Due to the popularity of our high-demand auction items, we encourage cardholders to get their bids in early as we anticipate a lively auction with many incoming bids. Here are some insights on the best way to prepare if you are hoping to participate.

Contact the bank that issued you your Mastercard:  Many banks will often put a hold on a payment that may be seen as an unusual purchase to protect their cardholders. We encourage those participating in this auction to connect with their bank ahead of time to let them know they will be bidding.  The number for your bank is on the back of your Mastercard.

Placing your bid: There is a two-step process for placing your bid. The first step begins on the specific auction product page, and the second step is to complete the checkout page where we would have you enter your payment information.  Kindly allow for enough time to be logged in, enter all relevant information, and to let your bank know you will be placing bids. Immediately following your bid, IfOnly-PricelessCities will authorize your credit card for the full amount of your bid. This credit card authorization will be held (but not charged) until you are no longer one of the top three bidders. Note, that your authorization may take up to 5 business days to release based on your bank and their processing times.

Budget: We also encourage you to let your bank know the budget you are looking to spend on the auction.

Mark your calendar: You can click the Add to calendar link in the bidding window to add an alert to remind you of an auction closing.

Bid early:  We want to ensure your bid is placed and we encourage all of our cardholders to place their bids early. Most of the items we list are unique or one of a kind and we don’t want you missing out!

Bidding from a mobile phone or tablet: If you’re using a mobile phone to bid, note that your connection to the internet plays a big role in ensuring connectivity to bidding. Be sure that you're connected to a strong WiFi source as it can be more reliable. 

Bidding on multiple auctions: We suggest that you use caution when bidding on multiple auctions. All bids are final, and you are responsible for reading the full listing before making a bid. By bidding, you agree that you are entering into a legally binding contract to pay for that auction item if you are the winner.

Bidding on multiple auctions at the same time: Your bank may issue a fraud alert if you bid on multiple auctions at the same time, be sure to contact your issuing bank to notify them that you will be/are participating in online auctions to mitigate any delays during the bidding process.

Please Note: "Experiences you may enjoy" listed to the right of this article are not participating experiences in our priceless™ Auctions

Auction FAQs

When the Auction is Live:

Q: The auction is not accepting my Visa card. 

A: On priceless.com, you must use your Mastercard. Only Mastercard cardholders may participate.

Q: On the site, it says I am the highest bidder, but I just received an email stating I have been outbid.

A: Sometimes, the emails can get to you quicker than the refresh of the site. Please refresh the site and you’ll see the opportunity to bid again. If you are still experiencing difficulties, please reach out to our support team at +1-855-438-7580.

Q: I was prompted to increase my bid even though I was the highest bidder.

A: We recommend refreshing the site to stay updated on the most recent bid. If you are still experiencing difficulties, please reach out to our support team at +1-855-438-7580.

Q: Can I enter my MaxBid and let the system bid for me?

A: To recreate the feeling of a live auction, we only allow live, incremental bids. 

Q: I want to place a bid on an auction experience. What is the highest bid so far?

A: The highest bid is shown to you on each auction page. It is listed as the “Current Bid”. 

Q: I want to place a bid on an auction experience, but don’t have a Mastercard/don’t want to input my card information. Can you place a bid for me?

A: No, unfortunately, we are unable to place bids for auctions on your behalf. You must register on the site and add a Mastercard to your profile in order to place a bid. 

Q: I attempted to place a bid on an auction experience, but it failed. 

A: Please contact your bank and ask them to authorize your auction bid.  Often, this failure is due to a fraud alert placed by your bank which you will need your bank to release. If you are still receiving an error, please make sure your billing address and zip code/postal code are entered correctly.

Q: Can I use multiple cards to place a bid? 

A: At this time, you cannot add multiple cards.

Q: Can I retract or cancel the bid I placed for an auction experience?

A: No, you cannot retract or cancel a bid once placed. You are responsible for reading the full listing before making a bid. By bidding, you agree that you are entering into a legally-binding contract to pay for that auction item (experience) if you are the winner. The auction item is non-refundable for the winner.

Q: I am having trouble connecting to/loading the experience page.

A: Please give the page a few minutes to load and try again. You can refresh the page from any browser. We recommend you connect to WiFi when using a mobile phone or tablet to bid.

Q: Is there a reserve price/bid on the auction?

A: Nope!  Whoever has the highest bid at the time of the auction close will receive the product for the price they bid.

Q: How will I know if I’ve been outbid?

A: You will be notified via email as well as a pop-up on the auction page indicating that you have been outbid. This will also be evident if you visit the experience page on priceless.com. The buy box will reflect the most recent bid. If the auction is still live, you can update your bid.

Q: What if I decide I don’t actually want the experience and I am the highest bidder?

A: All bids are final. You are responsible for reading the full listing and the Terms and Conditions before making any bid. By bidding, you agree that you are entering into a legally binding contract to pay for that auction item if you are the winner.

Q: Is there a minimum bid amount for auctions?

A: Yes. Each auction requires a minimum starting bid of $29.00 (USD).

Q: Are there minimum bid increments for auctions?

A: Yes. When placing a bid on an experience that has already been bid on by another person, any new bid placed on the same experience must be increased by the following specified minimum bid increments:

Current Bid Amount Minimum Bid Increment

$29 - $50:            $5 increments

$50 - $100:          $10 increments

$100 - $200:        $20 increments

$200 - $300:        $30 increments

$300 - $500:        $50 increments

$500 - $1,000:     $100 increments

$1,000 and higher: $200 increments

Q: How are bids debited from my account?

A: Immediately following your bid, Mastercard will authorize your credit card for the full amount of your bid. We void all the authorizations within 15 minutes of auction close except for the winning bid. Note that your authorization may take up to 5 business days to release depending on your bank’s processing times. 

Q: How quickly will the funds be delivered to the charity?

A: For this Auction, the funds will be delivered within 30 days of auction close.

Q: If I win, will there be any fees taken out of my bid?

A: No fees will be taken out of a bid. We cover all processing fees.

Q: If I win, is my bid amount tax-deductible?

A: Participants should consult with their individual tax adviser regarding the proper tax treatment of their bids.

Q: Is my information going to be shared with third parties?

A: Please visit our website Terms of US and Privacy Policy to get a better understanding of how your information could be shared with third parties.

When the Auction has Closed:

Q: The bid box said I was the highest bidder, but I watched the auction close, and then I received a losing email. What happened? 

A: Unfortunately, another bidder submitted a valid bid right before the close, and the auction page did not update quickly enough. We encourage you to refresh the site often as the auction close is approaching and submit a higher bid prior to the close. 

Q: I bid on an experience, but I did not win. I still see the funds have been removed from my account.  When will the funds be returned?

A: We void all the authorizations within 15 minutes of auction close except for the winner's bid. Note that your authorization may take up to 5 business days to release depending on your bank’s processing times. 

Q: I have won the auction!  What are the next steps?

A: You will receive an email confirming you won the auction with the next steps shortly after the auction closes.  

Q: What time does this auction end?

A: All open auctions end at the time specified on the experience listing. At that time, the highest bidder whose bid has received credit card authorization wins the auction.