Office Depot and OfficeMax run the strongest teacher discount in office supplies, and it is two separate benefits rather than one. Verify once with ID.me and you get a 20% off coupon by email, plus 25% back in Bonus Rewards on qualifying online purchases for as long as the offer runs.
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Below is what each of the main office supply retailers actually gives teachers, including one that stopped years ago and still shows up on discount lists.
Office Depot and OfficeMax: The Best of the Group
Verification runs through ID.me. Office Depot’s instructions: click Verify with ID.me, “provide the teaching license number (or other documentation)”, and once verified “you’ll receive an email with your 20% off one qualifying purchase coupon.” The email typically arrives within 24 to 48 hours, so do this before the week you need it.
The two benefits work differently and it is worth knowing which is which:
- The 20% coupon covers a qualifying regular and sale price purchase, and is valid “only at officedepot.com or in store”. It is a one-purchase coupon, not a standing discount.
- 25% back in Bonus Rewards applies to qualifying purchases, online only, and you must be logged into your verified account for it to apply. Verified members receive 25% back rather than the standard 2%.
Two limits decide how you use it. Rewards are capped at $100 per member per week, so a single enormous order wastes the benefit where spreading it does not. And the 25% cannot be combined with the VIP Member 5% benefit or with other Bonus Rewards offers on the same products.
The exclusions matter more here than at most retailers. Between them the two offers exclude technology and consumer electronics, software, computers, tablets, monitors, TVs, ink and toner, gift and prepaid cards, appliances, postage and shipping, protection plans, third party services, and JanSport products. In short: paper, decor, furniture and classroom supplies are in, and anything with a screen or a cartridge is out.
One more benefit worth using even outside a sale: verified teachers get a Classroom Wish List, so parents and family can buy the things your classroom actually needs rather than guessing.
Barnes & Noble: The Program Ended, and Lists Still Say Otherwise
If you have read that Barnes & Noble gives educators 20% off publisher list prices, that information is out of date. Barnes & Noble states it directly: “The Educator program ended in stores and online at the close of business on April 12, 2023.”
The company explains why: it “launched Premium Membership and Rewards Membership, which have replaced our Legacy Membership. With these Membership options, we no longer maintain a separate Educator program.” Classroom buying was folded into its institutional and bulk options instead, including the Institutional Discount program, &Classwork and volume discounts, which are aimed at schools and administrators rather than at an individual teacher with a cart.
So for a personal classroom purchase, there is no educator discount to claim. For a school-level order, the bulk route is the one that exists.
The Rest of the Aisle
Target verifies teachers through SheerID and runs percentage events, and its year-round benefit is a half-price Circle 360 membership. Michaels gives verified educators 20% off the entire purchase including sale items, which beats its public offer, though it excludes Cricut and Silhouette machines.
Staples is the one we will not state terms for. Its Classroom Rewards page now redirects to a sign-in gated rewards overview, so the current teacher terms cannot be confirmed without an account. Rather than repeat a figure from another list, check it while signed in.
Q&A
Q: Which office supply store has the best teacher discount?
A: Office Depot and OfficeMax, because you get both a 20% coupon and 25% back in rewards from one verification.
Q: Does Barnes & Noble still have an educator discount?
A: No. Barnes & Noble ended it and replaced it with institutional and bulk purchasing options aimed at schools rather than individual teachers.
Q: Can I use the Office Depot discount on a laptop or printer ink?
A: No. Technology, computers, tablets, monitors, TVs, software, and ink and toner are all excluded from both offers. For classroom technology, look at manufacturer education pricing instead.
Q: Do I have to shop online?
A: The 20% coupon works at officedepot.com or in store. The 25% back in rewards is online only and requires being logged into your verified account.
Q: Is there a cap on the rewards?
A: Yes, $100 per member per week, so several moderate orders earn more than one very large one.
Q: How long does verification take?
A: Office Depot says a few minutes in most cases, with manual review sometimes taking longer, and the coupon email arriving within 24 to 48 hours.
More Information:
Confirmed on Office Depot’s own teacher rewards page, including the full limitations and exclusions, and on Barnes & Noble’s own help article about the end of its Educator program. Offer windows change, so check the current terms before a big classroom order.
