As I posted about two weeks ago, there’s been talk of an eBay rewards program when paying by PayPal, and the new and improved eBay Bucks program went live on April 1. Here’s the scoop:
Who Can Join: Currently it’s invitation-only; check your Ebay Messages to see if you were one of those randomly selected to beta-test. Kurt Apen, head of Ebay’s loyalty marketing team, says they’ll probably allow everyone in within the next few months.
How You Earn: Members paying for their auction wins by PayPal will receive eBay Bucks, a credit in the amount of 2% of their quarterly eBay purchases (except for real estate and auto), on July 9th. (After the credit is issued, it will automatically be deducted from your next purchase at checkout.) The quarter runs 4/1 through 6/30. You are limited to earning no more than $200 in a single purchase, and no more than $500 max throughout the quarter. You CAN shop through a rewards program’s link to eBay and receive cashback on top of the eBay Bucks reward. It can be combined with eBay coupons, if you have one, or eBay gift certificates. Any type of PayPal account funding (existing funds, link to bank account, link to credit card) is acceptable.
How You Redeem: eBay Bucks can be redeemed toward a future eBay purchase, but must be spent within 30 days of being issued.
My Take: What’s not to like about this? It’s not a huge reward, no, and it does require paying by PayPal, but that’s how I pay all the time anyway. And the fact that it IS stackable with rewards program cashback makes it even sweeter. Now, if only I could get an invite into the program…
More information: eBay Bucks Discussion Thread
Thanks to DJ and DG for the assistance in compiling this review! My tipsters are some knowledgeable and helpful folks! Got a rewards-related tip to share? Mail me here — thanks so much!
