How to Bid on Swoopo: The Basics

Sometimes I can get soo deep in advanced Swoopo technique that I leave the beginners behind. So today I’m going to explain the Swoopo basics to serve as a point of reference for anyone new to Swoopo.

Before you start bidding on Swoopo, you should learn the basics of how auctions work and what to expect when bidding on an item. Doing this first will save you time and money in the long run. If you’re brand-new to Swoopo, visit www.Swoopo.com and spend at least a half-hour observing different auctions.

Here are a few “Swoopo Basics” to know before getting started:

• All auctions start at 12 cents with no reserve (minimum) price
• The auction timer starts at 24 hours and counts down
• Bids cost $0.60 each
• In a standard auction, each bid increases the price of the item by 2, 6, 12 and 24 cents. Penny auctions are also available.
• Each bid adds up to 20 seconds to the clock. The time added varies by auction and is noted in a clock symbol on each page.
• When time expires, the last person to bid wins the item.

Get Started on Swoopo

Before you can bid, you must register by clicking here. Next, purchase bids for your account so you’re ready to go when you find an auction you’re interested in. Swoopo sells “BidPacks” of 40, 75, 150, 400 and 1,000 that you can purchase with a credit card or via PayPal. Keep in mind that all bids are non-refundable.

Bidding Methods: Single vs. BidButler

There are two ways of bidding on Swoopo – by using single bids or the BidButler tool. Single bids are easy-to-use. They can be placed individually at any time during an auction.

The other option – a BidButler – is a confusing aspect of Swoopo for new users, but is used to win over 60% of auctions. Here’s how they work:

The BidButler is an auto-bidding tool that will automatically place a bid on your behalf when the auction timer is less than 10 seconds. The exact second the BidButler casts its bid varies – it could be with nine seconds on the timer or it could be at the very last second. As long as you have an active BidButler running, you don’t have to worry about time running out – it will bid for you at some point during the last 10 seconds.

You can manually set up a BidButler by choosing a start and end price. You’ll also need to choose the number of bids you’re willing to let the BidButler use. The number must be between 2 and 50 bids. Your BidButler will be activated when the current auction reaches the amount you choose.

Auction Types

The final thing to know before getting started is the different kinds of auctions available on Swoopo.

Beginner Auction – These are only available to Swoopo users who have yet to win an auction on Swoopo. The competition is much less fierce and also less experienced on Beginner Auctions.

Penny Auction – In this type of auction, the price of the item is increased only one cent for each bid instead of $0.12.

Standard Auction – Each bid in a standard auction raises the price by 2, 6, 12 or 24 cents. A red banner across the left side of the screen lists the bid amount.

Nailbiter Auction – Only single bids can be used in a Nailbiter auction – the use of a BidButler is prohibited.

Open Auction - Swoopo sets a limit on the number of auctions you can win in a given month (usually 8 auctions). But on Open Auctions, you can bid regardless of how many other auctions you’ve won that month.

Closed Auction – This type of auction will become closed to new bidders at an unknown point of time. Only those users who have placed at least one bid can continue to bid.

International and Local Auctions – International allows bidders from all Swoopo countries to participate. For these, a globe icon will be shown at the top right-hand side of the screen. On the other hand, Local auctions only allow Swoopo bidders from a specific country to participate. These are shown with the relevant country flag.

That’s it – now that you know the basics, you’re ready to get going on Swoopo. Get started by clicking here.