Feb 9, 2017, 8:17 pm
Last edit by: lowkeyflyer
This is the master thread for all VGC and MCGC sold at Staples.
The previous discussion can be found here.
The VGCs sold at Staples are issued by Metabank and serviced by Blackhawk Network.
The activation code for online purchase comes with the card. Cards purchased at store are activated at check-out.
To activate cards over the phone (without activation codes), call (877) 426-2551 to talk to a rep.
To activate cards over the web, www.giftcardkey.com.
The default PIN number is the last four digits of the card number but can be changed online.
As of 5/12/2014, all known portals are dead.
Earn 5x points with Chase Ink, or Simply Cash for 5% cash back
Buy Visa gift cards (Metabank) at Staples ($200 for $7.95) or the website ($300 for $8.95).
2k Limit per transaction / 10k per day for online. In-store is usually 2k but YMMV
Often times, there are promotions with no or reduced activation fees
The previous discussion can be found here.
The VGCs sold at Staples are issued by Metabank and serviced by Blackhawk Network.
The activation code for online purchase comes with the card. Cards purchased at store are activated at check-out.
To activate cards over the phone (without activation codes), call (877) 426-2551 to talk to a rep.
To activate cards over the web, www.giftcardkey.com.
The default PIN number is the last four digits of the card number but can be changed online.
As of 5/12/2014, all known portals are dead.
Earn 5x points with Chase Ink, or Simply Cash for 5% cash back
Buy Visa gift cards (Metabank) at Staples ($200 for $7.95) or the website ($300 for $8.95).
2k Limit per transaction / 10k per day for online. In-store is usually 2k but YMMV
Often times, there are promotions with no or reduced activation fees
Visa/MasterCard Gift Cards at Staples(2017 onwards)
Feb 28, 2020, 9:11 pm
#1426
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,833
Feb 28, 2020, 9:26 pm
#1427
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 205
Feb 29, 2020, 7:40 am
#1428
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
The only Staples in the whole county of ours, strictly enforces the 1 card per Household rule, not just per person - but if you come in together, you can only buy 1 card. As a result, we can come anytime of the day, any day of the week, still be able to find cards in 95% of the time. It helps the store is just 1 mile from home, and in the same plaza of an ethnic grocer where we also shop... Besides, there are also 10X ODs in town that are friendly with Everywhere cards...
However, on Thursday night, I went in for my expected 1 card, but (as usual) I brought 2 cards to the counter (hope springs eternal) and the cashier let me buy both, saying (quietly) that the restriction was "the stupidest thing he had to deal with". So I got 2 that day
The store's manager must have out to dinner when I came in
Feb 29, 2020, 9:44 am
#1429
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 63
My very local Staples is the same way. 1 card per visit, with literally a hundred cards sitting on the rack.
However, on Thursday night, I went in for my expected 1 card, but (as usual) I brought 2 cards to the counter (hope springs eternal) and the cashier let me buy both, saying (quietly) that the restriction was "the stupidest thing he had to deal with". So I got 2 that day
The store's manager must have out to dinner when I came in
However, on Thursday night, I went in for my expected 1 card, but (as usual) I brought 2 cards to the counter (hope springs eternal) and the cashier let me buy both, saying (quietly) that the restriction was "the stupidest thing he had to deal with". So I got 2 that day
The store's manager must have out to dinner when I came in
Feb 29, 2020, 12:00 pm
#1430
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Other Staples stores are at least 30 miles one way, lol. This one is 1.2 miles from home, at the same plaza where there is an ethnic grocer we also shop, as well as 2 CVS stores nearby that we often find good prices on weekly ad for their private label nuts we prefer over Planters brand. We just combine our shopping errands together with the daily short visit to the Staples.
Besides, when you have both AMEX and Chase offers on many cards, buying 10 per transaction does not do you any good.
The better deals are always from OD due to the lower activation cost even OD gives discount instead of waving fee. Thankfully we are in OD Home Turf with over 10 OD stores, 60% of them are super friendly with only 10% are hostile. So we are good, and actually fare better than with Staples promo.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
Feb 29, 2020, 12:55 pm
#1431
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
We have no complain on the enforcement which ensures 95% of the time there are still plenty in stock even in the evening of the last day of promotion.
Other Staples stores are at least 30 miles one way, lol. This one is 1.2 miles from home, at the same plaza where there is an ethnic grocer we also shop, as well as 2 CVS stores nearby that we often find good prices on weekly ad for their private label nuts we prefer over Planters brand. We just combine our shopping errands together with the daily short visit to the Staples.
Besides, when you have both AMEX and Chase offers on many cards, buying 10 per transaction does not do you any good.
The better deals are always from OD due to the lower activation cost even OD gives discount instead of waving fee. Thankfully we are in OD Home Turf with over 10 OD stores, 60% of them are super friendly with only 10% are hostile. So we are good, and actually fare better than with Staples promo.
