PayPal’s First Promotion Dangles Instant Cash Prices

PayPal, an online payment service, has unveiled its first consumer promotion awarding new and old customers who activate PayPal Mobile accounts with cash prizes.

The Mobile Mystery Instant-Win Game rewards consumers with cash prizes of up to $1,000. Consumers have until June 5 to enter at PayPal.com/mobile. Participants are also entered into a grand-prize drawing for a BMW 325i Sedan. Two first prizes of a trip for two to a Faith Hill/Tim McGraw Soul2Soul 2 concert will be awarded. The prize includes round trip airfare, hotel accommodations and pre-show passes to the concert.

PayPal Mobile is a new text message-based service that allows customers to buy products via text message from merchants who offer text-to-buy as a purchase option. To make purchases, customers enter product codes on their cell phones and send a text message to PayPal. The cost of the item is then deducted from the customer’s account.

The cash value of the more than 45,000 instant-win prizes in the promotion will be credited to consumers’ PayPal accounts.

Strobe Promotions, Hicksville, NY, handles the game administration.

PayPal has 100 million account members worldwide. The San Jose, CA-based company is owned by eBay, Inc.

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