Currently 8% Working search terms: xp.
(note: you may have to refresh the page several times to get the discount to come up. second note: if you're having major issues, use IE)

New: The # of times you can use CashBack per eBay account has been raised from 20 to 40.

Microsoft's live.com CashBack is now "Bing CashBack". See the announcement here.
Live.com references are now redirecting to bing.com.

Useful links:
Bing.com's "how Bing Search CashBack" works":link.
Bing.com's "CashBack FAQ": link.
Live.com CashBack terms: link.
eBay CashBack terms: link.
Microsoft's Bing search team blog: link.
Fatwallet thread on denied CashBack: link.
CashBackr a webpage that purports to show you CashBack % for different search terms (ymmv): link.
A twitter site that updates with current CashBack % and terms: link
eBay 'insider deals' page: link.
Microsoft's new 'SearchPerks' program faq: link.

FAQ (please see also live.com's expanded CashBack FAQ here.)

Note: These answers were believed correct at the time they were written but YMMV. Microsoft and eBay can change the terms of the program at any time, be sure to check the eBay CashBack terms (here) and live.com's CashBack terms (here) (in the event of a conflict note that eBay's terms override live.com's terms).

1) What is this program?
This is Microsoft's bing.com giving you CashBack for Buy-It-Now purchases you make on eBay.

2) How much do I get back?
It's a percentage of the item price you buy (theychange the amount occasionally), the current CashBack percentage is listed at the top of this quick summary, along with bing.com search terms that yield that percentage.

3) What steps do I have to follow to get the CashBack?
In summary, you: do a search on bing.com that pulls up a CashBack discount link to eBay, use that link to go to eBay, find a buy-it-now item you want to buy, buy it, pay with PayPal. eBay then sends you a link telling you you have CashBack and you use that link to create a bing.com CashBack account. In 60 days you can request your CashBack and in 7 or so additional days it's sent to your paypal account.

4) Can you give me step by step instructions on how to do this?
1 - Go to eBay.com and log onto your eBay account.
2 - Find an item you want to buy (it MUST have a Buy it now option with paypal).
3 - Add that item to your watch list.
4 - Click on one of the working search terms listed above or go to bing.com and enter a search term that works.
5 - Click on the line in the highlighted box that says "You may get 30%(or 25% or 20% - whatever the current amount is) with PayPal if eligible". This will take you to eBay. You should see the CashBack banner at the top of the eBay page.
6 - Now that you are in eBay go to My eBay here and look at items on your watchlist.
7 - Click on the watchlist item you want to buy.
8 - Click on 'Buy it now'.
9 - Before 'Committing to Buy', be sure the CashBack details are shown on the lower left of the screen with the proper percentage and dollar value (maximum $200).
10 - Check out and pay with Paypal.
11 - You will receive a "you have CashBack" message from eBay (usually in under an hour, longer for purchases using third-party-checkouts). Click on that message to go to an existing or create a new live.com account. (you only have to do this for the first purchase in an eBay account).

5) When will the CashBack percentage change?
Good question (please don't ask in the thread). If you know the answer tell the rest of us.

6) What are the limits for CashBack?
They're $200 per transaction and a maximum of 40 transactions lifetime per eBay account (recently increased from 20), $2500 total (eBay & other merchants) per bing account per calendar year. Note that if you reach the 40 transaction limit in an eBay account you can create an additional eBay account (you may create as many eBay accounts as you wish, but you need a unique email address for each account you create) and use the same paypal account and bing account - this is permitted by the CashBack rules (you still can't exceed the $2,500 annual total cap).

7) Is the "40 online sessions per account" limit per calendar year or regardless of the time period?
It's apparently for the life of the program, regardless of the time period.
From the eBay CashBack terms (here):
"The Microsoft Live Search CashBack Program provides CashBack for up to 40 qualifying purchases per account on www.eBay.com."
Note that they could have added "per year" or "annually" several places in the above clause but they didn't. Users that try doing an ebay transaction past the limit receive the following message:
"Sorry, you have exceeded the maximum lifetime limits for this program and are no longer eligible."

8) What happens if I exceed the $2,500 calendar year CashBack cap?
It depends. If a single purchase puts you over the cap (from the live.com CashBack FAQ here):
"if a single purchase causes you to meet and also exceed this cap, you can still earn all the CashBack savings associated with that purchase, provided that all other eligibility requirements are met."
If you make purchases once you're over the cap (from the live.com CashBack terms here ):
"You will not earn CashBack rewards on purchases where ... (h) you exceed the annual monetary cap on CashBack rewards."
A FWer reported that they emailed CashBack support and received the following concerning overages:
"You can still keep shoping and earn CashBack , simply you just can not cashout your earning until that calandar year is up."
implying that you would still earn CashBack over the $2,500 cap but just couldn't get the extra until the next calendar year, but this interpretation cannot be found in any of the live.com documents online. Recent information indicates that the $2,500 per year cap is being fully enforced, and any attempts at earning CashBack over that amount in a calendar year are being rejected.
Note that there is some evidence that Microsoft is not counting any CashBack earned before the $2500 cap was put in place against the cap.

