When a brand is BOGO1/2OFF, you must buy two of the same product to get the discount.
FALSE: You can buy ANY two products from the brand, if all products from the brand are listed in the sale ad (example: "All CoverGirl cosmetics BOGO1/2OFF"). If all CoverGirl cosmetics are BOGO1/2OFF at CVS, you can buy one lipstick and one eyeshadow. Or one mascara and one foundation, etc. It does not matter which two products you buy: you will still get the discount. What DOES matter is that you'll get half off the LOWEST priced item. So if you buy a foundation for $13.99 and a lipstick for $7.99, you'll get half off the lipstick, not the foundation.
If an ad lists multiple brands in a BOGO1/2OFF sale, I will only get the discount if I buy two products from the same brand.
FALSE: If the ad says something like, "All Herbal Essences and Aussie haircare BOGO1/2OFF" then you can mix and match between the two brands. In other words, you could buy one Herbal Essences shampoo and one Aussie conditioner and receive your BOGO1/2OFF discount on your purchase. The most important thing to note is that the sale ad MUST list multiple brands within the SAME LISTING in order for you to be able to mix and match. Let me make this even more clear. Here are some actual listings that will be in my weekly wrap-up this week for CVS:
- BOGO1/2OFF all Spoiled by Wet n Wild nail polish, Essence of Beauty cosmetic brushes, CVS cotton, CVS eye makeup removers and CVS nail polish removers
- BOGO1/2OFF all CoverGirl eye cosmetics
- BOGO1/2OFF all lashes and artificial nails (excludes glue)
For the second listing, you must buy CoverGirl EYE cosmetics (but you can mix and match between eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, etc.)
For the third listing, you can mix and match between ANY brand of lashes and artificial nails.
You can only use one manufacturer's coupon per transaction during a BOGO1/2OFF sale.
FALSE: There's a simple rule you should remember: for manufacturer's coupons: you can generally use ONE COUPON PER ITEM within the same transaction. So if all L'Oreal cosmetics are BOGO1/2OFF at Rite Aid, and you have two $1 off L'Oreal manufacturer's coupons, you can use BOTH coupons in the same transaction if you're buying two items. One $1 off coupon will be applied to each product. If you had FOUR $1 off coupons, you could buy four L'Oreal products at once and use all four coupons at once (and also get the BOGO1/2OFF discount).
NOTE: The "rules" above also apply to BOGO1/2OFF sales at Ulta, Target, etc.
I hope this helps clear up some rumors out there about BOGO1/21OFF sales at the drugstores!
One addition.. if the BOGO sale is combined with a bucks back sale.. "BOGO50% and spend $10 get $4 +UP"... the total must be $10 after the BOGO (so you actually have to buy $15 worth of product) to get the +UP. That one has messed me up many times.
ReplyDeleteAlso if you have received an "off the top" discount from the store beauty membership.. for example I get 10% off everything at Rite Aid because I've spent so much using my card there.. that also is taken into account when calculating the total to meet spending for the bucks back. Basically you have to spend 10% more.. which is a total pain in the butt. I can't tell you how many times I've had to run back and grab something cheap to add to my purchase to make up the difference.
Thanks! I totally agree with you on your first paragraph! But on the second one, I thought that Rite Aid only did the gold/silver discounts on NON-SALE items. Did they change that? I have never noticed a silver/gold discount on my sale purchases at Rite Aid before! Thanks!!
DeleteVery helpful because I found I duped with riteaid and those back bucks more than once, when combining other deals
Deleteg - i work at rite aid and you're right! you either get your silver/gold discount OR sale price. whichever one is better.
DeleteG, there is no discount on top of sale prices. You will get the better sale price, which is usually the ad price and not the discount since bogo 50% off equals 25% off basically. The bogo also doesn't apply to clearance items, like I have seen people say on instagram. I think maybe waymire is talking about when we have the +up offers but no sale prices.
DeleteAaah, thank you so much, Kathryn and Sarah! I get it now! :)
DeleteThank you so much for this blog post! Very helpful
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome!
DeleteI believe some drugstores will also honor buy 1 get 1 50% if you buy 3 items. For example, say you buy 3 items one for $5, one for $4, and one for $6 you will end up paying $11. It works like this, the lowest item is $4 and the store will do 50% off the $4 item for the $6 item AND 50% the $4 item for the $5 item. Basically buy 2 get 1 free. I believe Rite Aid does this and Ulta does not do this, but I'm not sure if other drugstores do this as well.
ReplyDeleteCVS and Walgreens don't work like that.. you have to buy 4 products to get 50% off in two of them.
DeleteOur registers won't automatically calculate it like that if you only get 3 items, you would have to say something to the cashier. And the way I was taught the third item would be 25% off. It all depends on the store though, the one across town does everything different :)
DeleteThank you for this info, G! Helped me understand things better. ^^
ReplyDeleteThe multiple coupon thing blows my mind. Does that rule apply all the time? Even if it's not a bogo situation?
ReplyDeleteYep! For example, you can buy five non-sale lipsticks and if you have five $1 off coupons for those lipsticks, you could use all five coupons in the same transaction. :)
DeleteI've noticed lately at Walgreens if someone buys 4 items in the BOGO1/2 off sale and that there are two different price points like two items being $10 and two items being $5 you'll get 50% off on one $10 item and 50% off on one $5 item. It used to be that if you bought 4 items together like that you would get the 50% off on both of the $5 items. It's been doing that on the vitamin sales that are BOGOfree too. I don't know if it's on all sales, all brands or if certain brands allow that to happen and others don't.
ReplyDeleteAlso about the coupons. If you have a coupon that says $2 off two items and you have a coupon that says $1 off one item, you would have to buy at least 3 items to be able to use both coupons, it won't work if you buy just 2 items. It seems that people don't realize this or are just not reading the wording on the coupons. Not sure so I thought I'd mention it.
Thanks so much for sharing that!
DeleteThanks for this! I see ex. Maybelline and Loreal buy 1 get 1 half off during the same time and didn't know that i got mix and match brands.
ReplyDeleteWait, I think you night have misunderstood me!! Just because two brands are BOGO1/2OFF at the same time does NOT mean you can mix and match. They have to be in the same LISTING (see my CVS example above with Spoiled nail polishes and Essence of Beauty makeup brushes, etc). I hope that makes sense! :)
DeleteHi G!
ReplyDeleteI have a question regarding BOGO sales. Physician's formula is having a buy two get 1 free. I am wondering if I can use a coupon for B1G1 free with that sale and how it would work out?
Thanks so much!
Are limited edition collections included in bogo sales? For example, if Revlon was bogo 1/2 off that week would the Revlon electric chrome Spiderman collection be included in the sale?
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm trying to work out a BOGO1/2OFF at walgreens and I have clipped a manufacturer's coupon and a walgreens coupon online, with my walgreens app. Since I don't physically have those coupons would they only apply them once? Or could they apply them to both items? Does anybody know how that works? Specially with the app, or if I printed out the coupons, could I use the 4 coupons with the BOGO1/2OFF? Does that make sense? Thanks for the help!!
ReplyDeleteI tried mix and matching once simple and bore products once at cvs cz the particular add had the advertising all simple aND biore are bogo 50% off so when I got some simple face wash and biore wash I was told by the cashier that I can't mix and match bcz the ad doesn't say mix and match ,, so I went back and got all simple brand products, , but then was thinking why then put two different brands in same listing ,, I still don't know was I right or was the cashier right,,,,
ReplyDelete