The Office Depot business card, with Citibank as the issuing bank, is not any new type of a credit card. It comes with some basic cash rebates, paying back a certain percentage of purchases in the form of cashbacks, basic user interface, operating as both an online payment instrument and a physical card and; a refreshing absence of annual fees like most other credit cards on this planet.
Everything You Need to Know
The Office Depot business credit card also called as the Office Depot Worklife Visa which comes with different cashbacks and rewards that are of course tied to the purchases made at their online and offline stores.
Every another business spends few hundred dollars per person per year on office related supplies. Saving money on such office related materials can be very beneficial if you allocate heavy budget on this category of your business and can ultimately improve your financials over long run.
Office Depot credit card is perfect for companies that want convenience as well as rewards. If your expenses on office supplies are meaningful and you want a dedicated credit card for your office purchases, this could be an ideal deal for you. If you don’t want to go to the physical store, and also want perks like easy billing, free delivery, and other exclusive offers, you should consider applying for Office Depot credit card.
But you also have to keep in mind that you will only be able to take advantage of the perks and rewards offered by this card only at the Office Depot stores and on their website.
Well, before coming to the conclusion, let’s first understand, is this card really made for you?
The answer is, it depends on how much you spend with them. So, let’s take a look at the key highlights and Pros & Cons of this business card.
Key Highlights
- No annual maintenance charges.
- Fraud coverage in case your credit card is lost.
- Use online banking to access your account, 24 hours a day, 7 hours a week, even from your smartphone.
- Automatic upgradation to higher credit limit in as little as 6 months of proper usage.
- Pay by check, online or at a nearby local branch, without any extra charges and pick the monthly due date that works the best for you.
- Helpful to build your credit score through responsible use of a card.
Office Depot Credit Card’s Fees Structure
| Regular APR | 25.99% |
| Max late fees | $40 |
| Max overlimit fees | $0 |
| Max penalty fees | None |
| Grace period | 25 days |
| Cash advance fees | N/A |
| Foreign transaction fees | N/A |
Office Depot Credit Card Rewards
Welcome Bonus
The Office Depot business credit card offers a welcome bonus by granting only $50 discount on your first purchase of $150 or more within first 60 days of opening your account which doesn’t seem to be an attractive offer to open the account in the first instance.
The Office Depot business credit card won’t necessarily provide a great value to your business, you can only rely on this one-time introductory little perk of $50.
Ongoing Offers
The Office Depot business credit card does not offer you continuous rewards and cashbacks for your business spending. So, you won’t be able to avail rewards and cash-backs for every purchase you make through the Office Depot business credit card.
But you’ll get $2 cash back for recycling your used printer cartridges (up to 10 cartridges per month) but you also have to make minimum $10 monthly purchase through Office Depot. Then, you’ll get access to Office Depot’s Special Member Pricing and Bonus Rewards. You can instantly redeem rewards at checkout in store, online and on the go.
Finally, upgrading to VIP membership with the Office Depot business credit card is an absolutely easy task to do. All you’ll have to do is make sure that you purchase at least $500 worth of office supplies on the credit within a year, and you’ll automatically upgrade to an Office Depot VIP member. As a VIP member, you will be eligible for rewards for your spending on the Office Depot business credit card which are, 5% back on toner, ink, paper and copy/ship /print/services. VIP members will also get some special members exclusive offers and discounts, which we think are negligible.
So, If you’re only looking for attractive offers, continuous rewards and exciting cashbacks on every purchase, then the Office Depot business credit card probably isn’t the best for your business.
Pros & Cons
Let’s dig in the pros of the Office Depot Credit Card first.
Pros of the Office Depot Credit Card
No Annual Fees
Many credit card companies charge exorbitant fees in the name of annual maintenance charges, but the Office Depot comes with absolutely none. It neither charges annual maintenance fees nor any foreign transaction fees.
Welcome Bonus
The Office Depot business credit card offers a welcome bonus by granting only $50 discount on your first purchase of $150 or more within first 60 days of opening your account
Rewards
Office Depot also further gives you 2% back in rewards on supplies, furniture, and technology as well as additional $2 cash back for recycling your used printer cartridges. As you spend $500 or more within 12 months through their credit card, you’ll be rewarded with VIP status. This status gives you 5% percent back on toner, paper ink, printing services as well as free delivery, and birthday perks.
