CVS: Frequently Asked Questions!
What is the phone number to call if I have a problem?
1-800-SHOP-CVS
Does CVS accept coupons?
Yes! They accept manufacturer's coupons (including printables), their own CVS coupons, and competitor's coupons for new/transferred prescriptions. They do not accept other store coupons like the Walgreen's Instant Value Coupons.
Is there a limit to how many internet printables they will accept?
Not to my knowledge. They do, however, have the right to refuse the coupons if they question their legitimacy. I have never used more than 3-4 printables in any one order, and not all were identical. If you walked in with 12 printables for the same item, I doubt that they would be accepted in one trip. Use common sense with printables.
Does CVS price match other store's sales?
No.
Can I use more than one manufacturer’s coupon on a B1G1 free promotion?
The official company line is yes, but YMMV according to your store manager.
Is there a limit to how many coupons I can use in one transaction?
According to corporate, you can use one CVS coupon and one Manufacturer coupon per item. The issue described below occurs when you have one of each for every item, and then want to use a $ off $ coupon or ECBs (which the register reads as a CVS coupon). In this case, you need to add the small, cheap items to even out the item count.
***They do have limitations on the number of coupons that can be used in a transaction. It is relative to the register's "item counter" logic. If, for example, you're purchasing six items and present seven coupons, the register will only allow six coupons to be scanned. In this situation, it’s best to just toss in a couple of little items like candy bars or nail files to even out the item count.
Do I get overage on my coupons?
No overage~ you should get the items free though! EXAMPLE:
The last coupon (in a family ~ say Suave) will beep. If you bought
10 Suave products @ $.99 each -10 x $1 coupons
The register would beep to tell the cashier "maximum value $.90" for the last one.
If you just have 1 coupon, they will modify the coupon value.
YMMV on this one!
Can I use coupons on clearance items?
Yes. If they give you a hard time, call corporate. They will straighten it out!
The reason they have issues is that they have frequently taken the items out of inventory and crossed out the bar codes. This leaves nothing for the coupons to ‘match up to’ in their registers. They are still supposed to take the coupons, but will need to enter them as MFR coupons instead of scanning them.
I have a coupon good on "CVS brand items". What does this apply to?
CVS labeled items (of course!), Gold Emblem, Lumene, Life Fitness, Essence of Beauty, Playskool, Blade for Men, Cristophe, Nuprin, and Skin Effects.
What are you talking about when you mention "fillers"?
Fillers are small items that you can use to "fill out" the amount you need to buy when you have a CVS coupon good for things like $5 off a $20 purchase. You may have bought items that total $19.75, and need $.25 to be able to use the coupon. This is wehn you grab a clearance item, candy bar, single pencil, etc. You spend $.25 to save $5.00.
What happens if I need to return something that I used coupons to purchase?
I had it happen once that I had used coupons and needed to make a return. They couldn't get the computer to return more than was on the receipt. HOWEVER, she just did a return without scanning the receipt, gave me the full amount back, and kept the old receipt to balance out the register.
CVS Return Policy
Purchasing ahead of a promotion and returning to re-buy is in violation of the CVS return policy, and is considered abuse of the return policy. Doing so repeatedly can result in canceling a shoppers card and getting banned from the store.
Standard Online Return Policy
If you received a damaged package or there is an order discrepancy, please contact our Customer Care Specialists immediately by phone 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. CVS.com may credit shipping charges if your merchandise is defective or damaged.
Nonprescription Returns
Our hassle-free return policy allows you to return products either to the store or by mail within 30 days of receipt, subject to the exceptions cited below:
Store Returns: Bring any unopened, damaged, or defective nonprescription item(s) along with your receipt (invoice) to any CVS/pharmacy store to get a credit of the full purchase price.
Mail Returns: Call Customer Care to return items by mail. We will take your information, provide return instructions, and alert the fulfillment center so that both your return and credit refund are processed accurately.
All CVS brand products and all cosmetics are 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, you can return the CVS brand or cosmetic product (opened or unopened) along with your receipt or invoice. We will refund the full purchase price--no questions asked!
Can I get more than one gift card for new or transferred prescriptions?
Yes, unless it specifically states one per customer/household, etc.
You do need a coupon for this. They won’t just give it to you if you ask for it!
My CVS has a sign that says "We honor competitor RX coupons". What’s that about?
If you have a coupon from Target or another local pharmacy for a transferred prescription gift card, they will honor it as if it were a CVS coupon.
They follow the wording on the coupon, so if it says “One per customer”, it’s one per customer!
They rarely know how to make the computer system accept them!
Where do I find the rebate forms and booklets that everyone is talking about?
The rebate pads are either behind the counter- ask the cashier- or on a pad dangling from a hook at the register.
