Walgreens' new 'Balance Rewards' plan is cumbersome, complicated and annoying

Walgreens has a new program called Balance Rewards. It's free. It promises savings and "endless rewards."

I don't like it. It's cumbersome, complicated and totally unnecessary.

I've long had a beef with grocery stores that offer similar programs Maybe you have them in your area. They're the stores that have two prices on some items - one price for people who carry their "special card" and another for those who don't. Guess which price is lower?

I'm sure these programs are designed to create shopper loyalty and to reward those who shop regularly at their store. I see them differently - as penalizing those who aren't store regulars. That would include me and my wife, Linda.

Whenever we visit another area of the country by car, we make a point to make a shopping run at a local grocery store to pick up some regional items that aren't available in our home city. It's fun and allows us to extend our vacation experience even after we return home.

But we often find ourselves in one of these "card stores." We used to just grit our teeth and plunge ahead with our shopping adventure, hoping that a kind clerk will give us the card discount as a courtesy to "foreign shoppers." More often than not, that was the case. But not always.

So, our most recent policy has been to just turn around and walk out whenever we find ourselves in a store like that. But, with Walgreens, we probably will bite the bullet and get a card.

I find it annoying to have to sign up for a card that basically gets us back to the status quo of a month or so ago, even though you can sign up by QR code, on-line, via a toll-free telephone number or in the store. Of course, "restrictions apply." You'll have to read all the small-print disclaimers to fully appreciate these restrictions.

Linda and I frequently walk to our neighborhood Walgreens to pick up a few items. It's near our house, near our favorite coffee shop and makes for good exercise. It's a good store with fair prices. We enjoy having it in the neighborhood.

But, now that they've created a new cumbersome system that asks me to "manage my points" on a smartphone, tablet or computer just to save a few pennies, I won't enjoy my visits nearly as much.

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