Reserve Prices, Anti-Snipe, and Buy Now

Some auctions have extra mechanics that affect how they close. Understanding reserve prices, anti-snipe extensions, and the Buy Now option helps you bid with confidence.

Reserve prices

A reserve price is a secret minimum amount the seller must receive before the auction can complete. The exact reserve amount is never shown to bidders — you only see whether the reserve has been met or not.

Look for the Reserve Met indicator on the auction detail screen:

Reserve met — The current bid is at or above the seller's minimum. If you win at this price, the auction will complete.
Reserve not yet met — The current bid is below the seller's minimum. You can still bid, but the auction may not complete even if no one outbids you.

What happens when bidding ends and the reserve is not met

The auction moves to Reserve Window status. This means:

Bidding has closed and the highest bid did not reach the reserve.
The seller reviews the highest bid and decides within a short window whether to accept it or cancel the auction.
Your bid is held during this time — you do not need to do anything.
If the seller accepts, the auction moves to Awaiting Payment and you will be notified.
If the seller declines, the auction moves to Ended and no bids are charged.

Note

You will receive a notification as soon as the seller makes a decision during the Reserve Window. Keep an eye on your notifications if you are the highest bidder on an auction showing Reserve not yet met.

Anti-snipe extensions

To prevent last-second bidding ("sniping"), many auctions include an anti-snipe window. If a bid is placed within the final few minutes of an auction, the end time is automatically extended — giving other bidders a fair chance to respond.

The extension length (in minutes) and the maximum number of extensions are set by the seller.
The timer resets each time a qualifying late bid is placed, up to the extension cap.
The original scheduled end time is shown alongside the current (extended) end time on the auction detail screen.

Tip

If you see the auction end time change while you are watching, it means a bid was placed in the anti-snipe window. The auction remains active until no new bids come in during the final window.

Buy Now

Some auctions offer a Buy Now option — a fixed price at which you can purchase the item immediately without going through the bidding process.

Check for a Buy Now price

On the auction detail screen, look for a Buy Now price displayed alongside the current bid and starting bid.

Tap Buy Now

Tap Buy Now to accept the fixed price. This closes the auction immediately — no further bids can be placed.

Complete payment

You are taken directly to checkout. Complete payment to confirm your purchase.

Warning

Buy Now is only available while the auction is Active. Once the auction has ended or entered Reserve Window, the Buy Now option is no longer shown.

Common questions

Q: Will I know if the reserve price has been met before I bid?

A: Yes. The auction detail screen shows a Reserve Met or Reserve Not Yet Met indicator, updated in real time as bids come in.

Q: How long does the Reserve Window last?

A: The Reserve Window duration is set by the seller. You will be notified of the outcome as soon as the seller makes a decision.

Q: Can the auction be extended more than once by the anti-snipe rule?

A: Yes, up to the maximum extensions set by the seller. After the cap is reached, no further extensions occur and the auction closes at the next end time regardless of late bids.