Update on Walgreens Reward Cards

Here is some of what we know…

• Walgreens Balance Rewards will allow customers to earn and redeem Bonus Points and get personalized offers
• You’ll be able to enroll in the store, online and with the mobile app
• You will earn Bonus Points when you make purchase items featured in the weekly ad, from Pharmacy or with personalized offers
• You can redeem 5,000 points as $5 to pay for your purchases
• You can’t use Bonus Points for Alcohol, Gift Cards, Prescription Co-pays, Stamps, prepaid cards, dairy, tobacco.
• Bonus Points expire after 36 months from date of earning or after 6 months of no activity
• You must be a Balance Rewards member to get the sale price
• You will be able to manage your account with the Walgreens mobile app or on-line

I suspect that ultimately one of the largest influences on the new program will come from a drugstore in the U.K. called Boots. Walgreens and Boots recently announced a merger and management has indicated that they are looking to the Boots Rewards program, known as the Boots Advantage card, for ideas for the Walgreens Balance Rewards Card.
Walgreens employees will get to test the new loyalty program this month before it’s released to the public in September. I also expect to see changes and tweaking during the first year. I don’t think how the program gets rolled out is what it will look like a year or two from now. Walgreens will have the ability to track purchases with the card, so I am hoping we do see some reasonable limits so we all have a better chance of finding deals on the shelves.