HiBid – Online-only timed events.

Other Auctions – Webcast, absentee bid, live in-person, or a combination.

Choose HiBid if you do not have an in-person audience.

Choose Other Auctions if any part of your event involves live bidding or absentee bids.

Changing this later can affect bidding format and registration, so finalize before you open bidding.

An internal alphanumeric code for tracking sales.

Useful for internal reference and reporting.

Keep codes short and consistent (e.g., 2025JANFINEART).

Use the same format for all auctions so reporting is easier.

Auto-filled from the name entered during the New Auction creation step.

Make the name descriptive and searchable — include key categories, location, or event type (e.g., Spring 2025 Firearms Auction – Springfield, IL).

Avoid vague titles like “Big Auction” — bidders search by keywords.

Provide a brief overview of the sale.

Include hype terms to encourage participation.

Summarize the type of auction and why it’s taking place.

Keep the first 1–2 sentences attention-grabbing for HiBid search results.

Include buyer-important details like pickup requirements or specialty items.

Avoid overloading with fine print — reserve that for Terms & Conditions.

Dates are auto-filled from those chosen during the New Auction creation step.

You can edit them if the schedule changes.

For online-only sales, allow at least 7–10 days from launch to close to maximize exposure.

Avoid ending during major holidays or big events when bidders may be distracted.

Double-check your time zone to avoid confusion for online bidders.

Overrides lot-specific tax settings.

Makes all items in the auction tax-exempt.

Common for charity auctions or situations where no tax applies.

Only use this for auctions that are 100% tax-exempt.

If some items are taxable and others are not, control tax settings at the lot level instead.

Always confirm with your local tax authority before making the auction tax-free.

Defaults to USD or the currency defined by your browser’s regional settings.

This setting is label-only — AuctionFlex 360 does not perform currency conversions.

Clearly state in your Terms that currency is non-converted if you have international bidders.

If selling internationally, consider listing approximate conversion rates in the lot descriptions.

Defaults to 1 for live, in-person bidders.

Adjust if you use pre-assigned or reserved numbers.

If using pre-printed bid cards, match this number to your lowest unused card number.

Avoid duplicate bid card numbers between in-person and online bidders.

Displays in the Auction Information section on HiBid.

No character limit.

Include payment terms, pickup details, and any policies buyers should know.

Clearly state payment deadlines and pickup requirements.

Avoid legal jargon — write in plain language so bidders can’t claim misunderstanding.

Update regularly to reflect policy or law changes.

Briefly describe your BP percentage and how it affects final prices.

Especially helpful for bidders new to auctions.

Always list the percentage and whether it applies before or after tax.

Example: “15% Buyer’s Premium applied to all bids. Sales tax applies after premium.”

Consistency between your short BP explanation and Terms is crucial.

The address entered here will display on HiBid for the auction location.

Leave blank to default to the address in Company Information.

Useful for off-site auctions or multiple locations.

For security, use a pickup address rather than your office if they’re different.

Always verify Google Maps formatting so bidders can find the location easily.

Include pickup hours in your Terms, not just the street address.

No Shipping Offered – No items in this auction can be shipped.

Shipping Offered on All Lots – Every item in the auction can be shipped.

Shipping Determined by Lot – Shipping is set on a per-lot basis by the auctioneer.

Use No Shipping Offered for large equipment, heavy items, or strictly local pickups.

Use Shipping Offered on All Lots for small, shippable merchandise to set clear expectations.

Use Shipping Determined by Lot when your sale has a mix of easily shipped and pickup-only items.

If using per-lot shipping, clearly mark each lot as “Shipping Available” or “Pickup Only” in the description.

Always disclose shipping carrier(s), estimated timelines, and costs in your Terms to avoid disputes.

Assign shipping charges to a dedicated “Shipping Income” account for cleaner reporting.

If using a handling fee, separate it from the shipping cost to make accounting and tax reporting easier.

Fixed – A flat dollar amount per lot (e.g., $5 per lot).

Percent – A percentage of the lot’s hammer price (e.g., 3% of hammer price).

Flat fees work best for standard-sized items.

Percentage fees can help offset costs for high-value items requiring special packing.

Be transparent — clearly list handling charges in both lot descriptions and Terms & Conditions.

Avoid “surprise” charges after bidding; undisclosed fees can result in bidder disputes or chargebacks.

Default Behavior – If no lots are marked as featured and no images are uploaded here, the auction thumbnail rotates through images of all lots whenever the page is refreshed or changed.

Featured Lots – If certain lots are marked as featured, only those lot images are rotated in the thumbnail.

Uploaded Featured Images – If images are uploaded directly into the Featured Images section, the thumbnail rotates only through those uploaded images (ignoring all lot images).

Use high-quality, eye-catching images to attract clicks from the HiBid category pages.

If your auction includes a wide range of items, feature a mix of them to represent the overall sale.

Avoid text-heavy images — clean, well-lit photography performs best on HiBid.

Keep branding consistent (e.g., same background, framing, and lighting).

Pickup & shipping instructions

Terms & Conditions PDF

Detailed catalog or lot listing in spreadsheet/PDF format

Consignor information packets

Auction-specific landing pages on your website

Use clear link text (e.g., “View Pickup Instructions” instead of “Click Here”).

Only link to secure, reputable URLs to maintain bidder trust.

Open links in a new browser tab so bidders don’t navigate away from HiBid.

The amount charged to your seller.

Can be a flat rate or a sliding scale.

Use the + button to create a new commission structure, or select from previously saved ones.

Default sales tax charged to buyers.

Can be bypassed at the buyer record level or item record level.

An additional percentage or flat amount added to the hammer price.

Typically 10% or higher.

In regions that tax services, you can apply tax to your commission.

Used for mass-applying additional charges to lots (e.g., photography fee, handling fee).

These charges are passed on to the winning bidder.

Set commissions and buyer’s premiums before adding lots to avoid having to adjust individually.

For multi-consignor auctions, ensure commission structures are set up in advance for each consignor.

Clearly state all buyer charges in the Terms & Conditions to avoid disputes.

If using Buyer Lot Charges, name them clearly so cashiers and bidders understand the fee’s purpose.

Commission - The amount you are going to charge your seller. You can easily set up Flat of Sliding Scale Commissions by hitting the + button or use the drop down menu to select from previously created commissions.

Buyer Tax - The default tax charged to buyers for the auction. This can be bypassed on either the buyer record or the item record.

Buyers Premium - The additional charge on top of the hammer price for an item that is charged. Generally 10% or greater.

Seller Tax - In States, Provinces, and Countries that charge tax on services, you can tax your commission to the seller.

Buyer Lot Charge 1 & 2 - Used for mass adding charges such as photo fees or handling fees. These fees would be passed on to the winning bidder of the lot.