(EXPIRED) Fee-free Visa Gift Cards & easy 5x at Staples next week

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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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optimusprimerate

It’s page #7 :).

Rob

. 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.

Rob

$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+.

Andy

What’s the best way to liquidate them nowadays? I feel like my liquidations options have dwindled even more in the past year

Andy

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.

Andy

honestly i’ve never tried to buy a MO at a grocery store. Not really sure why

Question

Nick – How do you pay taxes with the VGCs. Are they subject to 1.87% fee?

veeRob

Most cards should code as a debit which has a lower fee.

Mimi

Since they’re $200s, I drain them to prepaid reloadables like Serve, BB, etc. for free.

Andy

BB still works?? i think i still have 1 of 3 active that didn’t get shutdown.

Mimi

Yes, still loading them with success!

Andy

any tips to prevent getting shut down? Do you use 100% of the funds for bill pay?

Mimi

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.

Debit

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?

Russ

We think this game is not for you. Stick to solitaire or minesweeper.

dave

We think you are a delicate little snowflake.

jack cannata

Do you know who the bank that issues the card and can I use it at Walmart to purchase a MO?

Ed. C

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).

melrowgo

Having a brain fart here… what’s CFU?

Ed. C

Chase Freedom Unlimited

melrowgo

(face snack) Thx

Ed. C

Yes. $19 cash back maximum. So, 3 X $200 equals $18 cash back and 3 fee free cards. Am I correct?

Ed. C

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!