Does Walgreens Accept Credit Cards (3% – 5% Cash-Back Offer)

Cash payments have become a thing of the past, so most of the time, when I am on my monthly grocery shopping spree, I use my credit card instead. Recently, I came across Walgreens’s credit card reward program with its amazing cash back offer, and although it had a lot to offer (which you must read about below), I was left wondering does Walgreens accept credit cards from other companies, too. Let’s find out!

Does Walgreens Accept All Types of Credit Cards?

You can choose from several payment options on Walgreens.com, such as Visa, debit cards, Discover Network, MasterCard, and American Express. 

You can additionally pay for your transactions via Walgreens gift cards, PayPal, or PayPal Credit. Cash, checks, debit cards, gift cards, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Network, CareCredit, or Apple Pay are all acceptable means of payment at Walgreens for in-store prices.

myWalgreens Synchrony Credit Card Details

Regular customers of the pharmacy companies Walgreens and Duane Reade, both of which operate in New York and are managed by the same company, are eligible for the myWalgreensTM Mastercard®. 

Compared to many store-branded cards, this Synchrony credit card is free of an annual fee but has no cashback benefits. Instead, you acquire “Walgreens Cash,” redeemable only at Duane Reade and Walgreens.

Essential aspects of the myWalgreensTM Mastercard® comprise the following.

Two Unique Walgreens Cards

There are two Walgreens cards offered. The myWalgreens Mastercard® offers rewards in the form of Walgreens Cash for certain non-Walgreens transactions and can be used everywhere Mastercard can be used. 

You may also be given myWalgreens Credit Card, available for use only in person at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores and online at walgreens.com, depending on how Synchrony evaluates your application. 10% in Walgreens Cash can be used with both cards on qualifying Walgreens-branded purchases.

For Walgreens, 5% Cash on qualified pharmaceutical purchases made at Walgreens, Duane Reade, or in person or online. The myWalgreens Mastercard also offers:

• 3% at Walgreens Cash on groceries and well-being purchases purchased outside of Walgreens, including those purchased at pet businesses, counseling services, sports-related shops, medical facilities, gym memberships, and hospitals.
• Moreover, for each additional purchase, get 1% in Walgreens Cash.
• Creating an account and making your first purchase in 45 days will result in a $25 bonus in the form of Walgreens Cash. There may be some exclusions.

Walgreens Cash Rewards

Walgreens Cash is a credit that can be used at checkout at Walgreens or Duane Reade stores and online to lower your entire purchase cost.

It doesn’t count as exactly cash back. Each $1 in Walgreens Cash turns into a $1 savings when redeemed. Redeemable amounts comprise $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, $20, and $50.

If your account has been dormant for six months or one year after the generating date, Walgreens Cash expires.

Interest Rates

The annual percentage rate (APR) for the myWalgreensTM Mastercard® is between 22.99% and 31.99% and is variable based on how good your credit is. 

As of August 2023, the store card version’s fixed APR is 31.99%. If you hold a balance, particularly on the higher ends of the APR range, the interest fees may soon cancel out the benefits you get from using the card.

Consider cards with 0% introductory APR presents if you intend to carry a balance. For example, Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers 0% promotional APR on transactions and balance transfers for 15 months and a continuing APR of 20.49%-29.24% Variable APR.

As an alternate, purchases and balance transfers completed during the first 60 days of opening an account are eligible for a 0% Intro APR over 18 billing cycles on the BankAmericard® credit card. A variable APR that covers 16.24% to 26.24% is in effect after the initial promotional APR period.

Benefits of my Walgreens Credit Card

• 10% off for all Walgreens-branded items (certain limitations apply).
• 3% rewards on non-Walgreens purchases of groceries and wellness items.
• Walgreens provides 5% rewards for all non-Walgreens brands (some restrictions apply).
• 0% fraud liability.
• No annual charge.
• Free access to your credit report.

Limitations on Earning Rewards Through myWalgreens Credit Cards

Certain store purchases are not qualified for getting Walgreens Cash. Alcohol, dairy products, stamps, gift cards, tobacco, and lottery tickets make up these exclusions. 

In addition, prescriptions transferred to drugstores in Alabama, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, Tennessee, or Virginia, along with purchases made at pharmacies in New Jersey, Arkansas, and New York, are not qualified for rewards.

Please be mindful that the following list of restrictions is not all-inclusive, so verifying Walgreen’s conditions of use is recommended to see if any of your regular purchases are impacted.

Suppose you’d like a card with greater flexibility. In that case, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® provides alluring perks such as 3% cash back for every drugstore purchase, as well as 3% cash back on dining out, 5% cash back on travel booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards®, and 1.5% cash back on every other financial transaction.

Key Takeaways

• All mainstream credit cards will work at Walgreens.
• My Walgreens Synchrony Credit Card offers a substantial bonus program featuring 5% cash back at Walgreens, 2% cash back at gas stations and grocery shops, and 1% cash back on all other financial transactions.
• Moreover, MyWalgreens Credit Card offers no annual fees and a $200 sign-up bonus after spending $1,000 in the initial six months.