Here's why CVS receipts are so long

The INSIDER Summary:

• CVS receipts are so long that it's a meme.
• A CVS executive said it's so they can reward customers with more great discounts.
• At the register, you can ask them to send you receipts digitally instead.
• It's better for the environment and easier to keep track of coupons.

CVS receipts are really, really long.

Why? Former CVS Chief Marketing Officer Rob Price explained it to The Boston Globe a few years back (though he declined to reveal the average length of a CVS receipt). Price said the receipts — chock full of coupons — are a way to reward customers who use CVS's ExtraCare rewards program, and that they're cheaper than using the mail to advertise deals.

"Of course, our championship shoppers are going to get championship receipts," Price told the Globe.

In the same interview, Price said that CVS would reduce receipt length in the near future. But, of course, CVS receipts are still way too long.

They're so long that it's a meme.

There's a solution: digital receipts. They're far more environmentally friendly than paper receipts, and you don't need to worry about stuffing a huge piece of paper in your wallet for when you want that $2 coupon for your favorite shampoo a couple of weeks from now. Instead, you can get receipts by email or on the CVS app on your smartphone.

Fortunately, CVS recently started offering the option for digital receipts. Just sign up for them at the register next time you're at a store. Your coupons will automatically load on your ExtraCare account, too, so you don't need to worry about losing an email. It's easier, and a good way to help save the environment.