Store Guides and Policies

CVS Couponing 101: How to Shop and Save Money at CVS

This is a simple guide to getting the best deals when shopping at CVS. We all know buying household items at a pharmacy traditionally isn’t the cheapest option, but with the right coupon and rewards strategy, it can be!

And sometimes it’s the easiest… if you’re already in the store for medicine, why not scoop up the rest of your shopping list? Read on for some pro tips on how to maximize your dollar at CVS. (If you’re more of a Walgreens person, check out our guide on that here!)

Sign up for an ExtraCare Card

This is where it all starts for savings at CVS. Signing up for an ExtraCare Card is totally free and the deals you can get out of it are amazing. This is a loyalty card that earns 2% back on all purchases (in addition to unlocking coupons, more on that later), so you want to make sure you’re scanning it every time you shop at CVS.

If you happen to forget your Extra Care Card, don’t fret. You can also enter the phone number associated with your account at checkout to earn rewards.

SPECIAL CONTENT:  Check out our posts on how to thrive during COVID-19!

So how do you score one of these cards? Easy! You can pick one up at checkout or you can sign up for one online and have it mailed to you. If you get one in-store, make sure to register it online when you get home. And don’t forget the CVS app! It’s never been easier to use coupons — no more cutting out little bits of paper just to lose them before you get to use them. Just pull up the coupons on your phone and scan at check-out. Text “App” to CVS-APP (287-277) to download now!

Now that you have your ExtraCare Card, let’s talk about how you can use it to save tons of money on everyday items on your list!

Scan your ExtraCare Card at the in-store Coupon Center

When you go into CVS the first thing you should do is go to the red coupon scanners at the front of the store and scan your ExtraCare Card. It will print CVS Store Coupons which can be used in addition to any manufacturer’s coupons you may have. CVS allows the use of one CVS coupon (the store is giving the discount) and one manufacturer coupon (the manufacturer is giving the discount and will reimburse the store) per item.

Earn and use ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs)

ExtraCare Bucks, aka ECBs, are like CVS money or instant rebates. When you buy an item advertised as earning ECBs, you will pay for the item and then the ECBs will print at the very bottom of your receipt. You cut these off and keep them like cash. Then the next time you buy something at CVS you can use your ECBs to pay for it.

Example:

  1. AD: Buy Chips at $4 and receive $2 ECBS
  2. Buy Chips – pay $4
  3. Receive $2 ECBs on receipt
  4. Next visit – Buy Diapers $8.99
  5. Give the cashier your $2 ECBs
  6. Now pay $6.99

The best way to maximize your ECBs is to “roll” them. Buy something that earns ECBs then use those ECBs to buy something else that earns ECBs. This way you make an initial cash purchase and then use CVS money for all future purchases. ECBs can be used on anything in the store except the usual exclusions (Prescriptions, tobacco, stamps, etc.).

One important note is that an ECB is only good for one use. You cannot use a $10 ECB on an $8 purchase and keep the $2. Your purchase (before tax) must be equal to or greater than the ECB amount. You will not get cash back and your ECBs will not be carried over.

Take careful note of the expiration date on your ECBs, too! They usually expire within 30 days, but some deals are even shorter-lived.

Earn and use Quarterly ECBs

This is where that 2% back on all purchases comes in. In addition to the instant ECBs that you get printed out on your receipts, you will also receive quarterly ECBs through your ExtraCare Card! As an ExtraCare Cardholder, you will get an ECB for 2% of what you spent at CVS each quarter, or every three months.

For example, if you spend $100 at CVS over the course of three months (and scanned your card for each purchase), then you will get a $2 ECB at the end of those three months.

To sweeten the deal even further, CVS occasionally issues Triple ECB coupons. You scan it once and it will triple your quarterly earnings from that point until the quarter is over. So, once you scan it you will start earning 6% back on all your purchases! Definitely keep an eye out for these babies.

Look for Weekly Deals

Every week CVS puts out a circular (print, online and in the app!) with deals that are good for one week. There are regular sale items and there are ECB deals. ECB deals are the real money-savers. For one ECB deal, you can use a manufacturer’s coupon, a CVS coupon AND earn ECBs!

Example:

  1. AD: Buy Colgate Toothpaste at $2.99 and earn $2 in ECBs
  2. You have a $1 off Colgate Toothpaste CVS coupon from scanning your ExtraCare Card at the Coupon Center.
  3. You also have a $1 off Colgate Toothpaste manufacturer’s coupon that you got online.
  4. So, buy Colgate Toothpaste at $2.99.
  5. Use $1 CVS coupon.
  6. Use $1 Manufacturer’s coupon.
  7. Pay 99¢.
  8. Earn $2 ECBs…a $1.01 profit!

So, even if you don’t use Colgate toothpaste, it is still worth it to do this deal because you now have $1 more than you had before to use on something that you need. You can always donate your freebies!

But, before you get too carried away, remember that ECB deals always have limits so read the fine print. Underneath the deal in the ad it will say “Limit x per household.” If it is limit 1 then it means that if you buy more than one then you will only get ECBs for the first one you purchase.

There are also some ECB deals that require you to buy multiple items. You do not have to buy all the items at one time. You just have to purchase them before the sale period is over. Once you buy all the qualifying items or reach the dollar amount required, then your ECBs will print.

$/$$ Coupons

CVS occasionally sends out $/$$ coupons. They are typically $4/$20, $5/$30, or $10/$50. That means if you buy $20 worth of merchandise (price BEFORE manufacturer’s coupons!) then you can use the coupon to get $4 off your total. You can use one per order and you can use all other coupons and ECBs in addition.

Use your coupons in the right order

When shopping at CVS it is best to give your coupons in this order:

  1. $/$$ Coupon
  2. Manufacturer’s Coupon
  3. CVS Coupons
  4. ECBs

This way there is no confusion over whether your total meets the $/$$ requirements and you also can make sure your total is high enough to use your ECBs effectively.

If you have any additional CVS shopping tips, feel free to share!