The other little booklets are generally somewhere around the pharmacy counter in little stands. For example, the “Aisle 1” booklet was found on the pharmacy counter next to their register at my CVS.
When does CVS post the weekly sale ads online?
You can go to the CVS website and sign up for a notification email.
ECBs? CRTs? EIEIO?
ECBs are the CVS Extra Care Bucks that you earn by completing their promotions.
CRTs are the randomly generated coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt.
EIEIO is part of the chorus to the song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". :)
How is everyone getting all these 3/15, 4/20, 5/20 coupons?
Those coupons are randomly generated. The amount you get is probably based on previous spending totals. Sometimes you get a bunch in a few months and then go for months with none.
Can I use more than one $/$ coupon on my order?
YMMV on that. Some stores will allow it as long as your total purchase = at least the combined value of the two coupons. Others won't. The easiest way to do it is to separate your order into 2 transactions and use one on each. If that's not possible, I'd give it a try. The worst they can say is no.
However, you can't use two of the same coupons. If your CRT's have the same code, most stores won't push through the second one. BUT if you have a $4/$20 CRT and a $3/$15 CRT, you can use both if you spend $35. If two $3/$15 CRT's have different codes (look at the 5-digit code on the coupon), then you would be able to use those if you spent $30.
Direct link to CVS ECB sign-in page: https://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gatew...SG=XTRACAREMSG
What are ECBs good for, anyway?
You can use them on just about anything in the store, not just CVS products. Prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, giftcards are excluded. You must use the full amount of the ECB, because it will not carry over or give you money back.
My receipt says I have $3 in ECB. Why didn't my order reflect a $3 discount?
ECB are coupons that you earn. They print at the bottom of your receipt for various promotions, 48 business hours after the qualifying purchase is made. They are NOT instant savings.
You NEED TO MAKE SURE that you cut them off the receipt and save them before you throw out the receipt or mail it off for a rebate!
Will you still get the Extra Care Bucks if you forget your CVS card?
Give the cashier your phone number, and it will credit your Extra Care account with your purchases.
The only caveat here is that if you are due to have ECB print or get coupons, they will not print without PHYSICALLY scanning your card.
How can I see what ECBs I have earned?
Go to www.cvs.com. In the Extra Care section, click on Check Coupons and Balances. Enter your card number, zip code and your last name. The page that appears lists the Extra Care history.
How do I read the Extra Care page?
Under Current Coupons, it lists all of the ECBs that are currently not expired.This includes the ones that have already printed in the store, and the ones that may have been used already! You can print them from this page, but they are invalid if they have already printed or have been used in the store. The coupons stay on this page until they have expired, whether they have been used or not!!! Do NOT think that you have more ECBs than you do.
Under Current Extra Care balances, pay attention to the headings.
Description--Point Balance-- End Date-- Promotion Details
4TH QTR 2006 SPENDING--43.15-- 12/16/2006-- EARN 2% BACK ON ALMOST ALL NON-PRESCRIPTION PURCHASES EVERYDAY.
The points are the dollars spent toward a given ECB promo. In this case, I have spent 43.15 toward the 2% for the 4th quarter.
CVS rounds up, so don't think you have more than you do. For example, if it says that you have 20 points toward a "Buy $20, get ___ promo" you may only have 19.96 and miss the threshold for the ECBs. Keep track of what you spend toward the promos.
When do the CVS coupons and ECB expire?
The weekly coupons that print on your receipt generally expire in a couple of weeks. The ECB expire 4 weeks from the time that they are printed, either online or in the store. If you accidentally let the ECB expire, you can call to have them reset.
I bought some things for this week's ECB promotion on Monday afternoon. It's Wednesday morning, and my points are showing for the deal. I went in, and my ECB didn't print on my receipt. What gives?
When CVS says that your ECB will start printing 2 days after your qualifying purchase, they are not kidding! If you buy something at 3pm on Monday for a promo, your points WILL show up on Wednesday morning. The ECB, however, will not print until after 3pm on Wednesday afternoon. It's a FULL 48 hours. A recent addition to this info is that weekends don't count. So if you buy something on Sunday afternoon, it may not show up until Wednesday morning.
What do you mean by "rolling" my ECBs?
This is the term for using ECBs earned on a previous promotion to pay for another promotion that earns ECBs.
For example:
Buy 1 Alka-Seltzer at $3, get $3 ECB, no limit
Sunday: buy 3 A-S, total will be $9.
Use coupons (3 x $1/1 mfr and 1 CVS A-S cpn) to bring total down to $5. Pay.
48 hours later a $9 ECB will print. Go back, buy 3 more A-S and use another $4 of coupons, total is $5. Add some other stuff to bring total to $9.
Pay with your first $9 ECB. Two days later, another $9 ECB prints. Rinse and repeat!
