Staples Shopping Tips & Forum Announcements

[pasharain]

Click on a Shopping Tip or Forum Announcement below to get started.

Save on HP Ink at Staples with Competitor's Coupons!

Buying Empty "Virgin" HP Cartridges for Recycling on eBay

Use Discount Gift Cards & Watch Your Savings Soar

Will I get rewards if I pay for my items with a Reward Check and/or Coupon?

Will I get my easyRebate if I pay for my items with a Reward Check?

Staples Stores DO Accept Manufacturer's & Competitor's Coupons

Did a rebate on "Item A" last week? You CAN do it again this week.

Thank You
for dropping by the Staples forum!

a

[pasharain]

Save on HP Ink at Staples with Competitor's Coupons!

Staples accepts competitor's coupons. I have found that Office Max rarely excludes the purchase of HP ink on their coupons and almost always has $10 off $20 coupons available. I get mine on eBay. Coupon in hand, you can happily head to Staples for half priced ink.

If you have two different Office Max coupons, most Staples will honor them both in the same visit provided you perform two separate transactions.

Please note: When shopping on eBay be sure to check the seller's feedback in order to make sure you are dealing with someone reputible, who is trading valid coupons.

[pasharain]

Buying Empty "Virgin" HP Cartridges for Recycling on eBay
How to make a little money while saving the planet.

Whilst searching for something else entirely, I stumbled upon an eBay listing for "Empty Virgin HP Cartridges." Apparently, "virgin" means never refilled. It occurred to me that by buying these cartridges I could maximize my recycling rewards at Staples. I searched for the lowest price and, more importantly, a reputable seller by checking feedback.

I purchased 50 cartridges for $.30 each and stood to profit $1.70 per cartridge by recycling. It all seemed too good to be true. But, a few days later, I happily accepted my box from UPS and recycled 10 cartridges the next day!

Since they occassionally run $5 per cartridge recycling specials, it is best to recycle at the end of the month. Holding out to the end of the month ensures you do not miss any such specials.

[pasharain]

Use Discounted Gift Cards & Watch Your Savings Soar

Did you know that you can purchase discounted gift cards for Staples and a ton of other stores online? Combine that with a coupon and watch your savings soar. I stumbled across this article one day - click HERE - in Oprah Winfrey's O magazine and have been hooked on buying discounted GCs ever since.

Personally, I prefer plasticjungle.com (the site mentioned in the article above), but have used cardpool.com as a backup. There are many other online sites offering discounted GCs, just be sure they are reputable before making a purchase.

eBay has a plethora of listings for GCs too, but I prefer the convenience of PJ and CP. Plus, PJ and CP verify the balances and offer a guarantee without me having to sort through tons of different sellers' feedback scores.

[pasharain]

Here are answers to two of the most popular questions I get asked:

Will I get Rewards if I pay for my items with a Reward Check and/or Coupon?

No. If you pay for an item eligible for rewards with a Reward check or coupon, you WILL NOT receive rewards for the newly purchased item.

Taken directly from the Staples.com Official Website: The "price eligible for Rewards is the amount paid at checkout AFTER application of all promotions, coupons and Rewards redemptions."

However, in the event that the coupon does not cover the enter purchase amount, you are eligible to receive the "reduced" amount you paid for the reward item.

Will I get my easyRebate if I pay for my items with a Reward Check?

Yes. It is Staples policy to issue easyRebates (so long as all rebate requirements are met) no matter the payment type, including using Reward checks as payments.

[pasharain]

Staples Stores DO Accept Manufacturer's & Competitor's Coupons

I wanted to clear up some confusion I recently became aware of. Staples Stores DO Accept Manufacturer's & Competitor's Coupons. Staples.com DOES NOT.

Some have interpreted the following statement on Staples website incorrectly:

"Staples does not accept competitor, manufacturer or any other third party coupons."

As you will see from the context below, this statement refers to redeeming such coupons on online purchases. Staples.com currently has no way of accepting such coupons online and that is why they are not accepted. They will, however, happily accept such coupons in the store.

The following is contained under "online order support."

How do I redeem coupons on the site?


You can add coupons to your cart at any time.

1. Click on your cart in the top right hand corner.
2. Click the "Add/Edit Coupons" button at the bottom of the page.
3. Enter your coupon code and click "Add Coupon".
4. Click "Back to my order" to return to your cart.

Important Restrictions:

• Coupons are not transferable.
• Coupons may only be used once and cannot be used on subsequent orders.
• Staples does not accept competitor, manufacturer or any other third party coupons.
• Please observe the coupon limits on particular offers. Note: there is a 10-coupon maximum for any single order.
• Void where prohibited.
• No cash or credit back.
• Coupon must be submitted at time of order.
• Expired coupons are not valid.
• Tax and delivery are not included in calculating minimum purchase requirement.
• Coupons are not valid on previous purchases.
• Only one "Dollars off" coupon per purchase. (See definition below.)
• Minimum purchase requirement for "Dollars off" coupon must be met with purchases to which no other coupon or instant savings offer applies.
• "Product specific" coupons may be combined with other coupons as long as the purchase requirement of each coupon is met independently. (See definition below.)
• Staples Rewards® checks can be redeemed on any order.
• Limit one per customer.
• Not valid on downloadable software, services, business service provider or custom–printing service provider web sites, gift cards or postage stamps.
• Not all coupons can be used in the store, through the catalog and on Staples.com. Please see coupons for details.
• We reserve the right to charge credit cards for the amount of the coupon.

Definitions:

• "Dollars off" coupons provide a general discount on your order total.
• "Product specific" coupons provide a discount on a specific product.

[pasharain]

Did a rebate on "Item A" last week? You CAN do it again this week.

Most often Staples will offer similar rebates from week to week with different rebate offer numbers. So if you did a rebate on an item last week and a similar rebate is offered this week, chances are you CAN do it again. To be sure, you can check the rebate offer numbers HERE.

As with all rebates, read the fine print to be sure that you comply with the terms of each offer.