How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Staples?

We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Staples's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.

Does the 5% rate at Staples have a cap?

Yes. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card earns 5x, a 5% cash equivalent, but only up to $25,000 per year, and the cap is a combined limit rather than a Staples-only one. Past it, the headline rate is gone, so heavy spenders should watch the running total and switch to a 3% or flat 2% card once they cross it.

Is the card ranking different at staples.com than in the store?

No. The rankings for Staples are the same in-store and online, so one decision covers both. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card leads either way, and the only payment caveat in the list is Apple Card's: it needs the mobile wallet to earn its 2%. Pick your card once and use it the same way in both channels.

Best cards at Staples

Ink Business Cash Credit Card earns the most at Staples right now at 5x. It is a business card, so applying needs a business — including a sole proprietorship.

Rankings use issuer rates verified as of August 16, 2026.

In store

1
#15x
Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Chase · Visa · Business · No annual fee · up to $25,000/anniversary yr (combined)
5x
2
#23%
Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards
Bank of America · Mastercard · Business · No annual fee · Choose this category · up to $50,000/yr (combined) · Lower rate after the cap
3%
3
#33x
Huntington Voice Rewards Credit Card
Huntington · Mastercard · No annual fee · Choose this category · up to $2,000/qtr (combined)
3x
4
#43%
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards Visa
U.S. Bank · Visa · Business · No annual fee
3%
5
#52x
United Business Card
Chase · Visa · Business · $150/yr
2x
6
#63x
Robinhood Gold Card
Coastal Community Bank · Visa · No annual fee
3x
7
#72%
Apple Card
Goldman Sachs · Mastercard · No annual fee · Pay with the mobile wallet
2%
8
#82%
Blue Business Cash Card from American Express
American Express · Amex · Business · No annual fee · up to $50,000/yr
2%
9
#92x
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
American Express · Amex · Business · No annual fee · up to $50,000/yr
2x
10
#102%
Citi Double Cash Card
Citi · Mastercard · No annual fee
2%

Online

Good to know at Staples

Staples doesn't restrict which card networks it accepts, in-store or online, so the only question is which card in your wallet earns the most. The ranking leader is the Ink Business Cash Credit Card from Chase: 5x on this spending, a 5% cash equivalent, with no annual fee. The catch is a combined cap of $25,000 per year, past which the headline rate is gone.

The pattern up top is hard to miss: the three best rates all come from no-annual-fee business cards. Behind the Ink at 5x sit two 3% options — Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards, which requires choosing this category and pays a lower rate after a combined cap, and U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards Visa, with no listed caveats. If you have business spending, this is where office-supply rewards live.

When the top card isn't in your wallet, a flat 2% is a solid floor. Blue Business Cash Card from American Express and The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express both work out to 2% back up to $50,000 per year, with no annual fee, and Apple Card matches that rate when you pay through the mobile wallet. Spark Cash Plus and Venture Business also land at 2% but charge $150 and $95 a year.

The math

Spend $150 a month at Staples and Ink Business Cash Credit Card returns about $90 a year at our valuations — a flat 2% card returns $36.

Common questions

What is the best credit card at Staples?: Ink Business Cash Credit Card earns the most at Staples right now at 5x. It is a business card, so applying needs a business — including a sole proprietorship.
How does SwipeCaddy pick the best card at Staples?: We rank each card by its reward rate times a conservative cash value of its points or miles — no inflated transfer valuations — and apply Staples's card-acceptance rules, so the "best" card is one you can actually use at the register.
Does the 5% rate at Staples have a cap?: Yes. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card earns 5x, a 5% cash equivalent, but only up to $25,000 per year, and the cap is a combined limit rather than a Staples-only one. Past it, the headline rate is gone, so heavy spenders should watch the running total and switch to a 3% or flat 2% card once they cross it.
Is the card ranking different at staples.com than in the store?: No. The rankings for Staples are the same in-store and online, so one decision covers both. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card leads either way, and the only payment caveat in the list is Apple Card's: it needs the mobile wallet to earn its 2%. Pick your card once and use it the same way in both channels.

Rates reflect each card's best case at this merchant and can change; check the issuer's terms before applying.