Staples will again be offering fee-free fixed $200 Visa Gift Cards next week but it won’t be stopping after one week like usual. This time it will go for two weeks and run from Sunday, December 8th through Saturday, December 21st, 2024. The limit is again nine per customer per day (although some stores may allow more).
Different stores appear to have different policies regarding the variable-load cards that some Staples now sell. Some folks report that fees are waived when they purchase them…others find that they aren’t. Your mileage may vary.
The Deal
- Staples will waive the $7.95 activation fee when you buy a $200 Visa Gift Card between 12/8/24 – 12/21/24.
- Direct link to weekly ad (see the 12/15 ad page 9)
Key Terms
- Offer valid December 8 – December 21, 2024.
- Limit 9 per customer per day (YMMV on whether your cashier / store allows or enforces the limit)
- In-store only
Quick Notes
These deals can be great way of getting rewards through spending at office supply stores. If you can buy 9 at a time, that’s a potential of $1,800 that’s possible each day. Note that some stores may allow you to purchase more than 9, and we also hear occasional reports that some managers will only sell a smaller amount despite what the ad says.
See our Current Visa and Mastercard Gift Card deals page for other currently-available deals.
Other times this deal has run recently at Staples:
Fee-free Visa Gift Card Sales
- 11/17/24 – 11/23/24
- 10/13/24 -10/19/24
- 9/15/24 – 9/21/24
- 8/18/24 – 8/24/24
- 7/21/24 – 7/27/24
- 6/23/24 – 6/29/24
- 5/26/24 – 6/1/24
- 4/28/24 – 5/4/24
- 3/31/24 – 4/6/24
- 3/3/24 – 3/9/24
- 2/4/24 – 2/10/24
- 1/7/24 – 1/13/24
- 12/10/23 – 12/16/23
- 11/12/23 – 11/18/23
- 10/15/23 – 10/21/23
- 9/17/23 – 9/23/23
- 8/20/23 – 8/26/23
- 7/23/23 – 7/29/23
- 6/25/23 – 7/1/23
- 5/28/23-6/3/23
- 4/30/23 – 5/6/23
- 4/2/23 – 4/8/23
- 3/5/23 – 3/11/23
- 2/5/23 – 2/11/23
- 1/8/23 – 1/14/23
- 12/25/22 – 12/31/22 (only on $100 cards)
- 12/11/22 – 12/17/22
- 11/6/22 to 11/12/22
- 10/9/22 to 10/22/22
- September 25-October 1, 2022
- September 4-September 10, 2022
- August 7-13, 2022
- July 10-16, 2022
- June 12-18, 2022
- May 8-14, 2022
- February 27-March 5, 2022
- January 16-22, 2022
- December 12-18, 2021
- October 31-November 13, 2021
- October 17-23, 2021
- September 26-October 2, 2021
- September 5-11, 2021
- August 8-14, 2021
- July 11-17, 2021
- June 13-19, 2021
- May 9-15, 2021
- February 28-March 6, 2021
- January 17-23, 2021
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Small print on store sign indicates current sale will last to 12/28/24, not 12/21/24.
[…] Update 12/5/24: Deal is back and valid until 12/8 – 12/20. Hat tip to FM […]
Purchased four Visa Gift Cards last month: went to register the first card right away in the Staples parking lot but got an error message. I was able to use it for $50 in purchases before it was declined for the 3rd purchase. Called the number on the back of the card and the friendly customer service representative said that the card is registered to someone else! I inspected the packaging and it didn’t look like it was tampered prior to my purchase. I told the customer service rep that I just purchased the gift card from Staples an hour ago (I had to spell “Staples” for her??) and she said they locked the card, will investigate and will get back to me. A day later, I had received an email requesting a copy of the gift card and purchase receipt, which I sent right away. It’s been a month now and still no response. I’ve purchased over 50 Visa gift cards before without any issue but after this incident, it has me rethinking whether the risk of losing $$ is worth the points. By the way, the other 3 cards were OK. Buyer beware.
Went through the same experience in August. Someone used the Visa GC # for video games through Google. It took about 10 weeks to get all my money refunded.
sorry for newbie question…. i can use these anywhere? I heard the prepaid mastercard were a pain to redeem, and this isn’t the same? My plan was to purchase something w/my amex to help hit MS, and there is something pricey I wanted to buy on eBay and they don’t accept amex (even when it’s put through as apple pay or venmo!) so could this be a good workaround? Can I pay on ebay with multiple cards of 200 each though? Purchase I want is 1500.
Your best option is to buy ebay gift cards with these prepaid visa cars. Ebay only lets you to split payment via ebay gift cards. Have never been able to use multiple credit cards for the same order.
