Must Knows about CVS

First I'd like to start off with giving you the phone number to customer service just in case you run into a problem. Don't be afraid to use it.1-800-SHOP-CVS

The next thing I would like to tell you is CVS will give you a $25 gift card with new and transferred prescriptions and they will also take competitor coupons for the gift cards. Now if you have to pick up multiple scripts do NOT do them in 1 transaction. Pick them up 1 at a time that way you can maximize the number of gift cards. Generally they say 1 per person so if you buy 1 script and then go back a little while later and get the next you'll get another gift card (as long as you have more rx coupons)

CVS takes many different forms of coupons so to name them they are manufacturer's coupons (including Internet printables), and their own CVS coupons. As of right now I have not run into any problems using internet printed coupons not even a limit on the amount they accept at once. Keep in mind that they can refuse coupons if there is a question on whether or not it is a fake, so don't try to many at once.

CVS managers and corporate don't seem to communicate to well and I have gotten conflicting information on whether or not you can use 2 coupons on a B1G1 deal or if you can use 1 CVS coupon and 1 manufacturer coupon the basic consensus is yes you can.

CVS also has a weird computer system in which if you bought 4 items but you have 4 manufacturer coupons and wanted to also use your ECB's (we'll get to that later) the computer will beep denying the last coupon. The way to avoid this is if you plan to purchase 4 items but you have 5 total coupons buy somethins small like candy to even out the number of items vs. coupons.

Unlike some stores CVS computers will not give you overage. Meaning if an item is on sale for $.99 and you have a coupon for $1.50 off it will generally only give you the $.99 off but you are still getting it free. A tip I was told was to wait to scan your CVS card until you give all the coupons because then you would get the full coupon amount off. I haven't tried that yet but it might just work. CVS will also require manager approval for any coupon that is valued at $10 or over but don't worry they will come and approve and you will be on your way.

One of the biggest money savers at CVS is using coupons on clearance items. They have great clearance and you can really get a lot with just a few coupons. At times though if the items is removed from the computer they will manually enter in a the price under misc. if they do this your coupon may beep because they don't show you as having purchased the item. If this happens first tell the person that they must ring up the item and price adjust it to the correct price and then your coupon will take if they still won't do it of give you a hard time call the number I gave you at the beggining of this post. They will handle it.

So after all this talk about ECB's you want to know what they are. Well, they are coupons that print at the bottom of your receipt. SAVE THEM! They are basically free money to spend in CVS on what ever you want (some exclusions do apply). Here is the link to them on the CVS website. The best way to use ECB's is to roll them over from week to week. So if you earn $10 in ECB's this week when next week's ad comes out see what is giving ECB's back and try and use your ECB's on that to keep them "rolling over".

Before you get to the register be sure you have exactly what the ad calls for. If it says snapple good on single serve only and you get a gallon jug it will NOT print out the ECB's for you. Something else to look out for is when they expire. Since this is "free money" letting them expire is wasteful. You will also want to be sure that if there is a limit on the amount of ECB's on a product don't exceed it or you won't get the ECB's back. Meaning if it says limit 1 that is all you are able to buy that week is 1. (the bottom of your receipt will tell you limit reached once it is reached).

Some other things to keep in mind when dealing with CVS an ECB's. If it says spend $30 and get $10 ECB's back you do NOT have to do that in one purchase you can spread it out. You can use multiple ECB's to make a purchase but remember that each ECB is like a coupon so if you buy 6 items and have 7 coupons 1 will beep so be sure to have the same number of items as coupons.

More often than not CVS has printable coupons for $ off $$ (like $4 off $20 purchase) these are great. If you have $6 in ECB's and a $4 off $20 coupon you can purchase $20 in stuff give over the COUPON first and then the ECB's and you will have gotten $20 in free stuff. Like I said before it is best to keep getting items that give you ECB's to keep them "rolling over". Sometimes it is hard to reach $20 and even things out so you can use "filler" items. Fillers are cheap little items like candy, gum, or a nail file. They help push your $ amount or item number up to where it should be to get your coupon(s) to work.

If for some reason you have to return something that you bought with a coupon you should get the full purchase price back because they are being reimbursed for that coupon. They may argue this so it is best to not have to return anything.

That is all I can think of about CVS If I think of more I will add it.