It takes 2 days for Chase to post the transaction on business card. This is a known delay going on for years that Chase has never fixed. 2 days after the transaction posted, you should see the offer disappeared from Available, but showed up under Redeemed. This is Day 4 from the day of transaction. The next day you will receive a Congrat email and the credit shows in your account with a posting date of previous day.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
Other Staples stores are at least 30 miles one way, lol. This one is 1.2 miles from home, at the same plaza where there is an ethnic grocer we also shop, as well as 2 CVS stores nearby that we often find good prices on weekly ad for their private label nuts we prefer over Planters brand. We just combine our shopping errands together with the daily short visit to the Staples.
Besides, when you have both AMEX and Chase offers on many cards, buying 10 per transaction does not do you any good.
The better deals are always from OD due to the lower activation cost even OD gives discount instead of waving fee. Thankfully we are in OD Home Turf with over 10 OD stores, 60% of them are super friendly with only 10% are hostile. So we are good, and actually fare better than with Staples promo.
It takes 2 days for Chase to post the transaction on business card. This is a known delay going on for years that Chase has never fixed. 2 days after the transaction posted, you should see the offer disappeared from Available, but showed up under Redeemed. This is Day 4 from the day of transaction. The next day you will receive a Congrat email and the credit shows in your account with a posting date of previous day.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
We are a Commercial account with a Staples but the mgr does not know it, because it is a National Account
Mar 1, 2020, 6:47 am
#1432
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors
Posts: 255
It takes 2 days for Chase to post the transaction on business card. This is a known delay going on for years that Chase has never fixed. 2 days after the transaction posted, you should see the offer disappeared from Available, but showed up under Redeemed. This is Day 4 from the day of transaction. The next day you will receive a Congrat email and the credit shows in your account with a posting date of previous day.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
Also, one other newbie question - I see offers posted under my biz checking accounts as well. How would one redeem those? Using a debit card associated with that checking account? Just seems odd to put an offer as part of a checking account, even when no credit card would be associated with said account.
Mar 1, 2020, 7:44 am
#1433
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Awesome, thanks for those details! I see today that the two offers for my biz cards just went into Redeemed. Looking forward to the credit appearing tomorrow.
Also, one other newbie question - I see offers posted under my biz checking accounts as well. How would one redeem those? Using a debit card associated with that checking account? Just seems odd to put an offer as part of a checking account, even when no credit card would be associated with said account.
Also, one other newbie question - I see offers posted under my biz checking accounts as well. How would one redeem those? Using a debit card associated with that checking account? Just seems odd to put an offer as part of a checking account, even when no credit card would be associated with said account.
We have never used the debit cards so we dont quite remember what PINs we have. We went to Chase branch to test the PINs out of our memory - the theory is, in case the PINs we thought are not the PINs associated with these debit cards, we can do a PIN change at the branch - before making purchase at Staples. Luckily our memory does not fail us. Both debit cards used as PIN based at the store. Congrats emails came on Sat and today.
BTW, one of our cards had the older Staples offer at 10% capped at $6, expiring on Feb 26. That card did not receive the generous offers this round. So next time we would try to use offers that even not very good but still reasonale - just so we would not miss better offers from the same merchant down the road.
The most frequently show up offers we have seen so far are from CVS, 5% and 10%. We do shop food items at CVS (their private label Gold Emblem nuts and snacks are very good, plus there are often ExtraCare coupons in buying such.) We plan to buy CVS gift cards to use those offers.
Mar 2, 2020, 9:56 am
#1434
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors
Posts: 255
It takes 2 days for Chase to post the transaction on business card. This is a known delay going on for years that Chase has never fixed. 2 days after the transaction posted, you should see the offer disappeared from Available, but showed up under Redeemed. This is Day 4 from the day of transaction. The next day you will receive a Congrat email and the credit shows in your account with a posting date of previous day.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
Today we received 5 Congrats from Chase. All 5 showed under Redeemed when I checked last night. Those were transactions done on 02/24. So 2 days from transaction to post, then 2 days on the offer changed to redeem. On Day 5, the credit is in the account.
Mar 2, 2020, 11:11 am
#1435
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
So far, so good. Took 2 days for the transaction to post, and another 2 days for the offer to show as Redeemed. I've just received the congrats emails this morning, which is the 5th day. The only remaining part is for the credit to appear in the account. That has not happened yet.
Mar 2, 2020, 11:49 am
#1436
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 66
My local staples has become much more strict about the limit 1 (last 6 mo or so, before that it was 2k every time), but after noticing that I come by in the AM and again in the PM on my way home, some nice CSRs start letting me buy multiples. Not 2k though, I am not that greedy. However this last week there were ZERO cards in stock, I was very disappointed. Went to another store and they had plenty, but were hard lined about the 1 per. So the question I have to ask, who here is in Nashville buying up all the GCs? Leave some for the rest of us.
Mar 3, 2020, 10:35 am
#1439
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors
Posts: 255
Because there is a weekend in between. Anything not posted after Friday midnight processing, will not be posted until Monday after midnight. Only ever see AMEX would post something on the weekend. Everybody else you will need to wait till Tue morning for the processing the night before after Monday midnight.