It looks like the rumors are true. Beginning September 2nd, Rite Aid +UP Rewards will be loaded direct to card, via Rite Aid’s Load2Card program. It does look like you will have the ability to OPT out.
Beginning September 2, members of wellness+ will have their +UPs automatically loaded to their wellness+ card. +UPs are special rewards earned when certain items or groups of items are purchased that can be used like cash toward a qualifying purchase at a future Rite Aid visit.
Rite Aid is also launching +UP Text Notifications so customers can track their +UPs on the go. Wellness+ members can text “REWARD” to “RATEXT” on their mobile phones to receive a weekly text of the number and value of the +UPs available on their wellness+ card. Rite Aid customers may also elect to continue having their +UPs printed on their register receipts if they wish. A +UP can be redeemed starting at 6 a.m. on the day after it was earned and expires 14 days after issue. (not sure if opting to get them print allows you to use them immediately)
For more information, you can check out this press release here.
What are you thoughts on this?
Lori says
I just opted out thru the online chat on the website. So you can do this ahead of time.
Soosh says
Question: Are the UP rewards attached to the card like ECBs?
Kathy says
I’ve read that they are not and can be used on any card.
Brittany says
Hello… Ive followed this post but I’m still confused about the 6am rule- does that still apply if you opt out and still get them printed? I hope not – that’s the only way to make my purchases worth while!! Thanks for clearing this up n thanks for this post- I had no idea this change was happing :(
For the Mommas says
Looks like they will all be 6 am the next day?
melissa says
Yes… unfortunately they are 6 a.m. the next day whether you opt out or not.
Emily says
I am also in a test market. I called to opt out of load 2 card (some said you can do it at the register but cashiers I spoke with didn’t know anything about it). It’s more confusing to have them loaded as a previous comment said. If you have your card scanned first all the ups on the card are used first and you can’t use any coupons. To avoid it you have to have your card scanned after all your items and all your coupons. The other problem I had was that it took ups that had a later expiration first when it was my intention to use up the ones expiring that day. Yes if you have them printed you can’t use them until the next day, but if you plan to shop RA weekly you can make your ups expire alternating weeks and keep rolling that way, it’s not much different.
melissa says
I’m in a test area that has been doing this for a few months now. I hope they’ve worked the kinks out of the system by now. Before we were given the opt out option, not all my UPs were loading to my card. Then I’d go online to see how many there were and what I saw online was different than what customer service saw on their end AND different than what the cashiers were able to see at the store. So I never knew how many UPs I actually had.
Since opting out and having them print again, I haven’t had any issues. And like I said, hopefully they’ve worked out the kinks. Another problem I had was that the UPs would come off my purchase as soon as they scanned my card… sometimes not allowing me to use my coupons because it brought my purchase price down too low. So I started having them scan my card AFTER my coupons… but now that I’ve been able to opt out, it’s business as usual… hand them my coupons and then hand them my UPs.
If you do like the idea of them loading to your card, though, the nice thing is that your receipt will still print an UP type reward… it just won’t have the bar code that can be scanned. But it will still look like a normal UP reward… the amount and date and all that will be on there. So that would help people keep track of what’s on their card (assuming you remember to throw away the ones you’ve used once you’ve used them).
Hope that all makes sense. : )
melissa says
Oh yes… unless you opt out, you cannot control which UPs come off your card… another disadvantage to this system.
Grace says
They just want to get more people in day after day with the next day UPs. It does mean higher OOP if you only go once a week…kinda stinks because that is what I liked about Rite Aid—low OOP. Oh well…as long as they give us some good deals I won’t complain too much :)
Soosh says
The deals haven’t been very good for a long time.
My shopping there has plummeted…
Amy says
This change is interesting to me because we are already using the coupons on card options (Giant, Savingstar, CVS–just loaded 25% off next purchase on my card a few minutes ago, etc.). Both CVS & Rite Aid consider their rewards coupons even though all of us couponers consider them “cash.”
Sarah says
Yep, I am in the test area too, you do have to wait till the next day…kind of sucks as I now have $24 in up rewards to burn from this week. Good thing there are lots of freebies next week.
Sarah says
You opt out by calling them.
karen says
how do you opt out? at the store? on line?
For the Mommas says
not quite sure.
Jenny says
I heard you can do it at the register starting Sept. 2 or call customer service
Jillian says
I opted out by asking at the store and the manager did it for me. But, at my moms store the manager had no idea what she was talking about so she had to call and tey did it over the phone
J says
I am thrilled about this “Load to Card.” One less thing to deal with at the register! Yeah, no more rapid-fire transactions, but it will probably stop some of my impulse purchases :-)
Joella says
I was also in a test area. I forgot some of my UPs so I opted to have them printed and haven’t had a problem since. The biggest disappointment for me was that you have to wait until the next day to use them… which usually means more out of pocket.
michele c says
I have done one deal this year. I much rather have them print. I am not the only house member using this card. I would bate to earn ups and then have my mom use them for her trip. She doesn’t coupon. Also when they started this my ups said redeem next day.
Karen says
My sister is also in the test area. She hated them being loaded onto her card so she also opted out. The down side is the “wait until 6 am” the next day. Oh well. One more change to couponing that we can cope with…
For the Mommas says
good to know about waiting til 6 am for the UPR even if they print.
Sara Grove says
I think I would rather keep printing them as well, although I am not sure how I feel about not being able to use the rewards until the next day :-/
Jillian says
I live in an area that has had it this way for months now. I hated it. So I asked the manager what i could do and he said you can opt out and still get printed rewards. I did that a few months back and they have been printing like normal ever since.
For the Mommas says
Jillian,
Can you use them the same day or the next day?
Jillian says
Next day 6am
SherrieB says
I think it is ridiculous that you cant use them till the next day. I’ve had a hard time going back to RiteAid the past 6 months, and now even more reason not to. Who wants to go back every day of the week to use the UPs from the day before? Waste of gas and time…
For the Mommas says
That is more my problem than anything – doing multiple trips – wasting time!
amanda says
“It doesn’t say if you will have the ability to opt out.”
Isn’t that what they are saying here?
“Rite Aid customers may also elect to continue having their +UPs printed on their register receipts if they wish”
That was what I thought anyway. Thanks for posting this info. I am already in one of the test markets and as long as you opt-out it’s not too bad having to wait until the next day to use your +UPs. Much less traumatic than I thought it would be.
For the Mommas says
Sorry, I meant that if you get the printed – you wont have to wait.. I think we might all have to wait until the next day. I updated that to clarify that.
Melissa G says
I will probably opt to keep printing my UPs, as I think I can keep better track of them that way. I also think it’s great that they won’t be able to be used until the next day. It gives more people the opportunity to take advantage of the hot deals, without having to worry about beating the people that roll Ups the same day.