Your CVS Purchases Can Now Earn Airline Points — Here’s the Trick

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Until recently, there haven’t been many ways to earn travel points from everyday, boring purchases.
Sure, you could earn credit card points — but that’s tied to the bank, not the place you’re shopping. There were always workarounds, such as ordering online and picking up in-store, but that requires extra steps (and time) that most of us don’t have or don’t feel like taking. Outside of dining reward programs, the one true mainstream “earn points in real life” option was Bilt’s partnership with Walgreens, where a stop for deodorant or allergy meds could quietly earn points in the background.

And now, there’s a new player. Virgin Red just launched a way for U.S. members to earn points on real-world, everyday purchases:

CVS purchases now earn 3 Virgin Points per $1 spent.

That means toothpaste, shampoo, late-night snack runs—your boring, everyday CVS shopping—can now help fund an award flight on Virgin Atlantic (or any Virgin Red partner airline).

But here’s where things get confusing. Virgin’s announcement says you can “link your CVS ExtraCare® card to Virgin Red.”

Except… that’s not what actually happens.

How to activate CVS (and what Virgin doesn’t tell you)

1. Click the link on Virgin Red. Instead of asking for your ExtraCare number, it drops you into Virgin Shops Away, Virgin’s shopping portal.
2. Switch the site to “US Store.” Mine defaulted to the UK version, which hides CVS.

3. Click the Card Linked Offers tab.
4. Select CVS – Card Linked.

5. Register a credit card.

After linking, CVS appears as an active card-linked partner and shows: 3 Virgin Points per $1

And despite the language on Virgin’s site, nowhere in this process is your CVS ExtraCare number requested.

The terms spell it out:

“Purchases must be made using a registered credit card in order to qualify…”

So despite how Virgin markets it, you’re not linking ExtraCare at all. You’re linking a credit card. The system works just like other card-linked rewards programs (like Rewards Network dining, or earning Bilt points at Walgreens).

Earn Here, Earn There… Just Don’t Confuse Your Cards

If you’re earning points at Walgreens through Bilt, you’ll want to use a different credit card at CVS than the one linked to Bilt.

I know—it’s annoying to have “designated cards” for different stores. But nobody ever said maximizing points was effortless. This is the price we pay for being overachievers in the points-and-miles world. 😄

Pro Tip: Stack Your Rewards

Use a credit card that earns strong rewards at drugstores (like Citi Custom Cash or Chase Freedom Unlimited), and link that same card to Virgin Red.

• You’ll earn your normal credit card points plus
• 3 Virgin Points per $1 spent at CVS

Stacking points on toothpaste and allergy meds? Yes, please.

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