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Introduction to the Walgreens Credit Card
The Walgreens Credit Card is a solid choice for frequent Walgreens and Duane Reade shoppers, offering excellent rewards on store-branded products and no annual fee.
However, its value diminishes for those who shop less frequently at these stores or want more flexible rewards, since Walgreens Cash rewards can only be redeemed through Walgreens. Furthermore, the Walgreens credit card also charges extremely high interest, making it a cash drain if you don't pay your statement balance in full every month.
Our experts evaluated this card against the best 2% cash back credit cards and found it lacking in value because of the limited range of benefits and redemption opportunities.
Unless Walgreens-branded products make up much of your drugstore spending, you might be better off with a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which earns 3% cash back on all drugstore purchases.
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
19.74% - 28.49% Variable
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy
Good to Excellent
- Solid flat cash-back rate
- You can combine cash-back rewards with Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card
- No annual fee
- Some other cards offer a higher rate of cash back on certain types of purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Walgreens Credit Card Overview
While store credit cards aren't always the most rewarding, the Walgreens Credit Card may be an exception. Its main selling point is a generous 10% cash back on Walgreens-branded products, and up to 5% on all other Walgreens purchases. With no annual fee and personalized offers, this card may be especially appealing for loyal Walgreens and Duane Reade customers.
The downside? Cardholders can only earn and redeem rewards in-store, making the Walgreens cards less versatile compared to other cash-back credit cards. Some cash-back cards not only earn cash back on all drugstores, but they also offer more flexibility in how you can redeem your cash back.
Where Can I Use the Walgreens Credit Card?
Walgreens offers the closed-loop myWalgreens Credit Card, which is accepted only at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores; and the open-loop myWalgreens Mastercard, which is accepted everywhere that accepts Mastercard. Both cards have no annual fee and the same welcome bonus, so our review covers the open-loop myWalgreens Mastercard version since it has more perks.
Walgreens Credit Card Rewards and Benefits
The nice thing about the Walgreens credit card is that you can check your eligibility for approval without incurring a credit inquiry by utilizing the prequalification tool. But should you do so? Here's a closer look at the Walgreens card, its perks, and who might benefit from having the card in their wallet.
How to Earn and Redeem Walgreens Cash Rewards
The Walgreens Credit Card earns Walgreens Cash rewards, which are only redeemable at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores. While drugstore items are often notoriously overpriced compared to other stores, the card offers substantial cash back rewards to offset the higher prices.
The rewards structure makes the Walgreens Mastercard an excellent choice for shoppers who primarily buy Walgreens-branded products and regularly visit Walgreens or Duane Reade. This card also earns generous returns on the following categories of spend:
- 10% Walgreens Cash rewards on Walgreens-branded products
- 5% Walgreens Cash rewards on all other purchases at Walgreens and Duane Reade
- 3% Walgreens Cash on groceries, health wellness purchases outside of Walgreens including groceries, salons, pet care, medical bills, gyms, and more
- 1% Walgreens Cash rewards everywhere else Mastercard is accepted
Rewards can only be redeemed at Walgreens stores by linking your myWalgreens account to the transaction at check-out. Walgreens Cash can be stacked with discounts or coupons, but can only be redeemed in the following increments:
- $1 Walgreen Cash rewards for $1 off
- $2 Walgreens Cash rewards for $2 off
- $3 Walgreens Cash rewards for $3 off
- $4 Walgreens Cash rewards for $4 off
- $5 Walgreens Cash rewards for $5 off
- $10 Walgreens Cash rewards for $10 off
- $20 Walgreens Cash rewards for $20 off
- $50 Walgreens Cash rewards for $50 off
Sign-up Bonus
From time to time, you can earn a small sign-up bonus, or welcome offer, on the Walgreens Credit Card. This bonus is relatively small compared to bonuses offered by more general-purpose cash-back cards.
Other Benefits
Cardholders may get access to special deals and discounts not available to non-cardholders. The card also includes $0 fraud liability on purchases.
Walgreens Credit Card Fees and Interest Rates
Annual Fee
The Walgreens Credit Card does not have an annual fee.
APR
This card has a 34.99% variable APR, based on creditworthiness
Other Fees
- Balance transfer fee: N/A
- Cash advance fee: 5%
- Late payment fee: $40
Walgreens Credit Card Pros and Cons
Walgreens Credit Card Pros
- High rewards rate at Walgreens and Duane Reade, especially for Walgreens-branded products
- No annual fee, making it a cost-effective card for frequent Walgreens shoppers
- Exclusive cardholder discounts and promotions
Walgreens Credit Card Cons
- High APR
- Low welcome bonus compared to other cash back rewards
- Rewards are only redeemable at Walgreens and Duane Reade checkout
Who is the Walgreens Credit Card Best For?
The Walgreens Credit Card is best for consumers who can utilize its most notable benefits.
If you frequently shop at Walgreens or Duane Reade, this card may be a good addition to your wallet.
The 10% Walgreens Cash Rewards on Walgreens-branded products make this card an appealing option for loyal customers who want to maximize savings on everyday purchases. And even if you don't shop at Walgreens often, the card's 3% rewards on grocery, health and wellness spending can be worthwhile for some.
However, most people will get more value using a card with more generalized rewards for these categories. Many of the best credit cards for buying groceries earn as much as 6% cash back on the first few thousand dollars spent at U.S. supermarkets each year. And
The Walgreens Credit Card is not ideal for:
- Those seeking a general-purpose rewards card with broader benefits: The card earns just 1-3% cash back outside of Walgreens and Duane Reade. Since rewards are only redeemable at checkout, they're less flexible than other cash-back credit card. rewards.
