The Offer
Direct Link (ad page 8)
- Purchase $300 in Visa gift cards at a Staples store and receive a $20 Visa prepaid card as a rebate using the Staples Easy Rebate system.
The Fine Print
- Valid 1/3-1/9/2016 (starts this coming Sunday)
- Limit 1 per household
- Will most likely be in store online
Our Verdict
Staples stocks $100 and $200 gift cards in store, most people will prefer to purchase 2 x $200 cards, especially if they have a credit card that earns at a high rate on office supply stores.
Hat tip to Miles To Memories
View Comments (30)
Has anyone had success getting the rebate on an online purchase since the ad details don't exclude that? I saw the rebate description but seems kinda sneaky since most people aren't going to see that before buying.
will it really take 8-10 weeks for these rebates to come? this is my first time doing an easy staples rebate on gift cards. thanks.
Two of my Staples $20 Gift Cards expired. They had an expiry date only 5 months out so I missed it.
Is there any way I could still use these cards?
Not that I know of, ask Staples to extend them maybe?
Saw on twitter some people did not get rebate forms when they bought VGCs at Staples stores on Sunday. Has this happened to anyone? Don't want to bother if I won't get form.
happened to me. bought 4 of the $200 but only get 1 rebate form or ID. very careless of me that didn't check there til getting home to submit online rebate to find out that only 1 rebate was given. Is there a way to get staples to issue the 2nd rebate? or am i screwed?
nvm, did find a missing receipt in my inbox. thks lantean! just strange or glitch that the store printed 1 rebate form/id and emailed the other.
you're welcome.
what Staples does now is if you provide email address you will get an email receipt plus the register will print a duplicate receipt (useless for rebates).
if you don't give email address you'll get a paper receipt.
so when i buy something that doesn't earn rewards i just don't give them my email and get a full paper receipt.
made sense now. learn something new, lol
if you bought 4 cards in one transaction, you will only get one rebate, there is no way around it.
if you want two rebates, you have to make two purchases and submit them individually (different name, email, address etc).
yes, did break in 2 transactions
doesn't matter. if they bought the correct gift cards they can just submit the rebate with the number from the email receipt and it will process just fine.
I get a paper receipt-would it have the number? Does this happen a lot? I've always been given my rebate form.
yes, the paper receipt has it as well, right below the bar code at the bottom. that's the number you enter when you submit your rebate.
what # on the email receipt?
it's the number right above or below the bar code in the email (they are the same number, 17 digits normally).
Total fiasco at a Staples in CA tonight. Tried to buy 2 $200 VGC instore, nice girl at check out scanned cards and I swiped my CC like always...register tells her "alternate form of payment needed." Then the nosy male cashier across the aisle says "we have a new policy where no more than $200 in gift cards can be bought per day." The helpful female
cashier said, "there's a promotion for buying $300 right now," and ignored him and allowed me to swipe my card to try again. Again, register told her "alternate form of payment needed." I tell her I'll call my bank. There was no fraud alert or email, and I have never been declined
with this card, and in fact had bought $800 in VGC back to back the week before with no problem. I go back in and tell her ill try with a different card. Again, register tells "her alternate form of payment needed." I get a "unusual activity" email from BOA which has never happened before, and I'd made many large purchases with this same card in the past. I clear alert by text, and go back in the store. This time the girl is busy with other customers and the manager says he'll check me out. Then the pesky male cashier steps behind the assistant manager and begins telling him how he was told by the general manager that gift cards had to be paid with debit, not credit and for no more than $200. The assistant manager looks annoyed at him, and says there is a promotion for these. He inspects my ID and CC for what seemed like forever, probably thinking what he should do. The annoying male cashier is right behind him, breathing down his back during this whole time. Then the assistant manager says, let me call the general manager and ask her what the policy is. He calls, but she doesn't answer her phone. He leaves a message for her asking about buying gift cards with credit and if she can return his call. He also states in his message to her that he will not proceed with this transaction. He hangs up, hands me my ID and CC and says this store has a policy against gift cards with credit, with a "I dare you to challenge me look." I say no problem, have a nice night and walk away. It is really unusual to have two cards from different banks be declined back to back. Is it possible this particular store was hard coded against using CC? Do they have the capability to do this on an individual store basis? And how annoying was that male cashier? Relentless....does he get pleasure stopping these purchases!? Argh...
Sold out online 1/3/2016
The rebate is for in store only, so it doesn't matter that they're OOS online.
Staples has a $300 VGC online, do they also have it in store?
no. only $200 max in store.
Although the ad doesn't say "in store," the rebate form says "at Staples Stores ONLY."
https://rebate.staples.com/promocenter/staples/select_form.html
@tyler yes, but mailing address AND email address need to be unique across the rebates.. Also, if you submit rebates ONLINE while logged in to Staples account, the rebate system defaults your mailing address to your staples account mailing address, so be sure to log out of staples.com account prior to submitting online rebates
Can you purchase $600 in gift cards for two $20 rebates if you use different addresses when filling out the rebate forms?
Tyler I have done that and yes it works but you have to be careful. I buy 2 sets of two $200 cards in two separate transaction. I use my Staples # (no Staples rebate earned on Gift cards but it counts toward my Staples Platinum Elite status) on one purchase but not on the other. Then I use the one with my staples # for me and the other purchase I fill out my sister's name/address/phone and just pick it up from her when it arrives. (She happens to live somewhat close) yes you can do it. One time I made a mistake and put different name/address but same phone number on both and second one got rejected.
no. it will process as one rebate only.
if you need two, you have to make two purchases and submit each separately under a different account.