9) How do I make sure an item I want to buy is eligible for CashBack?
First go to the item you are interested in buying. Make sure you have the CashBack banner showing at the top of the page. Click "Buy it Now" (you won't be committing to buy at this point).
If there are multiple quantities of the item you will get the quantity-selection page which you must also click through. At this point you will be at the "commit to buy" page. If the item isn't eligible for CashBack you should see:
"Sorry, this item is not eligible for CashBack".
If the item is eligible for CashBack you'll see the actual CashBack you will receive on the lower left of your screen.

10) Can I search for something say "Wii" and buy something else on eBay and still get CashBack?
Yes.

11) Are items that use third-party-checkouts eligible for CashBack?
The answer is now yes, although they didn't used to be. eBay removed the exclusion for third-party-checkouts from their terms and eBay stores that didn't previously work with CashBack like 'buy' and 'cametaauctions' now do. When you checkout with an item using a third-party checkout you now see "This item is eligible for CashBack, but this seller doesn't use eBay checkout. Since you won't be completing your purchase on eBay, it's very important that you remember to pay with PayPal."
"After you pay with PayPal and complete checkout, go to your Messages in My eBay for additional instructions. It may take a few days for this message to appear. Your CashBack will be available in your PayPal account in approximately 60 days."
Note that per the above purchases from sellers using third-party-checkouts are apparently not eligible for instant-CashBack, you'll have to wait the full 60 days, and that it will probably take longer for the CashBack to show up in your live.com account than for purchases from sellers using eBay's checkout (there are reports of it taking 24-48 hours to show up). Also since third party-checkout CashBack involves a more complicated procedure things are more likely to go wrong so it might be a good idea to take a screen-shot of the final screen before you pay so you have some evidence to email in case you don't get the CashBack you've earned.

12) Can I buy multiple quantities of something (for ex. 3 Wii for $1000) in the same auction and get CashBack?
Yes, purchasing a multiple quantity of something in a single buy-it-now auction counts as a single transaction and the maximum CashBack you can get for the total purchase is $200. In the example here for the purchase of the 3 Wiis in the same auction you'd get $200 CashBack. If you purchased 3 widgets at $100 each in a single auction and CashBack was 25% you'd get 3*100*25% = $75 CashBack.

13) Are eBay Motors purchases eligible for CashBack?
Yes. There used to be problems with eBay motors purchases not registering on Live during the beginning of the promotion but this is fixed now. Note that "purchases of automobiles or other vehicles" are not eligible for CashBack.

14) How long does it take for the CashBack to show up as pending?
From the live.com CashBack FAQ (here) "Most CashBack rewards appear as pending within a day or two, but occasionally a store may take longer to tell us about an eligible purchase. If you made a purchase more than two days ago that isn't displayed in your CashBack account, contact us with your purchase details. We'll get back to you just as soon as we can".

15) Can an eBay seller tell that I've used Bing.com CashBack on an item I've purchased from them?
Yes. The seller can see that you've used CashBack on their "Order Details" page.

16) If I make an offer on a "Buy it Now or Best Offer" auction can I get Bing.com CashBack?
No. Bing.com CashBack doesn't work with the "Best Offer" option. You will either have to use the "Buy it Now" option on the auction or ask the seller to make a new "Buy it Now" auction at youroffer price. Some sellers will, some won't bother.

17) Do "Second Chance" Buy-It-Now offers wok with CashBack?
Yes.

18) Can I have more than one eBay account linked to the same Bing CashBack account? Can I use the same paypal account for all my eBay accounts?
Yes. Yes.

19) How does the CashBack link to your Bing account?
When you make a CashBack eligible purchase eBay sends you email telling you that you have CashBack. When you click on the link in that email from your initial purchase and you either create a Bing account or log into an existing one your Bing account is then linked to your eBay and PayPal accounts. Once you link an eBay account to a Bing account by clicking the eBay message you get with your first CashBack purchase you cannot change the association, every following purchase from that eBay account will go the linked Bing account (and you don't have to click on the eBay message for subsequent purchases).

