Why Are Some Bidders Missing a Credit Card on File at Invoicing?

Bidders can register without a credit card on file if an auction publishes before Terms and Conditions with a Credit Card Check are attached. Here's how to require a card at registration going forward.

Bidders can only register for a BidWrangler auction without a credit card on file if the auction's Terms and Conditions have "Credit Card Check" set to "NONE," or if the auction was published before any terms and conditions were attached. If an auction goes live even briefly without terms requiring a card, every bidder who registers during that window will not have a card on file, which shows up as missing payment information when you go to invoice after the auction closes. To prevent this, attach Terms and Conditions with "Credit Card Check" set to "ALWAYS" or "REUSE" before you publish the auction, not after.

Use this if you generated invoices after an auction and found that some bidders don't have a credit card on file, or if you want to make a credit card requirement mandatory for all future auctions so this doesn't happen again. It is highly recommended that a credit card is required and specifically set to ALWAYS as a credit card checks serves as an important tool in minimizing fraudulent bidders.

You'll need admin access to the BidWrangler admin portal. If you're setting this up for an auction that hasn't published yet, do this before you publish it. Terms and conditions applied after an auction is already live will not retroactively require a card from bidders who already registered.

1. Log in to your BidWrangler admin portal.

2. Click "Terms and Conditions" in the left-hand navigation.

3. Click the "Create" tab to build a new set of terms, or click the orange pencil icon next to an existing set to edit it.

4. Give the terms a name. This name is what you'll select when attaching these terms to an auction.

5. Under "Credit Card Check," choose one of the following:

   • ALWAYS: requires the bidder to manually enter a card and verifies funds for that card every time, for every auction using these terms.

   • REUSE: checks a bidder's stored card from a previous registration and requires a new card only if the stored one is invalid or expired or fails. Bidders without a stored card enter one manually.

   • Avoid NONE if you want a card required. NONE skips card verification entirely, which is what allows bidders to register with no card on file.

6. Set the "Credit Card amount," the dollar amount BidWrangler checks the card for available funds against. A transaction will be run then voided immediately.

7. Save the terms and conditions.

8. Select this set of terms and conditions on the auction itself before you publish it. Terms attached after bidders have already registered will not apply to those existing registrations.

Why did some of our bidders register without a credit card on file? This happens when an auction is published before terms and conditions requiring a card are attached to it, or when the attached terms have "Credit Card Check" set to "NONE." Any bidder who registers during that gap is not required to enter a card, so it will show as missing when you invoice after the auction.

What's the difference between "ALWAYS" and "REUSE" for Credit Card Check? "ALWAYS" requires a bidder to manually enter and verify a card every time, for every auction using those terms. "REUSE" checks a bidder's previously stored card and only requires a new one if that card is expired or invalid, so returning bidders don't have to re-enter their information each time.

Will changing our terms and conditions now fix the bidders who already registered without a card? No. Terms changes apply going forward, to new registrations. Bidders who already registered under the old terms will not be prompted to add a card retroactively. You'll need to contact those bidders directly to collect card information before final invoicing or settlement.

What does the "Credit Card amount" field actually check? It's the dollar amount BidWrangler verifies is available on a bidder's card at registration, functioning as a funds check rather than an actual charge.

Can we require a card for some auctions but not others? Yes. Terms and conditions can be generic and reused across auctions, or created specifically for one auction, so you can require a card on some auctions and skip it on others by attaching different terms. If terms are reused per auction, we still recommend setting the "Terms Acceptance" field to "ALWAYS" so bidders always have to confirm the terms even if they have agreed to the same terms in the past.

How do we make sure this doesn't happen again on our next auction? Before you publish any new auction, confirm that terms and conditions with "Credit Card Check" set to "ALWAYS" or "REUSE" are already attached. Publishing first and adding terms afterward is what creates the gap.

• How do I administer terms and conditions for my auction?

• How does a bidder register for an auction?

Questions about your specific setup? Email us at helpdesk@bidwrangler.com and we're happy to walk through your terms and conditions with you.