This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

There's a way to get batteries, copy paper, printer cartridges or any of a number of items at office-supply stores for next to nothing.

All three of the major office-supply chains — Office Depot, Staples and OfficeMax — offer 100 percent-back programs that cover plenty of merchandise throughout the year. Although shoppers must pay upfront for these goods, the stores will give back the entire amount of the purchase price in the form of a gift certificate. All consumers end up paying is sales tax.

These promotions, designed to get more shoppers through the doors, can be a great way to stock up on school and office supplies at a time when many people's budgets are squeezed.

I tried out all three rewards programs over the past year and found that they do deliver. I enrolled in Office Depot Worklife Rewards, Staples Rewards and OfficeMax MaxPerks and purchased items such as bottled water and printer paper. After a wait of one to three months, I received a gift certificate for the amount of my purchases.

The items that qualify for 100 percent back vary from week to week, and sometimes a store will go several weeks without offering anything. When applicable, each chain starts a new sale on Sundays. Go to OfficeDepot.com, Staples.com and OfficeMax.com to view the weekly sales ad, where items that qualify for 100 percent back are featured.

You'll need to sign up for a store's reward program before you make a purchase. Go to Myworkliferewards.com for Office Depot's Worklife Rewards, Staplesrewardscenter.com for Staples Rewards and Officemaxperks.com for OfficeMax's MaxPerks program.

Many 100 percent-back items are offered online and in-store. If you order online, you'll have to pay shipping, unless free shipping is being offered at the time of purchase. Office Depot, for example, offers free delivery on orders of more than $50.

Katie Davidson, who teaches coupon classes in Utah County for SavvyShopperDeals.com, started using all three of the office-supply companies' rewards programs about a year and a half ago.

"They sound almost too good to be true, but they really work," she said.

She has used the programs to get reimbursed for her purchases of storage boxes, file folders, markers, pens and a host of other supplies.

But as with any promotion, it pays to read the fine print. "To get your money back, you need to follow all the rules of each store," Davidson said.

Some other tips:

Provide your membership number • When shopping online, do not forget to provide your rewards program number before checkout so the store can track your purchases. When shopping in-store, present your card before you start checking out.

Stay organized • Keep records of your purchases and when you can expect to get your money back. In some instances, you'll have to wait three months to get your gift certificate.

Use it or lose it • Most gift certificates issued via rewards programs have expiration dates.

Follow the rules • Rewards programs have their own sets of rules. Read and follow them or you might not get your money back.

Because office supply companies carry a wide range of products, including toilet paper, tissues, paper towels and even laundry detergent, it's not difficult to use the gift certificates received via rewards programs to buy items you or your family truly need.

Any hassle you might encounter is worth the benefit of getting practical items you use every day for just the cost of sales tax.

Lesley Mitchell writes One Cheap Chick in daily blog form at blogs.sltrib.com/cheap.

lesley@sltrib.com Twitter: @cheapchick Facebook: Facebook.com/OneCheapChick —

Office-supply rewards programs

Office Depot Worklife Rewards • Myworklife rewards.com

Staples Rewards • Staplesrewards center.com

OfficeMax MaxPerks • Officemax perks.com