- People carrying a balance due to the potentially high APR: The Walgreens Credit Card has a variable purchase APR of 34.99%, which is not ideal for consumers who tend to carry a balance.
How to Maximize Rewards on the Walgreens Credit Card
The best way to maximize rewards with the Walgreens Credit Card is by stacking your rewards it with the Walgreens loyalty program. Signing up is free and open to all Walgreens customers.
Members of the myWalgreens Rewards program earn 5% Walgreens Cash on Walgreens branded products and 1% on all store purchases.
By stacking your Walgreens Credit Card with these rewards, you can earn up to 15% cash back on Walgreens-branded products and 6% on all other purchases.
Another way to maximize rewards on Walgreens purchases is by utilizing shopping portals. You can earn extra cashback or points by clicking through a portal link before shopping on the Walgreens website. To find the highest rewards rates, check a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor.
You can typically earn at least one extra point or 2% extra cash abc by using a shopping portal for your online Walgreens purchases.
Lastly, you can earn extra points through Bilt's partnership with Walgreens. Bilt members earn 1X points on Walgreens purchases, 2X on Walgreens-branded items and 100 points on prescription refills. You can link any credit card to your Bilt account to enjoy these rewards and have your FSA or HSA savings-eligible purchases identified for easy reimbursement.
Walgreens Credit Card Comparison
If you want to earn rewards on broader spending categories and outside of Walgreens stores, there are several alternative cards worth considering.
These cards earn flexible cash back rewards that can be applied towards statement credits or redeemed for gift cards and other purchases. Furthermore, they earn elevated rewards on drugstore purchases, pretty close to the Walgreens Credit Card:
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card vs. myWalgreens Mastercard
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card has no annual fee and earns 5% cash back on your top spending categories every billing cycles (up to $500 spent). Drugstores like Walgreens are included as an eligible category, making this card a great alternative to the Walgreens Credit Card.
Through June 30, 2025, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card earns 4% cash back on hotels, rental cars and attractions booked through Citi Travel. All other purchases earn 1% cash back year-round. It also has a much lower ongoing APR of 18.24% - 28.24% Variable based on creditworthiness) with a generous zero-interest intro APR period: 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months.
Furthermore, the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers new cardholders a welcome bonus that's easy to earn: $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. This bonus is substantially higher than the Walgreens Credit Card's $50 bonus, althought it also has a higher spending requirement.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. myWalgreens Mastercard
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns fewer rewards on drugstore spending than the Walgreens Credit Card, but earnings are uncapped. The card also provides more earning opportunities, with 3% cash back at drugstores and restaurants (including eligible delivery services), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel and 1.5% on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited®'s welcome bonus is also higher than that of the Walgreens Credit Card: additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). Cardholders don't pay an annual fee, and may be eligible for an intro APR of 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (then 19.74% - 28.49% Variable APR).
Plus, if you have an eligible Chase credit card, you could convert your cash back to highly valuable Ultimate Rewards points.
Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card vs. myWalgreens Mastercard
3% cash back on groceries, salons, pet care, medical bills, gyms, and more — Most credit cards don't earn bonus rewards on these categories of spend, let alone all of them — the Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card comes the closest to rewarding you for paying some of these important expenses.
myWalgreens Credit Card vs. myWalgreens Mastercard
The myWalgreens Credit Card is nearly identical to the Mastercard, earning the same 10% rewards on Walgreens products and 5% on all other in-store purchases. The difference is that it can't be used outside of Walgreens and Duane Reade stores.
The closed-loop card isn't a great choice for everyday spending, since you'll miss out on 3% rewards on grocery and health & wellness purchases outside of Walgreens, and 1% on all other purchases. However, the credit requirements for closed-loop store cards are often lower, making the myWalgreens card more accessible for people with limited or no credit.
If the prequalification tool determines you won't be eligible for a Walgreens Mastercard, the myWalgreens card might be a good alternative for you to maximized extra in-store savings.
Walgreens Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the myWalgreens Mastercard is issued by Synchrony Bank.
Why You Should Trust Us: Why We Recommend the Walgreens Credit Card
Our experts compared the myWalgreens Mastercard against other retail credit cards as well as the best cash back credit cards by evaluating the following criteria:
Welcome bonus — How well does this card's sign-up offer compare to that of other cards on the market? The Walgreens credit card offers a small welcome bonus compared to the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but some consumers may not mind too much if they heavily spend at Walgreens and Duane Reade.
Bonus rewards on everyday essentials — Does this card earn equal or better returns than other credit cards on the market? It's hard to beat 10% cash back on common purchases, so people who frequently buy Walgreens-branded vitamins, personal care, and children's supplements can save big on these categories. Even 5% cash back is a generous return, and this card offers rewards on Walgreens or Duane Reade purchases year-round, unlike the best 5% cash back credit cards which typically only earn 5% on drugstore purchases for three months out of each year at best.
3% cash back on groceries, salons, pet care, medical bills, gyms, and more — Does this card earn equal or greater rewards on non-Walgreens spend? Most credit cards don't earn bonus rewards on these categories of spend, let alone all of them — the Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card comes the closest to rewarding you for paying some of these important expenses.
Redemption opportunities — How easy is it to utilize the cash back earned on this card? While the myWalgreens Mastercard earns generous rewards on many daily categories of spend,
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