[AngieP]

[font="Verdana"][size="3"][color="DimGray"]Welcome to the CVS 101 Thread. You'll find many of the frequently asked questions here, as well as the not so frequently asked questions.

If you have something to add to this thread, please report the post with your suggested additions/changes by clicking the "report" button in the bottom corner of the post.

• What is the Extra Care Card
• How does the Extra Care Bucks program work?
• What are CRT coupons?
• Combining CVS and Manufacturer’s coupons
• Overage at CVS
• How do I use $/$$ CVS Coupons?
• BOGOF sale on items qualifying for a ECB promotion
• Using coupons on a BOGOF sale
• Using coupons on clearanced items
• CVS "register logic", or Understanding how your CVS Register works
• CVS Trial Sizes
• CVS Coupon Calculator
• CVS Return Policy
• View CVS Ads online
• What brands are specific to CVS
  

******Because of these legal issues and because we want to protect AFC and our members, we have to put an end to the sharing of coupons on AFC through private messaging and email. Effective immediately, all threads that offer to share a coupon via a private message or email will be removed for your protection.******

[AngieP]

What is the ExtraCare Card?

The CVS ExtraCare card allows you to take advantage of their Extra Care Buck program as well as receive in store coupons via snail mail or email.

You can obtain a CVS ExtraCare card from any store, just ask for it at the register. They will give you a short form to fill out, and then give you your card. You can also register for one online if you are willing to wait a week or two to get it in the mail.

If you filled out the form at the store, you can go online and register your card with all your information, or you can go ahead and call CVS customer service (1-800-SHOP-CVS), and ask them to register your card so that you can see your account online. The advantage of seeing it online is you can check your spending there. You can also use it to purchase items online and get discounts and have it count toward your spending for the quarter (more on that in a moment). You cannot get ECBs when you shop online.

The ECB program is tied to your CVS card. If you forget your card at home, the cashier can manually enter in your phone number. The register then will pull up the information on the last card scanned that is associated with this phone number. Assume for a moment that my household has two cards, one for my spouse and one for myself, and both are tied to the same phone number. Further assume that my spouse went to CVS this morning, and scanned her/his card for my purchase. If I forget my card the next time I go to CVS, and give the cashier our phone number, the register will pull up my spouse’s account since her card was the last one to be scanned. You may want to use cell phone numbers instead of home phone numbers to link to your card to avoid this!

**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

You can earn Extra Care Bucks ("ECBs") in three different ways:

First, ECBs are earned through promotions, such as “Buy this product, receive $$ in ECB.” Sometimes the promotion says “buy $X of this product and get $Y in ECBs.” The required amount to receive the ECB is calculated before coupons. So, if you have to purchase $10 worth, you can do that and then have $10 of coupons and still get the ECB promised! You do not have to buy all the products for that particular promotion in the same transaction, unless specifically stated in that promotion. In fact, they can be bought anytime, at any store, as long as the purchase is made during the time period the promotion is valid. Your receipt will print at the bottom and keep track of how much you have toward a spend $X get $Y promotion. Be aware that there are both weekly sales that are printed, and a monthly sale book. The weekly sale flyers are typically in the Sunday paper. The monthly books are only available at the store. Both can be viewed at cvs.com.

Second, at the end of each quarter, CVS rewards it’s customers by giving them 2% back of the total amount spent during the quarter. The 2% is calculated after coupons and is given in the form of an ECB. You will see at the bottom of your CVS receipt a total amount spent for the quarter. It will say “Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter Spending is $ XX.XX”. Multiply this number by .02 and you’ll get an approximation of what you’re getting back.

Third, $1 ECB is earned for every 2 prescriptions filled @ CVS. The $1 is reflected in your quarterly ECB total. Always scan that card at the pharmacy counter!

Your ECBs will print immediately when you have earned it at the bottom of your register receipt. (Except for the quarterly spending. Watch your receipt for an announcement of when the quarterly ECB will print. This is usually about 2 weeks after the quarter ends. Once they start printing, when you make a purchase the ECB will print at the end like normal.)

ECB coupons can be used to purchase nearly anything in the store. Please note that the excluded items are prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, and Gift Cards. In some areas, this also includes dairy.

ECB coupons expire 4 weeks from the date they are printed.

At many stores, the CVS sale prices for the following week are put into effect Saturday afternoon/evening. Although the sale price for an item may be in effect, your purchases will not count toward and ECB promotion if you go ahead and purchase it Saturday evening. If a “Buy $20 in Revlon products, and get $10 ECB” promotion” is supposed to start the following week, and you buy Revlon products Saturday night, you may well get the sale prices, but those purchases will not count toward the ECB promotion. Of course, YMMV!