    178 Comments

  1. ruthann

    let me first apologize for asking redundant questions……lets say i go to the red box machine on sunday, scan my card and get some crts. if i come back on tuesday and scan my card again, will I get more and/or different crts or did i get all I’m going to get for that week when I scanned it on sunday? i ask because I heard another vlogger say “keep scanning your card until it says no more crt’s at the bottom of your tape”, well I’ve never seen that message. I scan my card on sunday and it goes from printing a few crts to printing my “sent to card” stuff. when I go back on Tuesday and scan again, it doesn’t print any crts, it just prints my “scan to card” summary again and nothing else. I’m also having issues with my crts. so many times i won’t even get the ones i hear people say should be “printing for everyone”. it is so frustrating! any help with this would be really great!

    Reply

  2. Aprille

    Hi.. I find your blog very informative. I started couponing a month ago and still learning. I just like the part of the blog that says “To maximize my ecb’s, I have to purchase the equal amount or greater than the ecb I’m using” because that I did not know. I just tend to roll into every transaction as to I don’t get any good crt’s to lower down my oop. So I did a deal yesterday for cosmetics, and the deals was buy 2 Maybelline and get $5 ecb and buy $9 Rimmel get $4 ecb. So I got
    1 Rimmel Brow – $4.99
    1 Rimmel Liner -$4.79
    2 Maybelline -$15.98
    Total=$25.76
    I used:
    2 2/1 Rimmel
    2 2/1 Maybelline
    $2.00 off cosmetics crt
    $5.00 off $15 maybelline cosmetics
    $4.00 rolled in ECB
    My subtotal came to =$6.76
    Tax =$1.61
    Total=$8.37
    Got back $9 ECB
    As to my haul, how did I do so far? Please do comment or give tips on how I can save more or did I do something wrong with this transaction. Please reach out. Thank you..

    Reply

  3. Anithra

    I have a question. When it comes to the ECB rewards , are they generated in accordance with the final price of the product before taxes or after taxes. Example: Spend $20.00 on certain products to receive $5.00 ECB rewards and the products are $9.99 each. The total purchase price before taxes is $19.98. Once taxes is applied it will reach the $20.00 spending requirement. So would that mean I have to buy three products at $9.99 or would the two be sufficient since once taxes are included I will have reached the required spending amount?

    Reply

    • Meagan

      It’s officially supposed to be before taxes, but some stores do trigger the ECB when you are just a couple cents shy of the required purchase amount.

      Reply

  4. Lynda

    CVS coupons are worthless. I am a reward club member – received 25% off everything in store (except sale items). When I checked out, for a $30. order I handed the 25% off coupon, along with other reward coupons (knowing I wouldn’t received the 25% off of any reward coupon item). The manager (not cashier) informed me my savings would only be .18 cents and do I really want it….first off yes, what kind of stupid question is that – secondly – if CVS advertises a buy 1 get 1 50% off and you only purchase 1 item, paying full price – the 25% coupon does not apply. Evidently unbeknownst to me every item that I purchased full price was a buy one get one at 50% – he suggested I go get the 50% item which would have increased my purchase to $40 still receiving only .18 off……I will never shop at CVS again. Searched for my receipt so that I could make a copy and send to corporate – lo and behold receipt was not in the bag as he told me…..I am done with CVS – their prices are higher than supermarket pricing – case in point – Claritan D Allergy 24 hour – 15 count tablets- their price 21.49 – local supermarket 18.99; Soft Soap 3.99 – local supermarket 2.89. I now refer to CVS as the Kohls of drugstores – double the fair market value of the product and offer 30% off in coupons – making a generous 20% on the deal……this drug store was located in Audubon, Pennsylvania.

    Reply

    • Meagan

      I’m so sorry to hear about your horrible experience with CVS! I’ve always had a very pleasant couponing experience at CVS. It’s my favorite store to get deals at.

      Reply

  7. Tamika

    Hi there! How many CVS coups can you use on one product? I keep getting these $1 off 2 Dove bar coups and am wondering if I can use them all on one purchase or have to buy as many items as I have CVS coups for.

    Reply

    • Meagan

      You have to buy as many items as the coupon specifies. So if you have (5) $1/2 Dove Bar coupons, you’d need to buy 10 products in order to use all the coupons. Does that make sense?

      Reply

    • Curtis

      Yes you can return or exchange items purchased with ECBs. If you return it they’ll give you cash back. I found it strange at first and can see where some folks may try to take advantage of it, but that’s how it works!

      Happy CVSing.

      Reply

  9. nadya

    I heard and have asked AND used the 5/25, 3/15, 10/50 coupons, as long as all requirements were met. Meaning I spent $90 and was able to use all those coupons together, even though it does say cannot combine with another coupon of the same. What manager and cvs customer care said was that since I am not using them all at one on a purchase of only $50, I am meeting the requirements for each CRT and it’s ok. This makes sense if you have a %off coupon and MFG coupons that will take your total really low.. since you can only use the %off coupon only once.

    Reply

  10. Christie

    First off, thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your knowledge on couponing!!! Question: What is ‘CVSCash Card Items’? Note: I am a newbie. : )

    Reply

    • Meagan

      Hi Christie! Each week CVS does a CVS Cash Card promotion. If you by a certain dollar amount of those items, you’ll get a CVS cash card (basically a gift card to use at CVS). So when an item is marked as a CVS Cash Card Item, that means it is part of that promotion. Hope that helps! Thanks for reading Couponing101.

      Reply

  11. hlee

    Hi,
    I have a question. I am making a run to CVS and was wondering if I should do two different transactions. I am getting the $30/$10 CVS cash + using coupons. I also have some other items that I need that will earn $18 in ECBs (spending 35.26) + MFCs. Also, is the total on the CVS cash before coupons??? Sorry if this doesn’t make sense. Its late and Im super excited….

    Reply

    • Stephanie

      The $10 off $30 coupon CAN be used before coupons. I recommend getting as close to $30 as you can and then buying the other items in another transaction so you can use the ECBs you earned in the 1st transaction.