20) Does your Microsoft CashBack email (Bing.com login) have to be the same as your eBay account?
No, it can be anything.

21) Does Bing.com CashBack work for eBay auction items?
No, it only works for "Buy It Now" (BIN) items and only when you pay with Paypal. (Note that third party checkouts now _do_ qualify for CashBack but you must pay via PayPal).

22) Can I get CashBack for purchasing a gift card on eBay?
Yes. Although the Microsoft CashBack terms exclude store giftcards, the eBay CashBack terms allow them (and override the general Microsoft terms):
"Purchases on eBay.com of gift certificates, gift cards and items acquired for resale will be eligible for CashBack Rewards."
Note that eBay limits giftcards to maximum $500 face value. If you happen to purchase a giftcard of greater than $500 facevalue on eBay, eBay likely will cancel the auction retroactively.
Also there is a (now slight) chance eBay will retroactively cancel an auction if you pay over $500 for a giftcard with facevalue of $500 or less.
Note that buying a store gift card/certificate on eBay has certain risks. You could receive a card with a balance less than the one you paid for, or receive a card that was filled using a stolen credit card which could result in the store coming after you after you've used the card to purchase merchandise. To protect yourself consider paying for your PayPal purchase using a credit card that allows you file a chargeback for non-delivery, and not buying a gift card/certificate unless you intend to use it shortly after you get it.

23) If eBay cancels the Buy-It-Now "auction" for the item retroactively will I still get my CashBack?
Whether or not you get your CashBack seems to be controlled by the fate of the PayPal payment and not the auction.
If the seller refunds the money to you via PayPal you likely won't get the CashBack. If the seller goes through with the transaction you apparently will get the CashBack.

24) Will I lose my CashBack if the seller issues me a partial refund?
Possibly. Partial PayPal refunds from a seller on a CashBack transaction seem to trigger a rejection of CashBack in many cases. This includes cases in which a seller is giving you a partial refund for a combined-shipping discount or a partial refund for shipping damage or other similar cases. From the live.com CashBack faq:
"If you return, cancel, or exchange part or all of a purchase, the store may reverse your purchase with us, and we won't be able to pay you any CashBack savings from that transaction".
If the seller issues you a refund by sending you a separate PayPal payment this apparently avoids the problem. (see the discussion thread here).

25) Do I have to pay immediately for my Buy-It-Now auction purchase to be eligible for CashBack?
How long you have to pay is determined by the seller. Check the item's listing for the seller's terms.
Note that the seller can file an "unpaid" dispute with eBay after 7 days have elapsed.
Note also that if the Buy-It-Now specifies "Immediate Payment Required", you must pay immediately.

26) How do I get my rewarded CashBack actually paid to my PayPal account?
Under the new Bing.com system CashBack is automatically paid to the PayPal account that you used to make the eBay purchase. The payment is made either instantly or 60 days after purchase (plus another approximately 7 days while the payment is pending). For CashBack transactions before the new system you have to specifically request your payment in your Bing.com account after the 60 waiting period has elapsed.
Note that there are no PayPal fees (personal or business account) associated with the payment.

27) Why is some CashBack paid instantly paid to my paypal account instead of having to wait 60 days?
We're not really sure how it's decided to pay some CashBack instantly. From the Bing.com Cashcack FAQ (here):
"When you make a purchase that is eligible for CashBack on eBay using PayPal, PayPal might decide that your CashBack reward is eligible for immediate deposit (see eBay's terms and conditions). For these rewards, check the PayPal account that you used to make the purchase, and see your CashBack! For eBay purchases that are not rewarded immediately, your reward will be deposited automatically after 60 days to the PayPal account you used to make the purchase. If you decide to return your purchase with CashBack that was rewarded immediately, PayPal will reverse the CashBack reward."
Someone reported receiving email from eBay customer service containing the following:
If you are a repeat CashBack customer, you'll probably get an "instant CashBack rebate" deposited to your PayPal account within a day ... instant CashBack isn't possible for third party checkout.
Also, someone posted the following on another forum:
"eBay/Live Search CashBack V2 was launched yesterday. eBay and PayPal will determine if CashBack eligible purchases will receive either instant CashBack or will need to go through the 60 day pending period. Microsoft will not have a say in the decision. You will not know if the CashBack will be instant or pending until after the purchase. Another change is that all CashBack payment will automatically go to the PayPal account that was used to make the purchase.
No payment request is needed, everything will be done automatically. Instant CashBack will show in your PayPal account within minutes of making the purchase. Customer waiting the 60 days will have their CashBack automatically sent to their PayPal account when the pending period is over.
$200 CashBack per session and 12 session limit still applies. If a product is returned or if eBay/PayPal determines that CashBack is ineligible (return, cancellation, etc) after instant CashBack, PayPal will take back the CashBack from your account. This will cause a negative CashBack balance in your PayPal account."
From the livesearch team blog:
"When we asked users about the improvements they'd like us make to Live Search CashBack, many said they want to receive CashBack instantly instead of waiting for 60 days. Well, I'm happy to announce that we've just released the Instant CashBack feature with eBay. Instant CashBack will be eligible for some, but not all users. Eligible shoppers will be notified online after completing a purchase on eBay."