I know your post was from a month back, but I’ll still mention the following.
I’ve found success if you run your Amex card via PayPal for eBay.
But one thing to be on the alert for is that many (including myself recently) have run into issues with eBay gift cards getting frozen by eBay when one attempts to use them. You can Google “eBay frozen gift card” and see all sorts of posts about it. This happened to me on four gift cards (that I was using towards one Cyber Monday purchase). I’ve since gotten the largest one ($200) unfrozen and was able to use it, but I’m still waiting on the three smaller ones. It’s a hassle to work through their resolution steps, and anxiety-inducing given the uncertainty about whether you’re going to get your funds back and the fact that you may be trying to buy something that might be gone soon (given that it’s eBay).
I’ve used eBay gift cards several times in the past without issue. But after this experience, I’m questioning whether I will continue to use them.
2 week promo? There will not be enough inventory as in $200 Visa GC left at the end of the week. The GC vendor better restock this weekend. I was at Staples at Noon on Sunday and my store has very little on the rack. There may be more cards in the back room.
Anyone have any thoughts on whether OfficeMax will still have their promo next week? Usually they alternate, but this two-week promo throws off the schedule!
Yes – a good question. We may not know until next Sunday.
Same question here.
Update: my Office Depot says no promo this week ☹️
Same thing here, no promo. I went to two different Office Depot’s.
and I see on Doctor of Credit there is a Mastercard sale at OD.
Gone before my nearest store even opens !!
I guess they keep them for their friends.
Ask if there are cards in the back room. Or inside the card rack.
Not in my area. Both nearest stores are a problem. I have been there 10 minutes before opening the store and they have “sold out”. I can wait until I go farther afield.
The rep at my staples also said they were sold out…they were sitting on the rack directly in front of him.
How does anyone buy any of these? I have never been able to see it in stock even on the first day of this promotion, every time. I almost feel like chasing after the treasure at the end of a rainbow.
Varies a lot by location. Both of my local stores have as many as you can buy.
Hi Tim, I am also in PNW. Would you be able to share your local stores?
I’m in Kitsap County.
Neither had any visas this time..
Any DP or luck for Barclays SUB?
Two stores by me said they sold out immediately on Sunday
I know not to buy these via Amex while working on the SUB, but once the SUB is hit is there a risk to your points or accounts with Amex? Btw I have the business gold. Thanks!
Not that’s been reported, but why purchase this on Amex Gold instead of using your AG to purchase the same at grocery store where you earn 4x instead of 1x MR???
Thanks! My thought was this will count as a 4x spending category if it is one of my top two categories because this is an office supply store and I have the business gold. The purchased cards will have no fees as well. If I purchase from a grocery store with the personal Amex Gold I will get 4x but all the cards will have fees.
Maybe I need to double check that office supply stores are part of the bonus categories for the business gold… But I thought they were .
No luck on putting $200 on a variable up to $500. Store was out of $200, at least I got a nice walk to the store in.
A known issue, that’s been reported on here before, $200 only cards.
The second paragraph said some people had success. There was a guy who walked in while I was checking out and went straight to the gift card rack and spun it like I did. He hovered in line as I tried and then walked out about when I did. So I wasn’t the only one disappointed.
Where can you use these cards? Could I use them to make my car payment? I just got an Ink Cash and want to maximize my sub points.
I’ve never tried car payment but interested if anyone has made this work before?
I use them for NiCor Gas and ComEd over the phone,
Since not every merchant accepts Amex, if I buy a Visa GC from Staples I can theoretically use it at merchants that don’t accept Amex. One problem I have though, is that the Visa Debit GC sold by Staples has a three digit pin. Many merchants want you to enter a four digit pin. I’ve tried adding a zero at the front or just hitting ENTER without putting in a pin but the card doesn’t get accepted. The one place that these cards consistently work at is Costco. I would love to find a way to get these GCs to work at places that want a four digit pin.
Have you tried changing the PIN over the phone via the automated system?
The default 4 digit PIN is the last 4 numbers of the VGC. Of course you can reset the PIN by calling the phone number on the back of the card. Are you confusing the 3 digit CVV on the back of the card with the PIN? Also if you’re just buying stuff with the card, why not just use the card for credit instead of debit?
Thanks! I will try the last four digits. As far as using it for credit, I think the card stated to only use it as Debit. But I will double check that.
FYI you can use it either as credit or debit. I’ve used it both ways.
3 digit pin? I believe you are confusing the card security code with a pin. below reply from ABC answers your question.
And does this include Office Depot or only Staples? Sorry for the noon question. First timer here. Thanks!
No, just Staples. Office Depot will most likely have one the week after.