      Reply

  12. Ashley Cooke

    Okay< im not sure in doing this right, first time CVSing! But im wondering if im on the right track ….I got a coupon $5 off of $25..so I was thinking of buying 2 schick razors @ $8.49 (also I have a b1g1 coupon)and tampons $8.49 2 shaving gels $2.1=$21.36 + scrubbing bubbles 2 for $6 ($2/2 off coupon) makes total $25.36 now spend 20 get 10 ecb (from razors) Diapers $19.99 get $4.ecb makes diapers $9.99 and the $4ecb I was going to get glade candles or spray free …idk if im crazy or on the right track the total with out coupons/ecb is $49.35 HELP!! thanks, Ash

    Reply

  13. liz

    here’s the scenario

    revlon lip products 5.99 with ECB of $5 limit 6

    Question #1 can i buy 6 products in one transaction and get the 6 ECB’s?

    Question #2 if i buy 1 revlon 5.99 and get the $5 ECB and buy another Revlon and use the $5 ECB will it generate another $5 ECB since it says limit 6?

    Reply

    • Curtis

      Liz,
      Short answer: Yes and Yes.

      Longer answer:
      1. If you buy all 6 in one transaction then CVS will add the ECBs togther. Your receipt will have an ECB for $30.
      2. If you want to do mulitple transactions then yes the ECBs will print even if you are buying the same item.

      Happy CVSing,
      -Curtis-

      Reply

  14. Valerie

    I can’t find an official copy of CVS’ coupon policy. I just had a manager at a store refuse to let me use a CVS and manufacturer stack, he said that you can only use 1 coupon per product. I insisted that you can (I have seen on unofficial helpful hint websites like this one that you can) and asked for a copy of the policy from him but he didn’t have it. I ended up at the other CVS about 4 minutes away and got the products from there using both coupons. The manager there did have to do an over-ride but it was because the coupons outweighed the cost by .01, so they had to be entered manually. (The products were 1.99 each and I had a CVS Q for -1/1 and a Manufacturer Q for -1/1). Anyway, I just want a copy of the policy to keep with me to back-up what I know is right when dealing with cashiers/managers. I do my homework and usually know what I am doing. As well as clipping, organizing and planning can be a lot of work so it get’s rather irritating when you do it right and the store employees don’t. If anyone has a link to the policy or a pdf of it. I would love to have it! Thanks!

    Reply

  15. Counter Monkey

    -ALWAYS give rain checks before putting any item on the counter.
    -You can not trade CVS coupons. We will get fired.
    -You can not use competitor coupons. We will get fired.
    -ALWAYS check the sale dates in the ads.
    -PLEASE, PLEASE READ EVERYTHING. All signs, ads, fine print, everything (yes, it does get annoying but it takes no time).
    -We know when a fake coupon is presented (most couponers don’t use fake coupon technology, but a rare set do). Our managers reserve the right to okay them.
    -We WILL get fired if we let you cheat, but it happens, even if it’s a mistake.
    -The cashiers and the customers must both be polite to each other.

    Thanks :]

    Reply

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  19. KH

    I noticed at the top under the CVS Extra Care Card info it says “CVS Extra Care cards are FREE and limited to one per person”. This is incorrect. Yes the cards are free but it states on the back of the card they are limited to one per household. So no one should have multiple cards for each adult in the house.

    Reply

    • TY

      LOL that’s technically true but most cashiers will give another one to you anyways (or will just scan a new card if there’s no ECBs involved) because the cashier that scans the most Extra Care cards gets a goodie of some sort (usually a gift card for a specific restaurant).

      Reply

  20. Heather

    My question is this:
    If the ECB deal says “spend $15 and get back $5 in ECB’s,” do I have to spend exactly $15, or will the ECB’s come through if I spend $14.99 or close to it? Sometimes the items are $4.99. If I buy three items, my total would be $14.97. I hate to have to spend an extra $4.99 to get over the $15 amount. Thank you for your help!

    Reply

  21. ruth

    Hi, Stephanie –

    I’m new to couponing and just had a quick question. I went in to purchase some items and had a $4/1 Lumene wipes product that was priced at $3.19. It was not a trial size, though the cashier said that it was, and she said that she couldn’t use the coupon regardless because the coupon amount was more than the sale price and they could not give overage.

    I told her that I’ve been able to use coupons like this before several times and she said the cashiers shouldn’t have done the transaction…Is this correct?

    Thanks for your help!!

    Reply

  22. Jenny

    I rarely shop at drugstores, so this is all new to me.

    Today I went to CVS to pick up a couple of toothbrushes that earned $3 ECBs each, which I also had coupons for. I guess everyone else had the same idea before me, because they were all gone. I was in a hurry so I did not ask if they give rainchecks (something else I have never used before). Assuming they do issue rainchecks, will I still get the ECBs when I use my raincheck? Or does that only get me the sale price?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  23. Bre

    Hi,
    I have a quick question as well. Today I did my first coupon run at Walgreens. I earned $5 in register rewards and I noticed at the top of the coupon it said ‘manufacturer cpn’ so I won’t be able to use that in addition to another manufacturers coupon next time. My question is if the Cvs ECB works as a manufacturers coupon as well?

    Reply

  24. Dina

    I am new to this and trying to figure stuff out. Last week I earned ECB on Pantene. It was limited to one. The Pantene was still being promoted this week. Is that 1 per week? 1 per card? Help!

    Reply

  25. Jen

    It was my first time using the EB a few days ago. My BF wanted to get beer and I wanted to get a rain check for the Hershey’s Bliss, which was wiped out clean. It says that you can’t use the EBs for alcohol, but mine went through. I initially only gave one that covers the purchases other than the alcohol, but the cashier insisted that it’s okay to use as much as I wanted to pay for the transaction, and it was. Maybe it’s okay as long as you have other, non-exempt things in the transaction?

    I also learned that the EBs that come when you purchase things from a rain check do not automatically print out at the bottom of the receipt. You need to remind the cashier to do it.

