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)
Oct 8, 2015, 9:55 am
#3003
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Not so simple. I called up eg back in April on the 25th and was told my clock was reset on the 22nd, and my AF hit on May 1. So I went out and spent $10k. When my May bill hit all I got was 1x. I called up and even that rep couldnt figure out why I only got 1x and opened a file. Got a letter saying they checked everything and that my purchases didnt qualify for 5x since I already maxed it out.
Theres no tel# to call nor will anyone call you, after sending a few emails I finally got a letter that they will add the 4 extra pts since I was told wrong info as to when the clock resets
To play it safe my suggestion is not to make any purchases once you hit the max of 50k until after the AF hits your statement for the new year. There was only 1 csr out of 6 that I dealt with that didnt say 4/22 my clock was reset, which was my anniversity date!
Theres no tel# to call nor will anyone call you, after sending a few emails I finally got a letter that they will add the 4 extra pts since I was told wrong info as to when the clock resets
To play it safe my suggestion is not to make any purchases once you hit the max of 50k until after the AF hits your statement for the new year. There was only 1 csr out of 6 that I dealt with that didnt say 4/22 my clock was reset, which was my anniversity date!
Oct 8, 2015, 10:43 am
#3004
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: DL PLT, AS 75k, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 391
Yes, you can check online. Just go to the ultimate rewards page for your card. They have a page that tracks your points earning in 1x, 2x, and 5x categories.
Oct 8, 2015, 7:42 pm
#3005
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,423
$300 Visa Gift card now available at Staples.com
Dan's Deals has discovered that Staples.com is now selling $300 Visa gift cards for $8.95.
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/75171
I was in a few Staples stores this week buying the $200 Mastercards for the current promo and didn't see any $300 Visas, so my guess is that this is online only at this point.
This does reduce the cost of buying UR points -- and makes it 50% faster to unload the cards at Walmart. With the $200 cards, buying $600 cost $20.85. With the $300 cards, it costs $17.90. If I'm doing the math right, this reduces the cost of an UR point from .67 cents to .57 cents.
Definitely a good development for folks like me who want to buy more gift cards at Staples than we have addresses for during rebate weeks (obviously, getting a $20 gift card for buying the $200s in the store will beat no rebate buying $300s online).
Now if only somebody would tell me a website that still pays cashback on gift cards bought at Staples.com.
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/75171
I was in a few Staples stores this week buying the $200 Mastercards for the current promo and didn't see any $300 Visas, so my guess is that this is online only at this point.
This does reduce the cost of buying UR points -- and makes it 50% faster to unload the cards at Walmart. With the $200 cards, buying $600 cost $20.85. With the $300 cards, it costs $17.90. If I'm doing the math right, this reduces the cost of an UR point from .67 cents to .57 cents.
Definitely a good development for folks like me who want to buy more gift cards at Staples than we have addresses for during rebate weeks (obviously, getting a $20 gift card for buying the $200s in the store will beat no rebate buying $300s online).
Now if only somebody would tell me a website that still pays cashback on gift cards bought at Staples.com.
Oct 8, 2015, 7:52 pm
#3006
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 8
Redcard
Is there a way to liquidate these gift cards faster? Now at target with the new system u have to do it one card one receipt at a time. I cant combine them somehow??
Oct 8, 2015, 8:58 pm
#3007
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
Others getting 5X doesn't mean that your particular store hasn't classified itself as something other than Office Supplies (though it certainly seems unlikely).
You can check yourself here: https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator/search/index.jsp
You can check yourself here: https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator/search/index.jsp
Oct 8, 2015, 8:59 pm
#3008
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: CVG
Programs: Hyatt Giraffe
Posts: 1,664
$300 cards are a nice welcome change. This will mean 44 less cards per month we have to load at the kiosk, at about 100 seconds each, 73 minutes back of our life each month Ordering a ton now!
Ordering a ton now!
Oct 8, 2015, 11:14 pm
#3010
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: Paying student debt and traveling when i can
Posts: 312
Oct 9, 2015, 7:01 am
#3013
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
Programs: Hilton Cubic Zirconia, Marriott Fools Gold
Posts: 1,692
+1. I've only been buying the 200's when there is a promo because they take so long to drain and have a similar profit margin to my other ms methods. I ran thru 10x200 at Kate the other day and it was excruciating lol.
But if I can get the 300's online, I'd be in because it's about an extra $8/1k in my pocket
But if I can get the 300's online, I'd be in because it's about an extra $8/1k in my pocket
Oct 9, 2015, 8:50 am
#3014
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Andover, MA, 01810
Posts: 1,972
Is this the thread to report Staples rebates on visa/mc cards? I always check here, and if I don't see any mention of it, I assume nothing is going on. Then I saw iahphx mention the "current promo", and I checked staples.com and found the $20 gift card rebate on $300 mastercards. Good till Oct 10.
Oct 9, 2015, 9:01 am
#3015
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: Paying student debt and traveling when i can
Posts: 312
Is this the thread to report Staples rebates on visa/mc cards? I always check here, and if I don't see any mention of it, I assume nothing is going on. Then I saw iahphx mention the "current promo", and I checked staples.com and found the $20 gift card rebate on $300 mastercards. Good till Oct 10.