Press release:
Rite Aid is making exciting changes to its wellness+ program to deliver even more value to its most loyal customers. Starting Jan. 1, 2012, all members will find it easier to shop and save at Rite Aid with exclusive access to the drugstore industry’s first coupon management tool. In addition, members who reach the silver level of Rite Aid’s free customer rewards program will enjoy new wellness rewards of their choosing.
“Wellness+ has been a game-changer for Rite Aid,” said Ken Martindale, Rite Aid Chief Operating Officer. “As we grow the program, it’s important that we continue to enhance its value to members. Through innovative tools and exciting, new wellness rewards, we’ll deliver more value than ever before to wellness+ members – our most loyal customers – in the new year.”
Rite Aid will introduce Load2Card, a new coupon management program that will allow all wellness+ members to save, manage and redeem Rite Aid and manufacturer coupons available throughout the internet via their wellness+ card. Rite Aid is the first in the drugstore industry to offer this tool. Every week, members will have the opportunity to load an average of more than $100 in savings directly to their wellness+ card. The coupon savings will automatically be deducted from applicable purchases when customers scan their wellness+ card at checkout. Paper coupons will continue to be accepted.
To enable the direct-to-card savings, on or after Jan. 1, 2012, members simply need to activate and log in to their online wellness+ account on Rite Aid . Customers who do not yet have a wellness+ account will also be able to create one at this time and to use Load2Card immediately.
Also new in 2012, when members reach 500 points, they’ll earn a wellness reward of their choice, such as a gym membership, health/fitness magazine subscription or health screening. All members will receive notification of reward eligibility and redemption details on their register receipt and by email.
Members of wellness+ will also be able to enjoy three tiers of savings and rewards in 2012. Adding to the gold and silver wellness+ membership tiers, Rite Aid has created a brand new bronze tier for members who reach 250 points in a single year. Bronze tier members will receive 10 percent off all Rite Aid brand products every day as well as a one-time 10 percent off shopping pass* for use in the store.
The silver and gold tier point levels will stay the same at 500 and 1,000 points respectively. Upon reaching 500 points, silver members receive 10 percent off all qualifying non-prescription purchases every day. After reaching 1,000 points, gold members receive 20 percent off all qualifying non-prescriptions every day. Anyone who reaches silver or gold status by the end of 2011 will retain their status throughout 2012.
All members of wellness+ will continue to enjoy everyday benefits, available immediately upon enrollment, including:
• +UP Rewards, which print at the bottom of a register receipt and are redeemable like cash toward a future qualifying purchase
• Members-only sale pricing throughout the store
• 24/7 exclusive access to a Rite Aid pharmacist by calling 1-800-RITE-AID
With more than 44 million enrolled members, Rite Aid’s wellness+ program was recognized as the top-ranked and most-recommended loyalty program in the country by Zocalo Group this past February and was awarded the Shopper Technology Institute’s 2011 LEADER Award in October. Launched in April 2010, wellness+ has been the drugstore industry’s first and only customer loyalty program to provide health and wellness benefits in addition to the shopping discounts, store and manufacturer coupons, and special prices offered to members. Members earn points every time they shop at Rite Aid. One point is earned for every dollar spent on non-prescription purchases and 25 points are earned for every prescription filled.**
*Ten percent off pass may not be used for the purchase of cigarettes, alcohol, gift cards, online purchases, lottery tickets, licenses, money orders and transfers, prepaid cards, stamps, other mail services and items prohibited by law.
** Prescriptions paid for in whole or in part by state or federal healthcare programs such as Medicare or Medicaid and prescriptions filled in NY or NJ are not eligible by law for accrual of points.
Email sent to consumers:
Dear Rite Aid wellness+ Member,
Your loyalty to Rite Aid and the wellness+ program has made it the success it is today. And this past year, as we looked at ways to enhance the program, that meant changing the benefits we offer you. Because we value you so much, we want you to be the first to know about changes to the wellness+ program that will take effect January 1st, 2012.
The following benefits were added so you get more rewards for being a loyal Rite Aid customer:
• Load2CardSM, a new coupon management tool that will allow you to save, manage and redeem Rite Aid and manufacturer coupons directly through your wellness+ card.*
• When you reach silver status at 500 points, you’ll earn a wellness reward of your choice, such as a gym membership, health/fitness magazine subscription or health screening.*
• A brand new bronze tier for members who reach 250 points in a single year. Bronze tier members will receive 10 percent off all Rite Aid brand products every day as well as a one-time 10% off shopping pass for use in the store.*
Again, these changes will not take effect until January 1st, 2012. Remember, your points will reset on January 1st, 2012, but your silver or gold member tier status and discount will continue through 2012.
We thank you for being a loyal Rite Aid customer.
Best,
Your Rite Aid wellness+ Team
Thoughts?
