Get Excited...Office Depot Rewards Has Arrived!

Not to be outdone by other loyalty programs available from other office supply providers, such as Staples, Office Depot has announced its new program, Office Deport Rewards...so says my inbox today.  Basically, you will earn 10 points for every $1 you spend on ink, toner, copy paper, and services.  Rewards are redeemable for $10 certificates once you hit the 1,000 point threshold.  In other words, every $100 you spend yields $10, or a 10% rebate. Not bad.  Coupled with other coupons you can find here and there for Office Depot, that will help put a small dent in your office supply bill.

Let's take a look at the short video they have provided on the program.

Let's see how it stacks up against Staples Rewards.  In that program, you can earn 5% on back on everything except for postage, gift cards, and savings passes (I guess that is when you use one of these to buy products, you would not earn the 5%).  It seems that the Staples program is also tiered, meaning that once you hit certain expenditure levels, your rewards increase.

For my money, I'd compare prices on products, such as paper you typically buy, first between the two suppliers, using Shopzilla or other comparison tool, and go from there.  Obviously, if the price difference at Office Depot is less than 5% cheaper than Staples, you are better shopping at Staples, especially given the wider selection of products eligible for rebate.

Let me know if you have used either program and let me know your thoughts.