CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. has expanded the Load2Card capability for its growing wellness+ customer loyalty program.

Starting September 2, wellness+ members nationwide will have +UP Rewards loaded automatically to their cards. Until now, +UPs have been printed at the bottom of register receipts, and customers have had to bring them to a store to redeem them.

The +UP rewards are earned when certain products or groups of items are purchased, and they can be used like cash toward a qualifying purchase.

Rite Aid says the new functionality makes it the first drug chain to enable customers to automatically load all of its weekly loyalty program rewards directly onto their cards.

In January Rite Aid became the first drug chain to give its customers the option to load Rite Aid coupons and manufacturer coupons directly to their cards when it launched the Load2Card capability.

“The direct download of +UPs to wellness+ cards is just the latest example of how we are constantly seeking innovative ways to make sure our award-winning wellness+ program continues to deliver the best value and convenience to our most loyal customers,” chief operating officer Ken Martindale says.

“Since the beginning, wellness+ has differentiated itself from other loyalty programs because it uniquely combines health and wellness rewards with shopping discounts,” he notes. “We’re committed to not only setting but also raising the bar when it comes to building customer loyalty.”

The national rollout of the Load2Card feature for +UPs follows a successful seven-month pilot in four cities, Rite Aid says.

According to Martindale, increased redemptions and sales in the pilot markets indicated that many customers were taking advantage of the feature.

Wellness+ members can also manage their +UPs via their online wellness+ accounts through a computer or a smartphone by downloading a Rite Aid mobile application that the company launched in March.

The app also provides one-click prescription refill scanning, pharmacy locations and features of the nearest Rite Aid stores. as well as listings of weekly sales and promotions.