May 4, 2014, 4:19 am
Last edit by: weezl
This thread is about prepaid debit cards from Staples. Please post questions on other topics in the appropriate threads elsewhere in this forum.
As of 5/12/2014, all known portals are dead.
*Note- max purchase at one time seems to be 9x $200 (stays under their $2000 limit)
Pluses to Online purchase:
1. Less time/effort/gasoline vs traveling to store to purchase
2. No mgr override or cashier call to Chase needed for large purchases
3. Can bulk activate by phone after receipt of VGCs
4. Email is a nice way to keep record of your purchases
5. Avoids stupid sticky gum (4x per card) that has to be peeled off of each VGC
6. Rare opportunity to liquidate rewards and/or rebate card (YMMV)
Pluses to in-store purchase:
1. No wait/immediate gratification- mail order can take weeks
2. No risk of someone getting to your mailbox to steal your VGCs before you get them out of there
3. Activated at time of purchase- no need to call in or wait for stupid letter containing one activation code/card that comes in the mail separately (the letter sometimes arrives AFTER the VGCs arrive; this can be mitigated, see Pluses to Online #3, above)
As of 5/12/2014, all known portals are dead.
- Get Chase Ink and BB/Serve
1% discount: Sign up Ink (must be Visa) at https://www.visasavingsedge.com/ to get 1% cash back at StaplesEnded 12/31/14- 5x points: Buy Visa gift cards at Staples or the website. $200 ones charge a hefty $6.95 activation fee (with 1% back it was effectively $4.88).
- Liquidate gift cards like any other
*Note- max purchase at one time seems to be 9x $200 (stays under their $2000 limit)
Pluses to Online purchase:
1. Less time/effort/gasoline vs traveling to store to purchase
2. No mgr override or cashier call to Chase needed for large purchases
3. Can bulk activate by phone after receipt of VGCs
4. Email is a nice way to keep record of your purchases
5. Avoids stupid sticky gum (4x per card) that has to be peeled off of each VGC
6. Rare opportunity to liquidate rewards and/or rebate card (YMMV)
Pluses to in-store purchase:
1. No wait/immediate gratification- mail order can take weeks
2. No risk of someone getting to your mailbox to steal your VGCs before you get them out of there
3. Activated at time of purchase- no need to call in or wait for stupid letter containing one activation code/card that comes in the mail separately (the letter sometimes arrives AFTER the VGCs arrive; this can be mitigated, see Pluses to Online #3, above)
Visa Gift cards at Staples(2014-2015)
Nov 25, 2015, 7:22 pm
#3181
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: IAD
Programs: All of them to one degree or another
Posts: 447
Nov 27, 2015, 5:30 pm
#3182
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton - Diamond, IHG - Spire Amb
Posts: 901
Nov 28, 2015, 7:20 am
#3183
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
I think your math is off. I think you mean around $1800 for 250K UR points.
Here is the math
With $200 VGCs
$6.95 (gc fee) x 25 (# of cards per $5K) = $173.75 in fees per 25K points (not counting $300 VGCs since this was just recent development).
With a limit of 250K points per Ink card that means you have to execute this 10 times (250K / 25K = 10) so $173.75 x 10 = $1737.50. Plus tack on gas and time it is about $1800 if not more.
So in reality for 500K UR points its ($1737.50 x 2 = $3475) plus gas and time which takes on at least another $200-300 so you are really looking at around $3800.
Here is the math
With $200 VGCs
$6.95 (gc fee) x 25 (# of cards per $5K) = $173.75 in fees per 25K points (not counting $300 VGCs since this was just recent development).
With a limit of 250K points per Ink card that means you have to execute this 10 times (250K / 25K = 10) so $173.75 x 10 = $1737.50. Plus tack on gas and time it is about $1800 if not more.
So in reality for 500K UR points its ($1737.50 x 2 = $3475) plus gas and time which takes on at least another $200-300 so you are really looking at around $3800.
You have to add sales tax to the purchase price of GC
In Texas I am paying %8.25 sales tax. So If I buy a $500 GC, it is 500+5.95 fee + 41.25 sales tax
Nov 28, 2015, 11:11 am
#3186
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,751
No way, I don't buy that, not for a minute. If that was the case you'd be paying 8.25% sales tax when buying the GC and then another 8.25% sales tax when you actually make a purchase using the GC. I'm raising the BS flag on this one.
Last edited by yanxfann; Nov 28, 2015 at 6:49 pm
Nov 28, 2015, 4:29 pm
#3187
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,832
The Texas Department of Revenue needs to audit this store.
Nov 28, 2015, 5:56 pm
#3189
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
I've never heard of any state charging sales tax on a GC. Certainly double taxation. At OM, I have seen their register put the GC fee in as sales tax when getting rung up, but it shows up as purchase fees when the receipt prints and they definitely didn't collect tax.
Nov 28, 2015, 6:39 pm
#3190
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
There are Texans here. Never read anyone reports such.
Either you misread your receipt or something seriously fishy of the store that charges you the sales tax.
Agree with your assessment. Never read anyone from any state reports about sales tax being charged on GC purchase. Exactly as you pointed out, it would be double-taxation if this is really the case.
Nov 28, 2015, 8:37 pm
#3191
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 285
lol Misterno trolls his way to some more attention
Nov 28, 2015, 10:35 pm
#3193
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 348
+1. I'd be interested in finding out which county in Texas does this.
Nov 29, 2015, 12:43 am
#3194
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: Paying student debt and traveling when i can
Posts: 312
Nov 29, 2015, 6:15 pm
#3195
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 24
It might be a glitch in Staples if he/she bought it at the KIOS and pay in store. That was what happened to me, had to have the manager to void the transaction when i saw the tax was included.