Uncategorized

Why Didn’t My Walgreen’s Register Reward Print?

walgreens register reward

“Why didn’t my Walgreen’s Register Reward print??”  I think this is one of the most commonly asked questions here on Couponing 101.  Admit it – you’ve asked it, haven’t you?  I know I have!  Walgreens register rewards are really a pain!  There are so many rules you have to remember, and for the beginner couponer – they can really be confusing!

Here are a few common reasons for your register reward not printing:

1.  You bought the wrong items. Register Rewards can be very picky!  Did you buy the exact size indicated in the ad?  What about variety? Flavor?  Sometimes more items will be included than what is pictured in the ad, but usually not.  You need to buy exactly what is pictured if you plan on convincing the manager that you should have received a register reward.

2.  You did not meet the purchase amount threshold. If the register reward requires you to spend a certain amount (ie.  “Spend $20 on xyz products and receive $10 register rewards”), you must spend at least that amount.  $19.99 is NOT the same as $20 when it comes to register rewards!

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

3.  You used a Register Reward from the same brand. You cannot “roll” register reward deals.  The register reward you use will cancel out the register reward that should print.  This only applies to rewards from the same brand/company.  If you use a register reward that was earned by buying a product manufactured by a completely different company, then your register reward should still print.

4.  The register reward machine was not working. Yes, it does happen!  If this happens, ask to have them re-ring your purchase at a different register.

5.  There’s a full moon, a Walgreen’s employee crossed your path, or you walked under a Walgreen’s ladder. I’ll say it again: Walgreen’s register rewards are a PAIN!  Sometimes I am completely flabbergasted, and have absolutely no idea why my reward didn’t print!

Here are some rules to remember when using register rewards:

  • You cannot have more coupons than items – register rewards are coupons! So, if you are buying 1 item and using a coupon on it, you will not be able to use a register reward also.  In this instance, you would add a very cheap item to your order (called a “filler”) to even out the item to coupon ratio.
  • You cannot use a register reward on an item earning a register reward for the same deal. (I know, could I make that sound more confusing?!)  Register rewards from the same company cancel each other out.  P&G makes a ton of products like Pampers and Tide.  So, let’s say you buy Pampers and earn a register reward.  Then you want to buy Tide and earn the register reward advertised for it.  Do not use the Pampers register reward!  If you do, the Tide register reward will not print!  You can, however, use a register reward that was earned by buying a product from another company and the register reward will print.  It is fairly easy to find out which company produced your register reward.  It will say something like “compliments of xyz” or look in the fine print for “Retailer: xyz.”
  • They expire really fast! Two weeks is all they give you to use that register reward.  If you don’t think you will be back in time to use it, go ahead and purchase something right then and use your register reward.

I am not trying to discourage anyone from shopping at Walgreen’s or participating the Register Reward program.  I am simply trying to make sure everyone is well educated on how the system works!  If you have any other questions or if this was confusing, please leave a comment with your question or send me an email!  I want you to be able to shop at Walgreen’s with confidence!

You can find more tips for shopping at Walgreen’s HERE.

Photo Credit

    29 Comments

  1. Judy

    I love shopping at Walgreens plus I get military discount on Tues 🙂 The one specifically by my house has always been RR and coupon friendly, and the employees are nice. I know there’s quite a bit of rules but all of my trips except one have gone fine there. I searched for this because I had another issue but at a different Walgreens with not printing out my RR. The lady said I had to purchase them separately which I didn’t know why because there was no need to. Different items and brands, I used one coupon but it was a manf one, and like Stephanie stated, it shouldn’t stop the RR from printing. I’m about to take my items back to get my RRs. I have yet to master CVS but it’s more because their prices seem higher than Walgreens and I don’t get my discount there. But maybe one day 🙂

  2. JR

    As an employee at Walgreens, I hate to see RR not printing for customers and I am empathetic to your frustrations.

    These are the two most common reasons (at my store anyway) a RR won’t print:
    1) RR coupons haven’t been activated at our store yet. This usually occurs at the beginning of a “coupon week”. It most often occurs between Saturday and Sunday when we roll out the new flyer so coupons from the previous week and next week are technically both valid. To avoid this, stop down at Walgreens during the week or call ahead to make sure the register rewards are printing. Personally, I would have no problem telling a customer over the phone if they were working or not, since the problem seems to occur so often.
    2) Read the details! It takes me about 5 seconds to determine what’s wrong with the product a customer brings up and what the coupon says to receive a RR. 2 or more? 7-13.5oz? Dark chocolate only? These details matter and help avoid hassle on both sides.

    I hope these tips help and good luck in your couponing endeavors!

