How to Coupon at CVS: A Step-by-Step Guide to Stacking Coupons & ExtraCare Bucks

Want to save big at CVS? With the right strategy, you can stack coupons, use ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs), and score amazing deals on everything from toothpaste to laundry detergent. In this guide, we’ll explain how CVS couponing works using real current examples. You’ll learn how to find coupons (especially in the CVS app), how to combine CVS store coupons (CRTs) with manufacturer coupons, and how to plan transactions to “roll” your ExtraBucks for maximum savings. We’ll also break down step-by-step deal scenarios for personal care, household essentials, and pharmacy/health items. Let’s dive in!

Getting Started: CVS ExtraCare and ExtraBucks Basics

Sign up for a CVS ExtraCare card. This free loyalty program is your key to accessing sale prices and earning ExtraBucks rewards at CVS​

 You can sign up online or in-store; once you have an account, present your ExtraCare card (or phone number) at checkout every time. Many weekly deals (like “Spend $15, get $3 ExtraBucks”) require an ExtraCare card to trigger the reward​ so don’t skip this step.

CVS ExtraBucks Rewards are essentially like store credit coupons. They print on your receipt (or appear in your app) after you purchase qualifying items. For example, a weekly promotion might be “Buy 2, get $6 ExtraBucks” on cosmetics – your receipt would show a $6.00 ExtraBucks Reward you can use on your next transaction (see image above)​ Think of ExtraBucks as “free CVS money” that encourages you to come back and shop again​ Key things to know about ExtraBucks:

• Expiration: ExtraBucks usually expire in about 2–4 weeks, so note the date and plan to use them before then​
• No change given: If your purchase is less than the ExtraBucks value, you won’t get the difference back in cash. For instance, using a $5 ExtraBucks on a $4 total means you lose that extra $1​ It’s best to use them on a purchase equal to or greater than their value.
• 2% Back: As a bonus, ExtraCare members earn 2% back on most purchases, paid out in ExtraBucks (usually quarterly or even more frequently via the app)​
  This isn’t huge (about $5 every few months for many shoppers​), but it’s free money that adds to your savings. CVS now delivers these 2% rewards to your account after almost every transaction​, so you can “use them in your very next transaction or stack them up” for later​
  
  

CVS Coupons 101: Store Coupons vs. Manufacturer Coupons

CVS is a couponer’s paradise because they allow stacking of a CVS store coupon with a manufacturer coupon on the same item​ To leverage this, it’s important to understand the two main coupon types:

• Manufacturer Coupons: These are coupons issued by the product manufacturer. They can be paper coupons (from the Sunday newspaper inserts or printable from websites) or digital manufacturer coupons loaded in the CVS app​
  Manufacturer coupons will state “Manufacturer’s Coupon” (or show “Mfr” in the app)​ and are limited to one per item​
  For example, if you buy 2 bottles of shampoo, you can use at most two manufacturer coupons (one per bottle, if you have two coupons). CVS will honor manufacturer coupon terms, including any size/quantity requirements and expiration dates​
• CVS Store Coupons (CRTs): “CRT” stands for Cash Register Tape coupon – these are CVS’s own coupons, often printed on your receipt or at the in-store ExtraCare Coupon Center kiosk. They are also visible in your CVS app as “Deals & Rewards” once you link your card​ Store coupons might be generic (e.g. $5 off $30 purchase, or 20% off regular-priced item) or product-specific (e.g. $3 off $10 cosmetics, $2 off any Body Wash). These coupons typically say “CVS Pharmacy Coupon” and can only be used at CVS. CVS store coupons are usually personalized based on your shopping habits​ two shoppers may not have the same offers. There is no hard limit on how many CVS store coupons you can use as long as each coupon’s requirements are met (and the store hasn’t set a reasonable limit)​
  
  Example: You could use a $1 off toothpaste CVS coupon and a $2 off $5 oral care CVS coupon in one purchase of $5+ of toothpaste, because each coupon targets a different requirement. However, you generally cannot use two CVS coupons of the same type (two threshold coupons, etc.) unless your purchase meets both thresholds separately​
  (more on that later).

