Glossary
A
Access Code
ACCESS CODE
An Access Code (or Access Token link) only provides access to the specific event's Website it was issued from. The Access Code will provide your guests with access to bid, make donations, purchase items, etc. and settle their outstanding account via their My Account page on the Event Website.
NOTE: If a participant is signed in with an Access Code, they do not actually have access to their Your Profile page. Access to their participant profile is linked to their email address/password credentials and requires being logged in with those.
Anti-Sniping
ANTI-SNIPING
The term Anti-Sniping (see Bid Extension) is used to describe the measures employed to address bidding practices where a bidder tries to win an item at the last second by placing a bid as late as possible before the online bidding ends. This is often just before the bidding end time with the idea of not giving other bidders time to place a higher bid.
B
Bid Extension
BID EXTENSION
The phrase Bid Extension (aka Anti-Sniping or Soft Close) is meant to describe the measures used to address bidding practices where a bidder tries to win an item at the last second by placing a bid as late as possible before the online bidding ends. This is often just before the bidding end time with the idea of not giving other bidders time to place a higher bid.
Biddable Type Items
BIDDABLE TYPE ITEMS
These are Item Types participants can place bids for.
| Item Type | Common Usage |
|---|---|
| Online Bidding | Primarily "online", or electronically, taken bids where bidding automatically closes at the end of the Online Bidding Time set for these items. |
| Paper Bidding | "Final bids" are generally taken from "paper" bid sheets but can be bid online "pre-event" although these items will not automatically close by default. |
| Live Bidding | In most cases, these are items auctioned at an "in-person" event with bidding led by an auctioneer, emcee, or similar "host" at the actual event venue where their "Final Bids" will be recorded. |
Buy It Now Only
BUY IT NOW ONLY
If an item is a item, clicking the "Buy Now" button will add it immediately to the bidder's account (not their shopping cart) and the item will be reserved -- just like winning an auction item. The bidder cannot cancel this "purchase" and it will be immediately visible in the auction dashboards.
D
Dessert Dash
DESSERT DASH
A "Dessert Dash" is a fun in-person event to help increase your fundraiser income. You will need a table full of desserts (one for each table of guests). The desserts are displayed for your guests to choose from, and, at the guest tables, each guest writes down the amount they want to contribute to the communal table bid. The table with the highest bid wins the first choice. The next highest table bid would choose second, and so on.
Donation Items
DONATION ITEMS
A is generally used to accept donations through the Event Website from participants of the event where they are not making a purchase or winning an item at auction. Donation Items can also be used to represent projects that participants can donate to for a specific purpose.
F
Final Bid
FINAL BIDS
A Final Bid is often used to describe the winning bid for Paper Bidding and Live Bidding type items. This is the bid that is recorded for the winning bidder in these cases.
For Sale Items
FOR SALE ITEMS
A represents an Item sold for a fixed price and typically to multiple people. You can use For Sale Items for auctions, raffles, tickets, and items where the bidder thinks of buying the item outright, rather than winning the item with bidding.
I
Item Donors
ITEM DONORS
An Item Donor is a person, group, company, or similar entity that has offered an item for your fundraiser that you have "accepted" to sell, auction, or raffle off to your participants.
Item Donors are saved at the organization level, making them available for all events.
L
Live Auction Numbers
LIVE AUCTION NUMBERS
The Live Auction Number (or Live Number or Live #) is a secondary index for arranging your Live Bidding Type items in a different order than their default item number sequence.
Live Bidding Type Items
LIVE BIDDING TYPE ITEMS
A is an item that will be sold or auctioned during an "in-person" event lead by an auctioneer, emcee, or another member of the organization's team.
M
Maximum Bid
MAXIMUM BID
aka Max Bid (formerly Proxy Bidding)
When enabled, the Maximum Bid feature set will allow bidders to set a maximum amount they are willing to bid. Then let the Auctria platform bid for them until another bidder places a higher bid than their maximum amount. This feature set is only available with Online type items.
