Bidding
How does proxy bidding work at an online auction?
You enter the most you'd happily pay, and Hunters bids for you automatically — only ever as much as needed to keep you on top, up to your maximum. Nobody sees your maximum: not the seller, not other bidders. If your maximum is $100 and the next bidder stops at $60, you pay around $65, not $100.
The mechanics
Every bid you place is a private maximum. The public price only ever rises to one increment over the second-highest maximum, so the winner pays what the underbidder forced, not what they were willing to pay. If someone bids past your maximum, you're told straight away and can decide whether to go again.
Bid increments
The minimum step up scales with the current price. A new bid must be at least the current price plus one increment (the very first bid may equal the starting price).
| Current price | Bid increment |
|---|---|
| Under $5 | $0.25 |
| $5 – $24.99 | $0.50 |
| $25 – $99.99 | $1.00 |
| $100 – $249.99 | $2.50 |
| $250 – $499.99 | $5.00 |
| $500 – $999.99 | $10.00 |
| $1,000 – $2,499.99 | $25.00 |
| $2,500 – $4,999.99 | $50.00 |
| $5,000 and up | $100.00 |
Late bids and overtime
Sniping doesn't win here. A bid inside the final 2 minutes stretches the clock by 2 minutes, and a hot finish — three or more bids inside the final 10 minutes — triggers a full 15-minute overtime. The item goes to the highest maximum, not the fastest click.
Reserves
A reserve is the seller's confidential floor. The item page always tells you where things stand — “Reserve met”, “Reserve not yet met”, or “No reserve — sells to the top bid”. Sellers can drop the reserve mid-auction, and everyone with a bid or a watch is notified when they do.