Bidding on an Auction During a Livestream

This article discusses how to bid on an item up for auction in a livestream. 

There are several ways to bid on an auction item: swipe to bid, custom bid, or bid on an item before it goes live. To learn how to pre-bid on an item, visit Bidding on an Item Before It Goes Up For Auction.

• Swipe to bid (iOS & Android): Once a seller has started an auction, you can bid on that item by swiping on the Bid button. This will automatically bid an amount slightly higher than the current winning bid amount. The bidding amount will depend on the current winning amount. If you are using the web, you will need to click to bid. 
  
• Bid a custom amount: If you want to bid a different amount than the one offered using the Bid slider, you can choose to bid a custom amount or set a max bid amount you’re willing to spend on that item. If you set a max bid amount, the app will automatically bid on your behalf up to the max bid amount you’ve set.
  

Note: You will see bids in USD, GBP, or EUR. Once you hit check out, it will convert the currency to your local currency. If the seller is in Canada, the price will display as USD.

Bidding on an Item

1. Open a livestream on your mobile device or web browser. 
2. Once a seller starts an auction, choose how you want to bid on that item:
   1.  Swipe the Bid button on mobile devices and click to bid on the web. The app will bid slightly higher than the most recent or starting bid.
      
      OR
   2. Click or tap Custom.
      
      1. Type a value or use the plus and minus buttons to set a bid amount. 
      2. The amount you enter will be your maximum bid by default, which means the app will automatically place bids for you up to that amount, and no higher. If you’d rather submit a bid for that full amount, toggle the max bid switch off.  
      3. Tap or click Submit.
         

Note: If you set a max bid amount, the app will automatically bid on your behalf in incremental amounts up to the max amount you set. To learn more about how much the app will bid for you, visit Bidding Overview. 

If someone else bids higher than your max bid amount, you can update your bid by following the same steps above. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can others see my max bid amount?

No one can see your max bid amount. 

Can I set a max bid amount for an item not currently being run in an auction?

Yes, you can pre-bid on an item before it’s run in an auction, including setting the max bid amount. You can only set a max bid amount for items listed under the seller’s Auction listings. Maximum bidding is unavailable on Buy It Now items or items from the seller’s profile shop. 

What happens if someone bids the same amount as my current max bid?

Because you placed the current bid amount earlier, you will still be the winning bidder unless the other user places another higher bid.