How do CVS Bonus Bucks work?

disneysteve · #1 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 01:42 PM

What's the deal with CVS bonus bucks? I happened to be looking at the circular this week. Several items were free after bonus bucks. But what exactly are the bonus bucks? Is it basically store credit? Does it have to be used in a certain time period?

genmed · #2 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 01:51 PM

Yes it is basically store credit that usually has to be used within a month. Most of the items for this month actually have a limit of five. How it works is you get a CVS card, buy item A at $x.xx, on your reciept there is a $x.xx in ECBs. So if there is a limit of 5 of item A for the month, you can usually turn around and buy another item A with no/pennies cost using the ECB and getting another one. You can pretty much use the ECBs on about anything. There are some limits like stamps, prescriptions and so forth.

LivingAlmostLarge · #3 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 04:12 PM

I like it, you put out like $20 at begin then you begin rolling it over. And you can use it with store coupons and manufactor coupons. Like this week the oral-b toothbrush is free and there is $1 coupon off so you make a $1 to take it off the shelves. Same thing with the Aleve and Excedrin. I don't buy a ton of stuff, but just stuff I'll use like toothpaste.

poundwise · #4 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 08:03 PM

I never benefited from their program, however, I haven't looked at it in a while; it may bear another look.

crabbypatty · #5 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 04:49 AM

The thing is, it's not an instant rebate. You don't get the store credit until 48 hours later. You can print it out at home, or when you go in the store it'll print out after you make a purchase. Some stores give you a hard time if you print it out at home, ymmv. But the alternative is you have to buy some small item like candy to get the ecb to print.

It takes organization and a willingness to go to the store more than once. Especially if you have big CVS couponers in your area who clean out the store of the good items ASAP. But if you live close to one and pass by it anyway, it can be a great source for freebies/moneymakers if combined with manufacturers coupons.

I don't do it myself because of the hassle.

kittycat0604 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 01:47 PM

My local CVS starts printing the Extra Bucks coupons immediately after the purchase since last Sunday. So people does not need with for 48 hours now. I do have a problem find the free items available. I usually only purchase the free item if I do need it (I do not have space for extra stocking), But I think some people just want the free items even they do not really need them, or they might give away later.

crabbypatty · #7 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittycat0604

My local CVS starts printing the Extra Bucks coupons immediately after the purchase since last Sunday. So people does not need with for 48 hours now. I do have a problem find the free items available. I usually only purchase the free item if I do need it (I do not have space for extra stocking), But I think some people just want the free items even they do not really need them, or they might give away later.

That's great that the coupons are now instant! Maybe I'll start again. I participated during the infamous October 06 bonanza but haven't been back since, in large part b/c of the 48 hour thing.

LivingAlmostLarge · #8 (**permalink**) 04-10-2007, 06:42 PM

Nope it prints out immediately now. They just changed over.

Bluezy · #9 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 01:02 AM

I've used CVS since I've been in Florida. Just the other day I used a $12.00 bonus bucks and applied it towards some items for my CJ. After cashing that in, my printout showed another $2.00 bonus bucks.

I am not clear on how bonus bucks are determined, however, I use my coupons and catch sales, especially in-store sales where the price of an item has been temporarily reduced.

34saving · #10 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 10:24 AM

I sometimes get enjoyable little surprises too. (Like once I bought $40 worth of baby stuff thinking I'd get $20 back and I got $41!) The deals forum at CVS - Families.com has the big time low down. (Wow. There are some mixed metaphors for ya!)

Saving in So Cal · #11 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 01:01 PM

I've had a CVS card for about two months. I tried to find out specific information about the Extra Bucks program on the CVS website, but found the available information to be unhelpful. From what I can tell from my personal use, the programs operates similar to a rebate except that you have to spend the rebate at CVS.

I look at the CVS ad each week but find very few things that are a genuine deal. Most of the time, the rebates bring the price of an item down to the prevailing sale price at other stores. As other posters indicated, the best deals are when you can combine the rebate with a good coupon, but I typically only find one or two of those a week (confining myself to only those items I would buy anyway). There is a CVS on my normal shopping route and I read sale ads anyway, so participation in the program is not much extra work for me. If there is not a CVS on your route, it probably isn't worth the trouble.

disneysteve · #12 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saving in So Cal

the programs operates similar to a rebate except that you have to spend the rebate at CVS.

find very few things that are a genuine deal. Most of the time, the rebates bring the price of an item down to the prevailing sale price at other stores.

This has been my impression. We simply don't buy that many things that CVS sells and on the items we do buy, Target or Wal-Mart is cheaper anyway. Of course, if you can get something for free (or less), you can't beat that but I'm not going to make a special trip just for that.

LivingAlmostLarge · #13 (**permalink**) 04-11-2007, 04:00 PM

There is free softsoap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, excedrin, aleve, and listerine this week/month. I got all of them for free. I also used coupons on most of those so I made $1 to $2 on each thing. Then I bought a couple of other items.

I don't have a lot of bonus bucks like serious couponers, but I have $20. And I don't shop at target or walmart.

Also I now have 10 tubes of toothpaste, 4 bottles of shampoo, 3 bottles of listerine, and 10 toothbrushes. I'm done for a long time.

momof1in150 · #14 (**permalink**) 04-25-2007, 04:11 AM

The CVS Extra Bucks don't really expire. They do have an expiration date on them but you can use them past that date. Just like BB&B and Linens & Things Coupons don't really expire.

I use the extra bucks when they have something they need on sale. Walmart is too far to go out of my way to pick up stuff but there are 2 CVSs within 2 miles of my house.

Most of the time I have $2 or $3 off a $10 purchase.