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The Best Credit Cards to use at Drugstores

Chaim Geller

Posted on February 2nd, 2024

Old age is a blessing. It indicates that you possess a lifetime of wisdom and experiences.

Notwithstanding, a less exciting factor of old age is the need to take medication regularly.

Merck Manual, in an article on Aging and Medications put out by Healthy Living, states that “Almost 90% of older adults regularly take at least one prescription drug, almost 80% regularly take at least two prescription drugs, and 36% regularly take at least five different prescription drugs.”

They go on to say that the above results do not even include over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements, which would increase the rates exponentially.

What I take from those statistics is that elderly adults spend a lot of money at drugstores. We have only one solution to offer you. Using a sound credit card to pay at drugstores, you can earn rewards on your medication bills.

So you can earn cash back or rewards for every dollar you spend at a drugstore. Even though it won’t cut your drugstore bill, why not earn rewards on the money you’re spending anyway?

Let us discuss what cashback and point rewards are.

Cash Back Versus Rewards

There are many credit cards through which you can earn cashback. For example, with the Bank Of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, you can earn 3% cash back per dollar you spend at drugstores. For a $100 drugstore bill, you can redeem $3 in cash back.

The cashback process is simple and does not entail determining reward values. The cashback amount you see on the card is what you get.

Rewards are the other type of earnings you can receive on a credit card. For example, with the Citi Custom Cash Card, you can earn 5 points per $1 spent at drugstores. You can redeem your ThankYou® Points for cash back at 1 penny per point.

Points from the Citi Custom Cash card can only be redeemed as cash back, but points from many other cards can be redeemed towards travel purchases.

You can use your rewards for hotels, flights, attractions, car rentals, and more.

Obviously, if you’re an extensive traveler, it may excite you to earn rewards towards the above-mentioned purchases. However, if your lifestyle is not at all centered around travel or hotel stays, earning reward points may not be relevant.

Also, when it comes to points, it is not always a matter of what you see is what you get. 1 point can be valued at 1 cent, but less or more than that. It depends on the rewards program the points are part of and how you value them.

Those are the basic differences between cash back and rewards.

Whether you choose a card that earns cash back on drugstore purchases or one that earns rewards is your decision to make. Use the above arguments to help you decide.

Finally, let me give you a list of the best credit card options. All of the following are great cards to use at drugstores.

Citi Custom Cash® Card

First up is the Citi Custom Cash® Card.

Card Rewards

With the Citi Custom Cash® Card, you can earn 5% cash back on drugstore purchases.

The rewards on the card are offered as follows. Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent per billing cycle, then 1% cashback.

Basically, each month, Citi will determine the category you spend the most in. For every dollar you spend on those purchases, you will earn 5% cashback.

Eligible categories are restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.

The drugstore category includes “purchases made at pharmacies in grocery stores, general merchandise/discount superstores, and wholesale/warehouse clubs if those merchants submit purchases made in their pharmacy with the drug store and pharmacy merchant category code.”–Citi Custom Cash® Card Benefits Terms & Conditions.

So if you spend the most at drugstores, which may very well be, you will get your rewards there.

You will earn the cashback in the form of ThankYou® Points. That equals 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on up to $500.

How you can Redeem your Card Rewards

After you earn rewards from spending at drugstores, here is how to redeem them.

The first way to redeem your rewards is as cashback, for 1 penny per point. If you spend up to the maximum $500 allotted, at 5 points per dollar, you can earn 2,500 ThankYou® Points. In cashback, at a rate of 1 penny per point, that equals $25 bonus cash.

That’s one option.

There is a second option, but if you only have the Citi Custom Cash card, it will not work for you. However, if you also have the Citi Premier Card or the Citi Prestige, then you can transfer your points to one of those cards and then transfer your points to any of the following airline or hotel partners.

Hotel partners:

Choice Privileges
Wyndham Rewards

Once you rack up enough rewards with the airline you choose, you can fly for free with points! Similarly, if you choose to transfer to hotels, you can get free nights with your rewards!

