The Hasty Cashier Can Be Your Friend

A hasty cashier is always your best friend at CVS.  I am not really speaking about the "quickness" of the checkout process, although moving the line quickly is never a bad thing.  The best thing about a hasty cashier is that she will invariably scan your first item before you  have a chance to hand over your ExtraCare card.

As a result, when all your items scan, they scan at the un-discounted, non-card price, regardless of whether the card is scanned after the first item or after all the items.  This is beneficial for two reasons.  First, a high non-sale-price total allows you to take advantage of the many CVS "Save $X Off $XX" coupon.  For example, a bottle of body wash may cost $8.99 and be on discount for $4.99.  If your "X Off $XX" coupon mandates that you must spend $25 to save $5, then you only need to by three bottles (8.99X3) to exceed $25 and use the $5 Off coupon.  If your card is initially scanned, prices will ring up at $4.99, forcing you to purchase SIX of them (since 5X4.99 doesn't yield a $25 purchase).

Now of course, the CVS registers will generally accept any "$X Off $XX" coupon when the non-sale price exceeds the purchase level.  However, I have encountered many cashiers who will refuse to take the coupon when they read that your purchase must be $25 and the amount showing on their register is less than $25. Usually, by citing the "undiscounted price", the cashier often relents and takes the coupon.  But it's still a hassle and leads cashiers to think you are "scamming them".

The second great value with a hasty cashier who scans an item before scanning your card is that all prices are displayed on the register at the regular price.  Hence, when the cashier processes any "free item" coupons, she will tend to use the full, non-discounted, non-card price, giving you more than you spent (overage).  Some may quibble that this is not fair or legal, since you are only paying $4.99 and being given $8.99 credit, but as long as the $8.99 is recorded on the coupon as the legitimate price (which it is), then the store is being made whole, as the manufacturer will reimburse for the $8.99 amount.

CVS cashiers are trained to always ask for your card up front, but the training seems varied on whether they should wait for the card or start scanning right away.