CVS makes a major change customers will love

The pharmacy has listened to feedback about a previously confusing system.

Jan 25, 2024 - 00:30

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CVS makes a major change customers will love

One of the more confounding parts of being a consumer in the 21st century is trying to keep track of all the memberships, coupons, and promotions you're juggling at any one time.

Some more organized folks may keep coupon booklets and organized tabs tracking their rewards points to be used at a future point of sale. Other less-ambitious customers simply wing it at the checkout aisle, trying a list of different emails and phone numbers hoping one of them will come up as linked to a loyalty account.

We've all been there. It's one of the necessary evils of being a consumer in this decade. Nearly every retailer has a rewards program, some retailers even offer different internal tiers or platforms. And since the average shopper dashes out to a store nearly twice per week, that process can get confusing quickly.

One of the most historically confusing models has been at CVS (CVS) - Get Free Report, which for years offered no fewer than four tiers of member programs to its customers. If names like CarePass, ExtraCare, ExtraCare Pharmacy and Health, and ExtraCare Plus make your eyes glaze over, you're not alone. Plenty of customers were purportedly growing frustrated with the drugstore's complicated rewards system, with some saying they unwittingly signed up for a premium $5 monthly program without understanding the benefits.

Customers are seen using self checkout machines at a CVS drug store in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
UCG/Getty Images

CVS makes a major change to member program

So executives began listening to the growing frustration and made the decision to simplify the programs.

“We heard from some of our members that they found value in our loyalty programs, but that the multiple programs could be hard to manage. So, we’ve been on a journey to combine what was at one point four different programs into a single program with two tiers,” vice president of loyalty, omnichannel and Hispanic formats Zach Dennett said.

So the pharmacy is streamlining the programs into just two offerings now. They are:

ExtraCare: which is free to sign up for and includes 2% back in ExtraBucks Rewards, birthday reward, access to sale prices.
ExtraCare Plus: which is $5 per month and includes all the ExtraCare benefits plus free shipping, free same-day delivery, free same-day prescription delivery, 20% of CVS brand products, monthly $10 bonus reward, access to a 24/7 pharmacist hotline.

Some of these benefits are new, too.

“We have also made it easier for ExtraCare members to understand the benefits of joining ExtraCare Plus, including free rapid delivery and $10 to spend each month,” Dennett added.

And all indications prove the new programs might be working. CVS currently boasts 74 million ExtraCare members. But Dennett says the pharmacy will continue to work to identify new ways to save customers time and confusion.

“Stay tuned,” he said. “We are listening carefully to the feedback from customers after these latest changes. We hear very positive feedback about the simplification, about the free same-day delivery, and about the accelerated earnings at the pharmacy. But, as a health and wellness destination, we’re constantly looking for ways to make it easier for members to take care of their health. Expect us to continue to innovate our loyalty programs as we strive to improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and increase access to care.”

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