Stacking coupons means using both a CVS store coupon and a manufacturer coupon on the same item or transaction. CVS allows this, which is where big savings happen​! For example, if you have a $3 off manufacturer coupon for a $10 item and also a $2 ExtraBucks reward, that’s $5 total savings on that item​ .We’ll illustrate more stacking in the scenarios below.

Pro Tip: CVS is also generous with BOGO (Buy One, Get One) sales. If an item is on a BOGO free sale, you can actually use two manufacturer coupons – one for each item – even though one item’s price is $0​  For example, if shampoo is on Buy 1, Get 1 Free, and you have two $1 off coupons, you can use both and get both items for free (plus just pay any applicable tax)​! Few retailers allow this, but CVS does per their coupon policy​

Finding Coupons in the CVS App and Coupon Center

CVS makes couponing easier by providing digital coupons in the CVS Pharmacy app and at the in-store coupon kiosk:

• CVS App – “Deals & Rewards”: Download the CVS app and link your ExtraCare card (or sign in to your CVS account). Navigate to the Deals & Rewards section​ here you’ll find all available coupons and offers. You can filter or scroll: manufacturer coupons (marked “Mfr”) and CVS store coupons are mixed together. Simply tap “Send to Card” to load a coupon to your account​
  . Once clipped, it will automatically apply at checkout when you purchase the qualifying item and use your ExtraCare card. Most new coupons refresh every Sunday (the start of the sales week), and they typically remain available for that week (some last longer)​
• 
  Check the app each week so you don’t miss high-value coupons. Also, keep an eye out for App-Only specials and free gift coupons that CVS sometimes provides in the app.
  
• ExtraCare Coupon Center (Red Kiosk): In CVS stores, you’ll usually see a big red kiosk. Scanning your ExtraCare card (or entering your phone number) here will print out paper CVS coupons. These are the same offers you might see in your app, but some people like having the paper versions. Scan your card multiple times until it says “no more coupons” – often, it prints in batches. Many weekly ads have “Instant Coupons” that print for everyone at the kiosk (e.g. $3 off 2 Colgate toothpaste for all shoppers that week). If you prefer digital, you can often find these in the app as well. Remember, coupons from the kiosk or receipt can also be sent to your card online – ExtraCare members can manage these on CVS.com or the app if you don’t want to carry the paper​ 
• Email & Text Coupons: CVS also sends personalized coupons by email or text (typically on Thursdays) to ExtraCare members who opt in​
  
  These might be great offers like “30% off your next purchase” or “$6 off $30”. If you get one, click the link in the message to send it to your card​
  (it won’t appear in your app until you do). These often have short expirations (usually a week). Not everyone gets the same offers – they vary by customer. It pays to subscribe to CVS emails/texts for these bonus deals. 

Bottom line: Always scan your card or check your app before shopping to gather all available coupons. Combining these with the weekly sale promotions is how you maximize savings.

Stacking Coupons & Planning Your CVS Deal Strategy

Now that you have your coupons and know the basics, let’s talk strategy. Successful CVS couponing is all about stacking discounts and planning the order of your transactions:

