Answer Hub

Find answers to your questions and explore our help articles

How to Set Up Your Auction Currency

You can set your auction currency in your Event Settings to match your organization’s location and payout account. This ensures bidders see the correct currency during bidding and checkout.

What Countries Do You Support?

Our platform supports auctions and payments in many countries through secure payment processing. The list of supported countries is based on where our payment processor can verify and distribute funds.

How to Update the Auction Link

You can update your auction link from your event settings. Choose a clear, memorable URL that’s easy to share. Once updated, the new link will automatically direct bidders to your live auction page.

How to Retract or Remove a Bid

Admins can remove bids directly from the bid history of any item. This is useful when correcting errors, duplicate bids, or handling bidder disputes. Only admins—not bidders—can retract a bid.

How to Sort and Print Invoices

You can sort and filter invoices by name, amount, or status, then print or download them individually or in bulk. This helps streamline checkout, reporting, and post-event reconciliation.

How to Send a Copy of an Invoice Receipt

You can send a copy of an invoice receipt directly from the order or invoice screen. Choose “Resend Receipt” or download a PDF to email manually. Perfect for buyers who lost their original email or need documentation.

Cancel or Refund a Ticket Purchase

Open the buyer’s order, choose Cancel or Refund, select full or partial amount, confirm fees/notes, and submit. The buyer is notified and a receipt/update is issued automatically.

What Is Popcorn Bidding?

Popcorn bidding is a feature that automatically extends the auction end time when a bid is placed in the final seconds. This keeps bidding fair, prevents last-second “sniping,” and often increases final bid amounts.

What Is a Buyer’s Premium?

A buyer’s premium is a small fee—usually a percentage of the winning bid—added to the final price of an auction item. It helps cover administrative costs and is paid by the winning bidder.

How the Demo Auction Works

The demo auction is a fully functional sample event designed to help you test the platform. You can browse, place test bids, and explore features without affecting any real data or payments.

How to Edit and Reorder Your Auction Items

You can edit any auction item’s details and reorder them directly in your event dashboard. Drag and drop to rearrange items or use category sorting to highlight top sellers and create a better browsing experience for bidders.

How Guests Can Register for Your Auction

Guests can register for your auction online by clicking your event link, entering their contact information, and confirming their phone number. You can also manually register guests at check-in or import pre-registration lists. Registration ensures bidders can place bids and receive updates.

How to Change the Background Color of Your Auction Page

You can change the background color of your auction page through the Event Design or Theme Settings section of your dashboard. Select a preset theme or use a custom hex color to match your organization’s branding. Changes update in real time, so you can preview the look before publishing your event.

How to Set Up Raffle Tickets for Your Event

You can set up raffle tickets directly from your event dashboard. Add your raffle as a ticketed or hybrid event, set pricing, quantities, and draw rules, and make it easy for supporters to purchase online. Clearly communicating your raffle details and legal compliance helps increase ticket sales.

How to Add Auction Items to Your Event

You can add auction items individually or in bulk through your event dashboard. Each item should include a title, description, starting bid, fair market value, images, and donor details. Well-structured listings with clear photos and descriptions increase bidder engagement.

How to Share Auctions on Social Media

You can share your auction link across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and more. Use your event’s shareable URL or built-in share buttons to post directly. The most effective campaigns combine strong visuals, a clear call-to-action, and early promotion.

How to Download Shipping Labels

You can download shipping labels directly from your event dashboard. Once a bidder has paid their invoice, you’ll find the shipping label option within the order or invoice details. This saves time, ensures accurate addresses, and keeps your shipping process organized.

How to Create a New Event

Creating a new event on CharityAuctionsToday.com takes just a few minutes. You’ll choose your event type (auction, raffle, ticketed fundraiser), set key details like name, dates, and payment options, and customize the look to match your branding.

What Is Popcorn Bidding?

Popcorn bidding is a dynamic auction feature that automatically extends the end time of an item when a last-minute bid is placed. This gives all bidders a fair chance to respond and creates a fast-paced, competitive bidding environment.

Embed My Auction to My Website

Embed your auction by accessing Embed Settings, copying the provided iframe or widget code, pasting it into your website's HTML editor, and publishing. Embedded auctions allow visitors to browse items and bid directly from your site while maintaining full CharityAuctionsToday functionality.

Edit or Remove My Credit Card Information

Update payment information by logging in, accessing Account Settings or Payment Methods, clicking Edit or Update Card, entering new card details, and saving changes. Remove cards by selecting Delete or Remove next to the saved payment method. Changes take effect immediately for future transactions.

Invite Team Members - Video Overview

Invite team members by accessing User Management or Team Settings, clicking Invite User or Add Team Member, entering email addresses and assigning roles (Administrator, Event Manager, or Staff), and sending invitations. Team members receive email invites to join your organization's auction account.

