deadly_silence
So when you get your step 2 email, you just wait for an approval with a new bill email?

Yes, in step 2 they are checking your receipt and serial number to make sure you qualify for the step up program.  After that, in step 3 they notify you to check your "my products" page for the price they are giving you credit for the gpu you currently own, and then the taxes, shipping, and current price of the gpu you are stepping up to.  This will complete your payment portion of the process and you are able to see the breakdown of costs related to the step up.
 
Just a reminder that the max credit they will give you for the gpu you currently own is the msrp of the gpu at the time of your purchase.  I paid a little over the msrp and they credited me only the MSRP as stated in their guidelines for the step up.  
 
It should only take a couple of days for step 2 to pass.  Once you make the payment as part of step 3, they will send you a email with your RMA instructions.  You should already be finding a adequate box with 2" of clearance on each side of the gpu box you currently have.   Also I would find good packing material to send it back to them with.  Also, the shipping options you need to figure out as well.  UPS has a promo going right now where it saved me about 50 bucks off the overnight shipping charges.  Still cost me close to a hundred to ship mines from where we live overnight am delivery to EVGA, but it still saved me a bit.  The next day am verse the two day air was a little over 50 bucks difference so it was worth it to me if EVGA can process his replacement and get it back to us before the weekend since UPS doesn't delivery on the weekends.  

I shipped mines Friday morning and it arrived at EVGA according to UPS this morning at 10am.  Now waiting for it to be inspected and accepted and once that is completed for EVGA to ship out his replacement gpu.  
 
 

I got the shipping box and the retail box they sent my gpu in. So I assume that will be adequate enough to ship it back in.

Hope I didn't screw up uploading the invoice back in January. It's been 3 hours since I received the step 2 email hopefully I get another email today.

deadly_silence
I got the shipping box and the retail box they sent my gpu in. So I assume that will be adequate enough to ship it back in.

Hope I didn't screw up uploading the invoice back in January. It's been 3 hours since I received the step 2 email hopefully I get another email today.

If you bought your gpu directly from EVGA, the box could be small.  In the RMA instructions it states that the box you send your old gpu back to them in should have atleast 2" of space on all sides to allow packing material to protect the GPU.  But, when they (EVGA) sends you a gpu many times it does not have the same 2" of space they say it should have. My 3090 FTW3 box came with basically no packing material from them and this was obtained through the step up program with EVGA.  I also got a Kingpin through the queue system and even that had very little to packaging around it as well.  
 
The reason I bring this up in the event your box is damaged by the shipping agent, you don't want to give EVGA any reason to reject your RMA.  One cause you already spent a bunch of money sending the GPU back to them, the other being that you will have lost out on your chance to step up to a higher GPU.  I would test fit the EVGA gpu box into the box your gpu was sent to you in. If it has the 2" of space around all sides, then you are good to go if you have packing material.  If not, it's a gamble to have to take if you don't want to find another box to ship it back to them in.  
 
I think I've seen a couple posts related to rma's for repairs and step ups rejected by EVGA because the boxes used by the consumer did not protect the gpu well enough and EVGA returned the item unfixed or without the step up making it a more costly and time consuming repair since the user had to hash it out with EVGA customer service.  In the end, I believe it worked out for the consumer due to EVGA's usually excellent customer service but do you really want to go through those delays and additional costs related to shipping the gpu back and forth.  

Happy to report I got my 3080 delivered today! They received my 3060ti on the 27th and the 3080 was shipped out the next day on the 28th. I paid for 2-day shipping.

Wooo love all the movement the last month. One month out!

My son's 3080FTW3 Ultra is on it's way to us.  EVGA got the 3070 xc3 on November 1, 2021 and mailed out the step up 3080 on November 2, 2021.  
 
Thank you very much EVGA!  

Getting closer and closer now. My step 3 was on October 29 and I just paid for step 4 and I’m now waiting to be pushed to step 5.

Curious to know where the step up GPU’s are shipped from?

Shredpirate
Getting closer and closer now. My step 3 was on October 29 and I just paid for step 4 and I’m now waiting to be pushed to step 5.

Curious to know where the step up GPU’s are shipped from?

I think  from california, they have their headquarters & also it is nearby to port.

Brea isn't exactly close to the Port of Long Beach but still pretty close considering its right above Fullerton and Anaheim.

Received my 3080 FTW Ultra Gaming today. Fits in my case with mere millimeters to spare. Had to reroute a few cables as it wouldn't seat into the PCI slot fully and my PC wouldn't POST. 
 
All is well now. Looking forward to getting back into VR! It's been a long wait! 
 
Thanks EVGA!