All of the purchases of one product in one day will be combined into a single ECB. For example, if you buy 10 Alka Seltzer on the same day, each of which will earn $3 ECB, you would get one $30 ECB. People who buy large quantities of a particular deal in a single day get large ECBs.
If an ECB offer says "Limit 1 Offer", does that mean one a day?
No. It means limit one offer per card for the entire promotional period. So if it's a weekly deal, the limit is one per card per week. If monthly, one per card per month.
I found a whole bunch of CVS coupons on a receipt in the parking lot! Can I use them?
Unfortunately, the answer here is a resounding NO. The CVS register coupons will only work with the card that was originally scanned to generate them. So even if you have a card, and your spouse has a card, you can't use their coupons and vice versa.
My CVS starts their sales on Saturday before the new ad comes out. Will I get the ECB for the next week’s promos?
No. You need to shop on the days that the sale ad states the promo is valid. For example, if there is a “$10 in ECB WYB $20 of P&G products”, you might get the sale prices on the items on Saturday, but you will not get the ECB, since the promo runs Sunday-Saturday.
How do I get these ECB/Extra Care Coupons to print, anyway?
The coupons print at the bottom of your receipt when you make a purchase. If you intend to use them on the same trip, make sure you buy something small FIRST to get the coupons to print-- candy bar, nail file, cheap clearance item. The coupons can then be used on whatever you actually came in for.
If your CVS has a UPC scanner, you can print your ECB by scanning your card at the scanner and selecting that option.
Alternatively, print them at home. Go to the website, click on Extra Care, sign in, activate the ECB you need to use, and print.
If I print my ECB or other coupons online, will they still print out at the store?
No. Once they are activated online or activated and printed out, they won’t again at the store.
However, if they print at the store, they don’t disappear from online until the expiration date- WHETHER YOU HAVE USED THEM OR NOT! Don’t think you have more ECB or other coupons than you do!
You can tell which ones have printed by clicking the link online that says "Activate Coupon". When the coupon displays, it will have a date of activation on it. If it isn't today's date, it means that coupon has been printed: either online or in-store.
You can print them online as many times as you want, but the code is a unique code that can only be used once. If you used the printout from the store or a previous printout from online, that code is now invalid. So whatever you print beyond that one will be good for nothing but lining the birdcage! 
Can I use my ECBs to buy gift cards?
Since this goes directly against the CVS corporate policy for ECBs, the answer is no.
This is at the bottom of an ECB when you print from the web site:
"Coupon may only be redeemed once. Limit one coupon per customer. Excludes prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, lottery, stamps, gift cards, money orders and pre-paid debit cards."
If I accidentally let things expire, can I get them back, or am I out of luck?
Call the CVS number. If you have let your ECB expire without being used, they can reset them.
The weekly CRT coupons are a promotional bonus and CANNOT be reset.
Regarding expirations on the ECB and coupons:
The CVS expiration is not only tied to the date, but the TIME they printed out (either online or at the store). This explains why the coupons sometimes beep, even though you are using them on the day they expire.
EX: You get a $4/20 coupon that printed at the register on xx/xx/2005 at 11am, and you scamper off to use it on the last day that the coupon is valid. You do this at 4pm. The coupon will beep, because according to their register's "logic", it is already expired.
It's not a huge issue, since they can do their magic and put it through, but is something to be aware of!
Regarding validity and the ECB coupons:
Some people have reported that they go to the store and buy something small to get their ECBs to print. Then, when they try to use the ECBs on a subsequent transaction, it comes up "Card does not match", even though they JUST used their card to get it to print!
This occurs when you try to use a coupon that has just become available to print on that day. If you wait another day to use it, this message won't appear. They can just push it through, so it's not that big a deal.
When CVS has their "Buy $xxx worth of _____, get $xxx ECB" promotions, is the amount required to qualify before or after coupons?
The qualifying amount is BEFORE coupons! Yay! You can use CVS coupons, Mfr. coupons, and other ECB to get the total down!
When the promo is product-specific, like "Kimberly-Clark" or "Pond's", there are no problems getting the ECB, even if you actually PAID very little or got them free after coupons.
When the promo is "Buy $xxx worth of ANYTHING IN THE STORE this week, and earn $xxx ECB", people have had problems with getting their credits to register if they have used a lot of coupons.
When they have a "Buy xxx worth of ________, and earn $xxx ECB" promotions, and the items are on sale B1G1 Free, do both of them count toward the promo?
If the ECB deal is buy a specific amount of MONEY in order to obtain the ECB, then only the one you actually pay for counts. The free one does NOT count.
If the ECB deal is buy a specific number of ITEMS in order to obtain the ECB, then both items will count.
When CVS has their "Buy $xxx worth of _____, get $xxx ECB" promotions, do I have to buy the whole $xxx worth at one time, or can I do more than one transaction?
