So you want to be a Rite-Aid Diva but you aren't sure about how to go about it.
I'm here to tell you that you CAN learn the Rite-Aid version of the DrugStore Game!
Now I know lots of you already know all this. This post is for anyone who wanders over here who is just getting into couponing at the Drug Stores.
2010 was a great year to shop at Rite-Aid!
Why?
Because besides having a rebate program in place, they rolled out another chainwide program call Wellness Plus.
Between these 2 programs, it was kind of like Walgreen's back when they had Mail-in Rebates(MIRs) AND Register Rewards(RRs).
Plus 2010 was the year Rite-Aid released all kinds of $X off a $XXX purchase coupons.
And they started the AdPerks/Video Values Program which gave you either $X off $XX purchase coupons or coupons for specific items that you could stack with your Manufacturer's Coupons(ManuQ).
First let's cover some basics........like some Common Couponing Abbreviations.
Coupon Lingo
Q=coupon
IPQ=internet printed coupon
ManQ or ManuQ or MQ=manufacturer's coupon
CRT=Cash Register Tape=your store receipt
RA or R-A=Rite-Aid
MIR=Mail-In Rebate
SCR=Single Check Rebate
Wellness=Wellness Plus(or Wellness+) Program
+Ups=+Up Rewards
AdPerks/VV or AdPerks or VV or ValVid=AdPerks/Value Videos Program
AdPerkQ or VVQ=a coupon earned from the AdPerks/VV Program
WellnessQ=a coupon that either prints on your cash register tape(CRT) when you use your Wellness + Card OR a coupon Rite-Aid emails you if have joined Wellness + and link your Wellness + Card to an account on the Rite-Aid website.
Rite-Aid currently has available these Programs.....
*Single Check Rebate Program.
Each month Rite-Aid has available a rebate catalog(both a paper on you can pick up in the store and one online at their website HERE). Their are Rebates you can earn on certain products you purchase that month. The items with rebates will be marked both on the shelves at the store and in the weekly sales flyer. You purchase a rebate item and you have 2 options to apply for your rebate.....
1. You can mail your receipts in to Rite-Aid when the month is over.
OR
2. You can submit your purchase information online at the Rite-Aid website.
Personally, I prefer the online submission for 3 reasons.
1. It is faster and easier than waiting to mail in a submission.
2. It is cheaper since you don't have to buy envelopes or stamps.
3. If you purchase 2 or more items on the same receipt that qualify for a NON-Rite Aid MIR as well as a RA rebate you can submit for the RA rebate online and use your CRT for the other Non-Rite Aid MIR submission.
It's called a Single Check Rebate because you get one check back no matter how many rebates you apply for. 1 check instead of a stack of checks, one for each qualifying item.
SCR items can be either a cash refund, a gift card or a special promotional item. It's not unusual for me to get a SCR check, a gift card and a promo item in the same month. It all depends on what I decide to buy.
You can cash your SCR check at Rite-Aid or use it like cash to pay for purchases.
I take mine to the bank.
* Wellness +Up Rewards
To get the rewards, you need to sign up for this Wellness Program. It's free. You give them your contact information and they give you your very own Wellness Card. You have the cashier scan it every time you buy something at R-A. It automatically gives you the discount prices on sale items in the store. If you don't use your card, you won't get the sale prices. Every week there are certain items in the sales flyer that generate +Up Rewards. +Ups are coupons that are worth $ at R-A that are printed at the bottom of your receipt. You cut them off your CRT and use them like cash to pay for more items you purchase. Each +Up has an expiration however. The weekly sale items +Ups are generally good for 2 weeks. Items that are month long +Up deals generate +Ups that are good for 2 weeks beyond the expiration of the month long deal. (IE-Pilot Pens are a month long deal until Jan. 22nd. They generate an +Up that is good until Feb. 2nd, which is 2 weeks after the monthly deal expires, no matter when during the month you buy the pens.)
*AdPerks/Video Values
This is a program where you watch short videos online to earn coupons. They can call them videos but what they really are are commercials. You can access this site through the Rite-Aid website or directly HERE. You will need to sign up for this in order to use it.
The coupons you earn watching these videos are Rite-Aid Qs and can be stacked with a ManuQ to lower the price on an item even more. You sign up for an AdPerks/VV account on the R-A website. Besides Qs for specific items, there are also Qs available for $X off your total purchase at R-A if you watch those particular commercials/videos. Most(if not all at this point)of the AdPerk/VV Qs are serialized. This means they have a barcode and a unique to that Q serial number on it. Don't bother printing multiple of these Qs out as you will only be allowed to use it once. On occasion an AdPerk/VV Q will NOT be serialized. You can tell because the last numbers under the barcode will be the end date for that SCR period when the Q is earned. (IE-if the AdPerk/VV Q is available to watch for the Jan. SCR period and is NOT serialized the last numbers on it will be 1222011....Jan 22, 2011.)
AdPerk/VV Qs are generally valid for 2 months or 2 SCR periods. (IE-Qs earned/watched from Dec.26/2010 until Jan.22/2011 will have an expiration date of Feb.26/2011. They can be used during the Jan. SCR period and the Feb. SCR period.)
But you must watch the Video during the month it's made available. The videos disappear on the last day of the SCR period when they were released. You don't need to print the Q until you need it....the Q will sit in your account until you need to print it. But be sure and watch the video before it's taken down.
You can save additional money by utilizing any or all 3 of these Rite-Aid Programs.
Sluggy
