[smadler]

Im a newbie at this whole CVS thing and am not sure if i really understand how it works. If theres something that you get extra bucks on does it apply right then or do you pay the amount and get the ecb's later? Say I did the Febreeze one going on now -

Febreze Noticeables $6.50
Febreze Noticeables $6.50
Febreze Air Effects $3
Febreze Fabric Refreshener $5
-$4 Noticeables MQ
-$4 Noticeables MQ
-$3 Free Air Effects wyb Fabric Refresher MQ
-$1 Fabric Refresher MQ
-$5 ECB
-$5 ECB
= $1 MM

If im reading this right the $5 ECB's apply right then and I dont have to wait until later for them and pay something out of pocket for this transaction. Is this right??

One other question - does it matter how many ECB's you use for one transation? Like if i do the febreeze one (which is limit of 5 for that one) and then another one like the No. 2 pencils that are free after the extra bucks (limit 3). So I can do the Febreeze one 5 times and get three free things of pencils?


Thank you for your help!!

[Pepsilady405]

They don't apply right then, you pay out of pocket then they print on the bottom of your receipt. You can then turn around and use them to pay for another transaction right after that one. Keeping your out of pocket down by splitting your transactions is the best way to do it. For me anyway.

HTH

[Pepsilady405]

Oh and to answer your use of ECB question, you need to have one item per coupon. The ECB is considered a coupon. Therefore you may need to have some "fillers". Like a clearance item, or a candy bar, pack of gum etc.

If I have five items and all five have a coupon then I want to use 2 ECB's, I need to have a total of 7 items.

I hope I'm not making this is a clear as mud for ya

[stefani1]

Your ECB's do not apply right in that transaction!! They print out after the transaction. Once you do a transaction then you can apply the previous ECB's to your next transaction to have zero to little OOP. If your just starting and don't have any ECB's, then you WILL have to pay OOP (out of pocket) for the transaction until you aquire the ECB's to use later.

Not sure what you mean by your second question - but you can use as many ECB's as you want on a transaction as long as it doesn't go over the amount of what your purchasing. You don't need to get fillers for the coupons at CVS only if your ECB's are going to bring you into the negative. I've used 2 or 3 ECB's on 1 product before with no problems!!! You need to get fillers at Wags NOT CVS!

ECB's are pretty easy once you get used to them, and I've walked out MANY times paying ZERO oop at CVS. I can't seem to do that at Walgreens since you always have to pay the tax there. Good luck and maybe someone else will answer as well.

Also remember that if you do a transaction that gives you ECB's you will get that amount. If there is a limit of 5 and you do ALL 5 in one transaction - then you will get one BIG ECB for the total amount. So for the Febreeze deal - if you did one transaction - you would get $5 ECB at a time. If you did all 5 at one shot - 1 big $25 ECB would print which is sometimes tough to spend and roll. If you did 2 transactions together you'd get $10 ECB. I just want you to be aware of that. I personally like the smaller ECB's so I can use them on my next transactions to get my total as close to $0 as possible!

[minniemom]

Originally Posted by smadler

Im a newbie at this whole CVS thing and am not sure if i really understand how it works. If theres something that you get extra bucks on does it apply right then or do you pay the amount and get the ecb's later? Say I did the Febreeze one going on now -

Febreze Noticeables $6.50
Febreze Noticeables $6.50
Febreze Air Effects $3
Febreze Fabric Refreshener $5
-$4 Noticeables MQ
-$4 Noticeables MQ
-$3 Free Air Effects wyb Fabric Refresher MQ
-$1 Fabric Refresher MQ
-$5 ECB
-$5 ECB
= $1 MM

If im reading this right the $5 ECB's apply right then and I dont have to wait until later for them and pay something out of pocket for this transaction. Is this right??

One other question - does it matter how many ECB's you use for one transation? Like if i do the febreeze one (which is limit of 5 for that one) and then another one like the No. 2 pencils that are free after the extra bucks (limit 3). So I can do the Febreeze one 5 times and get three free things of pencils?


Thank you for your help!!

The ECB's will print out with your receipt, so you can't use them for that transaction. Most people have them from other deals they did the week prior and use them to pay for future transactions, which is how the CVS deals become MM's.

Yep, you can do the febreze 5 times since it has a limit of 5 and do the pencils 3 times - you can do them all in one transaction or split them up into as many as you want. You don't even have to spend $10 on febreze in just one transaction. Your purchases are all tracked by your card, so you can spend $5 today and $5 tomorrow and when you finally hit the $10 purchase requirement your ECB will print out.

Hope that helps!

[MichiganMan]

Originally Posted by smadler

Im a newbie at this whole CVS thing and am not sure if i really understand how it works.

If im reading this right the $5 ECB's apply right then and I dont have to wait until later for them and pay something out of pocket for this transaction. Is this right??

