How to Close Out Your Auction & Process Payments

Let's Learn

• Prepare for Close Out
• How to Close Out:
  • Tickets
  • Donations
  • Online & Mobile Bidding Items
  • Bid Sheet & Gaveled/Live Event Items
  • Online to Bid Sheet Items
  • Quick Sales
• How to Process Payments and Finalize Close Out
• FAQ's

Close out is not an automatic process. You will need to sign in to Panorama to charge your winning bidders.

Once the auction closes, you have time to review the different types of contributions, bidder info, and add shipping costs before you process the credit cards. Many organizations often find it easier to take their time and close out their auctions the next day. 

Prepare for Close Out

Follow these simple step-by-step instructions and videos to prepare for Close Out:

Step 1: Confirm your Payment Processor and Billing Information

Go to Close Out > Get Ready > Confirm Payment Processor
In this section, you'll need to confirm your billing information and your Payment Processing method. Once you complete this step, you'll be able to proceed with the rest of Close Out process.

You might need to check the box that says I acknowledge that my payment processor selection for this auction cannot be changed once I click the Save button. Then at the bottom of the page click Confirm Payment Processor. 

See this help article for more information on Payment Processors and signing up if you have not done so already.   

Important Note! While you can open your auction without a Payment Processor, you will need to sign up and have one confirmed in order to access the Close Out Tab to charge your supporters. It is a good idea to sign up as soon as possible to make sure the Processor account is ready to make Payments by the time the auction closes.

Step 2: Customize the Winning Bidder Email 

Go to Close Out > Get Ready > Winning Bidder Email
In this section, you customize the winning bidder email/purchase confirmation that goes out automatically when you award your items. This is a great place to include general pick-up information and shipping fee reminders (if applicable). Use the text boxes to customize the email. Be sure to save your work by clicking on the Save button at the bottom. The winning bidder email is sent out once the award button is clicked. 

For more information on standard system emails, see How are Bidders Alerted When They Win?

Step 3: View and optionally customize the CC Failed Email 

Go to Close out > Get Ready > CC Failed Email

By default, we inform bidders if their credit card has failed and provide a link for them to update their card. In this area, the option to automatically send an email to bidders when their credit card fails is checked by default but you can choose not to send an email by unchecking the box. You can also add verbiage to customize the email which is sent to the customer should their card fail. 

For more information on how to handle failed cards, please see this help article.

How to Close Out Tickets

Step 1: Confirm your tickets

Go to Close Out>Close Your Auction>Tickets

Click on the Confirm button next to each ticket order or select Confirm All Ticket Orders

After confirming a ticket, it will automatically pull down to Close Out> Close Your Auction>Process Payments where you can trigger their card to be charged.

Important Information! If you need to make any changes to the order, such as Payment Type, Amount or even Remove the order, click on Payment & Comments before clicking on the Confirm button.

How to Close Out Donations

Step 1: Confirm your donations

Go to Close Out> Close Your Auction> Donations

Click on the Confirm button next to each donation or select Confirm All Donations

After confirming a donation, it will automatically pull down to Close Out> Close Your Auction>Process Payments where you can trigger their card to be charged.

Important Information! If you need to make any changes to the order, such as Payment Type, Amount or even Remove the order, click on Payment & Comments before clicking on the Confirm button.

How to Close Out Online & Mobile Bidding Items

Step 1: Award your items

Go to Close Out > Close Your Auction > Award Items
In this area, you'll see all of your items listed with their respective winners. Prior to awarding items, if you need to add Tax, you can do so in this area.

You can award each item individually by clicking Award or you can award them all at once by clicking Award All Ready Items. 

The credit card on file for each person will be automatically applied. The card can be viewed under payment and email details below the person's name for the item. You can also change the payment type and winner here as well. (Example: cash or check.) If they wish to add a new card, please see this help article.  

After awarding an item, it will automatically pull down to Close Out> Close Your Auction>Process Payments where you can optionally add shipping fees and trigger cards to be charged. 

Important Notes!

• All Not Sold items will also be listed as Ready to award. These must be closed by clicking the Award button and then close next to them.
• When clicking the Award All Ready Items button, it will take a few moments to award everything. Please refresh the browser screen in Close Out > Close Your Auction > Award Items after a moment to make sure all have been moved to the process payments section. 

How to Close Out Bid Sheet & Gaveled/Live Event Items

When your Live Event Date & Time Begins, this is when your Online To Bid Sheet and Live Event only Items will appear ready to be awarded. 

