👥 What Is Max Bidding?
Max Bidding allows bidders to set the highest amount they're willing to pay for an item. The system then automatically bids on their behalf—only when needed—without revealing their maximum bid to others. It’s a convenient way for bidders to stay competitive without constantly watching the auction.=
This is sometimes referred to as Auto Bid in the admin panel.
⚙️ How Max Bidding Works for Bidders
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On the bidding site, click Bid/Set Max on an item
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Enter the maximum amount you’re willing to spend
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Click Set Max
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The system will now automatically bid in increments until your max is reached
Only the bidder sees their max bid. Other bidders will only see the current leading bid, not that a max is in place.
🚫 What Happens If Another Bidder Tries to Bid?
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The system will automatically outbid any regular bids placed below the max
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The second bidder will immediately see a red error message saying:
"Sorry, the next available bid is now ____. Please try a higher bid."
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No outbid text message is sent to the person with the max bid since the system knows they're already winning
🧠 What Does “Auto” Mean in the Admin?
To check if a bidder used Max Bidding:
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Go to Bidders > Manage Bidders
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Click the "has bids" link on the far right
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Look at the Bid Type column
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Auto = The system placed the bid for a bidder using Max Bidding
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Regular = The bidder manually entered their bid
🤔 Can Two Bidders Have the Same Bid Amount?
Yes, but here's how it's handled:
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If Bidder A sets a Max Bid of $80
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And Bidder B tries to place a Regular Bid of $80
→ The system awards the bid to Bidder A (who entered their max bid first)
Even though both amounts are $80, Bidder A will win due to earlier placement of the max bid.
🔧 How to Turn Off Max Bidding
If you prefer not to use this feature:
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Go to Software Settings
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Click Auction Settings
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Select General Event Details
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Toggle Max Bidding = Off
📝 Example Scenario:
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Bidder #105 sets a max bid of $80
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Bidder #106 tries to bid $80 manually
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Bidder #106 gets a red message:
“Sorry, the next available bid is now $85. Please try a higher bid.” -
Bidder #105 is shown as the winner at $80 (with Bid Type: Auto)