Staples Mastercard Gift Card Rebate Deal
Staples has been consistently releasing rebate deals on Visa and Mastercard gift cards and they are at it again for next week. As a reminder, this week you can get a $20 rebate on Visa gift cards and next week you’ll be able to generate 5X at no cost as well.
The Deal
- Get a $15 Staples gift card after easy rebate when you buy $300 in Mastercard Gift Cards.
Key Terms
- Deal valid from 10-30-2016 through 11-05-2016
- In-store only.
- Limit 1 rebate per household.
If you would like to see the full terms, the deal is advertised in next week’s ad (page 15).
Maximizing the Deal
This deal is best maximized by using a card that earns 5X at office supply stores like the Chase Ink Plus or Chase Ink Cash. You can also use an Amex SimplyCash Plus which earns 5% cashback at office supply stores.
Using the Chase Ink, the optimal strategy is to purchase 2 of the $200 cards which cost $206.95 each. Here is the math:
- Cost: $413.90
- Minus Rebate: $15
- Final Cost: -$1.10
- UR Points Earned: 2,070
You could also purchase a $200 card and a $100 card, but the savings of $1 on fees doesn’t justify the loss of 500 Ultimate Rewards points on the extra $100 in spend.
About the Mastercard Gift Cards
Mastercard gift cards sold by Staples are issued by U.S. Bank and the PIN is in the packaging. You can also reset the PIN by calling the number on the back. These can be used as PIN-enabled debit cards at various grocery stores, etc., but using them at Walmart can be tricky since the POS system recognizes them as credit. To get around that you need to quickly change the payment type on the POS screen, but newer versions of the system make it difficult. If you plan to use them at Walmart, YMMV.
Liquidate the Staples Gift Card
The rebate comes in the form of a Staples store gift card. This can be used to purchase merchandise (but not other gift cards) at Staples. It can also be sold to various gift card resellers for 84.5% of face value. ($12.68)
Conclusion
This week’s Visa gift card rebate is better because the cards are easier to liquidate, the rebate is $5 more and it comes in the form of a Visa gift card instead of a store gift card, but that doesn’t mean the Mastercard deal shouldn’t be considered. I know many people who take advantage of all of these deals and if you have a Staples nearby it can be a good way to generate points at a negative cost!
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So, are you liquidating at the post office for money orders?
Jim,
The way to liquidate the GC’s from Staples is the following:
VGC – Walmart (not USPS)
MGC – USPS (not WM).
I’m confused. Can the Master Cards be use to get a money order at Walmart or the Post Office? What’s the best way to liquidate them?
A lot of gift card resellers won’t take a card with that low a denomination.