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The Deal
Office Depot/Max is back with their regular deal on discounted Mastercard gift cards.
This discount is only available for in-store purchases from April 7th through April 13th, 2024.
With this deal, $15 is instantly deducted from your total bill if you purchase at least $300 worth of Mastercard gift cards.
This is a wonderful opportunity to help you meet the minimum spending requirement of a new credit card you just got approved for, as long as that card is not an American Express Credit Card.
You can also use a credit card that earns bonus points at Office Supply Stores.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card earns 5 points per dollar at Office Supply Stores, including Office Depot and Office Max.
Updates
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| Feb 2024 | Mastercard Gift Cards are no longer accepted by Plastiq for mortgage payments. |
| August 2023 | When you purchase 6 X $200 Visa Gift Cards in one transaction, $60 will be automatically discounted. You must provide your driver’s license to complete purchases over $1000. |
| May 2023 | When you purchase 3 X $200 Mastercard Gift Cards (total: $600 + activation fees), $30 will be automatically discounted. |
Earn 5X Points Per Dollar at Office Depot/Office Max
As mentioned above, we recommend using a credit card that earns 5 points per dollar, like the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, at office supply stores.
I love accumulating credit card points for free travel and hotel stays, so I always try to take advantage of office supply promotions whenever they come around.
If you use a 5x-earning credit card, this promo can add about 1,500 travel points to your stash per visit.
If you visit a few times this week, you can easily double or triple your earnings.
Stacking Ideas
Stack 1: Dosh – Possible Account Shutdown
The cashback app “DOSH” also offers a 2% cashback for purchases at Office Depot/Max.
Although Dosh states that gift cards do not earn cashback, my experience has been the opposite. However, add a few random items to prevent an audit.
Just be mindful that Dosh can claw back any cashback bonuses they’ve given at any time, so YMMV (your mileage may vary).
This deal is a fantastic opportunity to get travel points and earn a $15 discount simultaneously, but the possibility of receiving cashback from Dosh makes this deal even more lucrative.
If you do not have DOSH yet, sign up by clicking the button below (referral link).
Make sure you link the credit card you plan on using to your Dosh account before making this purchase.
Some data points (DPs) indicate that you would need the card linked 24 hours before your purchase, but my experience has been quicker.
The cashback is usually instant, and the maximum cashback from Office Depot per day is $10.
Stack 2: Payce
Another cashback app that you can use at office supply stores is Payce.
The critical thing to remember with Payce is that you must activate the deals each month to trigger the cash bonus.
You must also link the credit cards on the app before purchasing.
Stack 3: Bank Offers
After setting up DOSH and PAYCE, check your bank offers to see if they have cashback opportunities with Office Depot or Office Max.
They typically offer these cash-back deals from multiple Chase credit cards – both consumer/personal and business cards – so check all your Chase credit card accounts.
I use the Cardpointers Chrome Extension to automatically add all my bank offers to my credit cards, so I don’t forget them.
Easy Steps To Maximize This Mastercard Gift Card Promo
STEP 1:
We announce these gift card deals on our Travel Miles and Points Facebook Group. It is free to join.
STEP 2:
- Set up Payce by linking the card you plan to use.
- Add/Activate any Office Depot/Office Max bank offers.
STEP 3:
The following options will trigger the discount:
Option 1: Buy two (2) $200 Mastercard Gift Cards (MCGC)
Option 2: Purchase one (1) $200 MCGC and one (1) $100 MCGC
Option 3: NEW! Buying 3 X $200 gift cards can trigger the discount twice. Thus, buying $600 worth of gift cards (3 X $200) will give a discount of $30 ($15 X 2)
Update: The New $200 Gift Cards now have an activation fee of $7.95.
| Options | Total Cost | With $15 Discount | Profit | 5X Per Dollar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Two (2) $200 MC gift cards for 207.95 each. | $415.90 | $400.90 | -$.90 | 2,005 |
| B. One (1) $207.95 MC and one (1) $106.95 VGC | $314.90 | $299.90 | $.1 | 1,500 |
| C. Three (3) $207.95 MCGCs | $623.85 | $593.85 ($30 off) | $6.15 | 2970 |
STEP 4:
Earn the $15-$30 discount, cashback from Dosh, Payce, or bank offers, and credit card points with just one swipe of your linked credit card.
STEP 5:
If you wanna rack up more points, try swinging by the store a few times during the promotional week.
That way, you can keep repeating the process and stack extra points for awesome rewards!
STEP 6:
Wait for the travel points to appear under your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.
Since this business credit card has no annual fee, you can use it only in limited ways for free travel.
