I thought it would be a good idea to cover each of the 3 different Rewards Programs at the Major Office Supply Stores this week. I know that these can be confusing so I wanted to go over the basics of each system so that you hopefully have a better understanding of how each program works.
You can View this Video on You Tube if you have problems.
How to use the Staples Easy Rebate System
Staples often offers Easy Rebates on items like Paper, Pens, Envelopes, Labels and more. When you purchase a Staples Easy Rebate Item in stores you will get a Long Receipt at checkout which contains your rebate information. You can log on to the Staples Easy Rebates Website and enter your rebate offer number and the Easy Rebate ID Number, this is the code at the bottom of your receipt.
You can enter all of your Staples Easy Rebates online and you will receive your rebates in about 6 weeks. You can choose to have your Staples Easy Rebate sent as a Check which is nice because the money does not have to be spent at Staples again in the future. This is the main difference between the Staples Easy Rebates and the Staples Rewards. Rebates can be sent back to you as a check or on a Prepaid Debit Card.
You do not need to sign up to take advantage of Staples Easy Rebates, these will print automatically at checkout when you purchase qualifying items.
How to use Staples Rewards
Start by Signing Up for Staples Rewards. This is a Free Program and this rewards system allows you to track all of your rewards purchases including Staples Free after Rewards Items.
When you are purchasing Staples Rewards Items such as the Free after Rewards Duracell Batteries that we see from time to time, you will want to make sure the cashier scans your Staples Rewards Card at checkout. This allows Staples to track the purchase automatically and issue your rewards to your account, If you do not scan your card there is no way to go back and get your rewards added. If you need a new Staples Card and you are already a rewards member you can print a new Card in the help section of the Staples Rewards Page.
You will get 10% Cash Back on Purchases of Copy Paper, Ink, Toner and Copy and Print Orders. You will also get up to $2 back per Ink Cartridge just for recycling. The Staples Rewards on Ink (10%) Plus the $2 Credit for Recycling your Ink Cartridges make for a great way to save on Printer Ink, especially if you use HP Printer ink which is often excluded from most coupons or sales.
You need a MINIMUM of $10 per Quarter to receive your Staples Rewards. These do not carry over so I always try to purchase a minimum of $10 in Staples Rewards Items at a time so I don’t miss out on the rewards certificates. At the end of each quarter Staples will mail you a rewards certificate. Typically these have 90 days before they expire.
Minimum Purchases at Staples
During Back to School Shopping we often see items that are only a few cents available with a minimum purchase. Staples typically has a minimum purchase of just $5 and one of the easiest ways to meet the minimum purchase is buying either a Free after Rebate Item or Free after Rewards Items. This is double dipping by meeting the minimum with an item that’s free after rewards or rebates, and also picking up the Penny Items all at the same time. This is just one of the great ways you can stack the savings at Staples!
Don’t miss the Back to School 2012 Deals Page to see all of this week’s Best Prices!
After having a Staples rewards account for years and wondering occasionally why I never seemed to get any rewards, I finally researched it and realized my rewards kept expiring because I didn’t spend enough in a month. This month, I recycled some ink cartridges, and I finally actually have rewards! Hoping I don’t have any problems redeeming them.
I have had a lot of problems with Staples rebates. The people in the store do not really understand how it works, so they may give you wrong information. I found that when I bought some paper with which I was supposed to get a rebate on March 30, I got no rebate because it was less than $10 and the quarter expired the next day. Even if it had been $10 or more, I would not have gotten it because it takes several days for a rebate to post. So the lesson is, if you are close to the end of a quarter, forget it. There is no way you can get the rebate. Personally I think it amounts to false advertising when they put up a sign about a rebate that is impossible to recover. I have had other transactions that got so tangled up with errors on the part of Staples, they finally sent me a check — but the check was made out to another person! It took another six weeks to get that straightened out.
if i got 100% back in rewards for purchasing batteries, and if i use those rewards to buy, say, printer paper which is also 100% back in rewards, then my oop total for printer paper will be $0. in that case will i still be getting 100% back for buying paper, though i have spent nothing oop?
I did the same thing, but only got rewards credit for the cash I paid, not for the portion paid with rewards. And it was less than $10 so I never actually got it. The way to do it would be to use the rewards money for something you will not get rewards on and then do a second transaction using cash for the paper on which you will be awarded rewards.
They have made this program so complex that event he employees don’t understand how it works.
For the rebates, how long until the rebate comes in the mail?