The myWalgreens™ Mastercard® tailors its rewards toward health and wellness for frequent customers of the Walgreens drugstore chain, as well as of its New York-based sibling chain, Duane Reade. With the $0-annual-fee card, issued by Synchrony, you earn rewards on purchases, as well as by participating in health challenges. There is also a bonus offer for new cardholders.
However, as is the case with most store-branded credit cards, the rewards you earn aren’t in the form of cash back. You’ll receive “Walgreens Cash” that can be redeemed only for purchases at Walgreens and Duane Reade.
Here are five things to know about the myWalgreens™ Mastercard®.
1. There are actually two Walgreens cards
The myWalgreens™ Mastercard® can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and it earns Walgreens Cash on some non-Walgreens purchases. However, depending on Synchrony’s evaluation of your application, you might instead be offered the myWalgreens Credit Card, a store card that can be used only at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores or online at walgreens.com.
Both cards earn:
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10% in Walgreens Cash on eligible Walgreens-branded purchases.
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5% in Walgreens Cash on in-store or online Walgreens and Duane Reade purchases, including eligible pharmacy purchases.
The myWalgreens™ Mastercard® also earns:
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3% in Walgreens Cash on grocery and health and wellness purchases outside of Walgreens. “Health and wellness” includes veterinary and pet stores, medical equipment, sporting goods stores, health care providers, hospitals and gym memberships.
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1% in Walgreens Cash on all other purchases.
2. You can also earn rewards by participating in health challenges
Join four-week fitness and lifestyle challenges and earn Walgreens Cash for each week. Any way to stay motivated is a good thing, but keep in mind that you can earn, at most, $1 worth of rewards over the course of those four weeks (25 cents per week). If you complete all four weekly challenges you have a chance to win up to $2 more in Walgreens Cash.
If fitness is your main focus, the Paceline Credit Card offers a rewards program where you can double your earned cash back by attaining specific weekly activity goals.
3. You’ll earn a bonus with your first purchase
Many credit card sign-up bonuses require you to spend a certain amount within three to six months, but the myWalgreens™ Mastercard® keeps it simple. Earn $25 Walgreens Cash rewards when you open an account and make your first purchase within 45 days. Exclusions apply.
4. Rewards are in the form of Walgreens Cash
Walgreens Cash doesn’t exactly equal cash back. You can redeem it at checkout in Walgreens or Duane Reade stores, or online, to reduce the total cost of the transaction. In terms of value, $1 of Walgreens Cash would be converted to a $1 discount when redeemed. You can redeem in increments of $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, $20 or $50.
Walgreens Cash expires one year after it is earned, or if your account has been inactive for six months.
5. There are limitations on earning rewards
You can’t earn Walgreens Cash for certain purchases, including alcohol, dairy, tobacco, stamps, gift cards and lottery tickets. Pharmacy purchases in Arkansas, New Jersey and New York — as well as prescriptions transferred to stores in Alabama, Mississippi, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, or Virginia — are also ineligible. This isn’t a complete list of limitations, so review the myWalgreens terms and conditions to see if any of your typical purchases are affected.
