CVS brings more immediacy to ExtraCare’s 2% back reward

CVS Pharmacy has updated its ExtraCare Rewards loyalty program to dole out “bucks” for purchases virtually on the spot.

Starting in July, ExtraCare members will receive 2% back in ExtraBucks rewards moments after nearly every transaction, instead of on a quarterly basis, Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS said yesterday. The 2% back will show up in the CVS App, on CVS.com, and on digital and paper receipts following purchases. Members can use the rewards on their next visit or accumulate them to spend later, within 90 days of each issuance.

ExtraCare also is adding a new birthday reward. Members will now get $3 in ExtraBucks during their birthday month that can be used for the purchase of their own gift from CVS’  assortment of health, wellness, beauty and personal care products, as well as daily essentials and better-for-you foods, the drugstore chain said. To receive birthday rewards, ExtraCare members must opt in by sharing their birthday information. The reward is delivered via the members’ preferred communications channels, including email, SMS text and the CVS App.

The ExtraCare changes are part of an upgraded CVS App experience, designed to provide easier navigation.

CVS noted that the update marks the first changes to the core 2% back reward in ExtraCare’s 20-year history. CVS introduced the ExtraCare card in 2001, becoming the first national pharmacy retailer to launch a loyalty card program. ExtraCare now has 74 million members.

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“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We’ve evolved our ExtraCare program following an in-depth assessment that revealed what members love most about the program,” according to Michele Driscoll, vice president of customer engagement, loyalty and personalization at CVS Health. “They appreciate the value their membership provides, and they told us they want more flexibility in how they access and use their rewards.”

In support of the update, ExtraCare will offer exclusive “freebies” in the CVS App beginning in late June and running through the end of July, CVS said. Members will find a new free gift each week in the app, with offerings ranging from from better-for-you snacks to health and beauty essentials.

CVS added that the ExtraCare changes are part of an upgraded CVS App experience, designed to provide easier navigation by allowing members to view, track and send all of their earnings and personalized deals directly to their ExtraCare card. Members downloading the app can choose to receive coupon reminders and special offers via ExtraCare SMS text messages, including “surprise deals” tailored to their interests.

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Over the past year, the CVS App has seen double-digit increases in downloads, and coupons sent to users' ExtraCare cards from the app have more than doubled, according to CVS. The app’s Rewards Tracker enables customers to see their progress toward earned rewards from ExtraCare, the ExtraCare BeautyClub and ExtraCare Pharmacy & Health Rewards programs and the CarePass paid membership program. The retailer, with more than 9,950 retail pharmacy locations overall, added that it plans to unveil enhancements to ExtraCare BeautyClub later this summer.