When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a small commission. More information about our affiliate programs can be found here.
eBay Bucks is a rewards loyalty cash-back type program run by eBay that gives a 1% credit on eligible purchases that can be used towards future purchases.
eBay Bucks credits are earned throughout each quarter up to a maximum of $500 in eBay Bucks per quarter. eBay Bucks are available to spend on eBay at the beginning of the quarter after they are earned. Earned eBay Bucks must be spent during the first month of the quarter after they are earned.
Throughout each quarter eBay runs promotions that increase the earnings amounts to 8%, 10% or 15% above the base amount of 1%.
Items listed in the Bullion category and subcategories are ineligible for earning eBay Bucks. However, many reputable dealers will list bullion products for sale in alternate categories that do earn eBay Bucks.
Towards the end of the first month of the quarter eBay will sometimes run a Bucks promotion. During this time it’s possible to double-dip. If you have eBay Bucks to spend you can earn additional promo Bucks if you spend your accrued Bucks on eligible items.
Earned eBay Bucks can be spent on anything, including silver and gold bullion.
There are a bunch of different ways to leverage eBay Bucks when stacking silver and gold.
Some people will find items that earn the maximum amount of Bucks per transaction ($100) on items that are being sold for close to melt value (such as $20 Gold Double-Eagles) that can be flipped easily for more than melt value. Then leverage the earned Bucks to buy whatever they want. This is similar to credit card churning. If you have a rewards credit card that earns 2%-5% cash back on these types of transactions that adds a bit more.
eBay Bucks can also be used to offset the cost of regular bullion purchases. For example, let’s say you regularly purchase 20 Francs Gold Coins. These can often be found on eBay for around 5% premium. So if melt is around $280, you can find them on eBay from major dealers for around $295. During a 10% Bucks promotion you’d earn $29.50 in Bucks on that purchase. If you regularly purchase 2 coins a month during the earnings period while 10% promotions are running you’d earn $59 in Bucks each month, or $118 during the 2nd two month period of the quarter.
Your out of pocket cost for the 4 coins is $1180 and you earned $118 in Bucks credit.
During the first month of the following quarter, use the $118 in eBay Bucks credit to offset the cost of 2 additional 20 Francs coins. The cost of 2 coins could be $590 minus the $118 in credit for an out of pocket cost of $472.
All together, you’ve spent $1652 on (6) 20 Francs coins, which is roughly $275 per coin. This all assumes that the price of gold remains relatively flat the whole time, your average cost per coin is $5 below melt.