A prescription discount coupon, also called an RX savings card, is a program to help patients receive discounts on prescription medications. It’s easy to use, just by showing the card at a pharmacy and the pharmacist scans the card to see which discounts a patient can get. There are many drug companies, pharmacies, and other groups that sell these cards. The discount depends on the card and where it’s used:

1. Pros to having a pharmacy discount card
A pharmacy card can save an uninsured person an average of 16 percent. This may not seem like a lot, but when you’re paying for prescriptions out of pocket, every little bit helps. There are some cases where the card has saved people up to 75 percent on their prescriptions. It is hard to track down savings as every card is different, and each pharmacy might have a different price for prescriptions. A 2014 study of patients taking drugs for multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory diseases showed that half of them had discount cards. It reduced the prescription to around 250 a month.

2. Cons to having an RX savings card
An Rx card will not save you a lot of money if you use insurance. The card discounts the whole price, not the price that the insurance covers. If the medicine that you want is 100 dollars, and you are only paying a $20 copay, the insurance company is giving you an eighty dollar discount. If you are buying a $20 drug, however, the Rx card might be better to use. In this scenario, you would pay full price with insurance but may only pay 16 with the card. The only way to tell what would be better is to get a card and have the pharmacy scan it with and without insurance to see.

3. What to watch out for
There are plenty of discount cards that you can get for free from pharmacies, doctors, or online. Stay away from cards that want to charge you an upfront cost or a monthly subscription fee. Never give the company any personal information. It is also a good idea to check their privacy policy. Some cards make money by tracking what you buy then selling that information to drug companies.

4. How to get the most out of your card
The only way to know which card will offer you the best discount is to shop around. Different cards offer better discounts at different places. Decide which pharmacy to use, and then find a card to match it. The pharmacy might point you to which card to use, but you can also ask your doctor, or do research online.

Pharmacy cards can save you money, especially if you do not have insurance. They also help people who have to buy pricey perception drugs every month. As long as you do some research beforehand, a card can be a good investment.