Deal has expired, view more Staples deals here.
The Offer
Direct Link to offer (next week’s ad page 6)
- Purchase a $200 Mastercard gift card at Staples stores between Sunday, 10/21, and Saturday, 10/27, and get a $5 instant discount.
The Fine Print
- Valid 10/21/18–10/27/18.
- 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
In previous fee-free offers, the limit-1 per transaction wasn’t actually enforced. I’d guess that with this $5-off offer it will be enforced, we’ll see. (Update: I’ve seen conflicting data points on whether the system is enforcing a limit of one $5 discount per transaction when more than one card is purchased.) Deal is also slight worse than the fee-free deal since the fee on a $200 card is $6.95.
As always, this deal works better with an INK Cash/Plus card or with Amex SimplyCash. Alternatively, there’s a Bank Amerideals offer some have. There’s also an Amex Offer on business cards with 10% off for the daring. Probably some more stacks too, but I’m drawing a blank at the moment.
Tip of the hat to Milestomemories
I have cashed out my visa debit cards several times at walmart. Can the m/c be used in the same way? How do i reset the pin code? I bought 6 and i didn’t keep track of which pin goes to which card.
I went today to pick up cards and was allowed only one.
Try another cashier. The register will allow it.
They had the $200 MC cards behind the customer service counter and handed me one and told me one to a customer. They weren’t on the kiosk, or I would have.
I just a $200 MasterCard Gift Card (MCGC). I can confirm that the sales limit of 1 per transaction is not enforced by the register.
I failed at buying a Money Order (MO) at the following places:
– Walmart
– CVS
– 7-11
This is my first attempt at Manufactured Spending. Can someone tell me what I need to do to turn my MCGC into a MO?
Why did it fail at walmart?
I dunno.
Bought one today and was planning to use it to buy Costco cash cards online since Costco.com accepts MC. I couldn’t use the MC gift card online, I didn’t notice the sticker on the gift card that says “IN-STORE purchase only”.
You should be able to register online and use it there.
thanks for the tip. I’ve registered the card online now but still not working on Costco.com. I will wait another day and try again.
I can confirm that you get the discount on more than one card per transaction. I wonder if the people that didn’t get the discount on more than one gave their rewards number at checkout.
I gave my number (at the end of the transaction) and still got the discount.
Thanks. I know about that Plastiq promo, but I’ve never used Plastiq. It doesn’t sound like the right time to start, given how the offer is targeted and might not work. Is there no other reasonable way to get rid of $200 GCs? You wouldn’t think it would be that hard.
Walmart or grocery store MO, but since Kate died and I live in a heavy MS area I haven’t been able to find the regular unicorn WM or supermarket. Since then I usually use Kiva to unload, but am moving to Plastiq with the recent offers (the Masterpass one was unusually good).
MS = manufactured spending
Kate = Walmart Money Center kiosks that allowed you to purchase money orders and load Bluebird and Serve cards without human intervention. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/kate-still-live-reports-walmart-atm-no-longer-loading/
Does anyone know a cost-effective method to liquidating these MCs other than at a grocery store (or attempting the “Walmart trick”)? I have only a handful of grocery stores near me that sell MOs and the employees get suspicious of me if they see me too often or I’m doing “weird” transactions like multiple swipes. So I’d rather save these grocery store visits for more lucrative and simpler $500 GCs. But, of course, I’d also like to rack up some more cheap Chase points with my Ink card at Staples if there was a reasonable way of getting rid of these cards. Thanks for the suggestions.
Since I was targeted for the Plastiq FFD promotion, I used that. You could try cashing out MCGC and hope for FFD, but since the terms only say credit cards I used a regular card to build up FFD which I will then spend down using the MCGC and VGC accumulated through these promotions.
Apparently FFD is given for Plastiq payments on MCGC so it’s off to pay my property taxes with this. The county will not like multiple $200 payments but it is what it is.
I’m steering clear of this offer for two reasons:
1) MasterCard gift cards from Staples are notorious for getting hacked and it’s a huge pain to deal with the company to try to get your money back. It happened to me once.
2) As we start nearing the end of the year, I’m guessing gift card deals will be more plentiful due to people giving gift cards as gifts. I’m gonna hold out for some Visas with no fee.
well… u know OD has the visa sale rite now rite?
Bought multiple in one transaction, got the discount on all of them
+1
Multiple cards works
such a simple deal.. Use a Chase Ink for a 10.00 profit -1.95 leftover fee..=$8.05 profit. And you can get 7 at 1 shot as I did this AM. Big deal on nothing here. Its a quick money makes. Thanks Doc/
Does multiple cards in one transaction still trigger the discount as in the past?
it did for me. bought 2