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You can earn thousands of bonus points on office supplies and mobile phone services by swiping the right credit card.
Whether you’re a one-man band, bootstrapped out of your parent's garage, or department head at a multi-national corporation, paying for office supplies and cellular services can make up a significant portion of your business expenses each month. By utilizing business rewards cards featuring office supplies and mobile phone services as bonus categories, you can earn hundreds of thousands of extra points — or thousands of dollars cash back each year.
The Best Credit Card for Office Supplies and Mobile Phone Services
Our pick: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
While we have to select a winner, the “best” card for office supplies and mobile phone services is, in fact, two cards paired together: the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card(Rates & Fees) and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. They make a formidable pairing for any small business. The Ink Cash earns 5x Ultimate Rewards (marketed as 5% cash back) for the first $25,000 spent on combined spending across these bonus categories each account year: office supply stores plus internet, cable, and phone services. And the Ink Preferred earns 3X Ultimate Rewards points on the first $150,000 spent each year in combined travel, shipping; internet, cable and phone services, and advertising purchases on social media and search engine optimization.
The kicker is pairing the Ink Cash with the Ink Preferred, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card(Rates & Fees), or Chase Sapphire Reserve®(Rates & Fees), which allows you to combine the points earned on the Ink Cash with rewards from the other cards (which have annual fees). You can then transfer those points to travel partners to achieve a much higher redemption value. Alternatively, redeem them for 1.25¢ or 1.5¢ per point through the Chase Travel℠ Portal, depending on which card you hold.
- Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after 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. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
If you max out the 5% categories on the Ink Cash each year, you’ll collect 125,000 points. Max out the 3X categories on the Ink Preferred (which can all go on mobile phone spend if needed), and you’ll tally up 450,000 points. That’s more than seven round-trip business class awards to Europe if transferred to the right airline partner — or over $7,000 in value if redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal.
The other feature to take into account is the cell phone insurance provided by the Ink Preferred. Provided you pay for each phone's monthly service with this card, the policy covers employee phones up to three claims per year, with a maximum of $600 per claim or $1,800 per 12 months.
“Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephones are the lines listed on Your most recent cellular provider’s monthly billing statement for the billing cycle prior to when the incident occurred.”
There is a $100 deductible per claim, however.
The 12 Best Rewards Credit Cards for Office Supplies and Mobile Phone Service
Credit Card | Points Earned on Office Supplies & Mobile Phone Services | Other Bonus Categories | Annual Fee |
---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined spending between office supply stores and internet, cable, and phone services spending | 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. | $0 |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | 3X Ultimate Rewards points on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on Internet, cable and phone services (combined with other bonus categories) | 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year | $95 |
American Express® Business Gold Card | 4x Membership Rewards points on the two categories where your business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 of these purchases annually, then 1x), with monthly wireless purchases from U.S. providers as an eligible category | Other eligible 4x categories include: • Purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio) from U.S. media providers • Purchases from U.S. electronics goods retailers and software and cloud system providers • U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery • U.S. gas stations • Transit, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways Plus, receive up to $20 in monthly statement credits (for up to $240 annually) for purchases at select merchants, including U.S. office supply stores) | $375 (Rates & Fees) |
SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express (No longer accepting applications) | 5% cash back on first $50,000 (combined) spent at U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers | 3% cash back on the category of your choice: • Airfare purchased directly from airlines • Hotel rooms purchased directly from hotels • Car rentals purchased from select car rental companies • U.S. gas stations • U.S. restaurants • U.S. purchases for advertising on select media • U.S. purchases for shipping • U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers | No annual fee |
Huntington Voice Business Credit Card | 4% cash back in one of 10 categories, one of which is utilities & office supplies (up to $7,000 per quarter) | Other 4% categories include: • Gas stations • Travel & entertainment • Restaurants • Discount & warehouse stores • Grocery stores • Electronics, computer & camera stores • Department, apparel & sporting goods stores • Home improvement stores • Auto parts & service stores | $0 |
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® | 3% cash back at office supply stores and cell phone service providers | • 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Rewards Center • 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations • 3% cash back at restaurants | $0 |
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card | 3% on office supply stores or telecom when selected as the bonus category for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year |
| $0 |
The New United℠ Business Card | 2x United miles at office supply stores | • 2x on United® purchases • 2x on local transit and commuting, including train tickets, taxicabs, mass transit, tolls, and rideshare services • 2x at gas stations and restaurants | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 |
Capital One Spark Miles for Business | Unlimited 2x Capital One miles | Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | $0 introductory fee for the first year; $95 after that |
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | 2x points on the first $50,000 of purchases on your card annually | 2x Membership Rewards points on all spending categories, up to $50,000 annually (then 1x) | $0 (Rates & Fees) |
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card | • 5% cash back or 90-day terms on U.S. purchases at Amazon.com (up to $120,000 of purchases across bonus categories annually, then 1% back) • 2% cash back on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers | • 5% back or 90-day terms on U.S. purchases from Amazon Business, AWS, and Whole Foods • 2% back at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations | $0 (but requires an active Amazon Prime membership) |
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card | 5% on your first $2,000 in eligible net purchases each quarter on the two categories you choose, including cellphone providers | • 5% cash back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked directly in the Rewards Center • 2% cash back on one everyday spending category of your choice | $0 |
If it’s straight cash back you’re after, the Ink Cash returns 5% on up to $25,000 of office supplies and mobile phone services each year. If you are maximizing the value of Ultimate Rewards points by transferring to one of the premium cards, your return can be as high as 7.5%. For enterprise size accounts, the Bank of America and U.S. Bank business cards offer significantly higher spending caps, but you would need to spend an awful lot on either card to eclipse the value supplied by the Chase pair at the top of the table.