• Rite Aid Wellness+ Program
• Weekly Rite Aid Deals
• Rite Aid Tutorial
• Main Rite Aid Page
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Will we be saving a lot of paper not having to print out internet coupons?
Becky
Good question! I think it is only coupons available on the Rite Aid site through their coupons.com link – or whomever the coupon supplier is. Not sure how every printable could get loaded on that card. I mean I keep a list of over 1000 printables, how could Rite Aid have loadable access to them all? Unless it is a toolbar? In which case I am staying far, FAR away.
Ann
The manager on Sunday at RA that she thought the coupons would work much like our local Fred Meyer coupons that we load to our card. Some are Kroger brand specific, some are much like coupons.com , but on a MUCH smaller scale. Initially with Freddies, you could use both the coupons loaded to the card and a paper coupon on the same product. Nice!! That changed however I think this past year and now the coupon loaded on your card is the one that gets used, even if it’s a lower value. The paper coupon beeps (and should be handed back to you, but on more than one occasion I have had to specifically ask for the beeped coupons).
What’s hard about it is keeping track of what you have loaded to your card. You can print off a list, but that’s just more paper to track. Guess you could load to smart phone & maybe that is the way to go. The other thing that happens is you have to load at least an hour before you go shopping or they won’t post at checkout. I have also had an issue this past month that none of the coupons I loaded to my card have posted when I bought the corresponding items. I’ve been on hold twice for more than 20 minutes with customer service trying to figure out why. Also asked at customer service at the store & they didn’t know. I think I am just going to quit loading to the card and go back to paper. At this point it’s easier!!
Don’t know if that helps, but it is how it has worked with Freddies.
It does help Patti, thanks!
Ann
That is like Star Savings, can never remember what store and what coupon.
SavingStar is actually a rebate-type program. List all your cards and you never have to worry about what store if you purchase the item.
Ann
Odd that it clearly says manufacturer coupons also. I was thinking coupons and dicounts like CVS gives you the option to print or load card.
OK- just got off phone w/ CS, called about Halls +UP’s. I asked about coupons, she stated there will be a specific website we can load coupons on card and +UP’s will also be loaded. HTH
I hink maybe this is one way of stopping people from having more than one account for vv coupons. What do you think?
Well, not stopping, Dian but you will not be able to use the +ups from one account on the second account like you can now if you go this route. That makes me wonder if we still accept the paper +ups if they will now be serialized?
Ann
are the ups rewards going to be serialized? that will definitely change things
SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!
All those new rules make my eyes glaze over. Once R/A rolled out the card I have shopped more at Walgreens. It’s a smaller pain than R/A or CVS. I hate keeping track of those idiot cards.
I’m wondering now if any coupons loaded to card will not count towards your wellness totals. This will be interesting to follow. Makes me wonder too about all the beeping that has been going on with paper coupons recently at RA. Curiouser & curiouser!!
Oh I totally agree, Patti! It’s been ridiculous – I have had to read for the cashiers who look at me and just say “{The machine won’t accept this”
I wonder if it’ll be stackable (and how long that benefit would last).
Like cellfire @ Kroger-it was GREAT at first then the retailer caught on to our wiley ways.
NOOOOOO…. don’t take the +UPS interchanging! That was a huge bonus!!!
Ditto
Interesting… all I can say is in 2 years of coupon shopping, Rite Aid hasn’t made a change yet that truly helped us. Hopefully this time will be different.
Will you still be able to combine Rite Aid and man coupons?
The press release I posted said yes.
Ann
I was fine with the added coupons and load2card thing. And it’s optional … I won’t be using it simply because I dont’ have time to keep track of coupons and our internet’s not so fast and I don’t even own a cell phone and so forget any other high tech gadget to help me manage coupons. I’ll continue to just either clip or print what I need when I need it and keep it in a folder. Now, why I’m really leaving a note. IMPORTANT: It’s quite frustrating but on my reciept yesterday I got the message (and I’m hearing this from others too). With this new change it is also changing +Ups. +Ups will be loaded to your wellness+ Card and will not be available until 6am the following day. This information is printing on everyone’s reciepts at least as of yesterday. Check your most recent reciept to see. It starts this Sunday, Feb 5th. I don’t see how this is going to work and even though I’ve been in gold card standing with Rite Aid for going on three years, but I might not be shopping there much anymore if the problems and inconvenience that I can imagine might happen end up actually taking place (like remembering what +Ups are on your card, remembering expiration dates, being able to select which +Ups to use for your next purchase … what if the register just pulls from “the Pool” of +Ups on your card … and I’ve heard you won’t be able to know what +up was from what purchase … making it very hard to impossble to find out if there was an error or not or if you even did get an +Up). This change to the +Ups is NOT optional as the coupon load2card thing is. There goes our +Ups!