Deal has expired, but they have an even better deal this week. Click here for more info.
The Offer
- Office Depot/Max stores are offering a $10 instant discount when you buy $300 in Mastercard gift cards.
The Fine Print
- Limit 1 per household/business
- Discount applies at register
- Valid 9/22-9/29
- Purchase fees may apply
Our Verdict
You can either purchase two $200 cards or one $200 and one $100. You can also usually do this deal multiple times in different transactions, but this will vary based on your cashier and location. This is the worse variation of this offer ($10 discount instead of $15 and Mastercard instead of Visa) but still covers most of the purchase fees. Remember to use a card that earns at a high rate on office supply store purchases.
Hat tip to reader Gators5220 & Matt C
Office Depot has a save $13 off $300 for Mastercard gift cards this week, ends 4/4/2020. Most of their locations are open
The two OM stores I’ve been to this time around are requiring their associates to call in to pre-authorize the charge before actually charging. Results in getting charged twice, and the pre-auth takes days to fall off (at least on Amex).
Fortunately the store closest to me recognizes me and just let me buy without pre-auth, but it’s enough to make me not want to bother with OM’s gift card deals anymore.
I believe last time the MCGC weekly promo preceded the VGC weekly promo, so let’s hope VGC is next week. The $6.95 MCGC activation fee on a $200 is pretty sub-par from what I’m used to. I actually drove to ODOM and was turned off by the activation fee, so I walked out 😂
Fees: $6.95 and $5.95, right? Spend $2.90 plus could be 14 miles away x 2 in fuel and searching for a needed errand in the nearby to offset. I mean I just drove that way Saturday to have my car windshield replaced and was right in that plaza after leaving the glass shop. Not complaining, glad to know about the opportunity, but it gets to be a bit unfulfilling.
Thanks DOC for the info! 🙂
For me personally, I am having a hard time justifying the time and distance to take advantage of deals like this one. 4% isn’t bad at all but unless I have other business around my closest OD store, it hardly seems worth the effort.
If you do it right its more like 4.5%
How do you get 4.5%?
So I could potentially stack this with $5 back on $25 offer on my HHonors Amex, and get $300 closer to the Free night. But how to liquidate the MCGCs? Anywhere I can use them that I can’t just use the Amex directly?
What are the typical ways of liquidating mc gc?
MCGC can be used with Plastiq on mortgages. They should charge the 1% rate so it’s $1.98 per card, which is worth doing with Ink or one of the other office store bonused cards.
would recommend removing this comment before it dies for the rest of us
No.
Meh, It’s not really a hidden thing.
WM via bluebird
FD or DG via serve
(EDIT: Sorry… meant to post this as a new thread, not a reply.)
Hold my credit limit for visa
I have 1k in MS I need to hit. Was afraid it was going to be Plastiq. But to be honest I think Plastiq may be the better deal with this weak ass discount and they are MCGC.
I’d pass unless you have a CIC/CI+.