Photograph Credit: Flickr (Staples)

Between my little artists and printing coupons, our household consumes lots of copy paper. At a cost of $5 to $9 per ream, the paper gets expensive, but thanks to Staples Rewards and Easy Rebates, I get copy paper for free, and you can, too.

Though there are other office supply chains, I find the Staples program easy to navigate. Now there are quirky exceptions, but overall, Staples has two great programs: Staples Rewards and Easy Rebates.  In part 1, I will focus on the Staples Rewards and next week in part 2 end with the Easy Rebate Program.

Staples Rewards

The Staples Reward program offers 100% back in Staples store credit through vouchers either mailed or e-mailed to you at the end of each quarter. You will then have 3 months to use or lose your credit. Once expired, Staples will not honor the vouchers.

To receive 100% back in Rewards for the promotional items, you need to know the rules:

• Requiring a loyalty card. To get your Rewards card, just ask a customer service representative on your next visit. The card is free, and takes less than 5 minutes to complete the application.  You can then begin using your card immediately.

• Locating the Reward offers. Within the weekly sales flyer, the promotional offers will state “100% back in Rewards.” With these promotions, you buy the product using your loyalty card and pay the full price. Your rewards are automatically processed and either mailed or e-mailed to you, depending on your preference, at the end of the quarter.

TIP: If you buy items that generate a Staples Reward and pay with a reward certificate, you WILL NOT get another reward. These rewards will not roll. However, you can use your Staple Rewards certificate to pay for easy rebate items since you get cash back, not store credit.

• Receiving your reward. You do not send any receipts, make any phones calls, or take any surveys. Just wait. If your rewards exceed $10, then you will get your check or e-mail at the end of the quarter. If you did not accumulate $10, then the rewards will carry-over until your balance reaches $10. At the $10 mark, your rewards will release at the end of that quarter.

• Spending your reward. Your rewards will expire 3 months after issuance. Be careful to pace yourself. You do not want to find things to buy to use up your remaining rewards. Take it slowly and enjoy the process.

• Using coupons on Reward items. If you use store or manufacturer coupons on an item with 100% back in Rewards, then you will receive 100% back of what you paid. For example, if copy paper is triggering a 100% back in Rewards for $5 a ream and you used a $1 manufacturer coupon, then you will pay $4 + tax for that ream. Your Reward will include $4 for this transaction.

TRACY’S TIP: To maximize my coupon use and my Rewards, I choose not to use coupons on 100% back in Rewards. I will save my coupon for another deal since I am already receiving that amount back in Rewards.

Around Christmas, I purchased ear buds and then later two packages of batteries that were all on Staples promotion for 100% back in Rewards. After waiting a few weeks, I received two vouchers: $15 and $21 that expire on March 31, 2012. (My vouchers came separately because I had two transactions. I would have received one voucher had I purchased all the product together.)

When redeeming my rewards, I purchased items using my loyalty card and ended with $.06 remaining in Rewards. Since I used the vouchers, a coupon with my $.06 reward printed at the bottom of my receipt. I still have until March 31, 2012, to redeem my $.06 on another transaction.

The Staples Reward program is another promotional opportunity to stretch your dollars while using time wisely. Understanding this Staples program will save you money, energy, and time. With a well-stocked supply stash, you won’t need to rush to the store, paying full price, to replenish an out-of-stock office need.

Next week, I will continue this short series and share how to use these Staples Rewards with Easy Rebates to get copy paper (and other office supplies) for free.  Happy savings!

Question: What office supply product would you like to get free?