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The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Office Supply Purchases [Office Depot, Staples, and More]

Office Supplies
BY 
Jarrod West
- UPDATED:
  1. Business Owners  / 
  2. Credit Cards  / 
  3. Strategies & Guides

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No matter the size, every business needs to keep the essentials stocked in order to get the job done. If office supplies make up a significant portion of your business spend each month, utilizing the right business rewards card can earn your business hundreds of thousands of extra points or thousands of dollars in cash-back each year.

Fortunately, maximizing your returns on office supply purchases is easy. There are several great options that fit a large variety of needs. Here’s a break down of which small business credit cards may be right for you and how they can benefit the office supply needs of your business.

Best Overall Credit Cards for Office Supply Purchases

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

How to Earn on Office Supply Purchases

The Ink Business Cash card is a stellar option for small business owners and the top choice card to maximize office supply store purchases.

The card features very lucrative 5x Ultimate Reward points on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year.

Cardholders will also earn 2x Ultimate Reward points for each $1 of the first $25,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants. The Ink Business Cash card offers cardholders great benefits and savings for no annual fee.

Here’s how the Ink Business Cash card rewards office supply purchases:

  • Best For: Office supply stores that specialize in selling a variety of office supplies. (Note: Merchants that sell a wide variety of general goods that may include office supplies, for example, department stores or electronics stores, are not included in this category.)
  • Rewards: 5x Ultimate Reward points per $1 spent on office supply stores. Also earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services. 5x points applies to the first $25,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year.

Why We Like Earning Ultimate Rewards Points

Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most valuable reward currencies on the market. Business owners that are able to meet the $25,000 annual cap can earn up to 125,000 Ultimate Reward points every year.

When paired with a premium Chase travel card like the Ink Business Preferred, the points are more than enough for a round-trip business class flight to Europe, or worth over $1,500 in travel when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal.

If you want to maximize your points, make the most of them by using one of Chase’s airline or hotel transfer partners. Transferring Ultimate Reward points can help you book business class flights and 5-star hotel stays for just a fraction of the retail value.

Hot Tip:You can use your Ink Business Cash card to purchase gift cards at office supply stores for airlines, restaurants, gas stations, and more, effectively earning you 5% back. Keep in mind that this category is capped at $25,000 in purchases per account year.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

How to Earn on Office Supply Purchases

The Amex Business Platinum card is ideal for business owners that frequently travel and can utilize the card’s many premium benefits.

All office supplies purchased directly from U.S. office supply stores will earn 5x Membership Rewards points (up to 80,000 points) through June 30, 2021, for existing cardholders prior to November 1, 2020, or new cardholders for 3 months. Supplies purchased at other retail stores are excluded.

Cardmembers also earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights and prepaid hotels on Amex Travel, 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more, and 1x points for every other dollar spent.

Why We Like Earning Membership Rewards Points

Membership Rewards points are such a valuable reward currency due to the multiple options for redemption. You can maximize value for your points by transferring them to one of Amex’s many airline or hotel partners.

You can also use the Amex Travel portal to book your next vacation or redeem points for statement credits or gift cards to receive a value of between 0.6 and 1 cent per point.

There are plenty of redemption options, but transferring your points to one of the various airline transfer partners will give you the best return in value.

Huntington Voice Business Credit Card℠

How to Earn on Office Supply Purchases

The Huntington Voice Business Credit Card℠ is another solid option for business owners prioritizing cash-back rewards. The card earns 4% cash-back in 1 of 10 categories including office supplies on up to $7,000 in purchases per quarter. The other 9 categories include:

  • Gas stations
  • Travel and entertainment
  • Restaurants
  • Discount and warehouse stores
  • Grocery stores
  • Electronics, computer, and camera stores
  • Department, apparel, and sporting goods stores
  • Home improvement stores
  • Auto parts and service stores

The ability to earn 4% cash-back on up to $7,000 in purchases per quarter, could represent a savings of $1,120 per year. Certainly large savings for a business card that charges no annual fee!

Why We Like Earning Cash-Back

Business owners know that money saved can be just as good as money earned. By optimizing your spend with the right business credit card, you can watch the savings pile up on the purchases you make most often. When you’re running a business, your bottom line matters and every little bit you can save adds up.

