Maximize Your Minimums with MasterCard Gift Cards at Staples

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I’m currently working toward meeting the minimum spend requirement on a new Citi AAdvantage small business credit card.

If I spend $3000 within the first three months, I will earn a 50,000 mile bonus.

$3,000 is not an easy reach for me, so I am always on the lookout for special opportunities.

How to Maximize Your Minimums

The Citi AAdvantage business card offers a number of spending categories that earn bonus points.  These include two miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases  and on purchases at certain office office supply stores, telecommunications, and car rentals, and one mile on all other purchases.  Other cards, like the Chase Ink cards pay a five times bonus at office supply stores.  

Obviously, if I can focus my shopping on these bonus categories, I will earn the most miles for meeting the minimum spend requirement.

For me, that means shopping at office supply stores like Staples.  Last week, I got a good deal on an iTunes card at Staples.  This week, I stocked up on toilet paper that was on sale there.  Next week, starting Sunday April 27, 2014, there’s a rebate offer on MasterCard gift cards.

 $20 Rebate on MasterCard Gift Cards

Staples is offering a $20 rebate on the purchase of $300 worth of MasterCard gift cards.

My plan is to buy three $200 gift cards.  The cards have a steep fee of $6.95 each, so if I buy three, I will be paying $21 in fees.  The $20 rebate will offset most of these costs.

These cards come with a PIN number, so they can be loaded onto a Bluebird card at Walmart.

I’ll need to get to the Staples store early before these cards sell out.   If I am successful, I’ll be $600 and 1,200 miles closer to meeting the minimum spend requirement.

Hat tip to Big Habitat.

Click here to compare current rewards credit card offers.

2 thoughts on “Maximize Your Minimums with MasterCard Gift Cards at Staples”

  1. Pardon a few basic Q’s. I’m still in the learning stage. I’m not sure I understand the wording of the Staples offer. You get a $20 “gift card after $300 or more spend after easy rebate”. 1) What exactly does that mean? Is the rebate in the form of a gift card? The way it’s worded, you get an easy rebate of some sort and then get a $20 gift card. That doesn’t seem right. 2) Are you buying $600 worth to maximize the spend for the AA spend requirement while limiting your cost to just $0.85? And finally, 3) If you were not trying to meet a minimum spend, would you buy 2/$200 for $13.90, get the $20 “rebate” and pocket $6.10?

    • 1) You have to apply for the rebate at http://www.StaplesEasyRebates.com after your purchase. It takes about six weeks for Staples to process your rebate and mail you the gift card. The offer here is for a Staples gift card, so it can only be used at Stables. Save the gift card until something you need goes on sale. Otherwise, Staples tends to be way overpriced and you will not be getting “full market value” from the Staples gift card. It is not as good as cash. The Staples gift cards do not expire.
      2) In my case, yes. I am trying to meet the $3000 minimum spend requirement to get 50,000 AA miles. This would get me $600 closer to my goal, and I could cash out the MasterCard gift cards via Bluebird.
      3) Yes.

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