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Accumulating points and miles to book free or discounted travel can be conducted in many ways.
Without a doubt, the most generous path is to apply for travel credit cards with lucrative sign-up bonuses.
However, this has certain limitations, as you can only apply for a finite number of cards yearly unless you don’t mind raising red flags with the banks.
For example, if you want to be on Chase’s good side, you should limit your personal credit card applications to fewer than five per 24 months. This policy is called the 5/24 rule.
In short, Chase will deny your applications if you have acquired five or more personal credit cards in the past two years.
Other banks, like Capital One and Citi, are equally sensitive to multiple credit card applications and inquiries.
Thankfully, this 5/24 restriction does not include almost all business cards except for a select few.
If you are unsure what your 5/24 status is, I prepared a step-by-step guide on how to DIY (Do It Yourself). Click the related post below.
A Path To More Points: Category Bonuses
Another recommended pathway to accrue additional travel miles and points is to leverage category bonuses.
Whenever you make a purchase, your transaction automatically gets assigned a merchant category that determines how many points you will earn from your purchases.
For example, Safeway is categorized as a “grocery store merchant”. Thus, if you purchase at Safeway for $23 and use a credit card earning 3X at grocery stores, that $23 will generate 115 points ($23 X 5 points/dollar = 115 points).
If you use credit cards that earn travel rewards, the lowest number of points you can generate is 1 point/mile per dollar.
But why limit yourself to 1 point per dollar when a method can conceivably produce between 2-5 points for every dollar that comes out of your wallet?
Not so long ago, Chase offered 10X for Apple Streaming Purchases, which I maximized up to the last dollar! Sadly, this deal had already expired.
In this blog post, I will go over the steps on how you can maximize your purchases in office supply stores and what deals to participate in so you can quickly grow your stash of points and miles.
If employed responsibly, this strategy can propel you to that next bucket list destination for a significant discount sooner rather than later.
My Personal Goal
As I mentioned above, I aim to earn more than one travel mile/point per dollar for every purchase I make.
I have made it a habit to earn no fewer than 5 points per dollar every time.
This is made possible through the use of gift cards purchased at office supply stores.
But to optimize this strategy, you would need a credit card that provides a spending bonus at office supply stores. I’ll talk more about this in the following sections.
Determine If This Strategy Will Work For You
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned traveler, I highly recommend dabbling in accumulating travel miles and points using credit cards that generate travel points.
It has allowed me to see places I would never have imagined visiting in this lifetime for a fraction of the price.
However, it is not for everyone.
Although anyone can capitalize on this lucrative hobby, it only works with individuals with a specific financial profile.
Since this involves leveraging credit card debt for a specific purpose, banks will naturally only approve applicants they know will be responsible clients.
If you have an excellent credit score and an impeccable financial background, then kudos to you, as you can undoubtedly successfully optimize this strategy.
Here’s a litmus test to determine if you are compatible with using travel credit cards:
Do you pay your credit card in full on or before the due date? If so, then you are ripe for this hobby.
Is paying your credit card promptly not your strongest suit yet?
Then I suggest holding off on this undertaking until after you’ve reached a point where you’re debt-free and financially disciplined.
Despite their lucrative rewards, credit cards can ruin anyone’s financial future.
Steep bank interest charges quickly add up and can wreak havoc on fiscal goals.
Maximize Office Supply Store Purchases to Earn Travel Miles and Points
With the right credit card, office supply store purchases provide effortless opportunities to accumulate a boatload of miles and points.
This has paved the way for me to visit over 95 countries using travel miles and points.
The money I’ve saved from this hobby ultimately gets earmarked towards my retirement accounts.
Indeed, using miles and points for travel is perfect for frugal tourists.
In the steps below, I will outline a strategy that I have effectively utilized for many years to level up my points accumulation strategy.
STEP 1: Own A Credit Card That Earns 5X At Office Supply Stores
First, you will need a credit card that earns a category bonus at office supply stores.
Currently, Chase offers an incredible no-annual-fee business card called the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card that earns 5 points per dollar at office supply stores.
If you do not have this card yet, you might want to consider checking its current offer.
However, since it is a business card, you would need some type of side hustle before applying for it.
Don’t fret, any side hustle may be eligible.
The related post below will walk you through the steps on how to apply for your first Chase business credit card.
Before you apply, you need to make sure you are eligible:
- Check your 5/24 status and make sure you are below 5/24. Below 5/24 means you have not applied for five or more personal credit cards in the past 24 months. Although this is a business card, it is still subject to 5/24 guidelines since it’s a Chase product. Check the 5/24 related post above.
- Your credit score and credit history are both stellar.
- You pay off your entire credit card balance on or before the due date. This hobby will not be beneficial to you if you allow banks to charge you those expensive bank fees.
STEP 2: Keep an Eye Out for Gift Card Sales
Wait for gift card sales that periodically happen in office supply stores such as Staples and Office Depot/Max.
Buying discounted gift cards is one of my favorite ways of accumulating miles and points, which I ultimately use for discounted airfare or free hotel stays.
Since these deals are extremely popular, you must be prepared to pounce when the sales are announced.
Doctor of Credit is a great website to follow for these deals.
We also post them on our free Travel Miles and Points Facebook Group.
Gift Card Sales at Staples
Staples typically runs fee-free Visa Gift Cards or fee-free Mastercard promotions.
Typically, these gift cards charge an extra $7.95 activation fee per card which can quickly add up if you buy them outside of the promotion period.
Thankfully, Staples waives this fee entirely during their gift card sale.
A maximum of 8 cards is allowed per transaction, which I think is quite generous.
