GoodRx can save up to 80% off prescriptions when using their card.
For example, Linezolid, a prescription for skin and bacteria infection, has a retail price of $1,090.03.
However, when you present the GoodRx card to the pharmacist, the discounted price will be between $37 and $45, depending on the pharmacy you use. This is one of the company’s most significant savings on a prescription.
GoodRx has earned a spot on our best Rx coupons list for great discounts and customer support, but the company also has drawbacks that need to be examined.
This GoodRx review will answer all your questions.
What Is GoodRx?
GoodRx is a prescription discount card that can save you up to 80% on medications when presented to the pharmacy.
This card can help save money on prescriptions for insured and uninsured patients, those who do not have full prescription coverage, and even pets that need medications filled.
While many Rx discount cards can save money, GoodRx is the most well-known.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
✅ Free to use
|
❌ Cannot use with insurance
|
|
✅ Cheaper drugs than paying cash |
❌ Some drugs are cheaper with other discount cards |
|
✅ Accepted at over 70,000 pharmacies |
❌ GoodRx card not always accurate |
|
✅ Large brand with customer support team |
❌ GoodRx Gold is required to get the true lowest price |
Is Good Rx Legit?
GoodRx is a legitimate company that has been in business since 2011, with recognized savings at over 70,000 pharmacies.
The company received a Trustpilot rating of 3.4 with 793 reviews.
The complaints were mostly poor customer service, the coupon price on the app and website not matching the pharmacy price, and negative experiences using GoodRx Health.
How Does GoodRx Work?
GoodRx has partnered with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PMB), who have negotiated prescription prices with pharmacies around the country.
When you use their website and app, you can search for medications, and a list of pharmacies and prices will display.
Within GoodRx’s network, there could be a wide range of price discrepancies because each pharmacy has a different deal negotiated.
There is a 4-step process when finding the lowest possible price for prescriptions. The screenshots below are from the mobile app.
Step 1
Search for your medication on the GoodRx app or website to compare prices in your area.
Step 2
After you enter your medication, a list of pharmacies will display.
These pharmacies will vary in price based on the deal negotiated between them and the PBM.
In the example below, Costco has the lowest prescription price for the drug Amoxicillin in the Phoenix Metro area.
Tip - GoodRx gives a one-time offer when you sign up for a free user profile. The discount varies but is typically a few dollars off your first prescription filled. In the example below, Costco has the lowest price because of the one-time discount.
Step 3 (goodrx.com only)
Click “Get free savings,” and you will be navigated to the coupon page. You will have four options on how to receive your GoodRx discount card.
- Text
- Receive in the mail
Step 4
Show your phone, card, or coupon to the pharmacist and receive your discount upon checkout.
There have been complaints in the past saying the coupon price on the GoodRx website is not honored at the pharmacy.
This is something to be aware of, and you should contact their customer service before paying if you have questions.
How Much Does GoodRx Cost?
GoodRx offers a free prescription discount card and also has GoodRx Gold which requires a monthly subscription.
When using the free card, you can find discounts up to 80% off the retail price.
Within their network, drug prices vary by pharmacy.
Depending on which pharmacy you use, the price will raise or lower.
For example, the retail cash price of Avoracastain (Lipitor) is $62.74, according to GoodRx.
The prices in the chart below are the discounted rates with a GoodRx coupon for Avorcastain (Lipitor). This drug is used to treat heart disease and high cholesterol.
| Pharmacy | GoodRx Price |
|---|---|
|
Albertsons |
$7.95 |
|
HEB Grocery |
$8.45 |
|
Costco |
$14.99 |
|
Walmart |
$15.00 |
|
Walgreens |
$16.15 |
|
CVS Pharmacy |
$30.26 |
|
Kroger Pharmacy |
$32.81 |
Tip - It is a good idea to check different discount cards and prices to ensure you find the lowest cost because every discount card company has individually negotiated rates.
ClueRx specializes in comparing discount cards and finding you the lowest price available.
What is GoodRx Gold?
While the discount card is free, the company also offers a premium membership service.
GoodRx Gold has a monthly subscription cost of $9.99 for a single user or $19.99 for a family of up to five.
As a GoodRx Gold member, you can receive discounted virtual doctors appointments, even further discounted rates for prescriptions, and Rx mail delivery service.
There have been some complaints that it is hard to cancel the Rx Gold subscription, and even when customers thought they had successfully canceled, they continued to get charged.
However, GoodRx Gold has a free 30-day trial, which limits the risk of signing up for the membership.
What Is GoodRx Care?
GoodRx Care is the telehealth service that the company provides. This service adds to their already convenient prescription offerings.
Visits start at $19 monthly with the GoodRx Gold membership and $49 per month for non-members.
GoodRx Care doctors treat anything that a medical professional can diagnose virtually.
Here is the complete list of the telehealth services they provide.
Who Can Use Good Rx?
There are no restrictions regarding your current health status, age, and gender or if you have pre-existing conditions.
Anyone can use GoodRx.
No activation fees or administrative requirements are needed making your discount even easier to get.
The biggest restriction is that you cannot use your insurance on top of a GoodRx card. You will need to choose if you are using the discount card or insurance.
If you ask, the pharmacists typically will price-check your insurance vs. the GoodRx card and help you get the lowest possible rate.
Even if you have health insurance, using GoodRx might still be an option to consider.
This is because the drug prices offered by the prescription discount card could be lower than your co-pay, so it doesn’t hurt to check!
