I know what you’re thinking… that sounds boring. Who cares if eBay gift cards can be bought in stores? Show
I care! This is an awesome new development with which we’re only beginning to see the possibilities that are now open. Read on… eBay gift cards return to storesI used to write often about double and triple dip savings or point earning opportunities (and even a perpetual point machine or two) that involved, in part, the use of eBay gift cards. Then, one day, eBay gift cards disappeared from retail stores and all of those great savings and point earning opportunities disappeared with it. Now, I’m excited to see that eBay gift cards are back! While I had heard reports here and there from readers, my first in-person encounter was at Staples. Here’s what I found at my local Staples store last week: And, eBay confirms it: Below are the stores currently listed as available in retail stores. Up to date information can be found here. AHOLDIGWRALEYSTIMESSUPERMARKETSBASHASJACKSON FOOD STORESROUNDYSTOWN PUMPBIMARTKINNEY DRUGSAFEWAYTWECBOOKS-A-MILLIONKROGERSAVE MARTWAKEFERNCIRCLE KKROGER CSHOPKOWAWACUMBERLAND FARMSKVAT / FOOD CITYSTAPLESWEGMANSHANNAFORDLOWESSTATER BROSWEIS MARKETHASTINGSMURPHYTA PETROWINN DIXIEHEBNTR SUPERAMERICATHE PANTRY HY-VEEPRICE CHOPPERTHORTONS
Why this is awesomeNext to bank gift cards (Amex, Visa, MasterCard), eBay gift cards are probably the most flexible gift cards available. They can be used to buy just about anything you can imagine, including gift cards. In addition to many individual sellers, GiftCardMall sells a huge variety of gift cards through eBay (found here) and they often run great sales. For example, they recently offered 15% off Sears’ gift cards (which I reported here). We’ve also seen 20% off Marriott gift cards and 20% off Staples gift cards in the not so distant past. Importantly, there are many rewards, discounts, and rebates to be had both when buying and using eBay gift cards. The end result can be truly amazing deals. Here are some examples of what can be done… Buying eBay gift cardsThere are three opportunities for buying eBay gift cards that immediately leap to mind: Amex Sync OffersAmerican Express often has “Offers for You” and/or “Sync Offers” in which they’ll give you an automatic statement credit for making a purchase at a specific merchant. For example, we might see “Spend $100, get $20 back at Staples”. Another merchant commonly available for these offers is Lowes. Did you notice that both Staples and Lowes are on the list above? This means that it should be possible to get a 20% rebate on eBay gift cards during those promotions. See also: Maximizing Amex Sync offers. Part 1: sync multiple cards. Category BonusesMany credit cards offer bonus points at grocery stores, book stores, gas stations, office supply stores, etc. Luckily, many of the stores listed above fit those categories! Staples is particularly exciting since not only will you get 5 points per dollar if you pay with a Chase Ink card, but if you sign up for Visa Savings Edge, you’ll also get an automatic 1% rebate (as a statement credit). And, those with a (no longer available) Citi Forward card may be excited to see Books a Million on the list, since that card still earns 5 points per dollar at bookstores! You can find a list of the best credit cards for each type of store here: Best Category Bonuses. Store RewardsMany stores offer their own rewards programs in which you earn points as a percentage of each purchase. Grocery stores, in particular, tend to offer fuel rewards (points that can be used for gas station discounts). Even better, they often run promotions for double or quadruple points for the purchase of merchant gift cards. And, as you’ll see on the list above, many grocery stores now sell eBay gift cards. Optimize your purchase by buying at a grocery store offering fuel rewards and pay with a credit card that has a great grocery store category bonus. See also: What is a fuel point worth? Using eBay gift cardsWhen using eBay gift cards, you can earn rewards too. Here’s how… Start with a portal.At the time of this writing, BeFrugal, TopCashBack, and Rebate Blast are offering 1.5% cash back for purchases at eBay. Note that cash back is not offered for purchases of eBay gift cards, vehicles, real estate, bullion, or heavy equipment. You can find the current, best portal offers here. And, you can find sign-up links for most popular cash back portals here. Earn eBay BucksIn addition to portal cash back, you can earn eBay Bucks (which can be used as credit towards future purchases). The standard rebate in the form of eBay Bucks is 2% of the purchase price, but they often run short term promotions with increased rewards. You must sign up for eBay Bucks before you can earn them (signup here). Just about any purchase qualifies for eBay bucks, except:
Buy whateverYou can use eBay gift cards to buy anything listed for sale on eBay. This includes, importantly, other gift cards. Terms & ConditionsEbay gift cards do have limitations, most of which can be found on their terms & conditions page. Unfortunately, I’ve found at least one discrepancy between the terms & conditions listed online and those on the card: The online terms & conditions state:
To me, that means that you can use the gift cards to pay for almost anything. Unfortunately, the terms on the back of the gift card package say (bolding is mine):
That may be a pretty big discrepancy! By “certain eBay sites” they may simply mean eBay sites intended for countries other than the US. That would be fine. However, if they mean stores within eBay.com, that could be a problem. Other important terms:
Full online terms & conditions can be found here. 0 0 votes Post Rating
Previous article6 amazing secrets of Air France Flying Blue miles Next article$450 from Chase for opening a Chase checking and savings account Greg The Frequent Miler Greg is the owner, founder, and primary author of the Frequent Miler. He earns millions of points and miles each year, mostly without flying, and dedicates this blog to teaching others how to do the same. Can you use an eBay Gift Card on any purchase?eBay gift cards can be used to pay for almost any item on our site. You can use your gift card to pay for all or part of your next purchase.
How can I turn my eBay Gift Card into cash?You can't change a gift card back into cash. You can only put them in your eBay funding and buy items on eBay with the funds.
Can you use an eBay Gift Card on Amazon?How do I use my eBay gift card on Amazon? You can't use a eBay card on Amazon. They are owned by two different companies and don't accept others gift cards.
Are eBay Gift cards region locked?Are digital eBay Gift Cards region-locked? Yes, be sure the currency of the gift card matches that of your eBay account and purchase. Your card's region must also match the address linked to the account.
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