One other question - does it matter how many ECB's you use for one transation? Like if i do the febreeze one (which is limit of 5 for that one) and then another one like the No. 2 pencils that are free after the extra bucks (limit 3). So I can do the Febreeze one 5 times and get three free things of pencils?


Thank you for your help!!

No, ECB's print at the bottom of your receipt, and are available for you to use on your NEXT purchase. They do NOT apply to your current purchase.

And there is no limit to the number of ECB's you can use for one transaction. In the old days, there was an arcane set of rules ... but those rules are not in place any longer.

Good luck, and have fun.

[MichiganMan]

Holy cow, you got a LOT of responses in like a 5 minute period.

[smadler]

No I understand a little better now!!! So If I go and get:

2 Febreze Noticeables $6.50
=$13.00
-$4 Noticeables MQ
-$4 Noticeables MQ
=$5 OOP
and I will get $5 ECB's printed on the end of my receipt that I can turn around and use on another transaction? Just a scenario - im sure theres a better example out there to start off with but thats all i got right now!

Im going to learn this one way or another!!

[Madmurphy]

ECBs are printed at the bottom of your receipt after you pay for the item so you are out of pocket for your first purchases until you accrue a stash of ECBs.

In the Febreeze example, the OP was subtracting the ECBs that you'd "earn" to show that the deal, once the dust settled, was a money making opportunity.


It does not matter how many ECBs you use for one transaction. I've bought a single item and used 20 different ECBs to pay for it. But I'm guessing that isn't quite what you were trying to ask.

Since you don't have any ECBs saved up, you could buy a pack of pencils in your first transaction and be out of pocket $.99 but earn a $.99 ECB. Then, use that $.99 ECB to buy a second pack of pencils in your next transaction. Your oop expense is $0 and you'll earn a $.99 ECB. Then on your third transaction, your oop expense is $0 and you have a $.99 ECB left. Your limit of pencils has been met.

Now you can take that $.99 and put it toward the purchase of a Febreeze deal. You can buy the amount required to earn a $5 ECB (or whatever you had planned) and pay with your $.99 ECB and cash. Then use your $5 ECB on your next transaction to pay for the purchase. By the last transaction, you'll be paying with an ECB earned from your previous Febreeze purchase and will receive an ECB. Your limit of Febreeze will have been met.

Then, you could take that $5 ECB and buy 3 rolls of Free after ECB tape and Free after ECB pantiliners. Your total would be 3 X $1.49 + $.88 = $5.35 and you'd pay with the $5 ECB from the last Febreeze transaction. You'd earn a $4.47 ECB and a $.99 ECB (The pantiliners are printing out a $.99 ECB)

[smadler]

Wow - that is alot of responses. Im off to CVS to try this out!!

Thank you so much for your help you guys!

[Madmurphy]

Originally Posted by Pepsilady405

Oh and to answer your use of ECB question, you need to have one item per coupon. The ECB is considered a coupon. Therefore you may need to have some "fillers". Like a clearance item, or a candy bar, pack of gum etc.

If I have five items and all five have a coupon then I want to use 2 ECB's, I need to have a total of 7 items.

I hope I'm not making this is a clear as mud for ya

No No No No No !!!!!

ECBs are not considered coupons.

I don't know how many times this issue has been brought up and it's wrong. You can use as many individual ECBs to pay for your transaction as you have. I have used 20 different ECBs to pay for a single item. I regularly have a manufacturer's coupon (and sometimes a CVS coupon in conjunction with the manufacturer's coupon) for each item and will pay the remaining balance totally with ECBs. The register logic does not confuse ECBs with CVS coupons/manufacturer's coupons.

Don't worry about filler items/item count/etc. All you have to remember is that CVS registers are programmed to accept one CVS coupon (barcode begins with a 4) and one manufacturer's coupon (barcode begins with a 5 or a 9) per item purchased.

[MichiganMan]

Originally Posted by Madmurphy

No No No No No !!!!!

ECBs are not considered coupons.

MadMurphy is right. In the OLD days, we used to have to deal with "register logic" ... but that is not in place any longer. ECB's don't count as coupons any more.

[maree9304]

I think it's easier to remember that you don't need fillers when you think of ECBs as methods of payment, rather than coupons.

[minniemom]

Originally Posted by maree9304

I think it's easier to remember that you don't need fillers when you think of ECBs as methods of payment, rather than coupons.

That makes a lot of sense. I know for me personally, I think of my ECBs as cash.

[nr29701]

ECBs - I think i understand it now.

[Pepsilady405]

Originally Posted by stefani1

Your ECB's do not apply right in that transaction!! They print out after the transaction. Once you do a transaction then you can apply the previous ECB's to your next transaction to have zero to little OOP. If your just starting and don't have any ECB's, then you WILL have to pay OOP (out of pocket) for the transaction until you aquire the ECB's to use later.

