Do you shop at Staples, Office Max, or Office Depot? Perhaps you've tried all of them or tend to stick to the same source for your office supply needs. But do you really know which one offers the best prices, service and policies? Be confident you're shopping for school and office gear at the best place with this side-by-side comparison.
Office Depot
Price Match Policy: According to Office Depot's website, if you find a lower price at another store on a new, identical item, you should show them the lower price at the time of purchase and they will match it on the spot. You can also show them the lower price within 14 days of your Office Depot purchase and they'll refund you the difference. There are a few exclusions including service plans, computer services or printing services.
Accepts Manufacturer Coupons:Yes.
Accepts Competitor Coupons:Yes.
Rewards Program: Office Depot Uses the Work Life rewards Program. When you enroll you can receive 10% back on ink, toner, paper and copy services. Your membership also gives you discounts on other services like car rental or flower
delivery.
Ink Cartridge Recycling: Get $2 for every cartridge you recycle, up to ten per month. You will receive your rewards the following month and it can be used like a gift card.
Office Max
Price Match Policy: Yes, Office Max has a price match policy, but it seems a little cumbersome. To take advantage of their Low Price 
Guarantee you must fill out a Price Match Request. If you're comparing a price you found at OfficeMax.com with a price you found on another website this can be done online. There are a lot of exclusions from the Price Match Guarantee including Close-out or clearance sale prices, prices for Items in Office Max newspaper inserts identified as "in stores only" and companies without a physical store location in the continental U.S. For a full list of exclusions visit OfficeMax.com.
Accepts Manufacturer Coupons: No.
Accepts Competitor Coupons: No.
Rewards Program: MaxPerks is Office Max's rewards program. You can earn $25 in rewards for every $500 you spend between January 1 and December 31.
Ink Cartridge Recycling: Office Max accepts HP, Dell, and Lexmark ink cartridges. When you recycle a cartridge in the store you receive a $3 credit on your Max Perks account. Those credits will appear on the 20th of the following month. You must log in to MaxPerksOnline.com to print off your reward which works like a gift card.
Staples
Price Match Policy: Staples.com says if you find a lower price anywhere else on a new identical item, just show them the lower price 
when you buy the item at Staples and they will match the price, or within 14 days of your Staples purchase and they will give you the difference. They will not match store prices with prices found on other companies' websites.
Accepts Manufacturer Coupons: Yes.
Accepts Competitor Coupons: Yes.
Rewards Program: The rewards program at Staples is called Staples Rewards. When you enroll in the program you receive 10% back in Staples rewards on ink, case, and ream paper purchases, as well as copy and print purchases. You must accrue at least $10 in Rewards in a quarter. If you have less than that it will expire at the end of the quarter.
Ink Cartridge Recycling: You can recycle up to ten cartridges a month and earn $2 in rewards for each one. You can print your rewards off online or they'll mail them to you.
As you can see, the policies vary quite a bit between Office Depot, Office Max, and Staples. Office Max offers an extra dollar for ink cartridge recycling, but they do not accept manufacturer or competitor coupons like Staples and Office Depot do. So if you've got a great coupon you are probably better off shopping at either Stapes or Office Depot so that you can score the best deal possible on office supplies.
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3 Responses to “Which Office Supply Store Will Save You the Most?”
I wasn't aware of the policy differences at these stores. I'll be sure to keep this in mind next time I'm looking for office supplies, Thanks!
Cool article