    Reply

  26. Tamara

    Hi Stephanie,

    I’m just getting into the Couponing mode myself this last week & so much to learn but with your Awesome Website I’m learning fast! I did as you suggested calling today for coupons for Pop-Tarts…the lady was so kind & told me where I could find them online (I couldn’t locate any before) & she will also mail a bunch to me! OK so now I’m not buying PopTarts until my coupon arrives right?

    Yesterday I went to CVS & paid .35 cents for items that would’ve cost $12.45 so a Great Savings! I had 3 ECB’s (instore coupons for $5.00, $4.00 & 2.00$ off) 1 of them had expired but CVS took it Anyway!!!! I was Stoked! Now I’m hungry to learn more! I’ve spent 2 hrs learning…time to do something else besides couponing haha so addicting.

    Thank you so much for your great tips,
    Tamara

    Reply

  27. Jeannette

    There’s a deal I’m looking at where you get $10 free gas if you buy $30 worth of items. There’s an item that’s B1G1 free (store sale, not coupon). Say they go for a dollar each, and I get two, do $2 count towards the $30 or just $1 since the other item is free? Thanks for the site, it’s very very helpful, though as you can tell, I’m a very confused beginner still.

    Reply

  28. vanessa

    ok, here is my CVS scenario:

    2/$6.97 pantene pro-v
    -$2.00 ecb
    -$3.00 off 2 mfr’s coupon
    —————————–
    lgif: 2/$1.97

    my question is: can i use 2 of the $3.00 off 2 coupons?
    i was under the impression, that since i was getting 2 products i could use 2 coupons.

    the manager @ my cvs was very insistant that i could ONLY use 1.

    next question: a product i want to buy has an ecb limit of 2 per household. is that per day or period?

    thank$ a bunch!

    Reply

    • Curtis

      @vanessa,
      1. The manager was correct. You can only use one coupon in that situation. If the coupon says $3 of 2 items then the coupon applies to both items.

      2. The limit is per period. At the bottom of your receipt it will tell you if you have reached the limit.

      Happy CVSing!
      -Curtis-

      Reply

  29. REna

    Hi, I hope someone can explain something to me. I went to CVS today with a 25% off your total purchase coupon from CVS that I got in the mail. I also used some other manufacturer coupons on top of that. I’m looking at my receipt and am wondering how the 25% off my total was calculated. My total purchase prior to coupons was $49.82 and after manufacturer’s coupon it was $47.22. My 25% coupon only gave me $4.50 off! How can that be when my tax at 9.25% was already almost $4. I’m new at this so I’d love an explanation. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Curtis

      @REna, Most of those % off total purchase coupons also say “on non-sale items”. If you are like me then most of the items you buy are on sale… so the 25% off only applies to a couple items in your cart. I hope this explains it! Happy CVSing.
      -Curtis-

      Reply

    • Karen

      The % off only applies to non-sale items and AFTER all other coupons have been applied. So if your total is $25.00 and you have $5.00 in coupons then the % off will apply to the remaining $20.00. If you ever have a question about the coupons always speek to the front cashier or get a manager.

      Reply

  30. Jamie

    I am a beginner but I have read through the questions and answers and have not seen this but can you buy multiple ECB items and get them all during one purchase or do you have to make multiple purchases? I ran into this problem at Walgreens and I had to do like 8 different transactions it took forever.

    Reply

  31. THAIS

    Hi Stephanie

    please I need to know if there is any way to get a coupon from smart source but 6/12 . or any other pass date

    Reply

    • Curtis

      @THAIS, You can get those coupons through a clipping service for a small price or find someone to do a trade with you. Just search google (or swag bucks) “coupon clipping service” or something simlar.
      -Curtis-

      Reply

  32. elle

    Beginner question: Ok, I made a purchase yesterday and at the bottom of my recipt printed extracare/coupon 30% off purchase 3days only up to $99. Small print excludes sale and promotional items. Also says savings applied after cvs and other coupons and discounts applied. What is the best way to maximize my savings with this ? Can I use it with BOGO ?
    Not sure what qualifies for sale and promotional items please advise.
    Thanks,
    elle

    Reply

  33. Monica

    Thanks for the great website, as I am just getting started on the whole couponing thing. Really appreciate it.

    I can’t seem to find the answer to this, so I thought of this website first. Went to CVS today and I got a raincheck for an item. The cashier was very helpful as I had a ton of questions. He did tell me though that the raincheck would not give me my ECB’s. Is that because when I use it (after the sale is over presumably) that the particular ECB will be wiped out of the computer?

    Again thanks for they great info and website. This is a must read almost everyday as I have tons of questions and always looking for answers,

    Reply

    • Katie

      @Monica, I work at CVS, and there’s no reason he should have done that. We have the ability to issue extra bucks whenever, regardless of weekly sales or anything. If you look at the bottom of your raincheck, it should have a space for EB amount and code, where he should have written it. I would go back in and speak with someone else to get your ECB 🙂

      Reply

      • Monica

        @Katie,

        I went back the next day and the item that I got the rain check for was back in stock, so i just bought it and got the ECB. I have no idea why the guy did that. I got another rain check for something else and the lady never batted an eye and wrote all the info that needed to be on it. No harm, no foul this time. Next time I will ask questions. Thanks

        Reply

  34. Ella

    Stephanie I went to the store and I had coupons for things like ,deodorant ,toothpaste ,shampoo ,etc and now it was time to do the coupons so the Guy ask to do them for me and when the registers statred to take some off so we call the MG, and he put some back on it was 98$ at frist but after the register had taken off some coupons it was 64$ and that was after the MG did what he did so all I had to pay was 28$ from 64$ and not from 98$ so if MG, is ok so am I! (frist timer )

    Reply

  35. Barbara Harvell

    Thank you so much for all the tips and advice on this site. I am just getting started couponing and am excited to see how much I can save on my family’s groceries and household needs. I am headed to my local CVS and Walgreens right away after reading your info here. Thanks again.

    Reply

  36. Jay

    If I have a Buy 2 Get 1 Free Nestle Crunch CVS coupon, and the same coupon as a Manufacturer’s coupon, can I combine those in any way?