• Combine Sale + Coupon + ExtraBucks: The holy grail of CVS deals is when an item is on sale and part of an ExtraBucks promotion, and you have a coupon for it. This triple-stack yields huge savings. For instance, if shampoo is on sale for $4 (down from $5), and the deal is “Buy 2, get $4 ExtraBucks,” and you have two $1 manufacturer coupons – you’re stacking a sale, a promotion, and coupons together. We’ll see this in examples. The key to couponing at CVS is to combine manufacturer coupons with store promotions (and store coupons if you have them)​
  CVS encourages this stacking – it’s how shoppers get items for mere cents or even free. 
• Meet coupon requirements without overspending: CVS often issues threshold coupons (e.g. $5 off a $20 purchase). These can be great when planning a haul. If you have a $5 off $20 coupon, try to plan a scenario where your subtotal before coupons is at least $20 so it will apply. (Tip: CVS has a ~98% rule – if you reach 98% of the required total, the coupon or ExtraBucks deal will usually trigger​
  For example, spending $29.40 is enough to earn a “Spend $30, get $10 ExtraBucks” reward on most offers​
   Also, if you have two CVS coupons with thresholds, those thresholds add up. For instance, to use two separate $3 off $15 coupons in one transaction, you’d need to spend about $30 total that qualifies for each (like $15 in one category and $15 in another, or $30 in combined eligible products)​
  Plan accordingly or split your transactions. 
• Check deal limits: Each ExtraBucks promotion in the weekly ad will state a limit, usually “limit 1 per household” or sometimes 2. This means you can only do that deal and earn the ExtraBucks reward that many times per week per ExtraCare card​
  Pro tip: If a deal is “limit 2,” you could buy it all in one transaction and you’ll get two sets of ExtraBucks, or do it in separate transactions – up to you. CVS’s system also tracks your progress toward “spend” deals on your receipt. If a deal is “Spend $30, get $10 EB” and you spend only $20 in your first transaction, your receipt will show $20/$30 and you can spend the remaining $10 in another transaction to earn the ExtraBucks​
  You do not have to buy everything at once (though it can be convenient to do so). 
• “Roll” your ExtraCare Bucks: This is a critical tactic for minimizing out-of-pocket expense. Rolling ExtraBucks means using the ExtraBucks earned from one transaction to pay for the next​
  CVS allows you to pay with ExtraBucks and still earn new ExtraBucks on new deals – it doesn’t diminish your rewards​
  So a common strategy: split your shopping into multiple transactions. For example, Transaction #1 you buy a deal that costs $10 and gives $10 EB back (basically free after reward). Transaction #2, use that $10 EB to pay for another deal. You’ll pay very little cash on the second transaction, and if that second deal gives ExtraBucks, you’ve effectively “rolled” your initial reward into new rewards​
  By continually rolling ExtraBucks, seasoned couponers can keep their out-of-pocket expense extremely low from week to week​
  We’ll demonstrate this idea in the scenarios. 
• Organize and plan: Before heading to CVS, it helps to make a list of deals you want to do and which coupons to apply. Match your app coupons (and paper coupons) to the weekly ad deals. If you’re doing multiple transactions to roll EBs, plan the order: do the deal that gives a large ExtraBucks reward first, so you can use that reward on subsequent items​
  Also, have a backup plan in case something is out-of-stock (CVS will issue rain checks for sale items that can even include the ExtraBucks deal for later use​ 

Now, let’s put it all into practice with some real example scenarios from current CVS deals!

Personal Care Example: Stacking Coupons for Cheap Toothpaste

One of the easiest deals to start with is on toothpaste, since CVS often runs promotions that make it free or nearly free. Here’s a real example using this week’s ad:

• The Deal: Crest Toothpaste is on sale for $3.99 each, and the ad says “Buy 3, get $5 ExtraBucks” (limit 1)​
  This means if you buy three participating Crest products, you’ll receive a $5 ExtraBucks reward at checkout. Three tubes at $3.99 each will cost $11.97. 
• Coupons to Use: There is a $5 off 3 Crest manufacturer coupon available as a digital in the CVS app​
  Clip that to your card. (Alternatively, if it were a paper coupon, you’d hand it to the cashier.) If you happen to have a CVS store coupon like “$2 off $8 Toothpaste” from the coupon center (CRT), you could use that as well. (For this scenario, we’ll assume only the $5/3 manufacturer coupon, since it’s widely available.) 
• At Checkout (Transaction #1): Buy 3 Crest toothpastes = $11.97. The $5/3 digital coupon will apply, saving $5​
  You’ll pay $6.97 out-of-pocket plus tax. After payment, you will get a $5.00 ExtraBucks printed on your receipt because you met the “buy 3” promo​ 
• Final Outcome: Your net cost is $6.97 – $5.00 = $1.97 for all 3 tubes of toothpaste. That’s about $0.66 each​, a fantastic price down from $3.99. If you had a $2 off $8 store coupon as well, you’d have paid $4.97 and gotten $5 back – making it free! This is a simple example of how stacking a manufacturer coupon with an ExtraBucks deal yields big savings. 

