If you’re familiar with Walgreens Balance Rewards, you may be surprised to learn the program ended. But the good news is it was replaced with a better, more customized program called myWalgreens.
This free program pays you cashback just for shopping at Walgreens and gives you exclusive access to sale items that non-members don’t get. The program is tailored to your shopping habits and needs and even rewards you for reaching certain health goals.
Here are our thoughts on myWalgreens membership to help you decide if it’s worth it.
What is a myWalgreens Membership?
Your myWalgreens membership is everything Balance Rewards wasn’t. You don’t have to clip offers or track points. You earn 1% cash rewards per dollar spent on most products in-store including prescriptions. You’ll also earn 5% cash rewards per dollar spent on Walgreens branded products.
The rewards equate to $1 cashback for every $100 spent on regular products and $5 for every $100 spent on Walgreens-branded products.
There’s no card required, Walgreens kept everything as touch-free as possible. All you need is your phone number or barcode to accrue points when you shop in-store or online.
How does it Work?
Once you sign up for myWalgreens, you are eligible for personalized deals, coupons, and of course, cashback on your purchases. Just provide the cashier with your phone number or the barcode in your app and you’ll automatically earn cash back for your purchases.
Most purchases, except prescriptions, post to your account immediately. Prescription purchases may take up to 24 hours to post to your account. When you’re ready to redeem your rewards, just give the cashier your phone number or email address used to sign up for the account.
How to Sign up for myWalgreens Membership?
You can sign up for a myWalgreens membership online or in-store. You only need to provide your name, zip code, phone number, and email address to earn rewards. You don’t have to share your email address if you’d prefer not to, but it’s the only way to access your rewards online.
You must be at least 16-years old to sign up, but if you’re between 16 and 18-years old you must have a parent’s permission.
Is myWalgreens Different from Balance Rewards?
The Walgreens Balance Rewards program ended, but myWalgreens kept the benefits of Balance Rewards and made them better. myWalgreens is more customized, sending you offers based on your past purchases and healthcare needs.
Here’s how myWalgreens is different
- Earn 1% cash back for every dollar spent on non-Walgreens branded merchandise
- Earn 5% cash back for every dollar spent on Walgreens-branded merchandise
- Access to environmental and health forecasts
- Earn points for reaching health goals
- Order essentials online and pick them up in as little as 30 minutes
- Access rewards at checkout
- Access to digital receipts
- Chance to donate your rewards to designated charities
What’s similar?
- Exclusive access to sales prices
- Access to customized deals
- Access to digital wallet payment for contactless checkout
What Happened to my Balance Rewards Points?
Walgreens provided current Balance Rewards customers a few months to sign up for myWalgreens so they could transfer their Balance Rewards over to their new accounts. Originally, they gave members until January 31, 2021, to sign up for a myWalgreens account, but they extended it through April 16, 201.
If you signed up for myWalgreens by then, you should have your Balance Rewards transferred by now. You can check your online account to make sure.
If you didn’t sign up yet, unfortunately, your Balance Rewards were forfeited, but you can still sign up for a free myWalgreens membership and start earning cash back right away.
Do myWalgreens Membership Points Expire?
You have 12 months from the date the cash rewards are issued to use them. But, you must use your myWalgreens account at least once every six months for the account to remain active. If it becomes inactive, you forfeit any rewards earned.
How Does Walgreens Pick-Up Work?
If you’re a myWalgreens member, you can order your products online or in the app. You choose your products and select a store to pick up the products from. In as little as 30 minutes you can pick up your order curbside, drive-thru, or inside the store (you specify at checkout).
If you choose curbside, you click ‘I’m Here’ in the app after Walgreens notifies you that your order is ready and they’ll bring it out to you. This is a great feature for those who don’t feel comfortable going in the store or who can’t because they are sick.
Tips to Earn Walgreens Cash Faster
Everyone earns 1% cash back for every dollar spent at Walgreens, but there are a few ways to earn Walgreens cash faster:
- Buy Walgreens-branded products versus name-brand products and earn 5% per $1 spent instead of 1% per $1 spent
- Join a 4-week health challenge and for each challenge you complete (you must connect your device for progress monitoring), you’ll earn $1 in Walgreens Rewards
- If you complete all 4 weeks of the challenge, you’ll have a chance to spin and earn up to $2 in bonus rewards
- Use the Walgreens app to get the latest offers and coupons
Using myWalgreens Rewards and Coupons
Walgreens allows you to stack your myWalgreens rewards, Walgreens coupons, and manufacturer’s coupons. You can also earn myWalgreens rewards when using rewards to pay for your purchase. The only portion of the purchase you won’t earn cashback on is the part the myWalgreens cash covered.
For example, if your total is $20, but you had $5 in myWalgreens rewards, you’d earn 1% cashback on $15, not $20.
FAQ – myWalgreens Membership
Is myWalgreens free?
Yes, myWalgreens is completely free. It takes only seconds to sign up and you automatically earn cashback. You don’t have to worry about clipping coupons or saving offers, although it benefits you to check out your latest offers since many are customized offers for special savings.
Can you transfer your Balance Rewards Points to your myWalgreens account?
Members who signed up by April 16, 2021, were able to transfer their Balance Rewards points to their myWalgreens account. Unfortunately, anyone who signs up now will not be able to redeem their Balance Rewards points.
Can you earn rewards on Walgreens prescriptions?
Yes, as long as you have a copay (you pay money out of pocket), you’ll earn 1% cash back for every $1 you spend on prescriptions.
What information do I need to redeem the myWalgreens rewards?
You can redeem your myWalgreens rewards by providing your phone number or let the cashier scan your barcode in the Walgreens app.
Is there a myWalgreens card?
No, Walgreens is going ‘green.’ They don’t issue cards for myWalgreens memberships for the environment and less contact. You can download the Walgreens app for easy access to your account, and can even use the barcode in the app to get credit for your purchases.
Can you earn myWalgreens rewards if you shop online?
Yes, you can earn myWalgreens rewards no matter how you shop at Walgreens. If you shop online, make sure you’re logged into your Walgreens account so you get credit for the purchase.
Final Thoughts – Is a myWalgreens Membership Worth It?
It’s a no-brainer to sign up for myWalgreens. Unfortunately, you can’t transfer over your Balance Reward points at this time, but it’s still worth signing up for the program. If you shop at Walgreens frequently, the points can add up, but they won’t make you rich.
For every $1,000 you spend, you’ll earn $10, but if you love Walgreens-branded products, you’ll earn $50 for every $1,000 spent.
If you get your prescriptions at Walgreens, you know how quickly the rewards can add up, so it’s worth at least getting some cash back on your prescriptions and essentials.
I’m surprised you did not mention the Terms and Conditions to which you must agree to. You give up your right to sue Walgreens for any reason. Any time a customer is offered “more benefits” some are being taken away. This is a big “take away.”
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