Not sure what you mean by your second question - but you can use as many ECB's as you want on a transaction as long as it doesn't go over the amount of what your purchasing. You don't need to get fillers for the coupons at CVS only if your ECB's are going to bring you into the negative. I've used 2 or 3 ECB's on 1 product before with no problems!!! You need to get fillers at Wags NOT CVS!

ECB's are pretty easy once you get used to them, and I've walked out MANY times paying ZERO oop at CVS. I can't seem to do that at Walgreens since you always have to pay the tax there. Good luck and maybe someone else will answer as well.

Also remember that if you do a transaction that gives you ECB's you will get that amount. If there is a limit of 5 and you do ALL 5 in one transaction - then you will get one BIG ECB for the total amount. So for the Febreeze deal - if you did one transaction - you would get $5 ECB at a time. If you did all 5 at one shot - 1 big $25 ECB would print which is sometimes tough to spend and roll. If you did 2 transactions together you'd get $10 ECB. I just want you to be aware of that. I personally like the smaller ECB's so I can use them on my next transactions to get my total as close to $0 as possible!

Wow.. lucky you!! I always have to have fillers at my cvs! They actually count the coupons even!

[Pepsilady405]

I think I'm gonna ask the manager when I'm in there tomorrow why they make me have one since it's really like "money" there.

I'm really glad you guys posted this! This would save me some filler money!

[russsoul]

I love CVS and AFC. I am learning a ton from you ladies. I feel like I am so behind but I am saving 70-80% every time I go to the grocery store or to CVS. I saved 80% at CVS last night.

I am learning more about the ECB too. It makes a ton of sense about what all of you are saying about doing multiple transactions. Does it annoy the cashiers? Last night I used some ECBs I already had, a ton of coupons for BOGO, and then got $11 ECB at the end for the next trip. This is fine since I think next week will be a good shopping week. But I would like to have a low OOP next time. Can someone help me with what I could have done here?

I only bought sale items:
Olay body wash 2/$12 (bought 2)
Dove deodorant 2.29 ea (bought 2)
Head and shoulders 4.99 ea (bought 2)
Pantene treatment 4.99 (bought 1)
Pantene shampoo 3.33 (bought 2)
Already had 6 ECB
Coupons:
$1 coupon off Pantene treatment
Get one Pantene styler free wyb shampoo and conditioner-saved 5.99
BOGO Heads and shoulders-saved 4.99
1.50 off 2 Dove deodorant
$2 (X2) off Olay body wash-saved $4 total

Earned $5 ECB for buying 2 Olay body washes
Earned $6 ECB for buying Pantene $2 for each

What would you have done AFC? I guess next time, I will write out the prices, how many ECB I have and plot out how many transactions I need to do the lowest OOP.

[MichiganMan]

Originally Posted by russsoul

What would you have done AFC? I guess next time, I will write out the prices, how many ECB I have and plot out how many transactions I need to do the lowest OOP.

When you are learning, this is the best way to go ... Plan everything out ahead of time ... it teaches your brain to think in a disciplined way. After a while, however, you will begin to be able to put together deals in your head, without having to write them down first. That's how you will know that you are down with the CVS-sickness! LOL

[cateohara]

i went to cvs today for the first time. did 3 transaction because i found some things for rebates and i needed separate receipts.

first transaction
dawn detergent 0.99 ecb
cvs pantiliner 0.89 ecb
cvs tape (3) 4.47 ecb

no ecb credit for this order since it is the first

second transaction
venus embrace razor 3.00 ecb
no credit for ecb from first transaction...why? do i have to tell them to credit the ecb or what?

third transaction
no ecb items

had to get rainchecks for the pencils and post cereal but will look at another cvs tomorrow..
so my receipts say

0.99 ecb
4.47 ecb
1.00 ecb
3.00 ecb

so i have a total of $9.46 but why didn't any of these acb get credited to my second and/or third purchase??

[Elliephant]

Each of those reciept parts that give an ecb amount is like a mini money order that you cut off and use to pay next time around.

[MichiganMan]

Originally Posted by cateohara

so i have a total of $9.46 but why didn't any of these acb get credited to my second and/or third purchase??

You hand the slips of paper to the cashier to pay for your subsequent order, in lieu of money.

[viopacific]

Originally Posted by stefani1

You need to get fillers at Wags NOT CVS!

This is exactly why I LOVE CVS...AND I can roll ECBs into the exact same items. There's no need to track manufacturers and products, thus keeping this mama a little more sane!

[didie1]

Originally Posted by viopacific

This is exactly why I LOVE CVS...AND I can roll ECBs into the exact same items. There's no need to track manufacturers and products, thus keeping this mama a little more sane!

Ditto!!! I go crazy at WAGS at times trying to remember to get fillers when using a RR. CVS is SOOO much easier!