Card Benefits

Besides the card rewards, you also get some benefits with the Citi Custom Cash Card.

Any purchase you make with your Citi Custom Cash Card will be covered for purchase protection. If a purchase is damaged or stolen within 90 from the date of purchase, you can file a claim. You can get a max of $1,000 per claim and maximum of $50,000 per year.

Also, with the Citi Custom Cash Card, you can get two additional years to an original manufacturer’s warranty time. For example, if you buy a coffee machine that has a 1 year warranty, If you pay for it with your Custom Cash Card, you can get a total of 3 years warranty.

Extended warranty protection will cover purchases that have an original warranty of 5 years or less. You can get a max of $10,000 per item.

You can see more details on the terms and conditions in the Citi Custom Cash Card benefits guide.

No Annual Fee

The Citi Custom Cash Card has no annual fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Next up is the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

Therefore, let’s check it out as a potential option.

Card Rewards

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you can earn the following rewards:

Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, including airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, activities, and cruises.
Earn 5% cash back on Lyft Rides
Earn 3% cash back on dining, including takeout and delivery
Earn 3% cash back at drugstores
Earn 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

There are many rewards, but let’s focus on the 3% cash back at drugstores.

The 3% cash back you earn is in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards. The value is approximately 1 penny per point.

How you can Redeem your Card Rewards

You can redeem your rewards in various ways once you earn your 3% cash back on drugstore purchases.

One option is to redeem it as cash back for 1 penny per point. So, for a $250 order, you could get $7.50 cash back. You can get it as a statement credit, directly to your bank account, or actual cash from a Chase branch.

If you are into traveling, another way to redeem your rewards is through Chase Travel. You can visit chasetravel.com to book Chase Travel and get 1 penny per point.

On Chase Travel, you can book airline tickets, hotel accommodations, car rentals, activities, and cruises.

As a side note, if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Ink Preferred Card, you can transfer your rewards from your Freedom Unlimited Card to one of those cards. Now, instead of just 1 penny per point for Chase Travel, you can redeem it at a rate of 1.25 pennies per point.

And if you also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, you can transfer your rewards from your Freedom Unlimited Card to the Reserve to redeem 1.5 pennies per point on Chase Travel!

Another way to use your rewards is to transfer them to airline or hotel programs. If you only have the Freedom Unlimited Card, you do not have this option. But you can do so if you have any cards we mentioned just before (Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Ink Preferred Card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve Card). In that case, you can transfer your rewards to one of these cards and then transfer your points to any of the following Chase Travel Partners.

Hotel partners:

Hyatt, World Of Hyatt
IHG, Rewards Club
Marriott, Bonvoy

Transferring rewards to airline or hotel programs is excellent because of its flexibility. Once you accumulate enough Chase Ultimate Rewards from your Freedom Unlimited Card, you can choose any programs that interest you. Whichever airline or hotel you’d like to use, just transfer your rewards there and earn free travel to where you want most.

If you buy enough meds at the drugstore after a while and earn enough rewards, you can redeem free hotel nights, flights, cruise trips, and so much more! You will find yourself with free adventures just by using the right credit card when you pay for your drugstore purchases.

Card Benefits

The Freedom Unlimited Card has more goodness to it. Besides the 3% cash back at drugstores, you get several benefits and protections with the card.

Still, enjoying your independence from driving a car? What happens when you’re away on vacation in a rented car, riding up Arizona Highway 366, and boom- you hit a rock? Thankfully, if you paid for the car rental with your Freedom Unlimited card, you’re protected against any auto rental collision damages to the car. You get primary coverage on collision damage and theft when renting a car outside your country of residence.

If something happens to a rental car within your country of residence, the coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.

How about planning a getaway for you and your spouse when you are busy? Thoughts of Florida sunshine and swaying palm trees are foremost in your head. But then a medical emergency arises, and you must cancel your trip.

