Update 8/26/18: They changed/fixed this so that now everything is just charging the face-value of the gift card without any additional charges or discounts.
Staples.com is a popular choice for purchasing gift cards and e-gift cards as a way to rack up 5x Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase INK card line. Physical gift cards typically come with a $1.99 delivery fee while electronic gift cards have always delivered free, so $100 eBay or Home Depot or Nordstrom or Whole Foods or Gap gift card has always cost exactly $100.
They’ve now began charging various fees on certain card brands. Home Depot electronic gift cards (affiliate link) have a consistent .8% fee tacked on, so $100 card costs $100.79, $200 card costs $201.59, etc. (though $25 Home Depot e-gift cards don’t have any fee). Target e-gift cards $100 and $200 denoms have a 1.9% fee tacked on, $50 cards have a 2% fee tacked on, and $25 cards have a 1.6% fee tacked on.
All fees are per card; buying multiple cards will result in multiple fees.
Aside from this, there seems to be some wacky pricing going on there. As an example, $100 Whole Foods e-gift card is selling for $112.49 while all other denomination Whole Foods e-gift cards don’t come with any fee. Another odd thing is that they are discounted numerous brands by $.01. For example, $100 eBay e-gift card is selling for $99.99. Many others too.
It’s all pretty weird, to be honest. Charging a fee on e-gift card delivery is not a common thing, the fees aren’t consistent, and they don’t even label it clearly as a delivery fee. I’m guessing we’ll see changes on this over time.
Hat tip to @giftcardtalk
Don’t
know if this is old news but you get free delivery when also (no $49 min) buying a gc…
Really really hoping this will go away. I think the 5x with gc is by far the best thing in this points game. If it goes away I might be out.
This is some pure crap.
I think they are trying to emulate “surge pricing” model.
Staples has been doing wacky things with the website forever. For example, changing the prices if you log in. They will be gone in the next downturn.
This. I remember I once went to buy an Uber gift card that had went up to $50.99. Then I came back a month later and it was back to $50. I wouldn’t read too much into this (yet).
I hope they survive. Over 500k in miles form staples each year (on 2 ink cards). I hope its just to get poeple to go in store for no fee cards.
so u end up paying all fees with no CB from any websites? How is that profitable?
Just use gyft with paypal instead of this for 5x to eliminate the problem.
Trying to take advantage of everyone that gets bonus points on office supply stores.
is there limit of ordering giftcards? i bought 4 vgc’s of $300 each and they cancelled my order…..
There’s a $2000 limit.
Is that for open or closed gift cards? My local grocery store has different limits for each.
Why isn’t your first instinct to assume that it’s a glitch? Credulous
If it’s a glitch, it’s been going on over a week as that’s when I noticed all this nonsense, too.
Time to force their price match for pulling this crap