Proxy Bidding

Enable Proxy bidding? on the auction product. To enable it by default for newly configured auctions, use Set proxy auctions on by default in General settings.

Normal proxy example

Assume an auction has no reserve, starts at 100, and uses a fixed increment of 5.

Alice submits a maximum of 150. Bob later submits 120. The system can keep Alice in the lead by placing an automatic response above Bob’s offer, within Alice’s limit. The public price and Alice’s maximum are different values.

The final amount depends on competing limits, the increment, and reserve behavior. Do not assume that entering 150 always creates a public bid or immediate payment for 150.

Proxy bidding with a reserve

Assume a normal auction has no bids, starts at 100, and has a reserve of 150. With the plugin’s default reserve behavior:

First submitted maximum	Public current bid	Reserve met?
130	130	No.
150	150	Yes.
200	150	Yes; the stored maximum remains 200.

Each row is a separate first-bid example. The public price can rise to the reserve immediately, before another customer bids. A maximum below the reserve becomes the current bid but does not meet the reserve. These examples assume no custom filters change bid values or disable bidding to the reserve.

For a reverse proxy auction, the comparisons run downwards. With no bids, a starting price of 200, a reserve of 150, and a first minimum offer of 120, the current bid becomes 150 while the stored limit remains 120.

Reverse proxy auctions

The same principle works in the opposite direction: a customer’s limit represents how low their offer may go. The bidding engine responds downwards against competing offers.

Equal proxy limits

If an accepted competing offer equals the existing proxy limit, the existing proxy bidder remains ahead. The engine can record the competing offer and the automatic response at the same amount. This applies to both normal and reverse proxy bidding.

For example, Alice already holds a normal proxy limit of 150. If Bob’s later 150 offer passes the current bid requirements, Alice remains the leader at 150. Bob needs a higher eligible offer to take the lead. In a reverse auction, the competing offer must instead be lower than the existing limit.

Customer questions

Why was I outbid immediately? Another customer may already have submitted a stronger proxy limit.

Can the leading bidder bid again? General settings include Allow highest bidder to outbid himself. Review this setting when customers need to adjust a leading limit.

Does a proxy bid charge the customer? A bid is not a payment. Payment occurs through the winner-payment workflow or a separately configured automatic charge.

Demo example

The demo shows the public current bid and the maximum-bid entry form. Private proxy limits are excluded.