Reposting as this is now live.
The Offer
Direct link to offer (next week’s ad, p2)
- Staples are offering a $20 Visa gift card via easy rebates when you purchase $300 or more in Visa gift cards between March 12 and 18th
The Fine Print
- Limit of one per household
- In-store only
- Valid from March 12th until 18th
Our Verdict
This is the best of the gift card rebate offers as it’s for $20 and you can purchase Visa gift cards (and the rebate is a Visa) making it much easier to unload.
Make sure you use a credit card that earns at a high rate on office supply store purchases.  Learn more about Staples Easy Rebates in this post.
Hat tip to Fatwallet
Last time mileageX staples gift card worked but now it has conditions that says it won’t. Just got rejected at one staples and register supposedly hard coded not to work. Any other DP says it still works?
They are running their MasterCard promotion next week. It’s like they trying to tire me out.
GC newbie here. Staples store nearby didn’t have 200$ VGC, so I bought 3 x 100$ VGC (3 x 5.95$ fee).
I pretty much earned 2$ and 1x URs. I still don’t get the GC excitement like everybody else, but I figured that I should at least become familiar with them.
I also noticed that at least 3 GCs still on the shelf at Staples were opened so someone stole the numbers, and wiped them out.
Yeah, deal definitely isn’t as good if you’re not getting 5x URs and they only have $100 GC.
I like them more for the MS than anything. Our monthly expenditures are small enough where I need to keep close track of those minimum spend bonuses.
bought $400 this AM (2 x $200) but the rebate id + form failed to generate. ugh
Hi Bob — that happened to me once several months ago, but manager assured me that if I had the right product & sku, then the stapleseasyrebates web site would indeed honor the transaction #. (and indeed it did, even though I didn’t that time receive a printed out rebate form at the register) When you go to the stapleseasyrebates web site, several ways to go without a rebate form. Look for the option to mail in your rebate. Then from there, do a search for your rebate — look for promo under blackhawknetworks….
This week’s Rebate offer number is: 17-99869
I may have the exact steps scrambled, but it is possible to submit a rebate for this promo, as long as you have a transaction proof of purchase.
You should still be able to submit it online. When it asks for your rebate ID (or whatever they call it), just enter the number below the barcode on your regular receipt. It should recognize it from there.
In my experience, it’s about a 6 hour lag from when you make the purchase until the rebate website will be able to see and verify the receipt.
Good luck!
thanks for clarifying that Daniel. (I left it hanging that one would find the rebate after going through option to mail in rebate — but however one find’s the rebate, then yes, one can still submit one’s rebate request on-line — using the receipt transaction ID // barcode.)
Daniel + Escot
Thanks guys, the rebate website recognized my receipt; it is now processing.
Oh how I miss the days of Charter One gift cards. For those old enough to remember…
Does a PO Box count as an address? I was also thinking of using my work address. I want to buy the cards and use them to pay student loans and help me reach a min spend
Don’t think PO boxes work, might be wrong.
I have two datapoints that say PO Boxes do work. The last time Staples ran this promo (a couple months ago I think), I got 4 rebates. One for me at my house, one for my wife at her PO Box, one for my brother at our business PO Box, one for his wife at his house.
Years ago, before we had 911, we did not have an actual street name and house number. Our address was “R.R. Box #”. Staples would not send the rebate saying that post office boxes were not allowed. I had to call and explain that this was my house. We happen to live in the boonies and they didn’t even bother to name the roads.
Thanks Curm, might have to look into this more.
Datapoint…My PO Box address has worked with Staples rebates. I’ve done several the past 12 months.
Good to know
I’ve used work addresses and the address of my mom. Generally I slightly modify the spelling so it doesn’t trigger anything, but it shouldn’t matter since plenty of people duplicate names anyway.
Hi – my letter carrier is very forgiving. If i mispell a street address–let’s say 30.5 brooknah and 30 bruckner–will that work? Thanks if you can help.