Now you also have a $5 ExtraBucks reward to use on your next transaction…

Household Essentials Example: “Spend $30, Get $10” on Laundry Supplies

CVS often has a “Spend $30, get $10 ExtraBucks” promotion on household products (detergent, paper goods, etc.). Let’s walk through a current household deal scenario and how to maximize it.

The Deal: This week, CVS has select laundry products on sale for $12.99 each (Tide 92 oz, Gain 88 oz, Downy 88 oz, Bounce dryer sheets, etc.) and they are part of a “Spend $30, Get $10 ExtraBucks” promo (limit 1)​

Also, smaller Tide Pods (12–16 ct) are on sale for $5.49 and are included in the same promotion​

We’ll plan to buy a combination to reach at least $30:

• 1 × Tide 92 oz detergent – $12.99 
• 1 × Gain 88 oz detergent – $12.99 
• 1 × Tide Pods 16 ct – $5.49 

Subtotal: $12.99 + $12.99 + $5.49 = $31.47 (which is above $30, so we qualify for the $10 ExtraBucks reward).

Coupons to Use: There are high-value manufacturer coupons available for these items (check your CVS app or inserts):

• $3.00 off Tide 92 oz digital coupon​
• $3.00 off Gain 88 oz digital coupon (similar coupon, since Gain is also a P&G product)​
• $1.00 off Tide Pods 12–16 ct digital coupon​

(If you only have one of the $3 Tide/Gain coupons digitally, you could use one digital and one paper coupon from the P&G insert for the second bottle.)

Let’s assume we have all three coupons available. We will stack these manufacturer coupons with the spend deal:

• At Checkout (Transaction #2): Buy the 3 items above = $31.47. The $3 Tide coupon, $3 Gain coupon, and $1 Tide Pods coupon will apply, for a total of $7.00 off. That brings your payable amount to $24.47 plus tax. Now, remember the $5 ExtraBucks from the Crest deal? You can hand that $5 EB coupon to the cashier now as well, and it will further reduce what you pay. Using ExtraBucks is like paying with a CVS gift certificate – it covers $5 of your total. So out-of-pocket you’d pay $19.47 (if you rolled in the $5 EB). 
• After Checkout: You will receive a $10 ExtraBucks Reward for spending over $30 on the qualifying products​
  This prints on your receipt (or appears in your app). 
• Final Outcome: If we consider the $7 in manufacturer coupons and the $10 ExtraBucks earned, your $31.47 worth of laundry products effectively cost $14.47. That’s like paying about $4.82 per item on average, a huge discount for large detergent bottles that are normally $12.99 each. And because we “rolled” $5 from the previous transaction, your actual cash outlay was even lower. 

Breakdown Summary (Household Deal):

As shown above, we spent $31.47, used $7 in coupons, and got $10 back. If you had a CVS store coupon like $6 off $30 purchase (sometimes given to frequent shoppers), you could have applied that as well, dropping your out-of-pocket to nearly nothing. This illustrates the power of stacking multiple coupons on a spend deal. Even without a store coupon, we achieved more than 50% savings and still have $10 in ExtraBucks to roll into our next deal.

Health/Pharmacy Example: Big Savings on Nutrition Drinks (Ensure)

CVS isn’t just about beauty and household items – you can save on health essentials too. Let’s look at a deal for Ensure nutritional drinks (as an example of a pharmacy/health category deal):

