Breaking it down: BOGO1/2OFF + Rewards sales

One of the most popular questions I receive on this blog, when it comes to sales at the drugstore, goes something like this:

How does it work when a drugstore sale contains both a BOGO1/2OFF offer AND a reward?

So today I'd like to break it down and help those of you who are confused about this type of offer. For example: 

This week at Rite Aid, all Rimmel cosmetics are BOGO1/2OFF and when you spend $15, you'll receive $5 back in +UP Rewards (store credit).

So let's break this down:

Let's say you buy two Rimmel items that are $9.99 each. After the BOGO1/2OFF deal, your total goes down from $19.98 to $14.98.

Now in MOST cases, the drugstore will consider this close enough to hit the $15 threshold that you need in order to get the reward. (I've come within a penny or two in the past and they've given to it to me, while in other cases they haven't. So it really depends on the store and the offer).

For the purposes of this scenario, let's say Rite Aid DID consider this close enough to $15. In that case, you'll get $5 back in +UP Rewards when you buy two $9.99 items.

So, after you have used your $5 +UP Rewards (which you can use on your next purchase), your final savings for two $9.99 Rimmel products is $9.99. Since the retail price of your purchase is $19.98 (9.99 x 2), you're basically getting a BOGOFREE when you factor in the BOGO1/2OFF and the $5 +UP Rewards.

The important thing to remember here is that the drugstores calculate the threshold for the rewards AFTER they've taken the BOGO1/2OFF deduction, NOT before. So don't buy two $7.99 items and think that since they add up to over $15 before the BOGO1/2OFF, you're going to qualify for the +UP Rewards.

PS: If you have coupons that you're planning on using in conjunction with a BOGO1/2OFF + rewards deal, it's all good! Coupon deductions are always taken AFTER the rewards threshold has been met (if you've experienced something to the contrary, please let us know because I've never had that happen to me personally).

I hope this makes this sale/rewards combo a bit more clear, and if you have any questions, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer them!