This article may be outdated
Terms, offers, links, or instructions in this article may no longer be valid. Please verify with official sources before taking action.

eBay 4x Bucks + pay with discounted eBay gift cards + buy discounted gift cards + use a shopping portal = awesome!

eb1

About the 4x Bucks deal

If you signed up for eBay Bucks and eBay promotional emails, you should have received this deal. The email subject line is:

  • Special bonus─earn up to 4X eBay Bucks.

Specifically, when shopping on eBay you can earn:

  • 4% in eBay Bucks on every qualifying item of $50 or more
  • 6% in eBay Bucks on every qualifying item of $100 or more
  • 8% in eBay Bucks on every qualifying item of $150 or more

As for qualifying items, they do not include eBay gift cards, gold, cars, and similar items. All gift cards other than eBay gift cards are eligible for the bonus eBay Bucks. This deal lasts for two days, 1.20-1.21, based on Pacific Time.

If you didn’t receive it or are not sure how to use eBay Bucks, see this article:

What to buy

There are currently some discounted merchant gift cards on eBay, for example:

Of course, other eBay daily deals are also good, such as iPad and iPhone deals. See here:

If you are interested in other gift cards, you can search for the ones you need, such as Target, Best Buy, or Staples. Purchases of $150 or more can earn 4x Bucks.

How to buy

If you already have eBay Bucks and eBay gift cards

If you already have eBay gift cards or eBay Bucks (expiring on February 2), just go ahead and buy. Of course, don’t forget to click through a shopping portal first. The best portal right now is TopCashback, which offers 1.25% cash back on eBay purchases. If you don’t have an account yet, you can sign up below:

If you don’t have eBay gift cards

If you do not have any eBay gift cards, you can buy them from Raise, the discounted gift card marketplace. Right now, eBay gift cards are 4% off there.

  • If you are an existing Raise user, you can also use promo code raise1 for an extra 1% off
  • If you do not have a Raise account yet, you can register here:
    • Raise sign-up link (register through our referral link and get $5 rewards)
    • Use promo code: RAISE75AF, for another $5 off
    • That means paying 100*0.96-5-5=$86 for a $100 eBay gift card
  • Introduction to Raise, the gift card marketplace

If you are a new user and want to buy multiple eBay gift cards, you can do this:

  • First sign up for Raise and pay $86 for $100 in eBay gift cards
  • Then, like existing users, use code raise1 to get 4%+1% off eBay gift cards

Also, if your total Raise purchases have not exceeded $1,000, you may still be able to use a shopping portal and earn cash back while buying discounted gift cards. If you do not have one of the portals below, consider signing up:

Combine with the Upromise sign-up bonus for an extra $20

Right now, signing up for an Upromise shopping portal account can earn you an extra $20 bonus, and Upromise offers 1% cash back on eBay. If you have not signed up for this portal yet, it may be worth doing so and using eBay to complete the required activity for the sign-up bonus for an easy extra $20.

Cost and return analysis

  • Buy eBay gift cards at 8% off (shopping portal + credit card + Raise discount)
  • Earn 8% back in eBay Bucks
  • Earn 1.25% cash back by clicking through a shopping portal to shop on eBay
  • eBay’s own gift card discounts of 0%-20%

So, on many items on eBay, you can get roughly a 17.5%-37.5% discount overall. Combined with a portal sign-up bonus, you can also get an extra $20.

Summary

If you already need something, this is an easy buy. If you are short of $150, use gift cards to fill the gap~