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

BY 

Jarrod West

- UPDATED: January 29, 2021   |     2

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

CREDIT CARD

BENEFITS & INFO

New Offer Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply Now (at Chase's secure site)

Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn 5% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year Earn 2% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases, then a variable APR of 13.24%-19.24% Good to Excellent Credit Recommendation (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 Must Reads: For more info on the Chase Ink Cash Card, see our guide on its benefits and our full review. This is one of several business credit cards from Chase.

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 5% cash-back 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 2% cash-back 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.)
  • Examples of Bonus Earning Merchants: OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples
• Rewards: 5% per $1 spent on office supply stores. Also earn 5% per $1 spent on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services. 5%  applies to the first $25,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year.

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

Credit Card

Key Benefits & Info

New Welcome Offer The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Apply Now (at Amex's secure site)

New Welcome Offer: Earn 85,000 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Access more than 1,300 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, including the amazing Centurion lounges. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $595 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here. Bonus Valuation*: $2,200 Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Business Platinum, see our insights on its benefits, top card FAQ's and the best airport lounges you can access. Go here for our full review. This is one of several business credit cards from Amex.

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 $28,000 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

The Blue Business® Plus Card from American Express

Credit Card

Benefits & Info

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Apply Now (at Amex's secure site)

Earn 2X points on the first $50,000 spent annually on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. Earn 1x thereafter. 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a variable rate, 13.24% - 19.24%. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus card, click here. Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Blue Business Plus, see our guide on its benefits and our full review. This is one of several Amex business credit cards.

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

AMEX CARD

CARD INFO & BENEFITS

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site)

Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.24% - 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $0 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Blue Business Cash Card, click here.

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 $50,000 in purchases per year, but cardholders who can meet this cap can save a massive $1,500 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.