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No more collecting points and trying to figure out how much they’re worth – soon you’ll be able to earn and spend cold, hard “Walgreens Cash.”

Walgreens’ long-awaited replacement for its Balance Rewards loyalty program begins to roll out today, as shoppers can now start signing up for myWalgreens on the new program’s website ahead of its introduction in stores in the month ahead.

For Balance Rewards members, many of the changes are simply cosmetic. But Walgreens is promising that the new program will also offer a whole lot more.

The biggest change is simplification. Gone are Balance Rewards’ sometimes confusing, sometimes changing, points system in which points earned for making purchases could be redeemed for discounts. Under myWalgreens, you’ll earn a flat 1% in Walgreens Cash on all purchases, and 5% Walgreens Cash on Walgreens-branded products. Once you earn a dollar or more in Walgreens Cash, you can redeem it for a dollar or more off your next purchase in store or online, either by providing your email address or using the Walgreens app. Simple.

“We heard your feedback and simplified our rewards,” Walgreens explains. “myWalgreens is a one-of-a-kind personalized experience that makes saving, shopping and your well-being easier.”

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Rewards in the form of discounts are just the beginning, though, Walgreens pledges.

“This goes well beyond updating the look and feel of our app to create a seamless retail and pharmacy experience,” Walgreens’ Co-Chief Operating Officer and President Alex Gourlay told investors last month. “myWalgreens will be heavily focused on health and well-being with content, service and offers specifically curated to each member.”

The “seamless retail and pharmacy experiences” include the ability to order online and pick up your items at the store, the choice of paying via the Walgreens app’s digital wallet, and the option of receiving digital receipts. The “health and well-being” components include bonus rewards for setting and reaching “myWalgreens health goals,” and receiving “real-time local environmental and health forecasts” on the app.

In all, “the new program will greatly simplify how customers accumulate and use their rewards and will create a much more engaging health-orientated relationship,” Gourlay said.

Current Balance Rewards members will need to sign up for the new program in order to have any existing points transferred into myWalgreens for their equivalent value in Walgreens Cash. The deadline to do so is January 31, 2021, otherwise your account will be deactivated and all points lost.

Over time, the program will also offer personalized deals and product recommendations. “And we plan to announce significant developments to the membership in the months ahead,” Gourlay teased.

So prepare to say goodbye to Balance Rewards’ points, and hello to Walgreens Cash. Walgreens hopes all 100 million Balance Rewards members – and possibly many more Walgreens shoppers who are not yet members – will be happy to make the switch.

11 Comments

  1. Signing up for new rewards program
    May 4, 2021

  2. my pevious receipt states I have $9.75 cash rewards available, but on my recent purchase the cashier said I had $1.00 reward. What have
    I not understood?

  3. Curious, if I’m supposed to get at least 1% on every storewide (& 5% for store brand)….then why do I have multiple transactions for food and allergy meds that say —you did not earn any rewards for this order? Shouldn’t I get 1%?? Or did I misunderstand this great new program? If I get zero points—it’s not better for me at all. Just better for Walgreens:(

  4. Do I have to sign up, re-register if I’m already a rewards program member?

    What will happen with left over rewards points?

  5. How is spending $100 to get a $1 back an improved program?

  6. I hope this new plan is worth the effort of the customer to register. Disappointed to see the rewards program go.

  7. Walgreen’s is getting more difficult for me to shop there. First you stop sending brochures to the stores – then you eliminated them. You started Balance Rewards where you could get $50 worth of items for 40,000 point. You then eliminated this and allowed only 5000 points to be cashed at one time. You had to relent and allow 50000 points at one time. Now this is gone and your rebates are only 1%. Andre Bocelli and Sarah Brightman sang a song that defines your new plan. IT IS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. Currently have over 200000 points.

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