  3. Jessie

    THANK YOU! You helped me a lot. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why my RRs were not coming out! grr! I think I just may have to stick to CVS. It is so much easier.

  4. Stinabina

    I have had register rewards not print and 100% of the time when I have called it to their attention. They have rerung the item simply to get me my reward. While I know it cannot be said if all Walgreens store, in the case if mine… What they lack in ease of use they more than make up for with great customer service.

  5. JimmyB

    I have just started using Walgreen’s Register Rewards recently and it has been a nightmare! The last 3 store visits I’ve had problems checking out using them. I talked to the store mgr. today and I learned…..you cannot combine a manufacturers coupons and a register rewards on the same item. If you have 4 RR coupons, you must have 4 items at checkout. On other hand: you can double stack coupons: a WG in ad coupon with a mfg. coupon will go thru.
    Quiet frankly I don’t see much advantage to RR’s because there are so many dang restrictions on their use. Why don’t they just let us use the RR’s as cash on whatever we purchase and be done with it!!
    CVS? I have had similar problems there too. I have just started using most of my coupons at face value at Wal Mart and having less hassle and stress.
    and yes, like a person stated earlier, I am a very easy going low key personality, but I have developed a thicker skin since couponing!
    Good luck and happy shopping

  6. Tina

    I just tried to purchase 2 boxes of Kellogs cereal for $5/2 and get $2RR. I added a filler item and used a Manufacturer Q for the cereal and a $3RR that said P&G on it. My $2RR didn’t print. Does anyone know why I didn’t get a RR?

  7. April

    Please help! I went shoppeing at Walgreens today and bought almost everything that earned RR, none printed when I checked out. I had to leave at that moment because they were closing. What can I do now, after the fact? I want my RR! Should I take my receipt back to Walgreens? So frusterated, any advise would be helpful. Thank you so much, April

    • Stephanie

      @April, Oh no! I am guessing the reward machine wasn’t working. I would try going back to the store and explaining what happened. You might want to bring your items back too in case they want to re-ring everything.

  8. Coleen

    Oh, how I wish I’d have known all this before my trip to Walgreens this week. I should say “trips” because I had to go back when I got home and realized that my RR did not print. I have a question about “You cannot have more coupons than items – register rewards are coupons! So, if you are buying 1 item and using a coupon on it, you will not be able to use a register reward also. In this instance, you would add a very cheap item to your order (called a “filler”) to even out the item to coupon ratio.” My problem was slightly different I think…. My RR didn’t print because I used B1G1 coupons. So, the RR was supposed to be $4.49 for purchasing the item that was priced $4.49 and I got two (one free) and used a MF coupon (B1G1) for each. Follow? The original cashier said I didn’t have to do separate transactions but then the one who fixed it (an Asst. Mgr I think) the next day said I wouldn’t get the RR if I used a MF coupon. I did not realize that the RR was really a MF coupon since it’s advertised like a store coupon. So my question is, when I go back to use my RR, can I only use each on one item that is equal to or over $4.50?
    Walgreens doesn’t play fair. I would like to know of a link with their policy too. It isn’t ethical to have secret policies on issues like this.
    thanks!

    • Stephanie

      @Coleen, Okay, I’m not quite sure I’m following but I’ll give it a whirl…

      1. You cannot have more coupons than items, so if you have a manufacturer coupon AND a Register Reward and you are only buying one item then you will need to add a filler to your purchase in order to use both coupons.

      2. Except in very rare instances, using a manufacturer will not prevent a register reward from printing. So, the manager that told you that was wrong. However, using a register reward to buy another of the same item will prevent the register reward from printing.

      3. Only 1 of each register reward will print per transaction. So if you used a b1g1 coupon to buy 2 of the same item earning RRs, only 1 RR will print even though you bought 2 items.

      4. Your purchase must be equal to or more than your RR, but it doesn’t matter how many items. If I want to use a $5 RR, I can buy 1 $5 item or 5 $1 items, it doesn’t matter.

      5. Walgreens coupon policy is very wishy-washy and they leave it up to the managers on some things.

  10. Laurie

    Today, I had a very hard time with 2 Walgreens in the Ft. Lauderdale area. At one, I was only allowed to use one manufacturers coupon per item, and one register rewards coupon towards my whole transaction–I couldn’t use all my RR coupons. PLUS, the cashier said since I used a MF coupon on the items, my NEW RR wouldn’t print out because of it! The cashier said “oh, that’s the way our manager has the registers set up.” I wrote Walgreens a long letter, and will let you know their response. It’s really not a “reward” if they limit how many of your own rewards you can use. It’s also false advertising if they say you will get an RR, and it doesn’t print out. CVS is so fair–you can use as many extra bucks as you have saved up, plus use MF coupons, plus you always get the EB back for the week. Walgreens will never compare to CVS if they don’t do the same! :o)

  13. Mary Sue

    I stopped shopping at Walgreens completely. I am with MANDY on, “the employees act like each coupon comes out of their own paycheck.” Even their Store Managers are very rude when they’re called up front because a register reward won’t print or the register won’t accept your coupon. And they won’t explain to you why, plus I don’t think they even know. Rules, rules, rules!! I shop CVS. They go over & beyond to please the customer in my neighborhood.