If you don’t have any desire to fuss with point-earning or transferable rewards, naturally cash-back is the best option for you. Cash-back earned on your Huntington Voice Business card is applied automatically to your monthly statements, allowing you to offset expenses as you make them.

Hot Tip: If the office supply needs of your business exceed the earnings cap on a certain card, holding 2 cards could be optimal for you. Use the Ink Business Cash Card on $25,000 in office supply purchase, then use the Huntington Voice Business card for an additional $50,000 to earn 4% cash-back, netting you 125,000 Ultimate Reward points and $1,120 in cash-back every year!

Additional Credit Card Options for Office Supply Purchases

Business owner working
Image Credit: Halfpoint via Shutterstock

The Blue Business® Plus Card from American Express

Business owners that hold the Amex Blue Business Plus card earn 2x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the card on all business purchases, including all office supply purchases.

The 2x Membership Rewards earnings are capped at $50,000 in purchases, but maximize that limit will earn you 100,000 Membership Rewards points. Afterward, all purchases will earn 1x point per dollar spent.

Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express

If you find yourself making frequent trips to office supply stores to keep your business stocked with the essentials, you can earn 2% cash-back on all of those purchases when using your Amex Blue Business Cash card.

Bonus earnings are limited to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, amounting to a potential $1,000 in cash-back.

U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard®

The no-annual-fee U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard presents a solid proposition to cardholders to earn an uncapped 3% cash-back on cellular, gas, and office supply store purchases.

Better yet, cardholders receive a 25% annual bonus based on your prior year’s reward earnings, though this bonus is limited to $250.

Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Card

The no-annual-fee Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards card offers 3% cash-back on office supply stores and gas station purchases and a further 2% cash-back at restaurants.

The savings are capped at $250,000 in purchases per year, but cardholders who can meet this cap can save a massive $7,500 each year.

Final Thoughts

If you find that office supply purchases are mounting for your business, using the right business credit card for these purchases can really save you in the long run. If you’re having difficulty deciding which card is best for you, consider both the amount of your office supply expenses and the amount you spend on other relevant bonus categories.

If you’re partial to earning flexible rewards, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than the Ink Business Cash card, especially when paired with a premium card like to Ink Business Preferred card.

However, if it’s simple cash-back you’re after, earning 2% cash-back with a card like the Amex Blue Business Cash card is a fantastic option.

No matter which card you choose, do yourself and your business a favor by using a great small business credit card and watch the rewards pile up!

Don’t spend a lot at office supply stores? Check out these guides on best business credit cards for shipping purchases, advertising, or cell phones to maximize your business spend.

Information regarding the U.S. Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite™ Mastercard®, Huntington Voice Business Credit Card℠, and Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and was not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Slava17 via Shutterstock

Frequently asked questions

Which credit card is best for office supply purchases?

The credit card that is best for you is heavily dependent on your business needs and can vary from person to person. However, just based on potential point earnings, the Ink Business Cash card can offer up to 5x points on all shipping purchases, which could amount up to 125,000 in point earnings per year.

Do I qualify for a business credit card?

If you operate any enterprise that produces an income, you may be eligible for a business credit card. Even something as simple as selling items on eBay could qualify as a business.

If you’re unsure if you’re eligible for a business credit card, check out our guide on how to get a business credit card, or consider consulting with a customer service representative of the company whose card you’re considering applying for.

What type of office supply store purchases qualify for rewards?

To qualify for bonus points, the merchant must be primarily an office supply store that specializes in selling a variety of office supplies, like Staples or Office Depot.

Merchants that sell a wide variety of general goods which may include office supplies, for example, department stores, or electronics stores, are not included in this category, like Walmart or Amazon.

Is there a no annual fee card that earns rewards for office supply purchases?

Both the Ink Business Cash card and the Amex Blue Business Cash card are both fantastic options that offer 5x Ultimate Rewards and 2% cash-back (up to $50,000 per calendar year), respectively, and have no annual fee.

Jarrod West

About Jarrod West

Born and raised just outside of Cincinnati, Jarrod became fascinated with using points and miles as the perfect way to visit dream destinations without breaking the bank. Thanks to points and miles, Jarrod was able to spend 3 months traveling Europe financed nearly entirely with points and miles; while flying in premium cabins and staying in 5-star hotels along the way. To date, Jarrod has traveled to 16 countries and 22 US states.
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