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This week (8/18/2019 through 8/24/2019) at OfficeMax or Office Depot, you can pick up some fee-free MasterCard gift cards, and even earn a little money. If you use your rewards-earning credit card, you can rack up more in points!
The Deal
This current deal involves purchasing $300 in MasterCard gift cards and then getting an instant rebate of $15 at the register. The best way to maximize this offer is to buy two $200 cards each with a $6.95 activation fee. This will work out to $1.10 in profit.
Earning Rewards
Sweeten this deal using a credit card that gets a category reward at office supply stores. I use my Chase Ink Business Plus, which unfortunately is not available anymore. However, you can apply for the Chase Ink Business Preferred to get the great signup bonus, and then downgrade to the Chase Ink Business Cash for 5x at office supply stores (up to $25,000 per year). Pair this card with an Ultimate Rewards earning card like Chase Sapphire Preferred, and you’ve got a great one-two punch in your wallet. Check out this post for more information on maxing out Ultimate Rewards.
Strategic Spending
These gift card deals help me maximize my spending because I know I’ve gotten the maximum 5x rewards on the money. I then turn around and use them at places where I can’t get a category bonus, like the hair salon, specialty stores, or at the doctor’s office, to name a few. Now I need to figure out how to set a PIN on these cards so I can use them like a debit card at Costco.