However, that also means these cards tend to sell out at the beginning of the promotion week.
Moreover, this offer is only available in their branch and thus can cause an inconvenience, mainly if the Staples nearest you requires a lengthy commute.
Lastly, do not buy these gift cards online; you will be charged hefty activation fees.
Strategy: I line up before the store opens on the first day this sale is offered to increase the likelihood of getting these cards.
Since the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card gives 5 points per dollar at Office Supply Stores, buying 5 of these $200 gift cards will earn a total of 5,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($1000 X 5 points per dollar).
5,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points have a value of at least $50.00.
| Number of $200 Gift Cards | Value | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $200 | 200 X 5 = 1000 |
| 2 | $400 | 400 X 5 = 2000 |
| 3 | $600 | 600 X 5 = 3000 |
| 4 | $800 | 800 X 5 = 4000 |
| 5 | $1000 | 1000 X 5 = 5000 |
When Does Staples Announce These Sales?
Staples releases their weekly ads every Thursday.
If you want to be among the first to know about these deals, click the button below to access their weekly ad.
Current Staples Gift Card Promotions
Gift Card Sales at Office Depot / Office Max
Office Depot and Office Max usually offer a $15 instant discount when you purchase gift cards worth $300 or more.
Just like Staples, if you use your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to purchase these gift cards, you will earn 5 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points per dollar.
With this Office Depot/Office Max deal, you have the following two options that will trigger the $15 discount:
a. Buy two (2) $200 Visa Gift Cards (VGC) for a total of $400.00 plus activation fees.
b. Purchase one (1) $200 VGC and one (1) $100 VGC for a total of $300.00 plus activation fees.
| Options | Total Cost | With discount | Profit | Chase points if using Chase Ink Cash (5X) |
| A. Two (2) $200 Visa gift cards for 207.95 each | $415.90 | $400.90 | -$0.9 | 400.9 X 5 = 2,005 Points |
| B. One (1) $207.95 VGC and one (1) $106.95 VGC | $314.90 | $299.90 | $0.1 | 299.90 X 5 = 1,500 Points |
Current Office Depot Gift Card Promotions
STEP 3: Visit Multiple Times If Your Schedule Allows
If you have the luxury of time, you can visit the store multiple times during the promo week.
Staples and Office Depot/Max allow one transaction per person/day, so you can take advantage of this gift card sale every day for an entire week.
Pro-Tip: Before going to the office supply store, I suggest calling ahead to check if they have gift cards in stock. If they do, I’ve had success asking them to hold the cards for me until I arrive.
STEP 4: Spend These Gift Cards Mindfully
Readers constantly ask me, “What do I do with these gift cards?”
By and large, I spend these gift cards to cover my usual expenses. Below are some examples of expenses that I frequently pay for using gift cards:
- 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)
STEP 5: What to Buy When There Are No Promotions
During weeks without promotions, I swing by my office supply store to purchase retail gift cards I use throughout the year.
For example, I buy many Amazon gift cards and reload them to my Amazon account.
This process guarantees that I earn 5 points for every dollar I spend on Amazon.com, rather than not earning a category bonus at all.
I also buy these gift cards from Staples or Office Depot/Office Max: Starbucks, Shell, Uber, Target, and a lot more.
STEP 6: Convert Your Chase Cashback Points to Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Since the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card generates cashback points, you would need to execute another step to convert those cashback points to transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, which can ultimately be transferred to Chase’s many travel partners.
But first, let us calculate the monetary value of the points obtained from purchasing gift cards using a no-annual-fee Chase card like the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.
At the bare minimum, each point will have a valuation of 1 cent per point if withdrawn as cash. See the table below for the cashback equivalent.
| Gift Card Amount Redeemed | Points Earned (5X multiplier) | Cashback Value |
| $100 | 500 points | $5 |
| $200 | 1000 points | $10 |
| $500 | 2500 points | $25 |
| $1000 | 5000 points | $50 |
At face value, these 1-cent per point rewards do not appear to be incredibly lucrative.
But, if you also own one of Chase’s premium cards namely the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card, and the Chase Ink Preferred® Credit Card, several other redemption alternatives spring up.
By the way, these credit cards are considered premium because they charge an annual fee.
You Need to Have a Chase Premium Card Before You Can Transfer to A Travel Partner
Once your points are transferred from a no-annual-fee Chase card to a premium Chase card, other options with a value of over 1 cent per point become available.
Therefore, I always transfer all of my Chase points to a premium card before redeeming them.
Click the article below for the steps on how to convert cashback points to transferrable Ultimate Rewards Points.
STEP 7: Redeem Your Points for Free or Discounted Travel
Our last step is the reason we are making an effort to drive to office supply stores and buy these discounted gift cards in the first place.
This is the moment we have been waiting for – when we are ready to redeem those travel points to get free or discounted trips and hotels.
As mentioned previously, those gift cards, if purchased using the right credit card, have the potential to produce an enormous amount of points.
Once you have successfully accrued significant travel points and moved them to a Chase premium card, it is time to transfer those bank points to travel partners like Hyatt, United, Southwest, or Emirates.
Final Thoughts
I am a huge fan of office supply store promotions, and I try to take advantage of them every opportunity I have.
With the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, every dollar spent in office supply stores earns 5 Ultimate Rewards points, which can eventually be redeemed for discounted airfare and free hotel stays.
I highly encourage you to do the same, mainly if you are accumulating Chase Ultimate Rewards Points or meeting a minimum spend requirement.
However, this is a gentle reminder to purchase only the number of gift cards you can comfortably pay for once your credit card statement comes around.
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- frugal travel.
Do you plan to optimize your office supply store deals?
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.
