The eBay Bucks program, officially opened in March, 2009 for an invite-only testing phase, gives eBay buyers 2% cash back on purchases. Since that date, randomly-selected eBay users have received invitation emails allowing them to join the program during the trial period, begin earning rewards, and report any issues they encounter.

This article explains the invitation-only eBay Bucks program and offers a brief review of the service. eBay sellers will learn which items can be sold with eBay Bucks incentives, and buyers will learn more about the payment program and how to find qualifying items.

In this article...

What is eBay Bucks? • Overview video • How to earn eBay Bucks rewards • Tracking your earnings • Effects of the program • eBay Bucks restrictions • Learn about cash back programs • Reader comments

U.S. Buyers who have joined the eBay Bucks program can earn 2% cash back on their eBay purchases, payable as discounts on future eBay purchases. For those who turn to eBay for a rare item, to complete a collection, or to find the best deal, this means greater savings which certainly add up.

Rewards are in the form of a digital eBay Bucks Certificate which is granted to the buyer for use with their PayPal account on future eBay purchases. Certificates are granted every 3 months with no minimum reward.

Those who love saving money will be delighted to know that buyers are welcome to use coupons, gift certificates, and third-party cash back programs like FatWallet and Bing. These purchases will still earn eBay Bucks rewards on the final price, a delicious way to double or triple dip.

If you have received the eBay Bucks invitation, only a few clicks are required to join the program. You will also need to log in with your PayPal account to confirm the link between eBay Bucks and PayPal. This PayPal account must be used to redeem your rewards.

After joining the rewards program, all qualifying item listings will display a Bucks logo along with the calculated amount that you will receive in eBay Bucks, based either on the Buy It Now price or current highest auction bid, if applicable.

After enlisting in the eBay Bucks program, you will have a new buyer's page within My eBay. To access your eBay Bucks page, click the eBay Bucks link which appears in the Buy category of your Summary menu.

The eBay Bucks page provides a very clear overview of your payment schedule and earnings. In addition to the basic totals, you can also view your buying activity which earned eBay Bucks.

Last year, this meager 2% discount would have amounted to an expense of over $500 million, had all purchases been rewarded¹. Considering the magnitude of eBay sales, the effects of this program are quite important to consider.

eBay Sellers and eBay Bucks

Officially, eBay will be funding the rewards program; a seller will not receive less money simply because the buyer is a member of the eBay Bucks program. However, many speculate that eBay Bucks will eventually draw funding from a different source, a general fee increase for selling on eBay.

eBay has asked that sellers do not mention the eBay Bucks program in their listings to avoid confusing users who have not yet learned about or been invited to join the program. After the program has left its beta testing stage, sellers may find increased profits with announcements such as "Earn 2% cash back on this purchase."

eBay Affiliates on the eBay Partner Network

The eBay Partner Network is undergoing some changes as of August, 2009 which could drastically limit the amount of money paid back through the system. eBay is banning the use of eBay affiliate listings on public pages like HubPages and Squidoo. As of August, 2009 only the direct owners of web sites may display eBay Partner Network products linking directly to eBay. The speculation that this change is making room in the budget for the eBay Bucks is certainly not outlandish.

Nevertheless, eBay Affiliates who earn commissions from advertising eBay products on the web may be able to increase sales by offering the opportunity to save 2% on future purchases. While this may not be particularly attractive to first-time eBay buyers, the chance to save money might be the perfect encouragement for some potential customers of eBay Affiliates.

Most importantly, since the purchase price of the item does not change, eBay Affiliates will still earn a full commission on the sale.

The eBay Bucks program has relatively few restrictions, though the greatest limitations apply to international and high-volume buyers.

• Only available to U.S. citizens age 18 or older with a primary address in the United States.
  
• Currently, only invited users may participate, check your eBay inbox for an invitation! Unlike some other beta programs, eBay users cannot invite new eBay Bucks users.
  
• Must pay with PayPal to earn eBay Bucks.
• Must checkout with the same PayPal account to redeem eBay Bucks Certificates.
• Most items qualify, though some do not (i.e. real estate, automobiles, and industrial equipment).
• eBay Bucks Certificate earnings must be spent within 30 days after they are disbursed.
• Maximum $200 in rewards per purchase, maximum $500 per 3 month period.

¹eBay Global Fast Facts, as of December 31, 2008