Is CVS ExtraCare Plus Worth Paying For If You Shop Online?

What CVS's paid ExtraCare Plus tier adds over the free card, the simple math on whether it pays off, and how to get more from every CVS.com order.

It’s 6 p.m., you’re out of sunscreen, the dog shampoo is empty and somebody finished the paper towels. You could drive to CVS. Or you could fill a cart on CVS.com in five minutes and have it brought to the door, or bagged and waiting at the counter when you swing by.

Plenty of people already shop CVS that way. The question is whether they should be paying for ExtraCare Plus, the store’s paid membership, on top of the free ExtraCare card most of us have had on a keychain for years. The answer comes down to a bit of simple math and how you shop.

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Free ExtraCare already does a lot

CVS reworked its loyalty program into two tiers in early 2024. The free tier kept the ExtraCare name; the paid membership, previously called CarePass, became ExtraCare Plus.

Free members get sale prices, personalized deals and 2% back in ExtraBucks Rewards on purchases. Fox Business notes that the 2% is figured on the price after coupons but before tax. There’s also a pharmacy rewards piece: you earn credits for things like filling prescriptions and getting vaccines from a CVS immunizer, and every four credits turns into $2 in ExtraBucks, capped at $50 a calendar year. That part is subject to state law and isn’t offered in Arkansas, New Jersey or New York, among other limits.

So before you pay anything, sign up for the free card and link it to your CVS.com account. It’s the base everything else stacks on.

What the paid tier adds

ExtraCare Plus includes everything in free ExtraCare, plus three main perks, according to Fox Business’s March 2024 breakdown.

First, 20% off CVS Health brand products that aren’t already on sale. That’s the store’s own label, the one you’ll spot all over the shelves. Second, a $10 bonus reward every month, added to your card and redeemed at checkout. It expires and has some exclusions, so it’s a use-it-or-lose-it perk. Third, free shipping on most CVS.com orders and free same-day delivery, each with a $10 minimum after coupons. Same-day delivery may be free, but Fox Business points out a service fee still applies. Free shipping isn’t available in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.

At the time of those reports, the membership cost $5 a month or $48 a year. Prices can change, so check the current rate on CVS.com before you sign up.

Does it pay for itself?

Here’s the arithmetic, using the published 2024 figures. The monthly fee was $5. The monthly bonus reward was $10. If you shop CVS at least once a month and spend that reward every time, the reward alone covers the fee twice over, before you count a single 20% discount or free delivery.

The flip side is just as simple. The reward expires. If you’d go two or three months without a CVS order, you’re paying for rewards you never collect.

For everyone in between, run it with your own numbers. Add up what you’d typically spend on CVS Health brand items in a month and take 20% of it. Add any delivery fees you’d otherwise pay. Add the $10 reward only if you’d really use it. If that total beats the monthly fee, the membership is earning its keep. If you’re on the fence, the annual plan was cheaper per month than paying monthly, so it’s worth a look once you know you’ll stick with it.

💊 Compare CVS Health brand prices online

How to clear the bar

Make the monthly order a habit. One planned CVS.com order a month, for the stuff you always run out of, is the easiest way to make sure the $10 reward gets used.

Switch to the store brand where you don’t care about labels. Look for the CVS Health version of the basics you buy on repeat. The 20% discount works on items that aren’t already on sale, so these are the easy wins.

Mind the $10 minimum. Free shipping and free same-day delivery both kick in at $10 after coupons. Bundling small needs into one order clears it easily.

Use pickup when you’re passing by anyway. CVS store pickup is free with no order minimum for anyone. CVS says orders are often ready within about an hour, and in most stores anything placed by 8 p.m. is ready the same day. Refrigerated items, age-restricted items and some oversized products can’t be picked up, and online prices may differ from in-store prices.

Who comes out furthest ahead

Households that shop CVS weekly or close to it. Parents who keep a running list of diapers, wipes, snacks and kids’ toiletries. Anyone who already reaches for the CVS Health label and would rather not drive across town for it.

If CVS is a once-a-season stop for you, the free card is plenty, and that’s a fine place to be.

Getting the most out of a CVS.com order

Start with the free ExtraCare card linked to your online account, since that’s where the 2% back and personalized deals live. Build your cart around the things you buy on repeat, check which of them have a CVS Health version, and pick pickup or delivery depending on your day. If you’re a monthly shopper, the paid tier turns those same orders into something closer to a standing discount.

Same sunscreen, same paper towels, less running around.

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