Points earned from no-annual-fee cards can be mostly redeemed for cashback and can not be transferred to travel partners like Hyatt or United.
However, if you have one of this bank’s premium cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer your points to them and redeem them for free or discounted travel.
Transferring your credit card points between accounts can be confusing if you do not know where to look, so this post will walk you through converting your cashback points to travel points.
Pro-Tip: If no gift cards are left on the racks, ask any employee to check the back office. Sometimes, they forget to replenish when the cards on display run out.
STEP 7:
Once your points are transferred to one of your premium cards, you can redeem them for nearly free travel by using the bank’s travel portal (powered by Expedia) or transferring them to the bank’s travel partners.
Generally, I have been able to optimize both redemption paths in the past, but for the most part, I transfer my points to Hyatt since this transfer partner consistently gives me the best bang for my buck.
Or, I use it to transfer to an airline partner for flights on premium cabins (business or first class).
For example, I will be in the Maldives this summer and have been eyeing a stay at the Alila Maldives.
However, the property costs over $1,000/night, an amount I am unwilling to pay by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, the same room only requires 30,000 Hyatt points.
So, I transferred 30,000 credit card points to the World of Hyatt and then booked the room.
Thus, swinging by Staples 4 times this week will allow me to book this property for a night for FREE using points.
STEP 8:
Determine if using the travel portal or transferring to travel partners is your best redemption pathway.
The article below provides examples of how you can compare both options to decide based on your preference.
Caution: Only purchase the number of gift cards that you can comfortably use in the future. Later in this post, I will list the best ways to redeem these gift cards. Also, since these purchases are charged to your credit card, please be mindful to purchase an amount you can quickly pay in full once your credit card statement comes around. It is NEVER a good idea to pay banks hefty bills. Hence, do not employ this strategy if you anticipate difficulties settling your bill in full on or before the due date.
Best Ways To Use These Gift Cards
You can use these gift cards to cover any of the below expenses:
- Estimated Taxes
- Medical Bills
- Utilities: Electricity, Water, Internet, Phone, Garbage, etc.
- Groceries
- Gas (you need to pay inside)
- Auto Insurance
- Home Insurance
- Car Repair/Maintenance
- Restaurants
- Shopping (in-store and online)
- Home Mortgage via Plastiq
Which Credit Card to Use?
Option A: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
A Credit Card that Earns 5 Points Per Dollar at Office Supply Stores
Fraud Alert: If you use your 5X-Earning Credit Card like the Ink Business Cash to buy gift cards for the first time, ensure you have your phone with you, as the bank may send you a fraud alert via text. The bank will approve the transaction once you verify that you are the one making the purchase. However, the cashier may have to scan the gift cards again.
Option B:
A New Credit Card
Meeting a minimum spend requirement for a credit card you recently got approved for.
But do not use an American Express Credit Card as AMEX claws back bonuses if spending requirements were met by buying gift cards. Instead, use your new AMEX on your daily organic purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When Does Office Depot/Office Max Announce These Gift Card Sales?
The only way to find out whether there is a gift card sale is to drop by Office Depot on a Sunday.
We also announce it on our free Travel Miles and Points Facebook Group.
2. How Often Does Office Depot/Office Max Have These Gift Cards Sales?
Office Depot/Office Max has been running Visa and Mastercard gift card sales about 1-2X per month.
As stated above, we announce these sales in our free Travel Miles and Points Facebook Group.
3. Do I Need to Register These Gift Cards Before Use?
It is not necessary to register these gift cards before use.
If the gift cards are not registered, you can complete your online purchases using any billing address.
However, no worries if you run into any issues using these gift cards online!
Just register the cards like you normally would, and that should fix the problem.
4. When Should I Use These Gift Cards?
These gift cards are considered debit cards, so you can use them anywhere debit cards and credit cards are accepted in the United States.
This blog post has a list of ideas on where you can use these gift cards.
5. When Should I Not Use These Gift Cards?
We do not recommend using these gift cards in the following scenarios:
- Do not use gift cards when purchasing high-ticket items that require purchase protection. Instead, I’d use a credit card that offers purchase protection or an extended warranty.
- Do not use gift cards when you will likely need to return items in the future.
Final Thoughts
I am a huge fan of these promotions and try to take advantage of them at every opportunity.
I strongly recommend doing the same, especially if you collect credit card points or have a minimum spending requirement to meet.
It is essential to keep in mind that you should only buy gift cards for an amount that you will be able to comfortably pay for when your credit card statement arrives.
It is never a good idea to keep a balance on your cards and consequently pay high interest charges.
That will defeat the purpose of this hobby, which is frugal travel.
Do you plan to swing by Office Depot/Max this week, too?
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE – Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. The content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.”