Departmentalized Billing
You can also apply for multiple credit cards which you may give to your employees or different departments and enable them to get connected to your main account, which can simplify billing of different departments. Office Depot will also provide you with monthly statement of each department, so it could save your time in maintaining books of accounts.
Cons of the Office Depot Credit Card
High Interest Rate
Like many other store credit cards, Office Depot charges 23.99 percent per annum. It also charges $2 per month in the form of finance charge, which you have to pay even if you don’t avail the credit but carried a small balance.
Low Credit Limit
Your credit card limit is ascertained by financial condition of your business. This includes the review of Profit and loss statement, level of debt, credit score with some additional verification. Understandable!
But, your credit limit might not be in line with your financial condition and it may become difficult to cover monthly office supply needs, which we found is not the case with other similar credit cards.
Offers Very Limited Rewards
Office Depot business credit card offers very limited rewards and cashbacks on their purchases but there are many other similar credit cards that offer many lucrative perks compared to Office Depot.
For example, Simply Cash Plus Business Card issued by American Express comes with zero annual maintenance charges and also offers 5% cash back on purchases made from different office supply stores. Additionally, you can also link your Office Depot Rewards to SimplyCash and get both card’s perks in one.
For Office Depot Purchases Only
If you’re considering to do any business spending outside of Office Depot physical store or their website for office supplies, then you have to look for another similar business credit card where you’ll be able to spend more with different stores and you’ll also get attractive rewards for your spending on office supplies.
Qualification Criteria
The credit score required to qualify for an Office Depot Credit Card is within the Fair score range of 640-700. Like every other credit card issuer, Citibank will review more than your credit score when deciding. They’ll scrutinize your entire credit history, financials of your business, especially your income level and overall debt.
Your application for the Office Depot Credit Card may be scrutinized by all three major credit bureaus like Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.
However, according to the reports from few cardholders, Citibank normally reviews your application from any two of the three available credit bureaus.
Credit Limit and Approval Process
Your credit limit for the Office Depot credit card will be determined by the Citibank based on your creditworthiness, level of income and debt.
They do not disclose a minimum or a maximum credit limit but the applicants in the credit score range of 640-700 normally receive the initial limits of about $1,000.
Further, you cannot use your Credit Card instantly upon approval.
You will have to wait for the actual card to come in the mail, and that can take up to 10 business days.
Office Depot Credit Card Vs. Other Retail Credit Cards
The Office Depot business card offers pretty similar features like any other business credit cards. For instance, it offers a 5% rebate on office supplies like any other similar credit cards. But it is applicable only for the VIP members which can be gained only after spending $500 within one year. Furthermore, the rebates are immediately deposited into your account each time you’re eligible.
Alternatives To Office Depot Business cards
There also a couple of cards that let you earn similar cash rebates when at Office Depot, without gaining any specific membership.
Discover More Card is probably the best alternative to Office Depot. It runs an online shopping website, shopdiscover.com and Office Depot is one of their business partners. It also offers 5% discount when you shop at officedepot.com through your Discover More Card account.
Chase Freedom is another card that allows you to earn 5% rebates. This card also runs an online shopping portal just like Discover Chase’s and is also partnered with Office Depot.
Another alternative to consider is the SimplyCash Business Card issued by American Express, which also offers you 5% rebates on office supplies at any office supply stores. And the best part is that you can actually get approved for this card just based on your Federal TIN number.
FAQs
Conclusion
The Office Depot Business Credit Card keeps all your office purchase records in one place. If you’re not looking for max out on rewards and don’t want to get bothered researching the best deals at different stores, this card is ideal for you.
If you are seriously considering this card, you have to keep in mind that you have to shop only at the Office Depot store or on their website to be eligible for the perks they offer.
But if your business does not allow you to spend only at the Office Depot does and you’re also looking to max out on rewards and cashbacks then, you might want to consider other similar cards like Discover More Card, SimplyCash or Chase Freedom or because they also allow you to earn 5% cash back when you shop at their online stores. Furthermore, they have also partnered with other office suppliers like Office Max.