How to Enable Auto-Charge

Enable auto-charge by accessing Payment Settings, toggling on Automatic Charging, setting charge timing (immediate or delayed) and saving settings. Auto-charge automatically processes credit cards for winning bidders after auction closes, eliminating manual payment collection.

How Do I Create, Add, or Reorder Categories?

Create categories by navigating to Auction Settings, clicking Categories or Manage Categories, adding new category names, setting display order, and saving changes. Categories help organize items, improve browsing, and allow bidders to filter by interest.

What is Blind Bidding?

Blind bidding is an auction format where bidders cannot see other participants' bids. Each bidder submits their maximum offer privately, and the highest bid wins. This differs from open bidding where all bids are visible, creating different strategic dynamics and bidding psychology.

How to Add My Auction to a Facebook Page

Add your auction to Facebook by sharing the auction link in posts, creating a Facebook Event with auction details, embedding individual item previews, using Facebook Live for promotion, and leveraging Facebook ads to reach target audiences.

How to Add Auction Terms and Conditions

Add terms and conditions by accessing Auction Settings, navigating to Terms & Conditions or Legal section, entering your terms using the text editor, requiring bidder agreement at registration, and saving changes. Terms protect your organization legally and set clear expectations for bidders.

Connect a Payment Processor to My Auction

Connect a payment processor by accessing your auction settings, selecting your preferred processor Stripe, clicking Connect, authenticating with your processor account, and verification. Processors typically activate within 24 hours and enable automatic payment collection from winning bidders.

Sample Auction Descriptions

Effective auction descriptions are 150-300 words, highlight key benefits, include specific details like retail value and restrictions, use emotional language, and feature clear calls-to-action. Good descriptions increase bidding activity by 30-50% compared to basic listings.

How to Edit and Schedule Text Messages

Edit scheduled text messages by accessing your message queue, selecting the message to modify, updating content or delivery time, and saving changes. Messages can only be edited before processing begins, typically up to 15 minutes before scheduled send time.

Is CharityAuctionsToday Available Outside the US?

CharityAuctionsToday is available internationally with support for organizations and bidders outside the United States. The platform accommodates multiple currencies, international payment processing, and global time zones, though some features and payment options may vary by country.

Scheduling Text Messages and Text Credits

Schedule text messages to bidders by accessing your event communications tools, composing your message, selecting recipients, setting delivery time, and confirming the send. Text credits are purchased in advance and consumed per message sent, with pricing typically ranging from $0.02-$0.05 per text.

How Do I Change or Update My Bidding Options?

Change bidding options by accessing your event dashboard, navigating to Auction Settings or Item Settings, and adjusting parameters like bid increments, proxy bidding, closing types, Buy Now prices, and minimum bid amounts. Updates can be applied to individual items or across your entire auction.

Can I Upload Auction Items in Bulk?

Yes, CharityAuctionsToday supports bulk uploading of auction items through CSV file imports and spreadsheet templates. This feature saves significant time when adding multiple items, allowing you to upload dozens or hundreds of items simultaneously instead of entering each one individually.

What is a Reserve in Charity Auctions?

A reserve is the minimum price an auction item must reach to be sold. If bidding doesn't meet the reserve amount, the item remains unsold and the organization is not obligated to complete the sale, protecting donors and ensuring items achieve appropriate value.

Can Items Have Different Start and End Times?

Yes, auction items can have different start and end times on CharityAuctionsToday. Setting staggered bidding windows and grouping items into blocks of approximately 50 items prevents all items from closing simultaneously, increases bidding activity, and reduces bidder fatigue.

How to Place a Bid?

Place bids on CharityAuctionsToday by registering as a bidder, browsing auction items, entering your maximum bid amount, and confirming your bid. The platform supports mobile bidding, proxy bidding, and real-time notifications to keep you informed when outbid.

Setting Up Ticket Sales for Charity Auction Events

Sell event tickets online with flexible pricing tiers, multiple ticket types, and automated payment processing. Configure ticket categories, set capacity limits, and collect attendee data through an intuitive dashboard to streamline registration and secure advance revenue.

Collecting Payments from My Auction

You can collect payments two ways: online (credit/debit, Apple/Google Pay) and offline (cash/check). Platform fees apply to the total amount raised, while card processing fees apply only to money collected online. If bidders cover some platform fees at checkout, the admin owes the remainder.

How to Delete an Item?

Delete auction items by navigating to your item catalog, selecting the item to remove, clicking the Delete or Remove button, and confirming deletion. Items with active bids cannot typically be deleted and must be closed or cancelled first to protect bidder interests.