In March 2021, several news outlets reported that the office supplies chain Office Depot was running a promotion by which customers who had received a COVID-19 vaccination could get their vaccination card laminated, free of charge.
In the final week of March, articles to that effect were published by news websites including KNTV, WTOL, KUTV, KRON, and WTTG, as well as national outlets like CNN, who reported that:
With Covid-19 vaccinations becoming more widespread, you may soon need to carry proof that you've been vaccinated to do something like travel or go to a concert. While some companies have been working on smartphone apps or other systems to create digital proof of vaccination, right now the paper CDC card is about all the proof you get. That's why Staples and Office Depot want to help you keep your paper card in good condition. The two companies are offering free laminations of completed Covid-19 vaccination cards.
Those reports were accurate in describing Office Depot's promotion.
In late March and early April 2021, Office Depot promoted its offer on Facebook, Twitter and on its website. The offer consisted of a coupon, which could be printed, or a coupon code, both of which could be presented in Office Depot and Office Max stores, and redeemed for one free lamination of a valid COVID-19 vaccination card. No other purchase was necessary, and the offer was scheduled to end on July 25.
Many of the articles highlighted above also reported that Staples was running a similar offer. However, despite our repeated attempts to seek clarification about the existence and terms of the offer, Staples did not respond. As a result, we cannot confirm that the news reports' descriptions of a similar Staples offer were accurate. If we receive clarification from the company, we will update this fact check accordingly.