    Reply

  37. Melanie

    Silly question that I’m sure you get a lot, but I can’t seem to find an answer anywhere. Once I get an ECBs for something, say toothpaste for $2, can I use that ECB to buy more of the same toothpaste and have it print out another ECB? Or is it like Walgreens, where you can’t you a reward for the same product?

    Reply

    • Curtis

      @Melanie,

      Melanie,
      As long as the limit for that item is not reached then yes you can use the ECBs to pay for the item. For example, Deal in Ad: Buy Colgate Toothpaste at $2.99 and earn $2 in ECBs, limit 2. First purchase pay $2.99 (or less if you have coupons) get $2 back in ECBs. Second purchase use $2 EBC and pay $.99 (or less if you have coupons). The limit is printed in the ad in fine print. Most items are limit 1 or 2, but some have a higher limit. Happy CVSing!
      -Curtis-

      Reply

  38. Daisy

    And also, if I have 5 manufacturing coupons and 1 store coupon, will my one store coupon automatically applied for the other 4 manufacturing coupon once scanned in the register like Walgreens ?

    Reply

  39. Daisy

    Hi, this would be my first time to use coupon at CVS and I’m just wondering after using coupons and I’ve already got the total amount for the grocery, will I be able to use right then and there my accumulated ECB’s to lessen my total amount?

    Reply

    • Stephanie

      @Daisy, You are able to use your ECBs any time. They print on your receipt so you can’t use them on the same order where you earn them. But once they print you can turn around and buy some more items and use them right then.

      Reply

  40. Pingback: Cheap Revlon nailpolish haul.. plus a couponing lesson! « elle & ish – shopping, decor, fashion, makeup and figuring out how to pay for it all

  41. Pingback: Cheap Revlon nailpolish haul.. plus a couponing lesson! « elle & ish – shopping, decor, fashion, makeup and figuring out how to pay for it all

  42. jessica

    Okay, I tried the CVS matchup/ECB thing two weeks ago and through coupons and in store promos I saved $53.46 (34% savings) and got back $20.77 in ECB to use next time! Plus I was able to stock up on H&B and household items. Thanks!

    Reply

  43. Courtney

    I work at a cvs, and in most cases cvs will accept out of date ecb’s and in store coupons. Excluding X% off and 3 day only coupons.

    Reply

  44. Leah

    CVS is my couponing store of choice. I always get good deals if I watch the sale paper, and I love the extra bucks. The only problme is they do not have a great selection for cleaning supplies and run out of things quickly. You have to get to the store as soon as the ad comes out to get the products.

    Reply

  45. Yelizaveta

    Hello!
    Can someone help me out with ECB question? I read through comments and couple article but couldn’t find an answer.
    Let’s say there’s a promo at CVS:
    buy $15 of product A,B and C get $5 ECB.
    all 3 products are on sale @ $6.99 ($8.00 regular).
    So, does ECB apply when I buy just 2 products? Does it count towards regular price or promo price? Or is it a trick by CVS where you have to buy all 3 products in order to get $5 ECB?

    Reply

  47. Megan

    With CVS, if they are advertising a deal for 2 for $5, do you actually have to buy 2 items, or can you simply buy 1 for $2.50?

    Reply

  48. trish

    HOLY COW! I cannot believe this. I have been working at a company for almost four years now and our prescription plan is through cvs/caremark! My hubbie and I spend about $300.00 on our medicine. Lord at the money I could have earned in EB’s. I had no idea that I could save so much at CVS! Well we are going to start now! Can anyone say GOOD BYE WALLY WORLD! well mabe not i did get degree deodorant from walmart for .96 with a $1 off q. 🙂

    Reply

  49. Chelsea

    Dont know if anyone has added this yet, but I was a CVS employee for 3 years and there is one thing that was not mentioned in this article I always liked to tell customers… For every 2 prescriptions you purchase at the Rx you receive $1EB towards your quarterly EBs. So dont forget to scan your Extra Care Card at the Rx everytime as well. This goes towards your total spending as much as Front Store purchases. If you dont get your scripts at CVS, they usually are running the promotion of getting a $25 gift card when you transfer a script to CVS! Which you can use in the Rx or Front Store! 🙂 If you know how to shop CVS deals, you can walk away with free things every purchase!

    Reply

  50. Tiffany

    Hi, I just wanted to make sure that I understand something correctly. When I aquire ECB’s on a visit, I cant use them during that transaction. I would have to end that transaction and do another one to use the ECB’s that I earned. For example this wk w/ the Complete Multi-purpose solution you earn 8.99 ECB’s, but when I buy the solution I cannot use those ECB’s toward the solution itself but I can end the transaction and do another one and apply the 8.99 ECB’s to my new transaction. Am I understanding this correctly?
    By the way, thank you for your blog. It is so informative and you do an amazing job.

    Reply

  51. Jen

    Hi, If after purchasing something at CVS you see a better sale the next week; can you bring your receipt back for an adjustment or do you have to actually bring the products in and return them? Thanks!

    Reply

  52. Brittany

    Can anyone tell me what the CVS policy is for coupons on multiple items? Like if I were to buy 4 identical items, could I use 4 identical manufacturer coupons? Thanks in advance!

    Reply

  53. kiran

    Hi, I would like to know if there’s a web site where i can view CVS’s weekly flyer by wednesday or thursday. Some time i don’t wanna wait for sunday flyers. Is there a way to get sneak peak at flyer online, website plz.

    Reply

  54. Amanda

    Question about ECBs:
    Am I allowed to purchase an item 2 days in a row and still recieve it’s ECB on the 2nd trip even if it has a “limit 1” ?? Thanks! -Amanda

    Reply

  55. kay harris

    also the offers like coke buy 9 get 1 free with so many ecb’s are the only thing I ever find printed at the bottom of my reciept, so far no bucks? but it will say that I have a quantity of 2 toward that offer? Can I use those 2 for something wlse or must they be used for the offer printed?

