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Staples is offering one of their lucrative FEE-FREE $200 Visa Gift Card promotions between March 31st and April 6th, 2024.

Typically, these gift cards cost $207.95 each, but with this deal, you can purchase them without the activation fee of $7.95.

This offer is valid in-store only.

While the maximum number of cards allowed per transaction daily is 8, the branch determines the quantity they prefer to sell.

Make sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points at Office Supply Stores.

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card currently earns 5 points per dollar at Office Supply Stores, including Staples.

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Why Buy These Fee-Free Visa Gift Cards At Staples?

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With a 5X-earning credit card like the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, these discounted gift cards have the potential to generate an enormous amount of travel points that can ultimately be redeemed for discounted flights and free hotel stays.

When you use these gift cards to make regular purchases anywhere they are accepted in the United States, you will convert all of those purchases into 5X categories.

Let me illustrate how this Staples deal can be quite lucrative.

When you use a 5x-earning card to grab 8 of these gift cards at least four times during the promo period, you can earn upwards of 30,000 credit card points.

Check out the table below on how valuable these offers can be.

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Staples Visit	# of Cards	Cost	Total Points (5X earning card)
1	8	$1,600	8,000 Points
2	8	$1,600	16,000
3	8	$1,600	15,000
4	8	$1,600	20,000
Total	32	$6,400	32,000

Caution: Only purchase the number of gift cards you can use in the future. Since these purchases are charged to your credit card, please be mindful only to purchase an amount you can completely pay in full once your credit card bill comes around. It is not a good idea to pay banks hefty interest charges. Hence, do not employ this strategy if you anticipate challenges settling your bill in full on or before the due date. I will list the best ways to redeem these gift cards later in this post.

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Steps to Maximize This Promotion

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Step 1:

We announce these Staples gift card offers as soon as we know about them in our free Facebook Travel Miles and Points group.

Step 2:

Try to swing by Staples on the first hour of the first day of the promotion period.

These deals are extremely popular, so cards usually sell out fast.

Even though they run out quickly, some Staples stores replenish their supply mid-week, so I’ve also had success locating these gift cards during the week.

Hence, try to stop by the store a few times if your schedule allows.

Alternatively, calling the store before heading out to inquire if cards are available is also recommended and can save valuable time.

Make sure to pay using a credit card that earns 5X per dollar at Office Supply Stores.

Step 3:

Purchase only the number of gift cards you can conveniently pay off entirely on or before the due date.

Since this method is one of my primary sources of miles and points for free travel, I try to stop by Staples a few times during the promo week.

Therefore, I do my due diligence by ensuring I have adequate savings in my sinking funds that I can quickly deploy to pay off my credit card before its due date.

In short, I do not purchase beyond what I can pay once the credit card bill arrives.

Step 4:

Use these gift cards by utilizing any of the suggested methods in this article.

Step 5:

Wait for the travel points to appear under your 5X-earning card, like the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.

Since the Ink Business Cash is a no-annual-fee card, you have limited ways to use it 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.

But 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 so you can redeem your points 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.

Step 6:

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 7:

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.

Step 8:

Enjoy your free redemption!

And keep an eye out for the next office supply store deal!

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Possible Issues

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A. Initially, some Staples cashiers and managers were not familiar with the 8-card maximum per person policy.

If they refuse to sell eight cards at a time, politely ask them to check the details of the ad posted at the store. The ad should clearly state that a maximum of eight cards can now be purchased per transaction.

B. It is not uncommon for some Staples stores to keep their $200 Visa gift cards at their back office or behind the counter, so inquire if you cannot locate them on the shelves.

C. Make sure the cards you purchase do not have their serial numbers exposed or tampered with.

D. Before leaving the store, ensure that all the cards you purchased have successfully been activated.

E. This is in-store only, so if you do not have Staples near you, sorry! Online purchases may not trigger this discount. 

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Which Credit Card to Use?

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Option A:  Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

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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 Chase 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 who is making the purchase, but the cashier may have to scan the gift cards again.

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Option B:

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A New Credit Card

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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.

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Stacking Opportunity: Payce & Bank Offers

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Payce

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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.

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Bank Offers

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Check your credit card offers, as there might be a stacking opportunity with Staples during this promo week too.

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How and Where to Use These Gift Cards

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You can use these Visa gift cards to cover any of the below expenses:

1. Costco (in-store, online, and gas)
2. Estimated Taxes
3. Medical Bills
4. Utilities: Electricity, Water, Internet, Phone, Garbage, etc.
5. Groceries
6. Gas (you need to pay in the store)
7. Auto Insurance
8. Home Insurance
9. Car Repair/Maintenance
10. Restaurants
11. Shopping (in-store and online)

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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1. When Does Staples Announce These Sales?

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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.

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2. How Often Does Staples Have These Gift Cards Sales?

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Staples has been running Visa and Mastercard gift card sales about 1-2X per month.

We announce these sales at our free Facebook Travel Miles and Points Facebook Group. Join us there!

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3. Do I Need to Register These Gift Cards Before Use?

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It is not necessary to register these gift cards before use.

You can complete your online purchases using any billing address if the gift cards are not registered.

However, if you run into any issues using these gift cards online, no worries!

Just register the cards like you normally would, and that should fix the problem.

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4. When Should I Use These Gift Cards?

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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.

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5. When Should I Not Use These Gift Cards?

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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.

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6. What Do I Do With Gift Cards with Odd Amounts?

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Some stores like Costco, Target, and Walmart can drain gift cards with odd amounts.

Alternatively, you can load your Amazon Gift Card balance with the remaining amount on your gift cards.

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7. What If My Gift Cards Do Not Work?

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First, I would check the card’s balance to ensure there are no fraudulent transactions.

If you notice any irregularities, immediately call the number on the back of the gift card and file a dispute.

Register the card to your name and address if the balance is intact.

Wait for several minutes and then try to purchase again.

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Final Thoughts

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I am a huge fan of these promotions and try to take advantage of them at every opportunity.

Whether you are a seasoned travel points hobbyist or new to it, I highly encourage you to consider leveraging this method to accumulate a substantial amount of credit card points.

However, this is a gentle reminder to purchase only the number of gift cards you can comfortably pay for once 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 Staples this week too?

Hat Tip: Doctor of Credit

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.