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Using an EA Cash Card - A How To Guide
smashbridges20
Posts: 7,397 Member
How to use an EA Cash Card:
So you’ve decided to buy an EA Cash Card! Congratulations! You are on your way to not having to use your credit card to purchase SimPoints or EA Games online!
Since you have a Sims 3 account, you should also have a corresponding Origin account – this part is very important. The accounts must be linked in order for this to work correctly.
You can redeem the cash card on The Sims 3 site, but I would advise you instead to redeem the card where the card says it should be redeemed – at http://www.eacashcard.com which will ask you if you’d like to redeem the card for POGO products or for EA Products. You want to redeem your card for EA Products, so click that button. That will bring you to https://activate.ea.com/retailCode.do
**UPDATE** I have been informed that http://www.eacashcard.com no longer is functional. Please go directly to: https://activate.ea.com/retailCode.do
Here you will sign in with your (universal) EA/Origin login – should be the same as what you use to log into the Sims 3 site. Then enter the code that is on the back of the card (should be a scratch off to reveal the code.)
You can add as many cards here as you possess and they will all go into your EA Wallet which on the Sims site is called your EA Account Balance.
You can use this balance on the Sims site to purchase SimPoint Bundles (including World Bundles - more on this further down) or on Origin for SimPoint Bundles (not including World Bundles) or for Games as well. For many states, the Sims site charges tax on the purchase, but Origin does not. They offer the same level of points in the bundles, but again do not offer World Bundles, they also do not offer the mystery bonus item that comes with getting a bundle on the Sims site.
You should be able to see your EA Account Balance almost immediately. If you purchase points from Origin there will be a short delay to see the points you've purchased.
If you are purchasing points from the site or from Origin, choose your bundle and when you go to check out, choose “Pay with your EA Account Balance” which will then also tell you the balance on your account. Please note! Your balance must meet or exceed your purchase amount. You cannot use your account balance and a different method of payment. This is true for Origin as well as the Sims site.
If you would like to purchase a World Bundle with your EA Cash Card, follow the steps above to redeem your card(s) and add them to your EA Account Balance.
Then instead of going to the World page to pick out your world and purchase the bundle, go to the store page to purchase SimPoints. https://store.thesims3.com/buysimpoints?execution=e1s1
From here, you can select the world of your choice and when you go to check out, just as above, choose “Pay with your EA Account Balance” which will then also tell you what that balance is. Please note! Your balance must meet or exceed your purchase amount. You cannot use your account balance and a different method of payment.
There is also an option if you are left with an odd amount left-over in your EA Account Balance (or if you’d just prefer) to “Redeem entire EA Account Balance for SimPoints (including tax)” which I have only ever seen on the Sims site, not in Origin.
In addition to the above options for purchasing SimPoints (regular bundles and World bundles), you can also use your EA Account Balance to pre-order games, purchase games that have already been released and nearly anything else that is available on Origin. Since your EA Account balance is treated like a gift card or cash, it can be combined with discounts, promotions and coupons as well.
On a slightly more personal note, there is a website called Ebates that gives you cash back for shopping online. As of this post (June 2013) nearly anything you buy on Origin.com will reward you with 6% cash back.
ETA: EA Cash Cards/Game Cards are available from these fine retailers (per the EA Game Cards website):
So you’ve decided to buy an EA Cash Card! Congratulations! You are on your way to not having to use your credit card to purchase SimPoints or EA Games online!
Since you have a Sims 3 account, you should also have a corresponding Origin account – this part is very important. The accounts must be linked in order for this to work correctly.
You can redeem the cash card on The Sims 3 site, but I would advise you instead to redeem the card where the card says it should be redeemed – at http://www.eacashcard.com which will ask you if you’d like to redeem the card for POGO products or for EA Products. You want to redeem your card for EA Products, so click that button. That will bring you to https://activate.ea.com/retailCode.do
**UPDATE** I have been informed that http://www.eacashcard.com no longer is functional. Please go directly to: https://activate.ea.com/retailCode.do
Here you will sign in with your (universal) EA/Origin login – should be the same as what you use to log into the Sims 3 site. Then enter the code that is on the back of the card (should be a scratch off to reveal the code.)
You can add as many cards here as you possess and they will all go into your EA Wallet which on the Sims site is called your EA Account Balance.
