It just about killed me to write the title to this post, but it’s true…I do love Microsoft right now. Let me explain why.

I’ve always been a frugal shopper online always using a variety of sites to research the best price and find special coupons and promotions. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you’ve found an amazing deal online.

I usually start out looking up the product I want to buy on Google Product Search and compare prices there first. If it’s a tech product I try to find refurbished models first. I have bought countless restaurant coupons on Restaurant.com (most of the time with 80% off coupons) and I always look up every online store on RetailMeNot or Coupon Cabin before I make a purchase.

But here’s the deal I’m really excited about at the moment.

As you may have heard, Microsoft launched Bing, a new search engine to compete with Google. In typical Microsoft fashion they decided that the quickest way to become the number one search engine was to throw tons of money at it. And so they launched Bing.com Cashback a couple of months ago.

Basically, if you use Bing to search for a product and find it at one of the Bing.com Cashback stores, you can save 5, 10 or even 25% off or more.

Using Bing Cashback to save 12% on Ebay

The Cashback deal I’m particularly excited about right now is on eBay. Bing is currently paying out 10% on all qualifying eBay purchases. Combine that with the eBay Bucks promotion that is currently paying 2% and you have the makings for some sweet deals.

(Note: to take advantage of this promotion you must have an eBay, PayPal and Bing.com Cashback account – all are free to set up)

Let’s see it in action. First, go to Bing.com and search for something. Let’s try a Nintendo Wii (note: I have had problems accessing Bing cashback on Firefox so I would recommend using Safari instead).

Look for the Bing Cashback symbol at the top next to the eBay link. You must enter eBay through this link in order for your Cashback purchase to be tracked.

Once you are on eBay look for the Microsoft Cashback button at the top of the page. This will let you know that any qualifying purchases will be added to your account. As you can see from the button, the two main conditions are that you must purchase a “Buy It Now” item and you must check out using PayPal. There are other conditions as well but those are the two main ones.

After clicking on the “Buy It Now only” tab and sorting by price from low to high, I’ve found several systems that would qualify. You’ll notice qualifying systems by the little Cashback icon next to it.

I clicked on the system I want and clicked the “Buy Now” button to begin the checkout and review the purchase (note: common sense eBay practices still apply – review the seller’s terms, make sure they have good feedback, etc.). Before I actually complete the transaction I’m able to review my order details. As you’ll see the Microsoft Cashback amount of 10% is showing. Since I already have an eBay Bucks account set up (also free) I get an additional 2% off as well.

With some smart shopping you’ll be able to find some really good deals. For example, in December I purchased a new 17″ MacBook Pro 2.8 Ghz on eBay using the Microsoft Cashback for $1,968 (no tax + free shipping). The same laptop with tax sells for $2,673 on Apple.com .

DISCLAIMER: I am not receiving any compensation from eBay, Microsoft or PayPal. These are my own experiences using the Microsoft Cashback program and may not reflect your actual experience. Please shop safely on eBay and take the necessary steps to avoid fraudulent sellers.

And so my friends, that is why I’m loving Microsoft right now. It may not have had the effect they were hoping for since I’m still using and will probably always use Google for my search engine. But in the meantime I’m happy to take their money. And remember, eBay is just one of the many stores participating in the Bing Cashback program right now.

Have you made any purchases online using Bing Cashback?