Closing Online/Mobile Bidding and Awarding Items

Bidding will be halted precisely at the closing time specified for each item.  

• Closing times can be viewed by using the Customize button on the Catalog datapage to add the column to your display.
• Closing times can be bulk edited from the catalog page, as needed.  

• If you have already enabled automatic closeout, items will be awarded (placed in winners' shopping carts) the next time the server refreshes (1-15 minutes).  
• If you haven't, you'll need to enable it when ready, then save the setting change to award items to winners.

To enable, go to:  Admin > Site Settings > Online/Mobile > Bidding Settings:

How you to choose to notify winners depends on the type of event and personal preference:

• Gala events with mobile bidding most often disable the automatic notifications and instead opt to notify winners via a single emailed invitation to self check-out.   Invitations to self check-out can also be sent to winners that are not present at the gala.
• Online Auctions, where bidders are geographically dispersed, generally opt to "Send an email notification when an item is awarded".   This automated process will send a separate email notification for each item.  
• You also have an option of including a shopping cart icon on the mobile tool bar.   Once items have been awarded, you can simply make announcements to the audience to click on the Cart icon on their phones to view and pay for their items.  Some chairs prefer to always display the cart icon, others prefer to enable it once items are awarded (to discourage folks from paying from fixed price or buy now price purchases each time something lands in their cart).   The cart icon can be enabled/disabled at Admin > Site Settings > Online/Mobile > Payment Settings.