You can buy the items at different times, or even at different stores. As long as you buy the items during the week of the promo, you will get the ECB award.
My CVS store did not have enough of ECB promotion item in stock to make my purchase reach the amount ($10) required to earn ECB. I did get rainchecks to get the sale price of the item during that promotion when they restocked. Was not sure if CVS still honors the ECB promotion when one redeems the raincheck.
Here is the answer zingerlane got after e-mailing CVS:
If you did retrieve a rain check for an extra buck promotion, you can still earn extra bucks after the promotion is over. After you make the purchases qualified in the promotion, you may call or email us with your receipt information, name, and ExtraCare card number, and we will be more than happy to add the purchase to the promotion.
The receipt information that we will be needing is:
On the fourth line down from the top:
REG# ,TRAN# ,STR# ,DATE: ,SUBTOTAL: ,
Prescription or Front store merchandise?
How many Prescriptions?
How much in Front store Merchandise?
If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us either by e-mail or by calling (800) 746-7287. Thank you for taking the time to contact us. I hope you have a nice day.
Ivy Dixon
Extra Care/Customer Relations Representative
CVS is doing a promo to get 3x the ECBs when you purchase either in-store or online AND they have free shipping over $49 for the online deal. Is this as good as it sounds?
Before you get too excited, it's not 3x the ECB for every promotion. It is 3x the credit for what you spend toward your quarterly ECB (which gives you 2% back) and ONLY for the online purchases. The ECB promotions from the stores generally do not apply to online purchases.
So if you spent $25 in the quarter in online purchases, you would get $1.50 in ECB rather than $.50. See question below for the 2% ECB scale. It's not the deal that they make it out to be.
CVS gives 2% back in ECB on your purchases. What's the fine print on that?
The 2% comes for every $25 IN PURCHASES per quarter. This is the amount that you actually paid after coupons, so if you bought $40 worth of merchandise and only paid $6 after coupons, you will get the credit for the $6 in actual money that went through their register.
* If you paid using ECBs or gift cards, that money 'spent' does not count. The only $$$ that goes toward the quarterly ECBs is cash or credit/debit transactions.
For example, if you spend:
0-24.99 dollars during the quarter -- you get NOTHING.
25-49.99 dollars ............................. you get $.50 in ECB.
50-74.99 dollars ............................. you get $1.00 in ECB.
75-99.99 dollars ............................. you get $1.50 in ECB.
Ad infinitum...
However: If you get a gift card for a new/transferred prescription, they subtract the value of the card from your points for the quarter.
This isn't as big a hassle as it might seem, since you get $1 in ECB for every 2 prescriptions that you fill. You would need to spend $50+ on other things to get the $1 reward, so you still come out way ahead, even if you do lose the points for the gift card! These print once per quarter with the rest of the quarterly ECBs.
The quarterly ECB print out on the first day of the month following the end of the quarter. EX: The ECB for the quarter ending 9/16/06 begin to print on 10/1/06. This is a recent change. The quarter used to end at the end of the month, with the ECBs printing 15 days later. They seem to have changed the dates, so that the new quarters start in the middle of the month.
CVS has the OneTouch blood glucose monitors on sale for $30. There is a coupon for $30, plus a manufacturer's MIR! Can I really make $30 on this deal?
No, but you will get it free. The manufacturer will not honor the rebate if the coupon is used, so don't even bother trying to do it!
Why does some stuff that is brand new to the market go on clearance?
This answer came straight from my favorite cashier! Frequently, new merchandise will come in to the store in one of those cardboard 'dump' boxes that get set up in the front or in an aisle. When enough of the stuff has sold that the display looks really ratty, they will often put the items on clearance.
The item is so new that it has not made it onto their 'shelf planners', so they have nowhere to PUT the stuff on the shelves, but they also can't leave a mostly empty cardboard display on the floor. Guess who gets the benefit of this? The observant couponer, that's who!
How does my FSA(Flexible Spending Account) work with CVS purchases?
Interesting tidbit regarding CVS and FSA: Call CVS, they will actually mail you a separate (yet, submitable for your FSA) printout of all the federally approved FSA items that you have bought in the past (you provide the time frame -- when I called, I asked for Jan 2006-Dec 2006) given time frame. What is cool about this? Well, if you submit your CVS CRT, you can only claim your OOP (out of pocket), thus coupons & ECBs count negatively toward claiming your FSA. When you receive your printout from CVS, the items are listed with sale/shelf price. Coupons and ECBs are not factored into that printout. Thus, you can claim the full price of the FSA approved items.
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Copyright 2006-2007 - MrsPinecone @ HCW.Permission to repost is denied.
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Re: CVS: Frequently Asked Questions 
thee? Let me count the coupons
Originally Posted by SammysMom 