You can use this balance on the Sims site to purchase SimPoint Bundles (including World Bundles - more on this further down) or on Origin for SimPoint Bundles (not including World Bundles) or for Games as well. For many states, the Sims site charges tax on the purchase, but Origin does not. They offer the same level of points in the bundles, but again do not offer World Bundles, they also do not offer the mystery bonus item that comes with getting a bundle on the Sims site.
You should be able to see your EA Account Balance almost immediately. If you purchase points from Origin there will be a short delay to see the points you've purchased.
If you are purchasing points from the site or from Origin, choose your bundle and when you go to check out, choose “Pay with your EA Account Balance” which will then also tell you the balance on your account. Please note! Your balance must meet or exceed your purchase amount. You cannot use your account balance and a different method of payment. This is true for Origin as well as the Sims site.
If you would like to purchase a World Bundle with your EA Cash Card, follow the steps above to redeem your card(s) and add them to your EA Account Balance.
Then instead of going to the World page to pick out your world and purchase the bundle, go to the store page to purchase SimPoints. https://store.thesims3.com/buysimpoints?execution=e1s1
From here, you can select the world of your choice and when you go to check out, just as above, choose “Pay with your EA Account Balance” which will then also tell you what that balance is. Please note! Your balance must meet or exceed your purchase amount. You cannot use your account balance and a different method of payment.
There is also an option if you are left with an odd amount left-over in your EA Account Balance (or if you’d just prefer) to “Redeem entire EA Account Balance for SimPoints (including tax)” which I have only ever seen on the Sims site, not in Origin.
In addition to the above options for purchasing SimPoints (regular bundles and World bundles), you can also use your EA Account Balance to pre-order games, purchase games that have already been released and nearly anything else that is available on Origin. Since your EA Account balance is treated like a gift card or cash, it can be combined with discounts, promotions and coupons as well.
On a slightly more personal note, there is a website called Ebates that gives you cash back for shopping online. As of this post (June 2013) nearly anything you buy on Origin.com will reward you with 6% cash back.
ETA: EA Cash Cards/Game Cards are available from these fine retailers (per the EA Game Cards website):
-
7-Eleven
-
Best Buy
-
Blockbuster
-
Gamestop
-
Safeway
-
Target
-
Toys R Us
-
Wal*Mart
1
Comments
This should be stickied! ^_^
A Showcasing and Sharing Community.
Seconded
As a fyi to anybody in Colorado, it's one of the states where tax isn't added on origin or the sims site!
I very much appreciate the feedback and an excited that it's all positive! thank you to everyone who has posted sofar!
* hugsall around *
I think you are simply wonderful to take the time to create this cash card tutorial for your fellow simmers *hugs*
I love that this site is filled with warm, kind and helpful people
I'm in Colorado and it Always takes tax, about .75 cents per $20 cash card.
Also you can buy the EA cash cards at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.
your tax rate is crazy low.
my tax rate is close to 10% (9.8% on nearly everything. hotels are always higher of course.) I would love to have .75 on a $20 purchase!
jD001
They should sticky this!
Happy Simming!
Definitely needed instructions ;D
A Showcasing and Sharing Community.
Really? Are you sure? I've never been taxed when buying them in store or when buying bundles. The only time I had tax taken out was when I did the bottom option to redeem your whole EA account balance and it states you will be taxed and even the last time I did that I wasn't taxed. I bought the DV gold bundle and it cost me exactly $35.00.
No the physical store I bought the card at doesn't take tax. And I have never bought a simpoint bundle. The option to use the EA card to buy it wasn't available before, at least that is how I and a lot of other people understood it.
Thanks so much
Blessings,
MissCee
MissCee
A Showcasing and Sharing Community.
I never get taxed either. Not from Target where I always buy the cards and not from the store when I purchase the simpoint bundle. I live in Southern CA. Like Trouble1122 said, the only time they tried charging me for taxes is when I chose the "redeem entire EA account balance" option. I did not proceed when I saw they where going to charge me taxes, went back to the beginning and chose the bundle I wanted and then in the next screen chose to pay with my EA balance and then it did not charge me taxes. I have no idea why it dose that, but it's that way for me.
They stickied this thread... hopefully this will help alot of people out!
Origin ID: Tiki5872
A Showcasing and Sharing Community.