CVS 101

Apply for a CVS ExtraCare Card at cvs.com or in-store. It is best to sign up at your local store so you can start using your card right away.

Pick up a weekly store ad and a monthly store ad. I will list the highlights on Smart Shopaholic so you can plan your scenarios.

CVS offers many items that are free after ECBs. This means that you pay for the item out of pocket and then receive an Extra Care Buck or ECB to use off your next transaction. The ECB will print on your receipt and can be used like cash with a few exceptions. Items that you cannot purchase with ECBs are prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, stamps, gift cards, money orders and gift cards. You want to keep rolling your ECBs so your goal should be to use the ECBs from your last transaction to buy something in the next transaction that generates more ECBs.

The limit on each deal is usually between 1-5 and will be stated in your ad.
Lets say you are going to buy 5 Colgate toothpaste at $2.99 that are free after ECBs. You may want to split the order in two as all of the ECBs for each specific item print together. ECBs in smaller amount are easier to use that one for $14.95.

ECBs expire one month from the date of issue so don’t forget to use them! Treat your ECBs like cash as they will probably not be replaced if they are lost. You will not be given change on your ECBs so make sure you don’t waste any. If your total is $4 and your ECB is for $5 you can always grab a candy bar or other filler.

Ready for a practice trip?
Gather the items in your scenario and head to the checkout.
Give the cashier your CVS card to scan.

Example without coupons:
Buy 2 Extreme Energy 6 hour shot 4.99 get $4.99 ECBs (each)
Buy Sally Hansen nail color at $5.99 get $5.99 ECBs

Your total OOP will be $15.97 plus tax. You will get two ECBs at the end of your receipt, one for $5.99 and one for $9.98. This makes your purchase “free”.

Example with manufactures coupon:
If you have a coupon for the nail color your transaction will look like this:
Buy 2 Extreme Energy 6 hour shots at $4.99
Buy Sally Hansen nail color at $5.99
Use $1/1 manufacture coupon

You will pay $9.98 plus tax and you will get two ECBs at the end of your receipt, one for $5.99 and one for $9.98. This means you “earned money” on your transaction.

Example with store coupons:
Manufactures coupons can be stacked with store coupons so if you also have a CVS coupon your transaction would look like this:
Buy 2 Extreme Energy 6 hour shots at $4.99
Buy Sally Hansen nail color at $5.99
Use $1/1 manufacture coupon on the Sally Hansen
Use $1/1 CVS coupon on the Sally Hansen

You will pay $13.97 plus tax and you will get two ECBs at the end of your receipt, one for $5.99 and one for $9.98. This means you “earned money” on your transaction.

Example using $/$$ coupons:
Using CVS $/$$ Coupons:
Sometimes you will receive a CVS $/$$ coupon. These print out at “the magic coupon machine”. These come in various denominations like $2/$10 meaning $2 off a $10 purchase and $3/$15 meaning $3 off a $15 purchase. These can be used in addition to manufactures coupons and other CVS coupons. The above transaction gets even better if you have a $/$$ coupon.

Buy 2 Extreme Energy 6 hour shots at $4.99
Buy Sally Hansen nail color at $5.99
Use $2/$10 (make sure to give this first while your total is still over $10)
Use $1/1 manufacture coupon on the Sally Hansen
Use $1/1 CVS coupon on the Sally Hansen

You will pay $11.97 plus tax and you will get two ECBs at the end of your receipt, one for $5.99 and one for $9.98. This means you “earned money” on your transaction.


Check your receipt and make sure all of your ECBs printed. If they did not print it is typically an easy fix while you are at the store.