What is a Buy It Now?
Buy It Now is a fixed price that lets a bidder purchase a lot instantly instead of waiting for the auction to close. It rewards decisive buyers and helps sellers move fixed-value inventory fast.
Buy It Now (often shortened to BIN) is an instant-purchase option attached to an auction lot. Instead of placing a competitive bid and waiting to see whether it survives until the close, a buyer who accepts the Buy It Now price wins the lot immediately at that stated amount. The contest for that lot ends on the spot.
The seller or auction house sets the Buy It Now price, usually somewhere above the reserve and reflecting a fair retail or fixed value. In most formats the option is only available while the lot is quiet — once the first qualifying bid lands, or once live bidding climbs toward the BIN figure, the instant-purchase price is withdrawn and the lot proceeds as a normal auction. For example: a consignor lists a forklift with a $14,000 reserve and a $19,500 Buy It Now. A dealer who needs the machine this week clicks Buy It Now, pays $19,500, and the lot closes immediately — no risk of being outbid, no waiting for the timer.
With Unovance Global, Buy It Now is a configurable option across the platform's auction formats. You decide which lots carry it, how the price relates to the reserve, and when it expires — all on a branded platform you own, where the buyer relationship and the sale data stay with you rather than a rented marketplace.
How Buy It Now works in practice.
A fixed instant-purchase price
Buy It Now sets a take-it price above (or alongside) the current bid. Accept it and the lot is yours immediately — no waiting for the timer.
Optional and seller-controlled
The consignor or auction house decides which lots carry a Buy It Now price and how high to set it relative to the reserve and expected hammer.
Usually expires once bidding starts
In many formats the Buy It Now option disappears after the first bid, or once the price climbs past the threshold, so it rewards decisive early buyers.
Closes deals on patient inventory
It captures buyers who would rather pay a known price today than risk losing a lot — useful for retail-style and fixed-value goods.
Frequently asked questions
What does Buy It Now mean?+
Buy It Now (BIN) is a fixed price that lets a buyer purchase a lot instantly rather than waiting for the auction to close. Clicking it ends the contest for that lot and sells it to the buyer at the stated price.
How is Buy It Now different from a regular bid?+
A regular bid competes against other bidders and only wins if it is the highest when the lot closes. Buy It Now skips the contest entirely: the buyer pays a known fixed amount and the lot is awarded immediately.
Can a lot have both bidding and Buy It Now?+
Yes. Many lots open with both options. Typically the Buy It Now price stays available until the first qualifying bid is placed, or until live bidding pushes the price near the BIN amount, at which point it is withdrawn.
When should an auction house use Buy It Now?+
It works best for fixed-value, retail-style, or commodity inventory where a buyer is happy to pay a known price today, and for fast-moving stock where you want to clear lots without waiting out a full timer.
Run Buy It Now on a platform you own.
See how Unovance Global brings instant-purchase pricing, 22 auction formats, and full bidder ownership together on one branded platform.