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Staples will be offering fee-free $200 Visa Gift Cards starting Sunday, January 13, 2019 through Saturday, January 19, 2019. The add states one per customer – YMMV as to whether or not a cashier will allow more than one purchase.
The Deal
- Staples will waive the $6.95 activation fee when you buy a $200 Visa Gift Card from 1/13/19 to 1/19/19
- Direct link to ad (see page 6)
Key Terms
- Limit 1 per customer (YMMV on whether or not your store will allow multiple)
- In-store only
Quick Thoughts
While obviously not as nice as past promotions for negative-cost Visa Gift Cards, this can nonetheless be an easy point-generator for Ink Cash or Ink Plus cardholders (note the Ink Plus is no longer available to new applicants). Note that the terms only allow for 1 per customer. In my case, my wife is an AU on my Ink Plus card, so I know we could at least pick up 2 per store, earning 2K Ultimate Rewards in the process. That would make this an attractive enough deal if we were passing a couple of stores. The last time they ran this promotion, the discount applied to multiple in the same transaction. YMMV
Overall, this is an easy way to generate some points without cost on this end of the deal. Remember that this does not start until Sunday and it is in-store only.
Don’t forget there is also an Amex Offer for 10% back at Staples up to $50 back, just don’t try to use that Staples offer on more than one Amex card.
H/T: GC Galore
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It’s page #7 :).
@Nick Reyes. Slightly off topic but since you brought up Chase Ink Plus (CI+) and your wife having the employee card, I would ask this question. Have you considered to downgrade (or cancel CI+ and apply) to Chase Ink Cash (CIC) and your wife applies for her own CIC?
Other than $95 AF on CI+ and no AF on CIC, the main difference between the two is the cap on the 5x office supply: CI+ is $50K and CIC is $25K. But if you and your wife both have CIC, then the total 5x cap will be $50K.
I am thinking about cancelling CI+ and have wife and I apply for CIC (as I have other Chase cards that offer transfer partners and the 1.25/1.5 for portal redemption) but the only thing holding me back is that once CI+ is cancelled/downgraded, I won’t be able to get it back.
Another concern was talks about Chase not allowing combining UR points (either between business and personal as well as from cashback cards). CI+ earns UR points while CIC is cashback.
I won’t downgrade the CI+ because I want the bandwidth. My wife has an Ink Business Preferred. She’ll eventually downgrade that to a CIC to give us $75K total 5x bandwidth ($50K on my CI+ and $25K on her CIC). Promos like this one don’t make me want to give up my CI+.
$75K bandwidth? Wow. I am doing something wrong; teach me (please). My organic spend for the 5x in both personal and business gets over $25K (but not near the $50K cap) so, for now, justifies the CI+.
What’s the best way to liquidate them nowadays? I feel like my liquidations options have dwindled even more in the past year
MOs at the various places that sell them, paying taxes, paying bills through Plastiq (though it’s subject to the CC fees there), buying other stuff, prepaying bills…just some thoughts.
Thanks, Nick. I was relying on MOs at Walmart but my store hard coded the registers against GCs. I usually just load into amazon and spend over the next few months.
I miss the good ol’ days of Bluebird and Redcard.
No grocery stores?
honestly i’ve never tried to buy a MO at a grocery store. Not really sure why
Nick – How do you pay taxes with the VGCs. Are they subject to 1.87% fee?
Most cards should code as a debit which has a lower fee.
Since they’re $200s, I drain them to prepaid reloadables like Serve, BB, etc. for free.
BB still works?? i think i still have 1 of 3 active that didn’t get shutdown.
Yes, still loading them with success!
any tips to prevent getting shut down? Do you use 100% of the funds for bill pay?
I don’t have tips to avoid shutdown, all I know is once your acct is flagged and eyes start scrutinizing it, shutdown usually follows. I don’t know of anyone who has cracked down the code to avoid shutdown.
I usually transfer to bank acct for bank bonuses DD requirement and w/d at the ATM. I don’t use my axp cards for B/P for no particular reason.
Are vgc returnable to staples?
Also two stores near my place ran out of stock the moment they opened the doors on the first day. They got wrong stock was their excuse and then they ran out in the middle. What’s to say the store manager doesn’t have a ink cash and keeps all the cards for himself? Now that staples clawed back my amex cashback I willing to complain against the stores with FTC for false advertising. Nothing will happen but the managers will be little more cautious.
What do you think?
We think this game is not for you. Stick to solitaire or minesweeper.
We think you are a delicate little snowflake.
Do you know who the bank that issues the card and can I use it at Walmart to purchase a MO?
Meta and Yes.
My CFU has a 30% cash back offer at Staples on it right now. Planning on doing multiple purchases over several days with CFU and Ink Cash cards just in case my local store enforces the 1 per customer (which they never have in the past).
Having a brain fart here… what’s CFU?
Chase Freedom Unlimited
(face snack) Thx
Good stack also! I think the cap on that is $19 back, right?
Yes. $19 cash back maximum. So, 3 X $200 equals $18 cash back and 3 fee free cards. Am I correct?
You’ll get $19 back on the first purchase. 30% of $200 is $60, but the cap is $19. You’ll only want to buy one with the CFU unless you don’t have an Ink Cash / Ink Plus (or other office supply card).
Ugh. You’re right. (I was just too excited when I saw the 30% cash back offer!). Guess I’ll be putting my Ink Cash to work!