2-Foot-Long CVS Receipt Doubles As Party Streamer

Matt sent Consumerist an e-mail with the subject line, “Why is my receipt two feet long?” See, he shopped at CVS, purchased one item, used the self-checkout machine, and walked away with a receipt longer than my dog. This is a massive waste of paper, especially when you multiply it by the number of CVS stores and the number of purchases at each one, but it isn’t completely pointless.

A closer look at his receipt shows that most of its impressive size comes from coupons. One offers a gift card for transferred prescriptions, and the other $5 off a purchase of $15 or more. Both useful. In fact, many people are annoyed when they don’t receive the ExtraCare coupons, and still others have turned the combination of manufacturer’s and ExtraCare Coupons into a personal care item stockpiling game.

Still, I bought two items at a Rite-Aid store last week and walked away with a similarly long receipt, but mine didn’t offer any useful coupons. It did, however, have promotional messages and an invitation to take a phone survey. I recycled it before I had a chance to photograph it next to a yardstick. Pity.

Protip if you don’t want long receipts at CVS: Don’t use your loyalty card. Even that will only make the situation a little bit better.

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What Goes Into A Foot-Long Toys R Us Receipt?
Customer Wants To Know What Happened To CVS Extra Care Coupons

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