eBay is giving away 25 million flybuys points
Here's how to get a chance at those points (and the best way to spend them).
This is definitely worth having a crack at: eBay is running a promotion which will see it give away a total of 25 million flybuys points over October.
The randomly-drawn major prize winner will score 5 million flybuys points. Then 10 runners-up will receive 1 million points each, while another 100 will receive 100,000 points each.
To enter the draw, you need to link your flybuys and eBay accounts (which you can do from this page on eBay). Once linked, you'll earn 1 flybuys point for each $2 you spend on eBay.
If you haven't previously linked your accounts, you'll receive 5 entries in the prize draw. You can also receive an additional 5 entries if you sign up for eBay Plus, eBay's subscription service that offers free shipping. Beyond that, you'll receive 1 entry for each $25 you spend on eBay during October 2018.
Our standing advice at Points Finder is always to convert your flybuys points into Velocity Points. For 2,000 flybuys points, you can get 870 Velocity points (learn more in our detailed flybuys guide). This is how many points each of the three major prizes in this promotion converts to.
| flybuys points | Velocity Points |
|---|---|
| 5,000,000 | 2,175,000 |
| 1,000,000 | 435,000 |
| 100,000 | 43,500 |
eBay is valuing the 5 million points giveaway at $25,000, which is based on 2,000 points scoring a $10 off voucher at Coles. However, if you convert into Velocity Points, the value can be much higher.
For instance, a one-way first-class trip on Etihad from Sydney to London requires 203,000 Velocity Points, and typically costs around $6,800. With 5 million flybuys points, you could book 10 of those trips for a total value of $68,000. Even allowing for the $300 Etihad booking charge for each reward seat, you'd get far more dollar value from your points this way than through supermarket savings.
It's sensible to be realistic. With more than 8 million Australians signed up to flybuys, your chances of winning that major prize aren't enormous. But if you'll be making a purchase on eBay during October anyway, then you might as well be in the running.
Angus Kidman's Findings column looks at new developments and research that help you save money, make wise decisions and enjoy your life more. It appears regularly on finder.com.au.
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