What is a max bid?

A max bid, also called a proxy bid, is the highest amount you're willing to pay for an auction lot.

When you set a max bid, the auction system automatically places bids for you at the next increment, keeping you as the highest bidder until your max bid is reached.

If no one bids higher, you win the auction at the lowest possible price—typically the second-highest bid plus the minimum increment.

Max bids are useful for bidders who cannot monitor auctions continuously or want to avoid bidding wars by setting a spending limit in advance.

Please also see our article on: Bidding Increments