    Reply

    • Stephanie

      @kay harris, If you buy something that earns ecbs they will print at the bottom of your receipt. If you need to buy 2 items to get an ecb then your receipt will track it and say that you need 1 more item to get the ecbs. Once the ecbs print, you can use them on anything.

      Reply

  56. kay harris

    what does this mean at the bottom of my reciept
    coke, buy 9 get 1 free
    quantity toward this reward 2
    quantity needed to earn this reward 7

    does this mean that when I have earned 7 ecb’s that I would have to use those to get 1 pack of cokes free?

    Reply

  57. Bree

    How do I retrieve my quarterly ECBs?
    I just set up my account online and it says that my Spring balance was $15.12 and that 2% of that (.30) will be issued on July 1st. But I don’t recall ever receiving any print off of that sort. My current balance is much more than $15 and it would be nice to be aware of what to expect.
    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Chelsea

      @Bree, Also if you signed up your Extra Care Card online to receive coupons to your email, they will send you the EBs to your Email for you to print. When you use the emailed EBs the one on your receipt wont print out. *And it is not possible use both the emailed coupon and the receipt one, if you end up getting both. The second one will not ring up and the register will alert the cashier that the EBs were already spent!* And if you ever lose your EBs or dont receive them you can call 1-800-SHOP-CVS and they can re-issue them and it will print on your receipt the next visit 🙂

      Reply

  58. Rhonda Hall

    On a $10 off $30 that prints out when you go in and scan and you already have ECB’s from a previous visit and you have man. coupons, my question is: can you use all of these on one visit? even if I have 3-or4 ECB’s.also, do I need to buy filler items for all these extras that I have? Say I have 1 $10 off $30, – $5, $4, and $4 ECB’s and 2 manuf coupons and am only buying 3 $10.99 packs of diapers, do I need to add 3 filler items to add up ..? I hate to go in and ask, sometiomes they are very rude with this…

    Reply

    • Stephanie

      @Rhonda Hall, No, you can use them ALL at once!! CVS is wonderful! You don’t need fillers or anything. You could use a manufacturer coupon, a cvs coupon, and as many ecbs as you want (up to the purchase amount) on just a single item if you wanted!

      Reply

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  61. Erika

    Hi, Quick question on CVS ECBs. I’ve been shopping CVS for about 1 month and can’t seem to build up ECBs. I usually end up with about $10-$20 each week in ECBs. How much do you usuallyhave when you leave? Do I need to buy more ECB items to build these up and then roll them?

    Reply

  62. Bree

    My CVS has a small tag (it’s leaf-shaped) that you can attach to your reusable bag (I got mine at the register).
    Each time you use the bag, the cashier scans the barcode on the back of the leaf.
    Every 4 times it gets scanned, you get a dollar off your purchase.
    I’m not sure if your CVS does that, but mine has started that. You may want to keep your eyes open for it!

    Reply

  63. Julia

    Oops, another question…If the store has a BOGO deal going on and I have a manufacture coupon for the item, if I’m purchasing 2 identical items (and getting one free as a result of the store’s BOGO promotion), am I allowed to use 2 manufacture’s coupons or just one?

    Thanks again.

    Reply

  64. Julia

    I was wondering about CVS return policy when earning ECBs is involved. Let’s say I buy an item that prints $2 ECBs at the end of the receipt (as advertised). If I decide to return the item, do I have to return the earned ECBs? What if I’ve already spend them – what should be the refund amount?
    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Stephanie

      @Julia, You will get your full money back. They will not ask for the ECBs back, so it doesn’t matter if you used them. Unfortunately, a lot of people take advantage of this and it causes lots of problems for couponers, so please do not abuse the system.

      Reply

  65. Roni

    I am new to shopping at CVS using the ECBs and I am a little confused about them.
    I want to purchase several items some give rewards back and some don’t, so how do I figure out the best way to purchase these items with the least OOP.

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

  66. Sandy

    I am new to this and excited to get going. My question is: If I have to make a total purchase of $10 to get 3ECB, do I have to actually spend the $10 OOP or can I apply coupons that may make the OOP less than $10 and still get the ECB’s?
    Sandy

    Reply

      • SFD

        @Stephanie, I was about to ask you this same question. I called customer service and asked them this question and was told that I could use the coupons to lower the OOP. However, the machine didn’t print out the ECB and the receipt stated that I needed $1 to reach the ECB (which was the amount of the coupon). I purchased another item to bring it up, but I couldn’t find a CVS coupon policy on-line. Do you know of one?

        Reply

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  68. kathy

    I clicked on the link for a coupon that I wanted($1/1 True North Coupon (All You Mag December Issue) or Printable Coupon)
    and when it went to the site for the printable one the coupon that I wanted was not on the site. It has happened more than once to me is there anything that I am not doing right. Some times I am able to get the coupon, but than there are times I can not.

    Reply

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  70. Stephanie

    Sonya,

    I’m sorry, but I don’t know of any stores that do that. At least not in my area.

    The stores that double coupons in my area are Albertson’s, Kroger, and Tom Thumb. Usually the store will advertise that they double coupons in the weekly ad.

    Reply

  71. Sonya

    I didn’t only mean CVS, but any chain…I know Food Lion allows you to purchase one at 1/2 price instead of 1 at full price, 2nd zero…
    Any others?

    Oh, and what stores (asking not just about CVS) double coupons?

    Reply

  73. Sonya

    Hi, I’m new to this to, but LOVE it–and thank you for putting such hard work into it to help us! My question is: which stores allow you to only purchase one item at 1/2 price when it is on sale for buy one get one free?

    Reply

  74. Stephanie

    Joy,

    The cashier should have let you use the $10/$50. I suggest emailing Customer Service with your question so that you can have the response in writing to show the cashier if it happens again.

