How to SnipSnap Successfully at CVS

January 16, 2013

SnipSnap 2.1 launched this week with some really cool new fixes and features. We’ve made it easier to search for friends and possible Screen Shot 2013-01-16 at 1.12.42 PMto preview deals before you snip them. It’s now simpler to delete your expired coupons so they don’t clutter your collection, and we’re deleting much more coupons that don’t meet our quality control, like coupons with missing bar codes and those that should be privatized.

Which coupons should be marked private? Anything with your name, address, loyalty card number, or language that states the coupon is for use by the original recipient only. Also, store “dollars” like Kohl’s Cash, Old Navy Super Cash, and CVS ExtraBucks are issued because of purchases you made and shouldn’t be shared with anyone else. Why should these coupons be marked private? If they’re your coupons, you want to make sure your savings stay yours. If they’re someone else’s coupons, you don’t want to plan an entire shopping trip around them, only to be unsuccessful at the register.

The new SnipSnap is purging more coupons that should be privatized from the general SnipSnap database. (Don’t worry – any coupons you snip will still stay in your account.) Just look at our success ratings!

This is a loyalty coupon. Mark it private!
This is a loyalty coupon. Mark it private!

They’re better than ever.

But the system isn’t perfect (yet), so here’s a quick tip about how to tell which coupons are yours for the taking, and which coupons are less likely to work, because they’re linked to someone else’s loyalty card. Take CVS for example:

CVS’s loyalty program, ExtraCare, issues catalina coupons to members at the register. These coupons are black and white receipts based on your account’s activity and they’re typically one of two kinds of really great deals: dollars off a specific store item or “ExtraBucks” you can use like store gift cards the next time you shop. Both kinds of catalina coupons are linked to your loyalty card, so you’ll need to present the store card with the same number as the number printed on the coupons to redeem them.

Which means that, when you receive ExtraCare coupons with your CVS receipts, you should mark them private and, vice versa, when you’re searching the SnipSnap database, you should know that these coupons won’t be as successful.

This is a general CVS coupon. It's yours for the taking!
This is a general CVS coupon. It’s yours for the taking!

(Read all about CVS’s ExtraCare program and mobile couponing opportunities here.)

However, CVS issues lots of great store coupons that anyone can use. These coupons are usually red and have the CVS logo. They scan easily at the register and can be used in unison to save a ton of money on a CVS shopping haul. I just redeemed this offer for two dollars off any Dove body wash yesterday:

The moral of the story? We want your SnipSnap experience to be as successful as possible, so we want to make sure you’re snipping smart. There are a ton of great CVS coupons in the app right now for beauty and nutrition purchases. Check them out and start saving at CVS today!

Posted by Christiana

Mobilize Your ExtraCare Card with the CVS App

September 27, 2012

I’m a huge fan of mobilized store loyalty programs, mostly because they mean super-busy people can sign up from their phones. If you shop at CVS and you’re not a member of the ExtraCare Program, now’s the time to join. It takes two seconds, you don’t have to write out an application, and your card will be created and instantly stored in your phone.

ExtraCare is a customer loyalty program that rewards you for qualifying purchases with ExtraBucks, catalina coupons you can redeem like cash the next time you shop CVS. For instance, this week, if you by two Hershey’s assorted Halloween candy bags with your ExtraCare card, you’ll get to take advantage of the 2/$6 sale price, plus you’ll be rewarded with a $3 ExtraBucks coupon when your receipt prints.

You can save your ExtraBucks up and there’s no limit to how many you can use at a time, as long as they’re not expired and their combined amount doesn’t exceed the cost of what you use them to buy. So you can fund entire future CVS purchases, just by stocking up on things you already buy now. Pretty sweet.

There are other great things your ExtraCare card can do for you. It pays you 2% cash back on all your in-store and online purchases. You can stack manufacturer coupons with qualifying ExtraCare purchases – sometimes you’ll earn more in ExtraBucks than you’ll spend out of pocket to get them. When you use your ExtraCare card, occasionally CVS store coupons will print with your receipt. (Watch out for $4 off $20 purchase coupons.) If you sign up for CVS ExtraCare emails, you’ll receive more coupons that you can load directly to your ExtraCare card – no printing required. Scan your ExtraCare card at CVS in-store Coupon Centers, and you can print coupons to redeem immediately.

So how do you get this ExtraCare sweetness on your smart phone? Just download the CVS app and link your existing ExtraCare card or sign up for a brand new one. The CVS app lets you search store locations, refill your prescriptions, and browse through weekly ads.

The great part is you don’t have to flip through every page of each ad to find what you’re looking for; you can use search filters to find sales by brand, sale, category – or just to find items that will earn you ExtraBucks rewards.

Need an extra reason to sign up for ExtraCare? Do it now, and you’ll double your payback on all in-store and online purchases from 9/16/12- 12/15/12!