[Expired] Staples: $5 off a $200 Mastercard Gift Card In-Store, Stack with Amex Offer

Deal has expired, view more Staples deals by clicking here.

Update 08/05/18: Multiples in the same transaction are working. Easy way to max out your $1k Amex Offer limits by purchasing 5.

The Offer

Direct Link to offer (ad page 10)

  • Staples is offering a $5 instant discount on the purchase of a $200 Mastercard gift card from August 5th to 11th.

There’s a $6.95 activation fee which the $5 discount largely offsets, leaving a cost of $201.95 for the $200 card.

The Fine Print

  • Valid 8/5/18–8/11/18 (begins Sunday)
  • The Mastercard Gift Card is issued by U.S. Bank National Association, pursuant to a license from Mastercard International
  • Limit 1 per customer

Our Verdict

It’s nice that Staples started offering the instant discounts instead of their old rebate deals. There’s a similar deal currently available online to get a $5 discount on $100 Mastercard gift card. The math is a bit better for next week’s in-store deal assuming you’re trying to rack up office spend on an INK card. Hopefully, your local store allows buying multiples in separate transactions.

These offers stack well with the $5 off $25 Amex Offer deal or the 10% off business cards Amex Offer deal at Staples.

Hat tip to Milestomemories
    Chuck
  • On August 5, 2018, 06:36

View Comments (72)

  • Bought the last $200 MGC at my local Staples and liquidated against my student loans via Plastiq. 12/10 would recommend.

  • STAY AWAY! Cards failed to activate properly number on back of card said call staples and staples said they cant help. So now what?.....Not giving up but take it from me dont get stuck for $5.

    • What was I thinking??? It was a long day! Sorry about that. I was thinking about the other Staples deal that was online.

      Okay, back on topic: Since they were bought in store, have you considered going back to the store?? Since they messed up the activation, it seems logical that they have to straighten out the mess.

      • Number on card sent me to the store store told me to call number. I made manager call number on card said she'd call me tomorrow. I doubt she will fix it but I needed to leave. Stay tuned...

      • Thanks for the tip but these were purchased in store so no activation letter involved.

  • My local staples gives a weird look as if 'split tender' is a alien word. Makes up something and says no split on GC. Then goes on to say cash only and then need a manager and that he is off today. What a BS. How does one tackle these morons?. All this just for 1 $200 GC.

    Does Staples system allow to split on the customer facing terminal like how some groceries stores do?. Or does the Cashier has to to key in?.

  • Max in one transaction is still 9, right?

    i.e. Staples still limits each transaction to 2K max?

  • Bought 5 gift card for 1009.95 on one receipt, tried to use $10 staples gift card to pay besides Amex credit card, cashier said no gift card as payment, so I use Amex card paid and got an instant email said I used the offer. Also I noticed you can check balance online on the black/golden color ones, but has to do phone balance check on the lighted colored cover master card. Even though all has same fee 1.95 each(was 6.95 each).

    • Do you know which website do you go to register the new MCGC? The light colored ones are the new. TIA

      • The light colored one is prepaidgiftbalance.com. It may deny you access, at which point you need to call the number on the card. Happened to me few days ago.

  • Tried to split tender onto 5 Amex cards with the 5-back-on-25 offer, but the remaining balance got charged onto the 4th one. Is this a limit on split tender on Staples' POS system, or a mistake by the cashier for not entering 25 prior to the 4th swipe?

    • @chucksithe Decided to stop by first thing, so just wanted to update that the discount is automatic for multi card purchase in a single transaction. Bought 5 for the amex biz 10% back offer & received the email immediately

      • Hmm... My offer is loaded into my AMEX Biz, and I bought 3 today. I didn't get the email, so I'm kinda concerned. Did 3 of the $100 few weeks ago and got the email there...

        • I only got an email the first time I used the biz offer but credit posted each time. I bought today and immediately loaded my ipass account.

      • Also, decided to swing by the only other location in San Antonio, TX (281N) since the first (@ The Rim) was low on MCGC.

        I used my only other biz card with the offer and it triggered there as well, so while it could still be YMMV for other areas, I thought I'd update that at least it was working at both of the SATX locations in case there are any others here. Plenty of the Black/gold MCGC left at 281N too.

      • Not sure what promotion you're referring to... only one I've seen was the worse $100 GC promotion last week & this $200 GC promo for this page.

  • There's also a small 10% up to $5 at office supply stores on Amex personal cards out there.

    • Correct. I used this offer for 100 dollar mcgc. If you have not used it its a double stack on amex offer.

  • Where and how do you liquidate MCGCs? Will a grocery store like Giant let you buy it and do multiple swipes? I know at Walmart, you have to hit cancel to select debit.

    • If you have no-cc bills that can be broken up into $200 payments, consider using the summer plastiq+masterpass (MC only) fee-free promo.

      I use it to pay for pretty much everything that I can't pay with CC without a high fee -- HOA, quarterly estimated taxes, property taxes, charitable donations, utility bill, payroll for our nanny.

      We've added and removed probably 30 MCGCs from Masterpass and Plastiq without any issue.

Leave a Comment