    Reply

  75. Joy

    I have a question on coupon order. I had a CVS coupon for $10.00 off a $50.00 purchase plus several MQ’s. The cashier said she needed my CVS card before ringing up any of my purchases. No problem, I gave it to her, she scanned it, rang up my purchases and then started on my coupons. She said she had to use the MQ’s first before she could use the CVS $10.00 off $50.00 coupon. I had about $7.00 of MQ’s so my total then came to less than $50.00. I asked her if she was sure on the coupon order and she said yes it was CVS policy. She seemed knowable so I let it go and quickly found enough items to pass the $50.00 mark. Anyone else had this happen to them?

    Reply

  77. Sarah

    Stephanie,
    CVS told me that I can not use 2 coupons on bogo free items. I told her to check because she was wrong. She got on the phone, “checked” and said she was right. I emailed corporate with no response. How do you deal with this?

    Reply

    • Kelly

      @Stephanie, I think she’s confusing her prescription benifit card with her cvs rewards card. Caremark is a prescription plan company and they recently bought up all the cvs’s. Hope that helps !

      Reply

  79. Marie

    I had (stll have) a red CVS card. I have since received a white CareMark card. I am told that I can transfer any points, remaining on the red card, to the white CareMark card. How is this done? No one at the CVS store could tell me.

    Thanks,
    Marie

    Reply

  80. Angie

    Happyleesh – I went to CVS to redeem the Tresemme deal. I purchased 6 bottles to get the $10 extra bucks. The cashier said I could only use ONE of the $1/1 because they all had the same code number. It was still a good deal, because I got a couple of bottles with 25% more (40 oz instead of 32 oz).

    The cashier thought I duplicated the coupons. What is the policy with CVS regarding these types of coupons?

    Your recommendation for what to say to the cashier would be appreciated. Thanks.
    Angie

    I got this response from another blogger:
    Bargain Briana April 21, 2009 at 9:01 pm
    Marie Claire’s people said it was fine to use this coupon and print 3 times! 🙂 Even though the # is the same, it is that way on paper coupons. The coupon states one coupon per purchase which is not the same as one per transaction or one per person! It means one coupon per one item purchased! 🙂 So all is good but it is a YMMV by cashier. I personally dislike those types of coupons because they don’t look official like bricks, smartsource or the printable red plum ones, kwim?

    Reply

  81. happyleesh

    Karla,
    Hi! I work at CVS, and there is no limit to coupons used. The registers might act a little wonky sometimes, but we can override just about everything they want to do. 🙂

    If anyone has any questions for a real-live CVS employee, ask away. 🙂

    Reply

  82. Karla

    I ran into this at Walgreens and just wondered if this was true for CVS, as well. I could only use one Register Rewards per transaction. Maybe this is just a local store policy, though.

    Thanks for all the info! I am just getting started and your site is quite helpful.

    Reply

  85. Stephanie

    Mary Beth,

    I would not feel guilty about the Glucerna, they will get the full value of the coupon back from the manufacturer!

    I’m not sure about the $/$$ coupons. In my experience I’ve found that they either have a print limit or will tie to your card once they’ve been used. So, when you try to use a 2nd one it will probably beep. It would be up to the cashier on whether or not they would let you use it and push it through.

    I hope that helps! I’m happy to answer all your questions!

    ~Stephanie

    Reply

  86. Mary Beth

    Hi Stephanie:

    Thank you for answering my question so quickly! I wanted to mention something that happened to me at CVS today which still puzzles me, and then ask another question that I forgot last time. (The scenario turned out to be quite long . . . skip to the end for the question if it gets too boring!)

    Got a CVS $10 of $30 coupon at the end of my register receipt (yay!) on Sunday, when I did one of the Dove $5 ECB deals. Since it had a very short 4 day time frame, I had to use it by today. Wanted to do another Dove deal, but pay as little as possible OOP. Bought 2 Dove Cream Oil Body Washes ($8.99 each, using 2 $1.50/1 Q), 2 Glucerna cereals (using 2 $5/1 Q on cereals that were only $4.59 each), and an Aveeno lotion ($3.39, using a $2/1 Q — thought I’d get $2 ECB’s, too, but had wrong lotion . . . darn). And had a $4.99 ECB to use to bring down OOP.

    Anyway, gave the cashier the coupons in the proper order: CVS card, then $10/$30 coupon, waited for everything to ring through above $30, then handed over the coupons. The 2nd Glucerna coupon beeped, because there was a BOGO 50% off, and I explained that I was fine with both cereals at full price with the $5 coupons off (my brain had tried to explode when I tried to work out how to do the coupon + the BOGO, so I decided to play it safe . . . plus I wanted to pay very little out of pocket). The cashier went back in and made an adjustment.

    Thought that I’d be paying about $2 OOP. Instead, the amount went negative and I had to throw in a couple of candy bars to end at 67 cents. Since I had calculated pretty carefully, I checked the receipt in the car. The register had taken off the first $5 coupon, then adjusted the price for the second box of cereal to 1/2 price, then the second coupon scanned for $4.18 . . . $4.59/box times 2 minus first $5 coupon, as far as I can tell. I had sort of gotten it beyond free, and actually feel rather guilty about this, but since there had already been a small tussle over the Aveeno not counting towards ECBs I didn’t have the heart to go back in. And I’m still not sure exactly how this happened.

    Okay, that was a lot longer than I thought it would be!!!

    Short question — are the $/$$ coupons usable more than once before their expiration date? I know you have to hand the coupon over, but can you print another and do another shopping trip? I’ve seen other people ask this in the comments, but can’t find the answer.

    Thank you again for ALL your help.

    Mary Beth

    Reply

  89. Lisa

    I have a question if you have a sale that’s BOGO and then you have a coupon that is BOGO can you use it? I haven’t because I don’t want to look like a major cheapskate, but if I can get two free items….. I will 🙂 But will they let me?

    Reply

  90. Stephanie

    Mary Beth,

    Thank you so much for your comment! Those are excellent questions that definitely needed to be addressed!

    Your ECBs are tied to your card and you cannot use other’s ECBs. They will beep at the register (I’ve accidently had mine and my mom’s ECBs get mixed up, oops!). Same thing for the CRTs that print out. As for the $/$$ emails, I’m not really sure. I think they are only supposed to be used by the recipient but I’m not positive.