When you are shopping for the monthly sales, many times the ECBs are not “turned on” right away on the first of the month. Always call customer service if this is the case when you make a purchase and ECBs do not print.



**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

CRT coupons: In addition to ECBs printing at the bottom of your receipt, you may receive CRT coupons. These can be very general ~$1 of any pain reliever, or these can be more specific~ $2 off of a $10 Tylenol purchase. You may also receive CVS coupons such as $4 off of your $20 purchase on your next cvs purchase. These can be used in addition to your ECBs. CRT coupons can also be combined with mfg coupons.

Both ECB and CRT coupons are specific to your CVS account, which means you can not use them without your specific CVS card. For Example: If you have multiple CVS cards, you will not be able to use a ECB/CRT coupon coordinated w/ card #1 on a purchase being made w/ card #2.


**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

CVS accepts manufacturer's coupons. CVS also issues their own store-specific coupons. You may receive CVS store-specific coupons via email, snail mail or at the bottom of your receipt (CRT coupon). In addition, you may sometimes find pre-printed coupons (or coupon booklets) in various places throughout the store. These are often found in the cosmetics department (beauty handbook) in the pharmacy department, or up by the front registers. If you can't find any at your store, it never hurts to ask an employee.

The CVS coupon policy allows for the use of one manufacturer and one CVS coupon on the same item. However, “register logic” built into the CVS transaction processing system, requires that you have at least as many items as you have coupons you are using. So if you are buying 1 item, and have a manufacturer and CVS coupon that item, you will need to purchase an additional item (can be anything; from a candy bar to a coke) if you plan to use ECBs in that transaction (unless you have a cashier that will force the coupon through). This is entirely a YMMV situation as some shoppers have discovered that their store register doesn't follow the same logic at other store registers.

**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

CVS registers are programmed to not allow overage. If you buy 5 Colgate Toothpastes on sale for $1.25 each, and plan to use 5 $1.50/1 coupons, the first 4 will scan without a problem. However, the last coupon will beep, and the register will not accept the coupon. The register will display a message to the cashier stating that the coupon has “exceeded limit” and it will prompt the cashier to modify the coupon to the max value (which is included in the prompt). In this case, the last coupon will be modified to 25c since:

5 items @ $1.25 each = $6.25
- 4 coupons @ $1.50/1 = $6.00
Difference is = $0.25

Therefore, the register will not let the last coupon to exceed the $0.25 “balance.”

YMMV, but there are cashiers who will force the coupon through at full value anyway.

**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

When you receive a $/$$ cvs coupon, for example a $4/$20 cvs purchase your total must be $20 before your coupons.

You can not stack these, meaning if your total is $22 and you have a $5 off of $15, you can't use a coupon to get your $22 down to $17 and then use another one to get your $17 down to $12.

Some stores/cashiers will let you use multiple $X off of $XX coupons IF your total is higher than the $XX combined. Ex: If you have 2 $5 off of $15 coupons, your total must be $30 or higher before coupons.

If you are able to use two $X off of $XX coupons, the barcodes must be different. You cannot use two of the same barcode coupons at the same time.

You can use an ECB for a total smaller than the ECB is worth, but you'll lose the difference. Example: if your ECB is for $10 and your total is for $5, you'll lose $5. You don't get change. In some states, you still have to pay tax, so your ECB will not cover the tax portion of the total due. Also, if you live in one of those states, you'll never get a $0 out-of-pocket.


**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

If an ECB promotion requires a certain number of items to be bought to qualify for the ECB reward, and there is a store BOGOF promotion, both items will count toward the promotion. For example, if Oral-B toothbrushes are BOGOF (buy-one-get-one-free) and there is currently a “Buy 3 Oral-B products and earn $5 ECB” promotion, you only have to buy 2 sets of the BOGO toothbrushes (4 total), instead of buying 3 sets (6 toothbrushes total).

If an ECB promotion requires a certain amount of money to be spent to qualify for the ECB reward, and the item is BOGOF, the amount is calculated after the sale price, so the free item is not applied toward the promotion.

Let’s assume that Oral-B toothbrushes retail for $3 and they are BOGOF while there is a “spend $10 in Oral-B products to earn $5 EB” promotion. If you spend $3 and buy two, only $3 will apply toward the promotion (not $6), because the free item was a part of the sale. ECB are calculated after sale prices but before coupons.


**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

Although the CVS coupon policy does allow for 2 coupons to be used when a item is BOGOF (one for each item), it is ultimately up to the store manager to accept both coupons.


**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

Coupons can be used on clearance. However, if your store has to enter in clearance items manually (will show up on receipt as generic “taxable item“ rather than a specific item), they will have to enter in the coupons manually as well because the register will not will not recognize a item to apply the coupon to, as the product was entered in a generic format. YMMV in having those items count towards the ECB deals.