Thanks for the feedback and the DPs!
This is a rabbit trail post. You use a CC for student loan payments?
Our DD’s paperwork doesn’t allow for that payment option. She pays it out of our checking account monthly. This is not Parent Plus but Dept. of Education funded loan.
If you don’t mind, if your loan is similar, where do you find CC payment option, please?
TIA.
You can use a gift card like a debit card or you can use giftofcollege.com, Just know it takes a couple of days. I’ve read DPs of people calling in and giving the CSR their CC number and telling them it is a debit card. Of course YMMV
I just took my student loan off of automatic debit payment so I can have MS if necessary through Plastiq. Though I haven’t used it yet I believe they charge <3% vs. gift of college's 5%.
That said, if you can call in a debit card to the loan provider (Great Lakes in my case) you can call in the gift card and not need the above options anyways.
I have met some bank debit minimum spends by paying off the loan. Funny how that debt has suddenly become "useful" for the time being.
ok Plastiq is 2.5%… not bad
That seems high for Gift of College. I know you can get the $500 gc for $505.95
So basically you buy a $300 Visa Gift card (if you can find one); it’s $308.95. Then you get 5% with a Chase Ink; that’s $15 Plus the 11.05 left over when you get the $20 rebate card. We I guess that’s $26.05 in the long run, but seems like a run around. Starts on Sunday the 12th. How long does it take for the $20 Visa card to come in the mail? Can you buy only one?
Normally I stay away from these kind of offers, but I may give this one a try. I did really well with the Sam’s club gift card ones (though that was 20%; this is more like 9%).
no $300 Visa gift cards in stores… only $25, $50, $100 and $200 denominations. must buy some combo of these.
You’re really new to this game, huh?
not really, been doing stuff like this for years. Just don’t bother with GC that have fees attached to them. Usually not worth the bother.
Farsighted … you will now be near-sighted:
Buy 2 quantity of $200 denomination Visa GCs to qual for the $20 Visa rebate card. No $300 denom sold in stores; online $300 does not qual for rebate.
You can buy $200 Visa GCs, qty. up to $2K daily limit.
Takes 3 – 6 wks to get card in mail. Only one rebate PER ADDRESS. (Caps for a reason – that’s what the system restricts.
Well, I guess if you buy 2 $200 cards you pay more fees, but you get $5 more from the Ink card. I don’t really have another address I’d use…
Why would you only buy more that $400? to get only the 5% more from ink? You can do that anytime. Why not just buy a $200 and a $100….
I really don’t buy GC’s for full price and fee in almost any case (except for Sam’s and Sam’s Vanilla cards for that promotion which will probably never happen again. I made $2K free money off that from Amex… now THAT was a deal).
Not so sure I’m even gonna bother with this Staples one since you have to go to the store and wait, what, six weeks???
So you’ve been flippin store cards or what cards have you been doing for years? Visas without fees and Amex deals won’t get you very far, even with 100+ aus.
No. I play credit card games mostly. Got tons of miles (usually wait for 100K mile promos) signing up for credit cards. Now it’s tougher with the Chase 5/24 rules. Actually didn’t flip cards, just waited until a good offer came up on a new card I didn’t have. Last good one was Chase Sapphire Reserve. We got 2 of those (one each). I do have good credit, and did really well with credit card bonuses. Also bought lots of gift cards from eBay for the last 3-4 years (never bought cards without a good discount) and got eBucks + ink card bonuses). Though the eBucks are gone now on GC’s. Also took advantage of any Amex credits that they offer that are worthwhile. I travel a lot and still have a ton of miles (Avios, American, MP’s from Amex, etc.). Could go to Australia a few times. 🙂 My spouse also gets all these cards and bonuses.
We have 2 small businesses (LLC’s). Right now, it seems some of the best deals are for business cards.
Don’t mean to 20 question you. Just curious.
