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Auctions

Manage silent auctions, live auctions, and paddle raises. Track items, bidders, bids, and process payments all in one place.

Auction Items

Viewing Items

  1. Navigate to Manage > Items
  2. Use the campaign dropdown to filter by event
  3. Search by item name or number

Item Details

Click an item to view:

  • Item Information - Name, number, description, images
  • Bidding Settings - Starting bid, minimum increment, start/end times
  • Current Status - Active, Coming Soon, or Closed
  • Bid History - All bids placed on the item
  • Payments - Payment status for winning bid

Item Statuses

StatusDescription
ActiveBidding is currently open
PendingItem exists but isn't yet open for bidding
ClosedBidding has ended
FulfilledWinner has paid and item delivered

The admin Update action allows transitioning between active, closed, and fulfilled. Pending is set by the system in fulfillment-cart contexts.

Creating Items

  1. Navigate to Manage > Items
  2. Click Add Item
  3. Configure:
    • Item number for tracking
    • Name and description
    • Starting bid and minimum increment
    • Start and end times
    • Photos
  4. Save

Item Types

  • Silent Auction - Online bidding enabled
  • Live Auction - Online bids restricted, for in-person bidding
  • Paddle Raise - Direct donations without item fulfillment

Bidders

Viewing Bidders

  1. Navigate to Manage > Bidders
  2. Search by name, email, or bid number
  3. Filter by status

Bidder Details

Each bidder profile contains:

  • Contact Information - Name, email, phone
  • Bid Number - Auto-assigned or manually set
  • Payment Method - Card on file for checkout
  • Active Bids - Current bids across all items
  • Won Items - Items where bidder has winning bid
  • Payment History - All payments made

Creating Bidders

For in-person check-in or manual registration:

  1. Navigate to Manage > Bidders
  2. Click Add Bidder
  3. Enter contact information
  4. Optionally add payment method
  5. Save (bid number auto-assigned)

Bidder Registration

Bidders can register:

  • Online - Self-service registration with card on file
  • At Event - Admin creates profile at check-in
  • With Ticket Purchase - Combined ticketing and bidder registration

Bids

Viewing Bids

  1. Navigate to Manage > Bids
  2. Filter by item or bidder
  3. Search by bid amount

Bid Information

  • Item — which item the bid is for
  • Bidder — who placed the bid
  • Amount — bid value
  • Timestamp — when the bid was placed

Bids don't have their own status field — "winning" and "outbid" are derived from comparing bid amounts to the item's current high bid. When the item closes, the highest bid becomes the winning bid.

Deleting Bids

Remove invalid or duplicate bids:

  1. Find the bid in the list
  2. Click to view details
  3. Click Actions > Delete Bid
  4. Confirm deletion

Payments

Viewing Payments

  1. Navigate to Manage > Payments
  2. Filter by status
  3. Search by bidder or item

Payment Details

  • Bidder - Who is paying
  • Items - Won items included in payment
  • Total Amount - Payment total
  • Payment Method - How payment was made
  • Status - Payment status

Processing Payments

When auction closes:

  1. Review bidder's won items
  2. Add any additional items (paddle raise, donations)
  3. Choose payment method:
    • Charge Card on File - Instant payment
    • Send Invoice - Email payment link
  4. Process payment
  5. Mark items as fulfilled

Payment Statuses

StatusDescription
PaidPayment successfully processed
ProcessingPayment is in flight (e.g. an ACH transfer that hasn't cleared)
RefundedPayment was refunded
FailedPayment attempt failed

Fulfillment Workflow

After Auction Closes

  1. All winning bids link to bidder profiles
  2. Review each bidder's account
  3. Add offline donations if needed
  4. Process checkout (single transaction for all items)
  5. Mark items as fulfilled when delivered

Best Practices

  • Require card on file before bidding opens
  • Export bidder list for check-in
  • Process payments promptly after closing
  • Track fulfillment status for each item

Finance Side

Each auction payment (the charge a winning bidder pays at the end of the auction) creates a Revenue record on the finance side, carrying the same finance fields as a donation: splits, credits, solicitors, and tags.

Unified Fundraising + CRM