yet!! (I work for Walgreens)…but you will enjoy this card when the program begins. Many sale items will give you points that will build up fairly quickly from what I understand. You will still get register rewards on certain items; that is separate from balance points. You can also earn points on prescriptions!
While at my store today my favorite cashier signed me up. I got a card, plus one to go on a key chain, but she said I can also use my phone number if I forget my card. It does sound different from the RR. If you get your prescriptions there your can earn points quickly.
Walgreens used to have a loyalty rewards program but they discontinued it early this year I think. I wonder if they got customer complaints and decided to bring it back?
I liked their other program because I would get coupons for money off purchases. Hope this new program is similar to the old one 🙂
The old program was a test to help make this rewards program better. Some complaints where that they could not redeem rewards at store new program u can . also card less. Another info is u have to have the card to get the sale prices
I guess the biggest question is how are the points accumulated? are they going to be on normal weekly deal shopping or only non-sale stuff (not so usefull 😉 + when you cash out are they sending you a check/giftcard or do they just take $50 off your next order (not so useful).
until the ads come out with what has points on it.. no one knows. However for ever Rx they will give you points as well as on vaccines.
So does this mean there will be no more register rewards??
Its states in the post that Register Rewards will remain the same, this is just a new loyalty reward program. So dont worry! 🙂
I got my card today. The cashier scanned it and I bought 4 chex mixes using four .50 coupons. Guess what, NO register reward printed. I had bought 4 chex mixes with the .60 coupons yesterday and no problem with the $2 register reward printing. I did get different flavors today, 2 muddy buddies, 1 italian, 1 traditional…to my knowledge, none of those flavors are excluded. I’m thinking the card caused the problem. Anyone else experiment with their card on an item that currently is offering a RR, and if so, did you have any problems with a RR printing?
oh, and according to the print out at the bottom of the receipt, I got “0” points from the transaction, and my point balance after the transaction is “0”.
As a wags employee I can tell you that at present time, there are no points to get, points will not be available till the program launches on 9/16, signing up now just gets you ready ahead of time and will make for a faster check-out for you.
Muddy Buddies is a smaller bag, so excluded….at least at my store it was a smaller bag.
I saw a display in my store already if you buy 2 cold medicines you get 2000 points…. NOT that exciting.
Really? Strange, my store hasn’t had this yet. 2000 points is equal to 2.00 which is pretty good, actually. Some might just be around 500, others 1000.
I don’t think the muddy buddies are included. They are a different price at my store!
ty and the muddie buddies rang up the same price at my store, $1!
The points don’t add up nearly as good as the Register Rewards. My Walgreens days are over.
I just saw the flyer on iheartwags.com for the week of 9/16. Not a lot of RR’s. There are some but nothing to impressive.
Another thing about this (that I read from a couple of other places) is that they don’t round to the nearest dollar. So if you spend $5.95 you will only get points for the $5 (5000 points). That means that you kinda wasted .95 cents. :/
And they add up the pts after coupons I heard this program sucks – another reason not to go to wags
I don’t understand all the complaining about the point program. At CVs, your quarterly bucks are based on your oop after coupons, rite aid is similar to reach the different discount levels. I’m sure it will take time to get used to the new program, I’m actually looking forward to the rollout!
Rite Aid counts your amount before coupons to get to their discount levels.
I don’t shop at rite aid as much as I used to, but I thought they only added back in the manuf coupons, not ra store coupons. They don’t round up either.
If you sign up online is there a way to get an actual card? or do you just always use your phone number?
I read on walgreens website that if u sign up online u can still get a card in store. Just have to get cashier to link ur acct to the card.
When I signed up in store, I gave all my information and was given a key card and a card for my wallet. If you happen to not have your card or choose not to carry, they will be able to access your account by simply giving them your phone number. HTH.
I read that if you use points on a transaction, you will not earn points on that item. So no “rolling” of points.
Half the time things are expired at my Walgreens! I bought expired milk for the baby & chocolate for me the other day & noticed they were expired after I got home! 🙁
Every time I buy eggs at Walgreens they are not expired but have a date that will expire within a few days. Always look at the date just to be careful 😉
Just a FYI, but dates on eggs are sell by dates not strict expiration dates. Eggs typically are good for weeks after the date on the cartons as long as they arent damaged and stay refrigerated.
Man, we just got rid of their dumb card! I hated the card when we were “testing” in out and was told in our store it didn’t go well and was going away. Our KC ads were never as good and it took me FOREVER to earn points. Bummed:(
Yeah same here… wasn’t fond of their test market thing and the RR were horrible. I’m hoping they are really keeping the RR around and improved the whole point system a little.
i will stick with cvs.
I dont understand why people are complaining when this hasn’t even started yet. Give it a chance. Free money is free money.