Over the past few years, many companies seem to be operating by the "pay more and expect less" mantra. In 2021, eBay hollowed out its beloved "eBay Bucks" program, but there are still some creative alternatives for us collectors to make our purchases just as rewarding.
The End of an Era
Originally, those enrolled in the eBay Bucks program could expect to receive 1% back on a wide variety of purchases, and even up to 10% during special promotional periods. These "Bucks" were accumulated and then "unlocked" on the third day following a quarter's close. eBay recently shared "[e]nrollment in eBay Bucks is currently closed and after careful consideration, [they've] decided to retire the 1% earnings reward on everyday purchases", and is instead only offering Bucks during limited promotional periods. This means your purchases will only qualify for eBay Bucks if made during a special promotion. It is this author's opinion that even these infrequent promotional periods will soon sunset as well.
You may have noticed that it is increasingly difficult to even locate your accumulating eBay Bucks balance. In fact, eBay's own article on the topic seems to redirect you to your general purchases page, rather than a specific eBay Bucks page. The eBay app is even less informative, with no section on eBay Bucks at all. Instead of maintaining this beloved program, eBay seems to be spending its time developing their new "Top Star" program, which is only available by-invite and only applies to two specific item categories (watches and sneakers).
What about the rest of us?
Although eBay isn't providing its general users with a regular 1% back on most purchases anymore, third-party applications like, Lolli and Honey are. We personally use both, as each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. They are broken down below, starting with our favorite.
Lolli
Lolli allows its users to earn up to 1% back in Bitcoin when they make a qualifying eBay purchase (we seem to always receive a full 1%). All you need to do is (1) download the Lolli app, (2) select "eBay" from their list of partner merchants, and (3) place your winning bid or hit "Buy it Now" on your item of choice, at which point you will also receive a free $5 worth for joining (in addition to your 1% purchase reward). Although Lolli states it excludes "[o]rders made through make an offer feature", we have not found that to be the case. Max reward per purchase is $15. After a minimum balance ($15) is achieved, users are given the option of transferring their Bitcoin to an external wallet, or converting to USD, which can then be deposited in a bank account. Every day, starting at 8:00 am (CST), users can receive free Bitcoin through the "Daily Stack" feature, which is perhaps the best way to grow a low-risk Bitcoin position.
Honey
You may already be familiar with Honey, as they were one of the pioneers in the "rewards app" space. Whereas Lolli provides up to 1%, Honey provides a full 1% back in the form of rewards points. When users achieve 1,000 points, they can be exchanged for either a $10 partner merchant gift card (eBay included), or the $10 can be transferred to your PayPal balance, to be used wherever PayPal is accepted. All you need to do is (1) download the Honey app, (2) select "eBay" from their list of partner merchants, and (3) place your winning bid or hit "Buy it Now". Honey only rewards winning bids and Buy it Nows, and there does not appear to be a cap to rewards.
Although the eBay Bucks program isn't what it used to be, us collectors can still make sure each purchase we make on the platform is just as rewarding! If you'd like to earn Bitcoin on every listing type (including make offers), pick Lolli. If you'd like your rewards in the form of a PayPal balance, look no further than Honey.