There was another Amex Offer with AT&T, where you got a $50 credit by paying $150 on your bill. This was targeted, but I have 2 AU on most of my cards. I think you could use it 3X. I paid my phone bills up for almost a year with that. They seem to do this every year, or something similar. Also sometimes they have offers where you can spend money (usually I buy gift cards) and get some kind of credit ($25 for Best Buy, there was one that you got $75 from Home Depot, or Staples). Only problem is they are usually targeted and you have spend money to make money.
It is just math. The fee is a sunk cost. You want to maximize the spend you are getting for that sunk cost.
You save $1 in fees by buying a $100+$200, but you miss out on the extra $100 of spend. This does not seem natural, but since you are are paying Staples more than 3% for the first $300, getting $100 @ 1% is cheap bringing down your total cost 🙂
$100+$200 = Fees of $6.95 + $5.95 = $312.90 Total Spend
$312.90 * .05 = $15.65 category bonus
$15.65 – $12.90 = $2.75 + $20 Rebate
$200+$200 = Fees of $6.95 + $6.95 = $413.90 Total Spend
$413.90 * .05 = $20.70 category bonus
$20.70 – $13.90 = $6.80 + $20 Rebate
If you have the leftover $25 5Back cards, from the CVS purchases, will get another 5% or $1.25 back from Staples on this purchase as well. The reason for the 2x $200 cards is that it lowers the average cost of the fee for the $300 purchase. Watch the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves.
The $1.25 back is for each $25 card…
Good luck getting past Staples request to see the CC last 4 digits if using the 5 Back for Visa GC purchase. Will stick with Ink.
The rebate basically wipes out the VGC fees. I buy 6 $200 VGCs in 3 separate transactions, and I get the rebate on each pair. That makes my total purchase about $1242 including the fees, which yields 6,210 URs, which are worth at least $90 to me. The whole process (buying the VGCs, liquidating, getting the rebates) probably takes about 90 minutes of my time.
how are you getting 3x rebates?
Different names, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses. Helps to have family and friends in town who understand my weird hobby.
How do you liquidate the $1200 in VGCs?
Walmart or Kroger MO
I’m new to MS. What are some of the popular unloading options??
It’s tough nowadays. Walmart and PO MO are somewhat popular, but I’m not sure anymore as to what exactly works there since in my area they aren’t too friendly.
Ya, did my first time at a walmart went bad but learned, 2 weeks ago now. Giftcards by themselves not allowed on at least a chase credit card it looks like straight no from just the way its coded I believe. Add your groceries in though and it works as expected. Wait a day after since they take time to add in the balance. Go back to walmart and visit money services, make sure if available is person with swipe machine on your side. First time one had swipe on their end, got rejected for giftcard, other just say 499.30 and swipe and your done.
Does anyone have any good recommendations on how to turn these into cash? I’ve heard Metabank VGCs don’t work at the Post Office for money orders, and that Bancorp VGCs or OV/VVGC is better than Metabank.
Use these at Costco – their POS is super-fast, will tender up to 15 Visa GCs per trans, auto-drains.
Jason, you are saying we can turn this Metabank VGC into cash at Costco?
I think he was talking about the $20 VGC you get as a rebate, which lately haven’t been working as PIN purchases- so the question is, what do you do with them? He was answering that Costco is a good place since the POS is fast and autodrains. But it would of course only be good towards Costco stuff and Costco GC- but for many of us that’s almost as good as cash since Costco sells everything and at good prices.
Thanks for the tip Jason!
As for the $200 VGC themselves- there’s WM for BB/Serve (if you still have) or MOs.
Yes, thanks for the clarification … spend your Staples Visa $20 rebate cards at Costco to buy stuff there you need …
liquidate the $200 GC bought at Staples at your fav Convenience store / market that allows debit for MO, or use BB / Serve.
For the $20’s I pay tolls online (minimum payment $5). I generally only buy MOs with $500’s, because of the effort involved, so I normally Kiva the $200’s to liquidate.
I can dust off the leftover 5Backs!!