[Deal Dead] OfficeMax/Depot: Spend $50 On Gift Cards (Including Mastercard), Save $10 (Easy $20+ Profit)

Update 4/6/17: This deal is now dead. It was supposed to go on until 4/15, but it was pulled prematurely. It’s certainly dead for Mastercards, and, as I understand, it’s dead for the other gift cards too.

The Offer

No direct link, only advertised in store via Laptop Travel

  • Save $10 instantly when you buy $50 or more in these select gift cards from office max/depot:
    • Mastercard
    • American Eagle Outfitters
    • Groupon
    • Fandango
    • Catherine’s

The Fine Print

  • Valid from 4/2/17 until 4/15/17
  • In store only
  • Discount applies at register
  • Limit of two

Our Verdict

This deal is pretty crazy as a $100 Mastercard will trigger two $10 credits. Probably best to purchase a $200 card if you’ve got a credit card that earns 5% on office supply stores.  Fees are $6.95 for the variable load $20-$200 gift cards. Let’s break down your profit:

  • Purchase $200 Mastercard for $206.95, minus $20 in credits ($186.95)
  • Earn 5% in rewards +$9.35
  • +$200 gift card

Total profit is $22.4. Deal is kind of insane, obviously the limit is only bound by your own imagination. Fee is $5.95 for the $100 cards, might be a better option if you don’t have a credit card that earns at a high rate on office supply stores.

Hat tip to Laptop Travel
    William Charles
  • On April 6, 2017, 14:19

View Comments (354)

  • Well that makes sense now why this deal did not go through at the register today! Thanks for listing this as dead!! Deal Sign was still up at my out of the way OD, manager helped me try to make it work. (BTW, read 4/15 FOR SURE) We tried the variable load- she said those often don't work for the discount. She told me to put the OPENED gift card back on the rack, that it was still good! Then we tried the $200 gift card. She manually discounted two of those for me at only $10 off each. It wasn't the way the deal was working for the rest of you, but I took what I could get since that is the way the advertisement read. Amazing. MY OD is as slow to getting around to these things AS I AM!

  • Sorry I was not clear. My purchases were all separate transactions even different stores. I was charged the initial 186.95. However, after checking my credit card statement several days later they charged my card after the original purchase

    • I doubt they will adjust the authorized amount b/c if they are, they are only asking for bigger loss on their end coming from credit card receipt retrieval/chargeback, which would generally cost them at minimum $20~$35 per occurrence regardless of who wins.

  • I just checked my credit card statement and Office Depot charged me the full price for my gift cards. I only got the 20 off one card

  • Local store manager told me the sale ended 4/5. He said I must have read the slash as a 1 when I asked him if it was originally supposed to go to 4/15.

      • Also it would not have carried over into the next morning only to stop around noon. The 4/6 early birds were able to get the last of the vittles.

  • Actually a part of me is kind of glad this is over. Buying all these MCGC and holding on to them knowing they can be easily hack was stressing me out. I can only drain 6 cards most a day. But if i don't buy them the captainsave inside me keeps bothering me...

  • Why are they baiting us in with an offer that was advertised to expire on the 15th, and then switching the terms when you get to the store to make the purchase? I thought we had protection against this type of shenanigans from large corporations.

    • Yeah, right? How dare they pull their own deal whenever they want, not letting us make an insane amount of money while they make no profit out of it? Damn those corporations and their sneaky tricks.

      • Believe me, they make profits in the long run when they advertise temporary promotions! I'm sure the gift card companies were absorbing most of the costs associated with this promo. The more exposure they get the more money they make.

  • they still had it yesterday. i went there during lunch time and i can confirm that they didn't have the promo anymore at my store.

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