Lately there have been lots of issues for folks shopping at Walgreens. Let me try to give some tips to make it easier for you.  Hopefully this will also clear up some errors I have seen in your tips for others in comments.

If you are new to Walgreens shopping go here first and read the basics.

1. Walgreens limits your purchases by not allowing you to use a Register Reward from a deal to pay for the same deal again. You will NOT get the second Register Reward (RR).  They do this because not having a loyalty card this is the only way they can limit you.

Example: You buy toothpaste and get $2 RR, you can’t buy another toothpaste and use that RR to get another RR.

2. You CAN pay with Register Reward and get another Register Reward, as long as they are separate deals.
Example: You buy toothpaste and get $2 RR, use that RR to buy a Shampoo that gets $3 RR, you will get $3 RR for the shampoo.

3. If you want more of a Register Reward deal then alternate you purchase with another purchase.

Example: Buy Toothpaste, get $2 RR. Then buy Shampoo, use the $2 RR, get $3 RR. Buy another toothpaste use the $3 RR and you will get another $2 RR.

4. Some Walgreens stores have reprogrammed their Catalina machine (the machine that prints out Register Rewards). If you buy an item and are told that using a coupon made your RR not print, you are probably in one of those stores. There is nothing in Walgreens advertisements that state you can’t use coupons. If your RR does not print, don’t bother with the store management (they can fix it but don’t like to), just leave and call 1-888-8COUPON and talk to the Catalina company and they will mail you the RR that she have received.

5. Walgreens computers are programmed to not accept coupons for an item if the coupon is over the price the of item. To help reduce problems use coupons in this order when checking out.

• Any $/$$ (like $5 off $20 purchase)
• Register Rewards
• B1G1 manufacturer coupons
• Other Manufacturer coupons
• Then Store coupons

I know this is backwards to use your register rewards first, but they seem to work better if used first. Because they are a manufacturer coupon the system will kick them out if you have already used a coupon from that manufacturer. If it is going to kick out a coupon you would rather it not let you use a .50¢ coupon than a $5 RR.

Because most Walgreens coupons are really price changing codes rather than money off coupons, you want to use these last. You want the computer to think the item is full price when you use your manufacturer coupon. Then use the store coupon to reduce the price to .59¢ or whatever the coupon is for. If your store is quick to use store coupons first then keep your store coupons out of site until after manufacturer coupons have been used. Put manufacturer coupons on top of the products to help them get scanned first.

6. If you get a Register Reward try to have another transaction planned to use it right then or take it to Publix and use it there. Most RR expire at random times in 1 week, 2 weeks , 10 days… it is just too hard to remember those dates and use them before the expire. If you do leave the store with it, plan to use it somewhere else. Publix and other stores can accept register rewards because they are really manufacturer coupons.

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