Why I Buy all my Paper Goods from Staples

Do you find that Staples is overpriced for many office supplies and technology products?  I do.  I can generally do better shopping online at Amazon or NewEgg.  Target is great for school supplies.

If you keep an eye out for weekly specials, however, you can find some good deals at Staples.

There is a compelling reason to stalk Staples sales.  If you have one of the Chase Ink business credit cards, purchases at Staples and other office supply stores earn 5 times points.

I have a home office for my consulting business.  When I need to stock up on supplies for my business, like reams of copy paper, Staples is my go to store.  That is because they frequently run promotions that allow you to get a ream of paper, or sometimes a case, for “free after rebate.”

These purchases are not really free, because the rebate comes in the form of store credit which must be spent at Staples within a two to three month period.  If you are in the market for printer paper though, it’s fair to say that you are getting these supplies at half price.

Sometimes Staples will offer a 100% cash rebate on certain purchases like computer security software.  True to their ad campaign, it’s pretty easy to register for these rebates online.  Other times the rebate is issued in the form of a Staples gift card.

I don’t know why, but Staples frequently runs weekly specials on paper goods like toilet paper, paper towels, or garbage bags.

Keep an eye out for promotional offers on these products if you are looking for a reasonable way to use those in-store credits.  Oftentimes you can find a coupon for 15 percent off break room supplies in the weekly flyer, or online.

If you have one of the higher end Ink cards, you can go through the Chase Ultimate Rewards online shopping portal, you usually can get an additional 2 times points on purchases from Staples.

The Ink credit cards offer 20K to 50K Ultimate Rewards points for opening a credit card — and Ultimate Rewards points are flexible and relatively easy to redeem for free travel.

Stocking up on staples such as paper supplies can be a small start toward meeting the hefty $3,000 to $5000 initial spending (in the first three months) required to get the bonus points from opening a Chase Ink small business credit card.  Of course no one is going to spend hundreds of dollars on paper towels.

Buying E-Gift Cards at Staples

There is another good opportunity to earn seven times points on business travel purchases at Staples.com.  

The best deal is for E-gift cards, because they incur no postage or handling fees.  Staples sells Southwest Airlines E-gift cards in denominations ranging from $50 to $500.  This is a way to effectively earn 7 times extra points on Southwest air travel — far better than the 2 times miles offered by the co-branded Southwest credit card.  Ultimate Rewards points transfer directly to Southwest Airlines on a 1:1 basis.

Have you found any bargains at office supply stores that helped you meet your travel goals?  

Click here to compare current rewards credit card offers.