In short. MobilBid is mobile bidding software for Canadian charities, schools and nonprofits. Guests join by text, with no app to install, and bid on their own phones in the room or from home. Every account gets every feature below, with unlimited items, bidders and administrators. You pay per event: 5.5% of silent auction sales and 1.5% of donations and live auction items, with a $220 minimum and a $2,500 maximum. See pricing.
Mobile bidding replaces paper bid sheets with each guest's own phone. Guests see every item, bid from anywhere in the room, and get a text when someone outbids them. Organizers set up the auction once, watch the bids come in, and get the results the moment bidding closes. Here is what MobilBid does at each step.
Joining the auction: text to join, no app
Each auction gets its own text number. Guests text it and get a link to register, then bid in their phone's browser. There is nothing to download and no app store account to remember, so guests are bidding within a minute of arriving.
- A dedicated text number for your auction, with text message usage included
- Bidding on phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers
- The same auction works in person, online or both at once
- A scheduled preview, so guests can browse items and pick favourites before bidding opens
Bidding: maximum bids and outbid alerts
Proxy (maximum) bidding. A guest enters the most they are willing to pay. MobilBid bids for them, one increment at a time, only as far as needed to keep them in the lead. Guests can set a maximum and go back to their dinner or conversation.
Outbid alerts by text and email. When a guest is outbid, MobilBid tells them right away, with a link to bid again. The alert is what brings people back to an item, and it works the same for guests in the room and at home.
Scheduled messages. Write your messages ahead of time and set when they go out: the auction is open, one hour left, ten minutes left, thank you. Broadcast messages by text and email are unlimited.
Opening and closing times you set in advance, so the auction starts and ends on time without anyone pressing a button.
Live auction items and items with several winners
One event can include more than silent auction items:
- Live auction items. Run your live auction from the stage as usual, then record each winner in MobilBid so every purchase from the night ends up on one invoice.
- Items with several winners. Sell several of the same thing, such as ten rounds of golf or twenty seats at a chef's table, to more than one winner.
Donations alongside the auction
Guests can give a donation in the same place they bid, for example during a fund-a-need appeal. Donations are recorded with the auction results, so you have one set of totals for the event. Donations and live auction items are charged at 1.5%, not 5.5%.
English and French for bidders
Bidders can use the auction in English or French, including item descriptions and messages. That matters for national charities, for events in Quebec and New Brunswick, and for French-language schools.
Big-screen leaderboard with sponsors
At an in-person event, put the leaderboard on a screen or projector. It shows the auction to the whole room, with space for your sponsors, and keeps guests bidding in the last few minutes.
Setting up: start from last year's auction
Most auctions run every year. In MobilBid, a new auction can start from an old one, with its items and settings, so you change what's new instead of starting from a blank page.
- Import items from a spreadsheet
- Scheduled preview, start and end times
- Printable item display cards for in-person events
Unlimited items, bidders and administrators
There are no feature tiers and no add-ons. Every account includes:
- Unlimited auction items, bidders and bids
- Unlimited administrators, so your whole committee can help
- No limit on how much an auction raises or how long it runs
- Text messaging, including all SMS fees
Closing and reports
When bidding closes, MobilBid works out the winners and sends them their invoices. There is no bid sheet tabulation and no line at a checkout table.
You get post-event reports you can hand to your treasurer and board:
- Bidding by item and by bidder
- Winners and invoices
- Participants' names and contact information, to thank them and invite them next year
Results stay in your account, so you can look back at past events to see how each item performed.
“We love the automated message function so bidders can see instantly if they have been outbid and can respond immediately if they don't want to lose out on the item.”
Several chapters, one account
Organizations with chapters or branches can run every local auction under one account. Account administrators see every organization's auctions and totals. Read about accounts for several chapters.
Training and support
Every account includes phone and Zoom training, tutorial videos and searchable help. Real people answer the phone Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm Eastern, at 1-855-202-4404 x1, and by email at support@mobilbid.ca. Help during your event can be arranged.
What MobilBid doesn't do
MobilBid is built for auctions. It doesn't sell event tickets, handle registration and check-in, run raffles or issue tax receipts. If you need those in the same tool, an all-in-one fundraising platform may suit you better. How to choose silent auction software.
Run your next auction on MobilBid
Open a free account and build a test auction, or talk it through with us. You only pay when you run a real event: 5.5% of silent auction sales, $220 minimum, $2,500 maximum.