**Thanks to GreatBearAngus and mandiedq for the information

[AngieP]

CVS "register logic", or Understanding how your CVS Register works

Total item count = each unit scanned counts as one to the total item count (items in store, GC, stamps, cigarettes, photo orders, etc.)

So the register logic says that if a customer purchases 8 items the most coupon deductions that can be rung in is 8. 10 items equals 10 deductions max and so on. “Coupon deductions” can be CVS coupons printed from the register or online, CVS $X off of $XX, manufacturer coupons, and possibly ECBs.

When you head for the register, count the items in your cart. Then I count the coupons you will use. If you have more than the number of items in your cart, you will likely have the register beep because register logic says that you aren't entitled to more deductions than items purchased even though CVS does allow for you to use 2 coupons (one manufacturer plus one CVS) on one item before using ECBs.

Most cashiers will force a coupon through manually when the register complains (aka beeps). You do have to be careful though because CVS does not allow you to get certain items for discounted or free with their ECB program. This includes stamps, cigarettes, and in some areas dairy.

Typically, the logic you would use is to present all your coupons before ECBs, but if you have some of the excluded items mentioned above, you will want to present your ECBs before coupons. The register assumes ECB are going towards the “accepted” products for discount. This makes it trickier because if you are presenting your coupons in the typical fashion (coupons then ECBs), you know how many ECBs you need to get a low out of pocket. In this manner, you have to do your math before hand to “beat” the register logic and present enough, but not too many ECBs to make your out of pocket as low as possible.

**Thanks to mjloves2shop for the information

[AngieP]

Prices at your local CVS may vary

Advil Liquid Gels $.99
Band Aid Bandages $.99
Cepacol $.99
Colgate Toothpaste $.99
Crest Toothpaste $.99
Curel Lotion $.99
Dove Bar Soap 2/$.99
Gillette Shave Cream $.99
Gold Bond Lotion $.99
Head & Shoulders Shampoo $.99
Herbal Essence Shampoo $.99
Irish Spring Bar Soap $.99
Johnson Baby Powder $.99
Johnson's Baby Lotion $.99
Johnson's Baby Shampoo $.99
Lady Speed Stick $.99
Lever 2000 Bar Soap 2/$.99
Lubriderm Lotion $.99
Neutrogena Shampoo or Conditioner $.99
Nivea Cream $.99
Old Spice High EnduranceDeoderant $.99
Pantene Hair Spray $.99
Pert Shampoo $.99
Purell Hand Sanitizer $.99
Schick ST Razors $.99
Speed Stick Deoderant $.99
Summer's Eve Wash $.99
Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion $.99


**Thanks to mjloves2shop for the information

[AngieP]

AFC member BigJimSlade has come up with a handy CVS coupon calculator spreadsheet that it sure to help you when figuring out your CVS Ecb deals.

http://www.afullcup.com/upload/cvs/4...alculator.html

[AngieP]

Return policy for non-prescription items: hassle-free return policy allows you to return products to any CVS/pharmacy store or by mail within 30 days of receipt, subject to a few exceptions.

Store return for online purchases: Bring any unopened, damaged, or defective nonprescription item(s) along with your online invoice to any CVS/pharmacy store to get a credit of the full purchase price.

Mail Returns: Call our Customer Care Specialists at (888) 607-4CVS (4287) to return items by mail. We will work with you to ensure that both your return and credit refund are processed accurately.

Return Policy for prescription items: If you have questions or concerns about prescription items in your order, please call our Customer Care Specialists at (888) 607-4CVS (4287). Due to legal restrictions, prescription medications ordered online cannot be returned to CVS/pharmacy stores.

money-back guarantee: All CVS/pharmacy Brand products and all beauty products are 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, you can return the CVS/pharmacy Brand or beauty product (opened or unopened) along with your receipt or invoice and we will refund the full purchase price- no questions asked.

If you received a damaged package or there is an order discrepancy, please contact our Customer Care Specialists immediately at (888) 607-4CVS (4287) or via email at customercare@cvs.com. Include the order number along with the reason for the return when you contact us. Shipping charges cannot be refunded unless your merchandise arrived defective or damaged.

**Thanks to queenbear for the information

[AngieP]

Weekly ads can be found on CVS's website:
CVS - Weekly Store Ad Online

[AngieP]

CVS licensed/exclusive brands:

Life Fitness
Christophe
Skin Effects
Playskool
Lumene (recently this is also available at target)
Nuprin
Essence of Beauty
Gold Emblem
PreVentin-AT
single-use digital cameras and camcorders from Pure Digital

first 5 of the UPC codes begin with 50148

***Thanks to queenbear for the information