Walgreens recently rolled out a new rewards program called Balance Rewards, with which you can earn points on qualifying purchases. Points can be redeemed as follows:
Balance Reward Points DO NOT ROLL, meaning you cannot earn points on a purchase in which you are redeeming points. So, when deciding to redeem your points, it’s a good idea to use them on items that don’t earn points. Of course, YOU CAN use points on an item that earns points, but just remember that you won’t earn points in that transaction. Shopping the new Walgreens Balance Rewards program can be confusing, but I have put together a new system of scenarios for shopping at Walgreens using Balance Reward points that will help you earn points for the least amount of money OOP!
Below are Scenarios based on Balance Reward Point values with two types of Transactions under each Scenario. You can choose to complete one or both transactions that week, depending on whether you’re just interested in earning or redeeming points or both!
EARN Points Transaction: In order to redeem Balance Reward Points, you have to earn them first! Depending on how much product you want to buy with your points, choose the appropriate point value Scenario and complete that transaction. If you currently have points on your card, but want to earn more, choose the point value Scenario that will earn you the necessary number of points. One nice thing about this new system of scenarios is that you don’t have to buy everything in one transaction to earn the points.
REDEEM Points Transaction: Choose a Scenario based on how many points you currently have on your card and complete the Redeem Points Transaction to get the most bang for your buck! These Redeem Points Transactions are just ONE of many ways to redeem your points, but it will be the most value you’ll get for your points this week’s sales.
Is it better to redeem points right away or to save them up?
The answer to this question will depend on what you want your points to do for you. Redeeming points as soon as you have enough to redeem will keep your OOP costs lower. Saving your points will increase their value and allow you a nice budget to use on items we typically don’t have coupons for (e.g. printer ink, holiday items, gifts, etc.) Notice that up to 10,000 points, the redemption value is essentially 1,000 = $1.00. But, once you earn more points than that, your points are worth more.
