Couponing at Walgreens can add up to serious savings — assuming everything goes right. But we know from personal experience that sometimes stacking offers don't work or a digital coupon doesn't apply to your item. From filler items to reward redemption issues, couponing at Walgreens sometimes needs a little troubleshooting.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered — in this guide, we’ll walk you through the most common Walgreens coupon problems and how to fix them. Plus, our KCL shopping experts share insider info to help you coupon smarter.
Get ready to learn all the tricks and tips that make Walgreens one of our all-time favorite places to coupon and become a Walgreens coupon pro!
KCL TIP: Download the free Krazy Coupon Lady app to make saving at Walgreens simple. And check out our Walgreens deal breakdowns, telling you exactly what to buy and what coupons to use.
Top 10 Pro Tips for Couponing at Walgreens
Digital Coupons: Clip digital coupons as soon as they become available. There are limited quantities, so clipping saves them to your account before they disappear. And don’t worry — even if you clip them, you don’t have to use them right away.
Use the App to Find Coupons: Scan in-store items with the app to find matching Walgreens digital coupons. Open the Walgreens app, tap the “Search” icon (the magnifying glass), and the barcode scanner will appear. Line up the scanner with the item's barcode, and any available digital coupons and deals will show up in the app.
Register Rewards: Because Register Rewards are paper and not digital, treat them like cash. If you lose them, they're gone for good. Expiration varies — some Register Rewards are valid for only a few days (usually around seven days), while others are valid for up to a month.
Spend Boosters: Make sure your total AFTER any store coupons meets a spend booster threshold. For example, if a spend booster says you have to spend $15 on hair care to earn Walgreens Cash, be sure your total after any store coupons is $15.
Clearance: Search "clearance" in the app or website to find hidden gems your store might have marked down.
Filler Items: Here's where using rewards gets a little tricky. You must have the same number of coupons and items. An easy way to get around this is to add a small item, like gum or candy, to your order. This is what we call a "filler item."
Fine Print: Always read the fine print to understand a promotion's or coupon's terms and conditions. Some promos/coupons may have restrictions, such as limits on how many items you can buy or how many times the offer can be used per transaction.
Walgreens Cash: Walgreens Cash can only be redeemed in these specific amounts: $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, $20, or $50. It expires 12 months after earning it. Walgreens Cash can’t be used on alcohol, tobacco, dairy, gift cards, stamps, and lottery tickets. You can redeem up to $50 in Walgreens Cash per transaction. Earn Walgreens Cash on all eligible purchases: 1% back on non-Walgreens brand items, and 5% back on Walgreens brand items.
Using Walgreens Cash at Checkout: Manufacturer and store coupons will come off first; then redeem Walgreens Cash to lower your out-of-pocket total at the register.
Earn Rewards: You can earn Register Rewards when using Walgreens Cash. These aren’t affected in the same way as spend-based Walgreens Cash promotions. However, Walgreens Cash generally lowers your total spend, which can impact spend-based promotions. Often, you can’t spend and earn Walgreens Cash in the same transaction. Don’t use Walgreens Cash to pay for a deal where you earn more Walgreens Cash.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Can I use Walgreens Cash to pay?
Answer: If it's a sale or buy deal, yes. However, it's not recommended to use Walgreens Cash on spend deals as it lowers your threshold amount. It can also disqualify you completely in some cases.
How many Register Rewards can I use?
Answer: You can use one manufacturer coupon per item (and that includes Register Rewards), so you can only use as many Register Rewards as there are items without coupons in your order.
Can I use a Register Reward that has expired?
Answer: No, expired Register Rewards can’t be used. Always be sure to read the terms on the Register Rewards to know when they can be used and if there are any limitations.
Why didn’t I get the Walgreens Cash I expected on my deal?
Answer: This is usually because a promo, store coupon, or store sale put you below a spend threshold.
My Register Reward didn’t print. What do I need to do?
Answer: If you’ve checked and are sure your items qualify, you can contact Catalina to request that it be mailed to you: Catalina Support.
A coupon didn’t come off as expected.
Answer: If a coupon or sales promotion didn’t come off as expected, call Walgreens customer service at 1-800-925-4733 and request they add the missing coupon amount as Walgreens Cash on your account.
My Register Reward didn’t scan. Why not?
Answer: Most likely, one of these situations happened:
The Register Reward wasn’t scanned before the clerk hit total, and they can’t be scanned after that. Avoid this by giving the clerk your Register Rewards at the beginning of the transaction.
There weren’t enough items for the Register Reward to attach to. Each item can only have one manufacturer offer per item. This includes both digital coupons and Register Rewards.
Will I get Register Rewards on a spend deal if I use Register Rewards to pay?
Answer: Yes, as long as they’re manufacturer Register Rewards. Manufacturer Register Rewards are treated like manufacturer coupons.
KCL TIP: Be sure to check out the most up-to-date official Walgreens coupon policy: https://www.walgreens.com/topic/help/generalhelp/coupon_policy_main.js
Extra Credit — Manufacturer vs. Store Coupons and Rewards, Plus Stacking
There are two types of digital Walgreens coupons: Manufacturer coupons, meaning they're from a specific manufacturer like P&G; and store coupons, which are from Walgreens itself.
Walgreens Manufacturer Coupons
Manufacturer coupons are marked “Mfr coupon” in the app. These can only be redeemed once, no matter how many items you’re buying.
Walgreens Store Coupons
You’ll find Walgreens digital store coupons in the app. They're usually marked as “Monthly Savings Book” and can be reused and applied to multiple items. If you see a (Ω) icon, it means there’s a paper version of the coupon available in newspapers.
Manufacturer Register Rewards
These are labeled with “MANUFACTURER CPN,” “MFR,” or “MFC” at the top and act like online manufacturer coupons. You can only use one manufacturer offer per item (including digital coupons, paper coupons, and Register Rewards), and they count toward spend-based promotions.
Walgreens Store Register Rewards
These are labeled with “STORE CPN” at the top, and they function like Walgreens Cash by reducing your out-of-pocket cost. They do count against spend-based promotions.
Online Spend Deals
Online spend reward thresholds are calculated after promo codes, store sales, and Walgreens coupons. The estimated Walgreens Cash you earn may not be accurate when it comes to spend-based deals. You can lower your out-of-pocket cost with online manufacturer coupons. They’re just like cash, so the threshold amount is calculated before they’re taken off.
In-Store Spend Deals
Spend thresholds in-store are calculated after store sales, store coupons, store Register Rewards, and in-store promotions. You can lower your out-of-pocket cost by using digital or paper manufacturer coupons and manufacturer Register Rewards.
Combining (Or Stacking) Manufacturer Coupons With Store Coupons
Walgreens accepts manufacturer coupons and store coupons, and you can use them together on a single item (that's a process called "stacking.") You'll get the best deals when you stack manufacturer coupons with Walgreens store coupons, and combine that with sale prices and promos.
If you have a $0.50 manufacturer coupon valid on Tide, and Walgreens has a $0.75 store coupon valid on laundry detergent, you can stack both coupons on just one bottle of Tide laundry detergent to save $1.25 total.
Most of the digital coupons in the Walgreens app are manufacturer coupons. But you can also use paper manufacturer coupons, clipped from the Sunday newspaper coupon inserts or printed off the internet.
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