    For B1G1 50% off sales it can be tricky. If you have a coupon for a free product the cashier might automatically take off the amount of the lowest priced product. You could always point it out and ask if they would apply the Q to the higher priced item. But, you don’t have to worry about coupons affecting the sale. If you buy the right amount, they will ring up correctly regardless of coupons.

    Reply

  91. Mary Beth

    Hi Stephanie! Your site is a daily read for me (sometimes more than once a day) and I really appreciate all the money saving advice . . . especially the CVS info. I’m finally starting to get the hang of it, but still have a couple of questions: are the ECB’s and $/$$ e-mailed coupons tied only to the person’s CVS card?

    For instance, if my mom wanted to use some of my ECB’s or one of my $/$$ coupons (she doesn’t have e-mail) towards a purchase, but would be using her CVS Extra Care Card at the register would it work (& is it kosher)?

    Also, how does it work if you have a coupon that will make something free, and CVS is running a B1G1 at 50% off? I have a coupon for Glucerna cereal that will make a box free, but I don’t know if I can pick up a second box and get it half price, if I didn’t pay anything net for the 1st box. Sometimes the cash register seems to negate a sale or a coupon if something’s already on sale.

    Again, thank you SO much!

    Reply

  92. Nichole

    No, you can’t use the ECB to purchas gift cards but what I have done is transferred 5 prescriptions to CVS and got a $30 gift card for each transfer and I use this as my “out of pocket”

    Reply

    • Megan

      @Nichole, they will give you a $30 gift card to transfer prescription to cvs? There’s no limit on that? That seems crazy that they would keep giving you a gc after the first transfer. But is awesme if this is true???

      Reply

  96. Carrie

    I am very new at this and im having a little trouble with the lingo. On the Weekly deal page what does (1/18 PG) and (1/25RP) mean?

    Reply

  97. Stephanie

    Terri,

    CVS does not take expired coupons that I know of. Some stores do though!

    Yes, I do get paid for the advertisements. It helps support my blogging addiction and keeps Couponing 101 a FREE resource! 🙂

    Fortunately, right now, I am able to choose all of my ads ( I can’t speak for the future)! So, with the exception of the google ads I have handpicked every one!

    I have never been to a blogging conference, so I couldn’t tell you! They do sound interesting and I hope to make it to one someday!

    Thanks for reading Terri!

    Reply

  98. Terri

    Hi, I’m a newbie here… can’t help but notice the wallpaper of advertisements . Is that part of the strategy of having a blog? Do companies send blog owners money every time someone clicks on an ad? I always wondered how all of that worked…. I’m also curious to know what kind of things one can learn from a blogging conference. Sounds interesting. Thanks for all of your tips, they’re great!

    Reply

  99. Terri

    Does CVS take expired coupons? Do any stores take expired coupons? I’ve noticed that some coupon handlers will offer expired coupons–why would anyone want them?

    Thanks

    Reply

  101. Stephanie

    Honey,

    First of all, Welcome! I’m glad you are excited to get started saving money!

    All ECBs can be redeemed from the moment they print out until they expire! They usually expire 1 month from the print date.

    I hope that answers your question. If not feel free to email me: Stephanie (at) Couponing101 (dot) com.

    Reply

    • Peter R.

      Hello,

      Thank you so much for putting together all this info. I have a question about the “limits” at CVS. I saw in the flyer that the ECB limit of the body wash this week was one. But when I bought 2 with a BOGO coupon I got 8 ECB, not 4. What am I missing????

      Thanks again,
      Chris

      Reply

      • Stephanie

        @Peter R., Yes, that does happen occasionally but is quite the exception. Generally you won’t get ECBs for any items you purchase above the limit. It is a very nice surprise though when the limit is actually higher than what is advertised! 🙂

        Reply

  102. Honey

    Hai,
    I’m one of the NBC viewers who got to know about ‘bargain blogging’ yesterday only…& really very much shocked to know how much I might have saved… anyways I started working on it today.
    u guys rock!!!
    All your Tips in getting started is realllllllllly helpful..
    in that under CVS 101, I have some doubts in Quarterly ECB’s.. it may sound childish to u but I really don’t understand! Is there any specific month to redeem that particular Quarters ECB’s?,i’m using CVS Card for atleast 2 years..until today i’ve never used this quarterly ECB so will that all be available as ECB’s in my card..? & how & when can i redeem this Q-ECB’s?

    Reply

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  104. Stephanie

    It depends on the deal. If it is an ECB deal you can buy two and then look at the bottom of your receipt to see if it says “limit reached” or not.

    Reply

  105. Anonymous

    In scenarios where a product is being sold as buy one get one free, and then at the bottom it says limit 4, are the 2 free ones a part of the limit of four?

    Reply

  106. Jackie

    This is very helpful. I just started using CVS card in the last week or so and am not yet real familiar with it but look forward to using it and learning more. Thanks for all this help.

    Reply

  107. Brooke

    I accidentally stumbled upon this trick with buy one get one free manufacturers coupons and thought I would share…
    I was purchasing shampoo and conditioner, which were regularly $7.49, but on sale for $5.00 and earned 3 ECB with purchase of both. I had 2 manufacturers coupons, a buy one get one free and $3.00 off coupon. (Yes you can use them both!) Meaning I would pay $2.00 out of pocket and earn $3.00 ECBs yielding a profit of $1.00. If you have your CVS card scanned last after the coupons you actually earn more. I received a $7.49 credit for the buy one get one coupon and then when the CVS card was scanned the price was reduced to $5.00, meaning I earned an extra $2.49. You must be careful though because in this scenario the balance would have been -$0.49. ($10.00 – $7.49 – $3.00). If you purchase something else, then you won’t through up any red flags.

    Reply

  108. Shannon

    Thanks for this. I just started doing the CVS ECB’s last month. I was excited to total up what I spent and my “profit”, it came in that I had an $82.87 profit. Just had to share and say thank you!
    You do a great job!! 🙂

    Reply

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