Who Accepts GoodRx?
GoodRx is accepted in over 70,000 pharmacies across the USA, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Chain pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Rite Aid, Costco, and Walmart all accept GoodRx cards.
There is a solid chance that your current pharmacy accepts these cards too.
Having said that, not all pharmacies offer the same discount, which is why you must compare pharmacies and different Rx coupon cards in your area to find where the biggest discount will be.
Some of the Pharmacies that Accept GoodRx
|
ACME Sav-On |
Discount Drug Mart |
Hy-Vee |
Pick 'n Save |
Target CVS |
|
Albertsons |
Food Lion Pharmacy |
Intermountain Healthcare Pharmacy |
Price Chopper |
Thrifty White Pharmacy |
|
Albertsons Market |
Fred Meyer Pharmacy |
Jewel-Osco |
Publix |
Vistara Pharmacy |
|
Bakers Pharmacy |
Frys Pharmacy |
King Soopers |
Raley's |
Vons Pharmacy |
|
Big Y Foods Pharmacy |
Gerbes Pharmacy |
Kinney Drug |
Rite Aid |
Walgreens |
|
Carrs Pharmacy |
Giant Eagle Pharmacy |
Kroger Pharmacy |
Safeway |
Walmart |
|
City Market |
Giant Pharmacy |
Longs |
Shaws |
Walmart Neighborhood Market |
|
Costco |
Hannaford Brothers Pharmacy |
Martins |
ShopRite |
Wegmans |
|
CVS Pharmacy |
Harris Teeter |
Meijer Pharmacy |
Smith's |
Weis Pharmacy |
|
Dillons Pharmacy |
HEB Grocery |
Metro Market |
Stop & Shop |
Winn-Dixie |
How Do I Get A GoodRx Card?
You can get your card by going to their website or simply downloading the GoodRx App.
You can then print the coupon or show your phone to the pharmacist with the app pulled up.
The pharmacist will then enter the numbers they need to get your discount.
The company recommends that you use a digital card through their app rather than the physical card. This is because the digital card has the most accurate and up-to-date savings.
Can You Use GoodRx If You Have Medicare?
You can use GoodRx instead of Medicare or Medicaid.
However, you cannot use state-funded programs like Medicare or Medicaid at the same time as GoodRx.
There are a few instances that using GoodRx rather than Medicare would make sense.
1) If Medicare doesn’t cover your prescription.
2) If the GoodRx price is less than your Medicare price.
3) If you are not going to reach your deductible anyways.
How Does GoodRx Make Money?
As detailed on page 20 in GoodRx’s Q2 2022 form 10-Q, the company has four main sources of revenue.
1. Prescription Transaction Revenue
Within the complicated drug supply chain, a Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PMB) negotiates prices on behalf of health insurance carriers and other companies.
Nearly every time you use the discount card, a PBM receives compensation. GoodRx then receives a percentage or fixed payment for getting customers to use the pricing and pharmacy in the PBM’s network.
This accounts for the majority of GoodRx’s revenue.
2. GoodRx Gold (Subscription Offerings)
The company also has a subscription service called GoodRx Gold. This service costs $9.99 monthly for an individual and $19.99 for a family of five. You will receive greater discounted rates on prescriptions and reduced fees when using GoodRx Care, their telehealth service.
The Kroger Savings Club also produces subscription revenue for the company.
3. GoodRx Care (Telehealth Service)
Another way GoodRx makes money is through its telehealth subscription service, GoodRx Care. They also connect patients with third-party doctors through the GoodRx Telehealth Marketplace.
4. Advertising (Pharma Manufacturer Solutions Revenue)
The advertising revenue is generated mainly from pharma manufacturers and other customer advertising.
Why is GoodRx Bad
Data Issues
In the past, GoodRx has had a negative reputation for sharing your data. Consumer Reports investigated and found that the company was sharing medical data with Google, Facebook and others.
However, the company quickly repealed this practice and apologized to its customers.
GoodRx still collects your data like most companies do these days. However, you can remove your personal information from their records by filling out this data deletion request form.
Reputations with Pharmacies
Pharmacies sometimes do not speak highly of GoodRx as the card can eat into their profits and cause the pharmacy to lose money on specific prescriptions.
Pharmacies are attempting to make a profit and offer reasonable drug prices simultaneously, and prescription discount cards can clash with that formula.
Who Owns GoodRx?
Doug Hirsch, Trevor Bezdek, and Scott Marlette started GoodRx in 2011.
Several venture capital investor groups contributed to the corporation in the nine years following its conception.
GoodRx Holdings Inc. went public in September 2020.
The largest GoodRx (GDRX) stockholders are Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Vanguard Group, Light Street Capital, Marshall Wace, and Renaissance Technologies.
In Conclusion
GoodRx reviews have shown it is a solid free option that offers excellent savings for card users. Having said that, it is not always the lowest-priced prescription discount card.
This well-recognized card is accepted in over 70,000 pharmacies.
You can subscribe to GoodRx Gold for a monthly cost of $9.99 for a single user or $19.99 for a family of up to five. This subscription will get you even greater Rx savings and discounted rates for their telehealth service, GoodRx Care.
The majority of the money the company makes is through PBM fees. Additional earnings come from their subscription service GoodRx Gold, Telehealth service GoodRx Care, and advertising.
The company has had data and privacy issues in the past and currently shares data with its third-party partners. This is disclosed in their privacy policy and should be a factor to consider before moving forward with the GoodRx card.