I know it's been awhile for an update for How to Do the Coupon Thing, but I wanted to make sure we covered Rite Aid for those interested in shopping there.
Rite Aid, like Walgreens and CVS, is one of the major drug stores. Also like Walgreens and CVS, they run on a Sunday through Saturday sale cycle EXCEPT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA! Yeah, if you aren't a local reader, don't worry much about this. For the rest of us, they run a Friday to Thursday sale cycle (I learned this the hard way....)
Rite Aid has a lot of different ways to save, it's kind of like combining Walgreens and CVS plus a little more on their own. Like CVS, Rite Aid has a card, called the Wellness+ Card. The card works to give you UP+ Rewards, similar to ECBs and Register Rewards, which will give you a certain amount back to spend on another trip. UP+ Rewards are usually only good for a week, so if you're not a regular Rite Aid shopper you may find them going to waste.
On top of the UP+ Rewards, they have a program called Single Check Rebate. A Single Check Rebate (SCR) will give you actual cash back (not just rewards to use at their store). With these, you will buy the product and take your receipt home. At home, log onto the Rite Aid website and submit your rebates on their website. If you prefer, you can hold them and do it once a month. At the end of the month, Rite Aid will take all the rebates you've sent them and mail you a single check (thus its name). You can check
HERE for a list of the SCRs currently available (they change monthly). Special Note: You can only submit an SCR for 1 item per household. So if Crest and Charmin both have an SCR this month, you can buy one of each and submit it. If you want to buy more Crest because it's free, only the first tube will qualify for the SCR.
Now, to make it even more interesting, Rite Aid also has store coupons! Called Video Value Coupons, there are a collection of videos to watch on their website every month. After you watch the video, you will be prompted to enter a CAPTCHA code (to make sure you actually watched the video). It will then generate a coupon. Once you've watched the video you are interested in (or a bunch if you prefer) then you can open up the list of coupons available to you and print them off. The videos are up for a month and the coupons are good until the end of the next month (so if you print off June Video Value Coupons, they are good until the end of July).
Video Value Coupons can be combined with manufacturer coupons (although the coupons state they are manufacturer on the top, they are actually store coupons). They also can be used on items which qualify for UP+ Rewards or SCRs.
Now for the nitty gritty details of the coupon policy at Rite Aid (AKA, what you can and can't do).
*Video Values Coupons can be combined with Manufacturer Coupons on an item
*When a coupon is released for $X off your purchase of $Z or more (like $5 off a $25 purchase), you have to reach this threshold BEFORE coupons, so you can use it and your coupons to get your actual total lower.
*Buy One Get One coupons are accepted. The big caveats are this: You can also use a $$ off coupon on the first item (So if you have a coupon for Buy 1 Charmin toilet paper, Get 1 pack of Fresh Wipes, you can use a $0.25/1 coupon on the toilet paper as well). You cannot use a BOGO coupon on a BOGO sale (so if they have M&Ms for Buy One Get One in the store, you can't use a Buy One Get One coupon at the same time. You can use 1 $0.50/1 coupon though).
*Rite Aid only allows 4 like coupons per person IF there is enough stock to satisfy AND at the manager's discretion. This is the newest change and is what is likely to be tricky. In order to prevent (or at least slow) shelf clearing, you can only use 4 like coupons per person. What this means is if you see that Crest is free this week after your $1 off coupon, then Rite Aid will allow you to buy no more than 4. This is also limited by the stock AND the manager's decision. So if the store manager decides you can only use 1, then you are stuck or you are buying without coupons.
Rite Aid, like the other two, isn't that hard once you get the system down. It can seem a little overwhelming at first, since they have several programs, but they actually work together and it can be easier. Plus you have a less likely chance of finding your shelves cleared now!
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