What Purchases are Included in the Office Supplies and Mobile Phone Category?
Chase leaves the office supply store category somewhat vague, although they do specify exclusions which we’ve outlined below. The other thing to note with Chase, Amex, and Bank of America, is the bonus only applies to mobile phone services, not the purchase of equipment. U.S. Bank offers cash back on the purchase of cellular equipment in addition to services, which is a big plus.
American Express
Here's what Amex says about office supplies:
“To earn additional rewards on office supplies, the purchase must be made at an office supply store in the U.S.
Office supply stores are in the business of selling a range of office supplies including items like paper, notebooks, office equipment (e.g., fax machines and printers) and office furniture (e.g., desks, desk chairs and filing cabinets).”
And here is the description for wireless providers:
“To earn additional rewards, the purchase must be for monthly wireless telephone service charges and made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the United States.”
Bank of America
“The Office Supply Stores category includes purchases in merchant categories* including: Stationary, Office Supplies, Printing and Writing Paper | Stationary Stores, Office and School Supply Stores.”
Meanwhile, the wireless, TV, and telecom category includes:
“Cable, Satellite, and Other Pay Television and Radio; Telecommunication Equipment including Telephone Sales; Telecommunication Services; Telegraph Services”
Chase
Here's what Chase says about office supplies:
“Merchants in this category specialize in selling a variety of office supplies.”
And the phone services category:
“Only purchases for internet, cable, satellite television and radio, cellular, wireless data, and landline services will qualify. “
Huntington Bank
“Merchants who accept Mastercard credit cards are assigned a merchant code which is determined by the merchant or its processor in accordance with Mastercard procedures based on the kinds of products and services they primarily sell. Huntington groups similar merchant codes into categories for purposes of making rewards offers to you. Huntington makes every effort to include all relevant merchant codes in its rewards categories.”
U.S. Bank
“Merchants identify their business by selecting a merchant category code established by Visa. A Purchase will not earn additional cash back if the merchant’s selected code is in a category that is not eligible for additional cash back earning. U.S. Bank does not determine the category codes that merchants choose and reserves the right to determine which Purchases qualify for additional cash back.”

Are Any Purchases Excluded from the Office Supplies and Mobile Phone Category?
American Express
“…purchases of hardware and equipment, and purchases from third parties and resellers, are excluded…”
“Office supplies purchased at other retail stores are excluded.”
“The following types of purchases are NOT included for additional Wireless rewards:
- Purchases from authorized retailers, resellers or third-party sellers
- Purchases for hardware (e.g., phones and accessories) or repair services
- Bundled services offered by Wireless companies for TV, Internet, and VoIP
- VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) services”
Bank of America
The office supply category excludes “variety, department, discount warehouses, or drug stores that may sell office supplies, and does not include merchants that sell large or high priced office equipment such as computers or desk units.”
Chase
For office supplies:
“Merchants that sell a wide variety of general goods which may include office supplies, for example, discount stores, department stores, or electronics stores, are not included in this category. Also, merchants and wholesale distributors that specialize in only a few large office supplies, such as computer software and hardware, office furniture, photocopiers, and office equipment, are not included even if they also sell some smaller office supplies.”
For phone services:
“Purchases of equipment are not included. If you purchase or pay for your internet, cable and satellite television, phone or related services in a merchant's store that is not classified by the merchant in the applicable services category, the purchase or payment will not qualify; for example, phone bill payments in a merchant's store that is classified as a telephone equipment store.”
Huntington Bank
“…even though a merchant or some of the items that it sells may appear to fit within a rewards category, the merchant may not have a merchant code that falls within that category. Therefore, purchases with that merchant will not qualify for the stated rewards offer on category purchases.”
U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank doesn’t provide any specific exclusions outside of merchant category codes.
Final Thoughts
Unless your goal is straight cash back or your spending runs deep into the hundreds of thousands, it’s hard to go past the Ultimate Rewards-earning pair in the Ink Preferred and Ink Cash. You’ll pay just $95 per year in annual fees across both cards, and you'll earn hundreds of thousands of valuable, flexible points. If you want to maximize your office supply spending even further, try leveraging shopping portals and loyalty programs for office supply retailers like Staples for additional profit if you make purchases online.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
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