Buying Power is the deposit system on Autura Marketplace. Funding Buying Power demonstrates financial commitment before bidding on certain auctions and unlocks bidding capacity at a configurable ratio.
In this guide
· Before You Start
· When Buying Power Is Required
· How Buying Power Unlocks Bidding Capacity
· Step 1 — Open the Wallet
· Step 2 — Fund Buying Power
· Step 3 — Bid Within Your Capacity
· Step 4 — How Buying Power Is Applied at Checkout
· Withdrawing Buying Power
· What Happens if You Do Not Pay
· Transaction History
· Need Help?
Before You Start
To fund Buying Power, you need:
· A completed Autura Marketplace account (see Getting Started as a Buyer)
· A payment method enrolled in Autura Verified Payments (AVP)
· Acceptance of the Deposit Terms before placing a deposit
When Buying Power Is Required
Buying Power is enabled at the auction level. When an auction requires it, you fund Buying Power before placing a bid on that auction.
Some buyers are not required to fund Buying Power, typically those with strong payment and pickup history or those granted expanded access. If you are unsure whether Buying Power applies to your account, contact your Buyer Account Manager.
NOTE You do not need to fund Buying Power to browse auctions, save searches, or favorite vehicles. You only need it when an auction that requires it asks you to fund before placing a bid. |
How Buying Power Unlocks Bidding Capacity
When you fund Buying Power, you receive bidding capacity at a configurable ratio. In the current platform configuration, every $250 you deposit unlocks $4,000 in bidding capacity.
Your current bidding capacity is shown in the buying power indicator at the top of every page once you are signed in, so you can see at a glance how much you can bid.
Step 1 — Open the Wallet
1. Select the settings cog at the top right of the screen.
2. Select Wallet from the left navigation.
3. Your current Deposit Balance and payment methods are shown on the page.
Step 2 — Fund Buying Power
1. In the Wallet, select Add funds.
2. Use the + and - controls to choose your deposit amount. Deposits are charged and processed in $250 increments.
3. Review the Available credit that your deposit will unlock for bidding. The number updates as you adjust the deposit.
4. Confirm your payment method (the default card on file is preselected).
5. Review the deposit terms shown below the modal. By adding funds, you agree that any refunds will be processed less applicable credit card fees.
6. Select Add funds to confirm. A credit card processing fee (currently 3% of the deposit) is added to the deposit amount. ACH deposits do not incur a processing fee.
NOTE Buying Power is a charge, not a hold. Funds are captured by Autura and held in a reserve account until they are applied to a sale, refunded, or forfeited. |
NOTE Funds are forfeited if a won vehicle is not paid for in full within the payment window. See Winning and Paying for details on the payment window and remediation timing. |
SUCCESS CHECK Buying Power funded. Your available credit and bidding capacity are updated immediately in the top page bar. |
Step 3 — Bid Within Your Capacity
During an auction, the system enforces your bidding capacity in real time:
· If a bid you try to place would exceed your Buying Power, the system blocks the bid or warns you, depending on the scenario.
· Multi-Bid users see the same enforcement applied across multiple vehicles in a single action.
WATCH OUT A bid that would exceed your Buying Power is rejected. To increase capacity, return to the Wallet and add more Buying Power before bidding. |
Step 4 — How Buying Power Is Applied at Checkout
When you win a vehicle, your available Buying Power balance is displayed at checkout as a credit you can apply toward the total amount due.
1. Open the checkout for your won vehicles.
2. Review the itemized balance (vehicle, seller fees, platform fees, sales tax).
3. Your available Buying Power balance is shown. Apply it toward the total due.
4. Pay the remaining balance with your payment method.
NOTE Buying Power applied to checkout is moved from the reserve and allocated to the sale. Any unused balance remains in reserve and carries forward to future auctions. |
Withdrawing Buying Power
You can request a refund of unused Buying Power, with the following rules:
· Buying Power cannot be refunded if it is actively being used as collateral for current bids or max bids.
· To withdraw, first ensure no active winning bids or max bids are tied to your Buying Power.
· From the Wallet, select Transfer Balance and follow the prompts. Funds return to your original payment method.
NOTE This is your total deposit balance. Funds can only be refunded if no Buying Power is being actively used for bids or max bids. |
What Happens if You Do Not Pay
If you win a vehicle and do not complete payment within the payment window, your Buying Power deposit is forfeited. Repeated misses also affect your account standing on the platform.
WATCH OUT Forfeit deposits are not refundable. If you cannot complete payment, contact Autura support inside the payment window so we can help before the deposit is lost. |
Transaction History
Every Buying Power purchase, application, refund, and forfeit is logged in the Wallet under Transaction History. Use this view to track your funds and download supporting receipts.
Need Help?
For help with Buying Power funding, withdrawals, or any deposit question — the in-platform chat and your Buyer Account Manager are the fastest ways to reach us.
NOTE In-platform support chat is available — open the chat widget from inside Autura Marketplace for direct support. |
· Your Buyer Account Manager is your primary contact, especially for questions about whether Buying Power applies to your account.
· Email: [email protected]
· Phone: (888) 998-6085
· Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 AM – 5 PM Pacific Time