• The Deal: Ensure multipack drinks (6 packs of bottles) are on sale for $12.99 each. The weekly promo is “Buy 2, Get $8 ExtraBucks” (limit 1)​
  So, purchasing two packs will trigger an $8 reward. Two at $12.99 each totals $25.98. 
• Coupons to Use: There is a high-value $6.50 off 2 Ensure manufacturer coupon available (digital in app)​
  Clip that to your card. Additionally, check if you have any CVS store coupons for nutrition or health drinks (e.g. sometimes “$3 off any Nutrition Shake” CRT); if so, you can use it too. We’ll proceed with just the $6.50/2 manufacturer coupon for now. 
• At Checkout (Transaction #3): Buy 2 Ensure 6-packs = $25.98. The $6.50/2 coupon applies, bringing the total down to $19.48​
  You can use the $10 ExtraBucks from the previous transaction to pay – just hand it to the cashier or select it in your app wallet. That would leave $9.48 out-of-pocket to pay. 
• After Checkout: You’ll receive $8 ExtraBucks for buying 2 Ensure​ 
• Final Outcome: Considering the coupon and ExtraBucks, your net cost for both packs is $19.48 – $8.00 = $11.48, which is about $5.74 per pack. (The weekly ad summary cited a final price of about $5.24 each after the coupon and reward​, likely due to regional pricing or an extra store coupon in their calculation, but roughly $5–6 per pack is the end result.) This is a significant saving from the original $12.99 price – more than 50% off each pack. If you had a $3 store coupon as well, you could have paid as low as ~$4 per pack net.

This scenario shows how even on pricier health items, combining a manufacturer coupon with an ExtraBucks promo yields great savings. Plus, by rolling in the $10 EB from before, we minimized cash expense. And now you have $8 ExtraBucks to use on a future deal.

Key Tips for Successful CVS Couponing

By now, you’ve seen how CVS couponing works: use your ExtraCare card, stack coupons when possible, and leverage ExtraBucks promotions. Here are some final tips to keep in mind as you plan your own CVS shopping adventures:

• Always scan or check the app: Before shopping, open the CVS app and send all relevant coupons to your card. If you’re in-store, scan your card at the coupon kiosk. This ensures you have every possible CVS coupon (CRTs, app-only deals, etc.) at your disposal.
  
• Match deals with coupons: Use the weekly ad (available on CVS.com or the app) to identify “ExtraBucks deals” and sales. Jot down which items you have coupons for, and plan scenarios like the examples above. Group items to hit any threshold coupons you have (e.g. plan a $30 purchase if you have $6 off $30 CVS coupon).
  
• Mind the limits and dates: Note each deal’s limit (usually 1 or 2) and your coupon expiration dates. Do the high-value, limited deals first in your week. And don’t let your earned ExtraBucks expire – they typically last about 2–3 weeks. If you can’t use them in time, you might even use them to buy everyday items (milk, paper towels) so they don’t waste.
  
• Roll your rewards: To reiterate, rolling ExtraBucks is how experts pay pennies on the dollar. Try to use the ExtraBucks from one deal to pay for the next deal in the same trip​.This dramatically lowers what you pay. Just remember, you can’t use ExtraBucks from the same transaction on itself – they print after you pay. But you can split into Transaction 1, 2, 3, etc. as we demonstrated. 
• Be organized at checkout: Tell the cashier you have coupons and ExtraBucks. Hand over any physical coupons, then your ExtraCare card (or input your number) so that digital coupons and ExtraBucks apply. The register will usually apply manufacturer coupons, then CVS coupons, then ExtraBucks. Verify the discounts came off and the ExtraBucks printed correctly. CVS receipts can be long – but check that you got the rewards you expected. If not, customer service can usually fix issues.
  
• Stack rebates for even more savings: This is beyond CVS itself, but many couponers also use rebate apps (like Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, Checkout51) to scan receipts and get additional cash back on items​
•  For example, if Ibotta has $2 back on Ensure, you could submit your CVS receipt and make the deal even sweeter. Always scan your receipt on these apps – it’s like a bonus on top of your CVS savings.
  

Couponing at CVS can feel like a game, and once you get the hang of it, it’s highly rewarding (literally!). By stacking store and manufacturer coupons, using ExtraCare Bucks wisely, and planning your transactions, you’ll consistently score deals where you pay just a fraction of the retail price. Start with small deals like the toothpaste example, then graduate to larger scenarios. Soon you’ll be navigating CVS’s offers like a pro – walking out with a bag full of products and a receipt that shows 70%, 80%, even 100% savings. Happy couponing, and enjoy those ExtraBucks!​

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