Expired: This deal is now expired, the limit of 2 offers per customer was not enforced and I was able to purchase a total of $1,000 in gift cards for $979.7, leaving me with a profit of $20.3. I also made $19.594 by using my American Express Fidelity card, giving me a total of $39.894 profit.
OfficeMax is currently running a promotion on visa gift cards. The discount should be applied automatically at the register, if it’s not you’ll need to ask the cashier politely to find the coupon in their big book of coupons.
Contents
The Offer
- Spend $250 or more on Visa gift cards and receive $15 off
Fine Print
- Limit of 2 offers per customer (this is two discounts, not two gift cards – so you can save a total of $30)
- In-store only
- Cards are issued by MetaBank, according to HackMyTrip it’s possible to add a PIN to these cards by calling on 888-524-1283.
- Valid from 2nd of March till 8th of March, 2014.
Our Verdict
Because it’s possible to assign a PIN to these cards, this is a great offer. That’s because you can use Visa giftcards that have a PIN to load onto Bluebird without any fees. Bluebird is really just an online checking account, similar to those offered by Chase and Capital One 360 – this means you can write checks, use an ATM or do a BillPay – meaning it’s extremely easy to get the money out of the account once loaded.
These gift cards have an activation fee:
- $200: $6.95
- $100: $5.95
Your best option is two purchase two $200 cards and one $100 card. This’ll give you a total of $500 in gift cards, you’ll pay $470 at the register ($30 off) and then pay $19.85 in activation fees with a profit of $10.15. This might not sound great, but we’re not finished yet. You can also use a credit card and get rewards on these gift card purchases, here are the best credit cards for office supply stores.
If you do go the credit card rewards route, you’ll probably be best getting three $200 cards as the extra $1 in fees should be made up by the extra points/cash back.
Business Cards
- Chase Ink Plus® Business Credit Card & Chase Ink Bold® Business Charge Card: Earn 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards Points per dollar (2,500 points total, redeemable for $25 cash). Total profit: $35.15 / $10.15 + 2,500 Chase UR points
- Chase Ink Cash® Business Credit Card: Earn 5% cash back ($25 cash) per dollar spent. Total profit: $35.15
- American Express SimplyCash® Business Credit Card: Earn 5% cash back per dollar spent ($25 cash). Total profit: $35.15. Card also currently comes with a $250 sign up bonus.
- Citi American Airlines AAdvantage Business Card: Earn 2 AAdvantage Miles per dollar spent (2,5000 miles). Total profit: $10.15 and 2,500 AAdvantage Miles
- United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card: Earn 2 United miles per dollar spent (2,500 miles). Total profit: $10.15 and 2,500 United Miles
Personal Cards:
- Fidelity® Investment Rewards® American Express®: Earn 2% cash back per dollar spent ($10 cash). Total profit: $20.15
- Barclaycard® Arrival™ World MasterCard: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent (1,000 miles) can be redeemed for travel ($10) or cash ($5). Total profit: $15.15 or $20.15
Is This Stackable With Any Other Offers?
- MaxRewards:MaxRewards is the Office Max loyalty program, you cannot earn these rewards on gift card purchases
- Plink: Currently aren’t partnered with OfficeMax
- Shopkick: Currently aren’t partnered with OfficeMax
If you know any other offers or ways to get more value out of this offer, let us know in the comments.
Our Verdict
This deal is definitely worth doing, especially if you have a credit card that can earn you 2-5% in extra cash back (you won’t have enough time to be approved for and receive your card before this deal runs out, so don’t bother applying for a new card just for this offer). Even so, this might be useful for people trying to reach minimum spend requirements on their cards or to earn an extra $10 easily.
The only downside is that these cards won’t last long, so head into your local Office Max store today. Find closest location here.
Hat tip to Fat Wallet.
