Oct 26, 2010 13:31 GMT  ·  By

Groupon is one of the rising stars of Silicon Valley and may very well be the fastest growing company in history. While its growth may or may not be sustainable, it does seem to be doing all the right things, the latest being a partnership with eBay, the very site many are comparing it to.

It's not a deep reaching partnership, but it does get Groupon deals on the auctions and e-commerce site.

A new Groupon landing page has been set up which will feature deals that may interest the specific user, based on location.

What's more, any purchases from the Groupon eBay section will earn the users eBay Bucks through the site's cashback program. 5 percent of the purchase price gets converted to eBay Bucks.

“This affiliation blends the unbeatable deals and unique experiences of Groupon with the depth and breadth of merchandise on eBay,” Sean Smyth, VP of Business Development at Groupon, said.

“Now, shoppers can connect with the best local businesses in their area with the bonus of earning eBay Bucks,” he added.

“Teaming up with Groupon allows us to surface deals tailored specifically to eBay users and then reward them for shopping,” Kurt Apen, Senior Director Loyalty and Consumer Marketing at eBay, said.

Groupon's simple yet very effective model has proven highly successful. The site is aimed at small and medium-sized local businesses. It offers shoppers significant discounts which come in effect only after a set number of people have agreed to buy.

The simple idea works wonders and been very well received by users and businesses alike. Groupon can bring in a large number of new customers for smaller companies.

The partnership with eBay doesn't really do anything beyond getting Groupon deals on the auctions site. Still, the new exposure could prove a boost for the deals site. For the user, the attraction is the eBay rewards program. Most likely though, the partnership will be expanded later.