  14. Ohio Mom

    I Hear You Stephanie!

    Great Post. I have had all of the same problems that you explained! Come on Walgreens, get your act together!

  15. Jennifer

    Great post. I started shopping at Walgreens when I started couponing back in April, but stopped a few months ago because there are way too many “rules”. I now shop at CVS because there are not all the rules and the Extra Care Bucks have a longer expiration date than Walgreens register rewards. I have to admit though that I did get some awesome deals at Walgreens. But keeping up with all the rules got to be too much.

  16. Jessica

    Thanks for the post – great job summarizing a confusing rewards program. I was told by a manager today at Walgreen’s that any “filler items” had to be similar to the amount of the reward. For example if I had 5 rewards to use and only 3 items, the other 2 items needed to be around the same amount as my 2 lowest rewards. Ugh!!! Does anyone know of a Walgreen’s Corporate coupon policy one can get ahold of? Thanks!

    • cath

      @Jessica,
      walgreens has their coupon policy online. these employees are lying to you about corporate policies, i work at a walgreens in CO and that is all BS we are very respectful to our walgreen shoppers and i personally apologize for them acting like that to everyone. you do NOT need to buy a filler close in price to your regular items! call 1800walgreens and complain about the store! that is a ridiculous rule that a manager made up. the only legitimate rules are stated clearly online and the only thing we might do is limit a customer to 3 transactions if there is a line and we are short handed therefor not having enough cashiers.

  17. Beth

    Usually . . . for me anyway . . . the reason winds up under #4. I almost never shop at Walgreen’s anymore. The last time I purchased 12 items and it took nearly 45 minutes to check out — again and again — because they didn’t have the items coded properly & they couldn’t get the RR machine to work. UGH!
    I’m sick to death of showing the cashiers & managers how to scan coupons and educate them weekly on their corporate coupon policy. When a legitimate coupon won’t work, I’m tired of the cashier handing it back to me saying, “This one ain’t gonna work.” When I ask politely for the manager to come over and the situation is resolved — well that just makes them hate to see me coming next time. NO THANKS! I’m shopping more & more at CVS and Rite-Aid where there aren’t quite so many “coupon hoops” to jump through and they are “coupon friendly”!
    .-= Beth´s last blog ..Sample Arm & Hammer Toothpaste =-.

  18. Claire

    To keep it simple,I only get one freebie per week at Walgreens, and then use that RR to buy a newspaper for coupons. I have a good stockpile and the headache of keeping track of all of these rules are just not a good use of my time.

    Love the post though! Thanks Stephanie!

  19. ilona

    I too only shop there a handful of times (like when they had their baby wipes deal!!!!) because 1)CVS is just up the street and 2)It’s so confusing.

    I wish I read this just a few weeks ago…I also learned about the “You cannot have more coupons than items – register rewards are coupons! ” rule. Thanks for posting this as many might miss out on RR because of the same brand/mfg rule.

  20. Kim

    I am tired of Walgreens as well. I was in the store yesterday and the manager said that I can only use 1 register reward per transaction now. She said that is came from coroprate! I am sticking to CVS and Rite Aid from now on!!
    .-= Kim´s last blog ..Deals and Freebies this week =-.

  22. Corrie @ "Cents"able Momma

    I almost never shop at Walgreens anymore, because I have so many problems with RR’s printing. I don’t know if it’s a store-to-store basis, but my RR’s almost never print if I use a coupon to purchase the item. I got tired of having to talk to the manager every time I purchased something at Walgreens. Plus, what’s the point of shopping there if I can’t use a coupon :-)?

    Good thing CVS is so great!
    .-= Corrie @ “Cents”able Momma´s last blog ..Entertainment Book: Review & Giveaway =-.

Comments are closed.

SEARCH

ABOUT COUPONING101

Couponing101.com is a free resource for all who are interested in learning more about couponing and saving money.  Couponing 101 offers a variety of money-saving strategies that encourage and motivate readers to get creative and explore different savings techniques.

CONNECT & FOLLOW

POPULAR POSTS

CATEGORIES