28) My CashBack on Bing.com is listed as 'pending', when will it actually show up on PayPal?
Bing.com seems to do most payments in batches on Fridays/Saturdays but occasionally payments have been made other times.

29) Do eBay/PayPal coupons stack with CashBack?
Yes. Although Microsoft's terms disallow CashBack when coupons are used eBay's terms allow them and override Microsoft's. The coupons stack fully with CashBack both the coupon and CashBack are applied to the full price of the item so the discount percentages add. Note that in general eBay/PayPal coupons only work if they are specifically sent to you, they are tied to your account.

30) Does CashBack work outside of the US?
According to the terms to get CashBack for a buy-it-now purchase you (the purchaser) must be a legal resident of the US - the seller however can be outside of the US. Many people have successfully earned CashBack purchasing items from non-us-based sellers. As always make sure the CashBack amount shows in the lower left of the screen when you check out.

31) Why can't I see the CashBack banner when I go to eBay?
Sometimes the banner disappears for a brief time while eBay or Bing.com is making changes. Try selecting a buy-it-now item and see if CashBack shows anyway. Try clearing your browser cookies and cache and quitting and restarting your browser. Some programs like Norton Internet Security or some browser add-ons like Adblock in Firefox can block banners, try disabling them during your eBay session. If you are accessing eBay from outside of the US, the banner may be disabled for you. You may need to use Internet Explorer if other browsers aren't showing the CashBack for you.

32) Is it possible to combine Fatwallet's eBay CashBack with Bing.com's CashBack?
Maybe. Some people have reported being able to do so using the following general technique:
You follow the normal procedure outlined above for purchasing your item with the Bing.com CashBack discount but you stop before paying for your item with PayPal.
You then open a new browser and go to the FatWallet CashBack page for eBay (here) and click through to eBay and complete your purchase by paying for your item with PayPal.
Possible better way to combine CashBack: Step 1- Go thru eBay BIN until the 'Confirm to buy' page. Make sure 'Confirm to buy' page shows Live.com CashBack. Do not buy immediately and leave the session open. Step 2- From Fatwallet, go to eBay thru Fatwallet's CashBack link. Copy the earlier 'Confirm to buy' URL from step 1 into the browser/tab session from FatWallet CashBack from step 2. Make sure the Live.com CashBack is shown on the page and continue to complete the transaction. You will get both CashBack.

33) I'm a TWC/RR customer and I'm unable to access the Get Cash Back button in My Message to create my account, what do I do?
1) Goto http://ww23.rr.com/prefs.php (or whatever redirection service is for your area). You can also find this out by typing tracert cashbackaccount.search.live.com on a cmd box and use the IP addresss of the last server hit.
2) Select disable redirection (this is the first option - web address redirection service).

34) Can I do live online chat with Bing.com or eBay customer support?
Bing(live).com used to have live online customer support chat but they eliminated it.
eBay still does, the link used to be on the first page but isn't there anymore. Apparently eBay is now screening their live chat requests - you have to log onto your eBay account then go to the 'contact us' page (here) and first use the "tell us about your issue" system after which the link to "chat with us" will magically appear in the "get in touch with us" box on the upper right.

35) My legitimate CashBack was denied, what do I do?
There's a new discussion thread on dealing with denied CashBack here, please read through it.
You can contact live.com at their email addresses: cashbk@microsoft.com (general) or cashteam@microsoft.com (management).
live.com CashBack has an online problem reporting form: here.
You can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau here.

36) What has the percent discount been in the past?
CashBackr has a graph of the discount percentage from Nov 30, 2008 to present here.

37) When I try to access live.com or live CashBack I now get bing.com and Bing CashBack. What happened?
Microsoft changed live CashBack to Bing CashBack with the release of their new bing.com search engine which replaced live.com (see the announcement here). The transition should be seamless. Your old live.com account login and password should still work and any CashBack transactions you had under live.com should be carried over without you having to take any action.

Edited by Moderator: Sorry, direct links to competitors sites are not allowed. Thanks for understanding.
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