Your Freedom Unlimited has got you covered with trip cancellation insurance. You can get a maximum $1,500 per passenger and $6,000 per trip for non-refundable travel expenses, including flight tickets, hotels, and more.

Back home and back to routine, you may enjoy purchasing surprise gifts and treats for your family and friends. Or just shopping for yourself and your house. Use your Freedom Unlimited Card so that you are covered if any purchase gets damaged or stolen within 120 days of the purchase. With purchase protection, you can earn a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.

As an additional benefit, with extended warranty protection, if any of your purchases are under warranty, the warranty will be matched for up to 1 additional year. It will only be extended if the original warranty is for three years or less. You can get a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.

You can see more details on the terms and conditions in the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card benefits guide.

More Rewards on all Purchases

I’d like to touch upon the rest of the card rewards you can earn on all purchases with the Freedom Unlimited Card. With this card, you can earn 1.5% cash back on every dollar you spend anywhere.

On top of that, there is no annual fee for this card. So, without any investment, you automatically earn 1.5% cash back on everything you buy with your Freedom Unlimited,

Chase Freedom Flex

The Chase Freedom Flex is another Chase card that earns 3% cash back at drugstores.

Card Rewards

Besides 3% cash back at drugstores, you will also earn the following rewards:

5% cash back at rotating categories on up to $1,500 in combined purchases
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, including airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, activities and cruises
3% cash back on dining, including takeout and delivery
3% cash back at drugstores
1% cash back on all other purchases

The 5% cash back rotating categories work in quarters. Each quarter, Chase releases another category in which you earn 5% cashback. From January through March of 2024, Chase offers 5% cash back at grocery stores (excluding Walmart® and Target®), fitness club and gym memberships, and self-care & spa services! Each quarter, you have to activate that quarterly bonus.

You will earn all the cash back as Chase Ultimate Rewards.

How you can Redeem your Card Rewards

After you earn your rewards on purchases, you can redeem your rewards as cashback for 1 penny per point. You can redeem it through statement credits or direct deposits to your bank.

You can also choose to leave your rewards as points and use them for gift cards or to purchase Chase Travel on chasetravel.com.

Card Benefits

The Chase Freedom Flex has some great benefits.

For one, you get cell phone protection. If your cell phone is damaged or stolen, you can claim up to $800, a maximum of $1,000 per year. But to activate coverage, you must charge your Freedom Flex card for the monthly phone bill.

For all purchases, you can also get purchase protection for up to 120 days from the date of purchase. If something you buy gets damaged or stolen, you can claim a maximum of $500 or $50,000 per account.

Extended warranty protection allows you to match your original manufacturer’s warranty time for up to a year. You can earn a maximum of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.

Lastly, you will always be protected against collision damage to car rentals. You can get primary coverage on rentals outside your country of residence. You can get secondary coverage on rentals inside your country of residence.

The Chase Freedom Flex Card is great for drugstore purchases. On top of that, you get to cash in on the 5% cash back rotating categories, which seems awesome.

You can see more details on the terms and conditions in the Chase Freedom Flex Card benefits guide.

Bank Of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card

A Bank of America credit card, the Customized Cash Rewards card earns 3% cash back on drugstores.

Card Rewards

The way it works is as follows. You can earn 3% cash back on your monthly choice of category. Categories include gas & electric vehicle charging stations, online shopping, dining, travel drugstores, and home improvement and furnishings.

You can earn 3% cash back on your chosen category on up to $2,500 each quarter in combined purchases with the following categories:

Grocery stores – on which you can earn 2% cash back per dollar
Wholesale clubs – on which you can earn 2% cash back per dollar

Choose drugstores as your category to earn all your 3% cash back there. “From your annual flu shot to prescriptions, health & beauty items, vitamins and batteries. Find it all at your local drug store and earn more cash back.” -Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card Cash Back Categories & Exclusions.

You can change your chosen category each month or leave it as your first choice.

Get Even More Rewards

If you qualify as a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase.