N
Negative Payments
NEGATIVE PAYMENTS
Negative payments are mainly used to create an audit trail when refunding non-credit card payments, such as cash or check. To record a negative payment, use the standard Checkout page and enter a negative value as the payment amount. This will then appear under the participant's Activity tab.
Negative Purchases
NEGATIVE PURCHASES
A negative purchase will reduce the event's income. This would be entered under the Record Purchases function. This is often only appropriate if an organizer is trying to record a credit they are giving someone (e.g., as a raffle prize, the winner gets $100 off an item—that $100 isn't income, so it can't be a payment).
O
Online Bidding Type Items
ONLINE BIDDING TYPE ITEMS
An is an item with bidding handled completely online by Auctria. These items will be auctioned electronically, often through the event website.
Online Pre-Bidding
ONLINE PRE-BIDDING
What Is Online Pre-Bidding?
Online Pre-Bidding is something used with Paper Item and Live Item types. It often helps generate a higher Starting Bid and more interest in these items leading up to an in-person event where the items will have their Final Bids recorded.
The general idea is these "biddable" items, which generally have their final bids placed at an in-person event, are available to be previewed online before the event starts. The "pre-bidding" part allows bidders to place bids for these items before the event; and, the respective highest bids would be considered the Starting Bids of these items at the in-person event and if the item's online bidding end time has passed.
The Online Bidding End Time would be taken from the default auction online bidding end time or from the item's Override Online Bidding End Time.
P
Paper Bidding Type
PAPER BIDDING TYPE
A item represents an item that will have its final bid recorded on a "paper" bid sheet. These items are often used with in-person events. They are not meant to be used with "online" events.
Partial Type Items
PARTIAL TYPE ITEMS
A is an item meant to be bundled as part of a "Basket" (or package) and is often used to represent items not being sold individually.
Participants
PARTICIPANTS
In Auctria, we use the term "Participant" to inclusively represent anyone who contributes to the event, whether it's through bidding, purchasing, or donating.
Participants Number
PARTICIPANTS NUMBER
The Participant Number is an optional identifier in Auctria and can be ignored in many cases. However, it is required for some operations, such as in-person auction bidding and linking or merging participants.
NOTE: The Participant Number, also known as the Paddle# (Paddle Number), is a term used interchangeably in Auctria. It's especially relevant when an event involves an auction and bidder numbers are necessary.
Proxy Bidding
PROXY BIDDING
A feature set in Auctria allowing a bidder to set a maximum amount they are willing to pay for an Online only item and then allow the computer system to bid for them until someone places a higher bid than their maximum amount.
Q
QR Code
QR CODE
QR (Quick Response) Codes can be read and understood by mobile devices through the digital camera in the device. In Auctria, QR Codes are often used to share information for the event such as the auction website address, bidder access, item information, etc.
R
Raffle Prize Items
RAFFLE PRIZE ITEMS
A is an Item that will be used as a prize for a raffle, or is an item that is being awarded to the bidder without a cost.
Raffle Tickets
RAFFLE TICKETS
Raffle Tickets are created as For Sale items and only provide the means to sell "lots" that represent "raffle tickets". Auctria has no means to generate a random number or select a random winning ticket.
Reserve Price
RESERVE PRICE
A Reserve Price is the minimum bid required for an item to be won at auction. This minimum bid amount applies when multiple winners for a biddable item are possible. At the least, each winning bid must exceed or be equal to the Reserve Price.
T
Tickets
TICKETS
Auctria Tickets are an item only to be used for event admissions or other similar gate-keeping measures such as limiting bidding to ticket holders only. Auctria Tickets should not be used for other kinds of "tickets", such as raffle tickets, drink tickets, etc.
U
Users
USER
A User is a person with login credentials to the Event dashboard who will generally help organize your fundraiser on the Auctria platform.
Last reviewed: April 2025