Bilt Walgreens Partnership
Did you think you would see Bilt and Walgreens in the same headline? I know that I didn't. It may give you massive Amex Platinum and Walmart+ vibes, and we all know that isn't the best of partnerships. I will say that this Bilt Walgreens partnership is a bit different, and it could actually be interesting to many of you out there. The best part? You don't need to have the Bilt Mastercard to take advantage.
Earn Extra Points At Walgreens
The first part of this Bilt & Walgreens partnership is the ability to earn extra points on your purchases and prescriptions. This will happen when you use any card loaded in your Bilt Rewards app, including the Chase Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited which earn bonus points at the pharmacy. So, this is kind of like a shopping portal in a way. You can just use whatever card earns the best return and then earn these bonus points on your purchases:
- Bilt Members earn 1x Bilt points on all Walgreens purchases
- 2x points on Walgreens-branded items
- 100 Bilt points on prescription refills – subject to certain exclusions
And remember, this is all in addition to your normal credit card earnings. That probably won't be the Bilt Mastercard, unless you use it on Rent Day for some 2x earning.
FSA / HSA Made Easier With Bilt & Walgreens
This is the really intriguing / innovative portion of partnership, at least in my opinion. A lot will come down to how it actually works in the wild though. If it is a smooth as it seems in theory, then this could help take one thing off a lot of people's plates. Here is what Bilt had to say about the FSA / HSA aspect of the Bilt Walgreens partnership:
Automatic FSA/HSA Savings
Members can shop at Walgreens using any linked debit or credit card in their Bilt account. Bilt's innovative system automatically identifies FSA or HSA eligible items and offers a one-click solution to apply benefits. This feature simplifies healthcare shopping by removing the hassle of knowing which items are eligible for FSA or HSA benefits in advance of purchase.
This essentially means that Bilt will be the go between for you, between your purchases and your FSA / HSA redemptions. I think that is pretty cool. Personally, I don't have an issue maximizing our FSA account because of our routine medical bills, but I know many people leave money on the table every year. A lot of that is because of the hassle of redeeming regular purchases like cough syrup etc., and not fully knowing what is, and is not, eligible for redemption. You should be able to handle all of that within your Bilt app now for purchases at Walgreens. Pretty cool!
Full terms of the Bilt & Walgreens partnership can be found HERE.
Screenshots Of A Walgreens FSA Redemption
Here are some screenshots of a FSA / HSA Walgreens redemption within the Bilt Rewards app. It looks about as easy as it could be, at least once your FSA / HSA account card is linked up.
Bilt Walgreens Partnership: ToP Thoughts
If you already shop at Walgreens then this is a nice little bump to your points earning. If you don't, then I don't know that it will fully change your habits. Having said that, I could see myself going to Walgreens for my over the counter medicine to easily redeem it with our FSA account. If the set up, and system, is as easy as it appears, that would be worth going a mile or so out of my way to do. I may have to drive past two CVS locations to get to the nearest Walgreens, but I would do anything to avoid uploading receipts to my FSA. Throw in earning bonus points on the purchase, your normal credit card points and that is what I call a win-win (even if a smaller one).
