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All about bidding

Find out everything you need to know about bidding on eBay.

Top questions

Can I retract or cancel my bid?

What's a reserve price?

Why did the Buy It Now option disappear after the first bid?

Solve a problem
You can raise your maximum bid at any time. Just place another bid at a higher amount. If you want to lower your maximum bid, special rules apply. Learn more about changing your maximum bid.
Help topics

Basics

Bidding overview
Learn everything you need to know about bidding on eBay.


Automatic bidding
Set your maximum bid and let us do the rest.


Managing your bidding and buying
View and manage your bids and purchases from the Activity tab in My eBay.


Reserve price listings
Some auction-style listings have a hidden minimum price.


Bid increments
Bid increments are the amount by which a bid will be raised each time the current bid is outdone.


Changing your maximum bid
Find out how to raise or lower your maximum bid.


Retracting or canceling your bid
There are only a few situations when it's possible to retract your bid.


Getting outbid
No one wants to be outbid. Find out how you can help avoid it.

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Ask eBay members

Get help from other eBay members. Visit the Answer Center to post a question.

Shortcuts

Retract a bid

Reviews & Guides

Rules & policies

Invalid bid retraction

Non-binding bids

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