Step 1: Award your items

Go to Close Out > Close Your Auction > Award Items

Click Select Winner for each item and use the Type of Winner drop-down menu to select either:

• Offline: If the item is sold to an offline bidder at your Event. You will need to enter the winner in the Enter Winner field. See this Help Article for more details.
• No Winner: If the item was not sold
• Sell Without Assigning: If you collected payment directly from the winner and you don't want to enter live event bidder information. Enter the amount the item sold for.

Then click Award. The item will automatically pull down to Close Out> Close Your Auction>Process Payments where you can charge the bidder for the item they have won. 

Helpful Information! If you've added your live event bidders under Manage Bidders or if the live event winner is registered online for the auction, you can also award the items to them by selecting Offline. Follow the steps to award to an Offline Bidder.

How to Close Out Online to Bid Sheet Items

When your Live Event Date & Time Begins, this is when your Online To Bid Sheet and Live Event only Items will appear ready to be awarded. 

Step 1: Award your items 

Go to Close Out > Close Your Auction > Award Items.
Click Select Winner for each item and use the Type of Winner drop-down menu to select either:

• Online: If the item is sold to the leading online bidder. Once you select them, their information and leading bid will automatically populate. The credit card on file for each person will be automatically applied to their transaction. The card can be viewed under payment and email details below the person's name for the item. You can also change the payment type here as well. (Example: cash or check.) 
• Offline: If the item is sold to an offline bidder at your Event. You will need to enter the winner in the Enter Winner field. See this Help Article for more details.
• Sell Without Assigning: If you collected payment directly from the winner and you don't want to enter live event bidder information. Enter the amount the item sold for.

Then click Award. The item will automatically pull down to Close Out> Close Your Auction>Process Payments where you can charge the bidder for the item they have won. 

Helpful Information! If you've added your live event bidders under Manage Bidders or if the live event winner is registered online for the auction, you can also award the items to them by selecting Offline. Follow the steps to award to an Offline Bidder.

How to Close Out a Quick Sale

Before closing out a quick sale, you must first create the quick sale.

Step 1: Create the quick sale

Go to Close Out> Close Your Auction> Quick Sales

Click on Create Quick Sale and enter in the following:

• The Quick Sale item name.
• The purchase amount.
• The person's name.  Select them from the list of possible registered bidders that appear. If the person isn't registered, click on the Add A New Bidder button instead to add them.
• Once a bidder is selected, you can select their payment type.

Click Create Quick Sale.

Once the Quick Sale is created, it will automatically pull down to Close Out >Close Your Auction> Process Payments where you can charge their card.

For more information about the quick sale feature, click here. 

How to Process Payments and Finalize Close Out

After you have confirmed all of your Tickets, Donations, Items, and Quick Sales, follow these steps to charge your supporters.

Step 1: Process Your Payments

Go to Close Out > Close Your Auction > Process Payments: 
All of the purchases will be bundled by winner (so if someone won 3 items, and made a donation, all transactions will be listed once with their total purchase). If you have items where a shipping fee is applicable, you will want to add the shipping fee prior to processing the payment. 

You can confirm the purchases individually by clicking Process next to each of them or you can process all at once by clicking Process All Purchases.

Important Note! When clicking the Process All Purchases button, it will take a few moments to process everything. 

Step 2: Confirm Everything is Closed Out

To confirm all transactions have been closed out and processed, we suggest going to Close out > Close Your Auction and checking everything beneath it to make sure nothing was missed. For example, we suggest going into Ticket Orders, Donations, Award Items, etc. to make sure nothing is waiting to be confirmed or processed. Once all categories show nothing contained within, the auction is officially closed out.  

Helpful Information!

To verify a purchase:

• Run a credit card transactions report under Reports > Credit Card Transaction
• You can also see if a card has failed by going to Close Out > Close Your Auction > Process Payments after a few minutes of processing and any failed cards will be displayed. 

FAQ's

• What do I do if a card fails? 
• How do I mark an item as not sold?
• When I click Award/Confirm, nothing happens?
  • Make sure there is an amount in the amount field. If there is and you still cannot award, try switching the payment type to cash and then back to the Credit Card. Then try clicking award again. 
•  I accidentally awarded an item to the wrong person, how do I reopen it?
• How do I award an item to a second-place bidder or mark it as not sold?
• How do I change the payment method to cash or check?
• How do I refund someone?
• How do I contact the Bidder?
  • To contact the Bidder, Please see the Reports > Registered Users Report OR Close out > Manage Bidders. This will list their contact information for you to reach out to them.