Instead of earning 3% cash back on drugstore purchases, you can earn 3.75% – 5.25% cashback.

To qualify for the Preferred Rewards program, you need to have an active and eligible personal checking account with Bank of America. In the account, you must maintain the balance required for at least the lowest tier in the program.

Program balance tiers

$20,000 balance to qualify for the Gold tier
$50,000 balance to qualify for the Platinum tier
$100,000 balance to qualify for the Platinum Honors tier
$1,000,000 balance to qualify for the Diamond tier
$10,000,000 balance to qualify for the Diamond Honors tier

The balances may include funds in any qualifying Bank of America deposit accounts, such as a checking account, savings account, certificate of deposit, etc., and Merrill investment account funds.

When you fulfill these requirements at the end of the month, wait about three or more business days and then enroll in the Preferred Rewards program.

Once you’re enrolled and your membership is active, usually within 30 days of enrollment, you will earn the Preferred Rewards bonus:

25% more rewards if you are in the Gold tier
50% more rewards if you are in the Platinum tier
75% more rewards if you are in the Platinum Honors tier
75% more rewards if you are in the Diamond tier
75% more rewards if you are in the Diamond Honors tier

Let’s put those rates into numbers with an example of $100 in drugstore purchases. You can earn:

$3.75 cash back with the Gold tier
$4.50 cash back with the Platinum tier
$5.25 cash back with the Platinum Honors tier
$5.25 cash back with the Diamond tier
$5.25 cash back with the Diamond Honors tier

How’s that for bonus cash back?

Card Benefits

The Bank Of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card has several benefits that enhance the card.

Firstly, it has purchase protection. If a purchase you make is damaged or stolen within 90 days from when you make the purchase, you can get a refund. You can earn a maximum of $500 per claim and a maximum of $50,000 annually.

Secondly, the card has extended warranty protection. You can match the original manufacturer’s warranty time up to one year on appliances. You can get a maximum of $10,000 per claim and a maximum of $50,000 per cardholder.

No Annual Fee

The Bank Of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee.

Reward Programs: Another Way to Earn Drugstore Rewards

There’s another simple way you can earn rewards at the drugstore. Sign up for the drugstore chain rewards program. You will earn rewards and coupons when you use your loyalty card to check out at the drugstore. You can cash those rewards and coupons later at the drugstore.

Loyalty programs, usually free to sign up for, are a super easy way to save a lot on your pharmaceuticals. Here are just a few loyalty programs you can join.

CVS

CSV stores are all over the states. They have a free rewards program called ExtraCare. You can earn 2% ExtraBucks rewards on many purchases once you are signed up. You also get a $3 coupon on your birthday and many sales prices! In addition, you can pay to enroll in an ExtraCare account and earn even more rewards when you fill prescriptions, among other things.

Walgreens

Walgreens, another famous drugstore chain, has a rewards program called myWalgreens™, which you can join for free. You can earn 1% Walgreens Cash on all eligible purchases and 5% Walgreens Cash on Walgreens branded products. You can also access all sales prices and save up to reach higher bonus goals.

Rite Aid

”The nation’s third-largest drugstore chain, Rite Aid…”-as quoted from gobankingrates.com. So, let’s see what Rite Aid offers in reward programs. Wellness+ rewards is a great reward earner. You can earn 1 point for every dollar you spend at a Rite Aid location, but you will earn many points when you fill prescriptions. Earn 75 points for a 90-day prescription and 25 points for a 30-day prescription.

You can unlock many more rewards and sales prices if you get gold or silver status in their program.

Final words

We explored various credit card options and programs you can use at drugstores for maximum rewards. The next time you need a medication refill or fill a prescription, make sure you have a great rewards earner in your wallet. Swipe the credit card and feel good!

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Kampus Production; Pexels

Chaim Geller

Chaim Geller is a financial advisor and personal finance expert who works with individuals and businesses to provide resources to help them build credit, manage debt, and find the best credit card solutions for financial stability.

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