# Online bid

> A bid submitted over the internet, either in advance (a pre-bid) through the auction house's website or a bidding platform, or live while the sale is taking place.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/online-bid
- Language: English
- Also known as: Internet bid, Live online bid, Pre-bid
- Last updated: 2026-10-07
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/glossaire/enchere-en-ligne.md

## Definition

A bid submitted over the internet, either in advance (a pre-bid) through the auction house's website or a bidding platform, or live while the sale is taking place.

Online bids arrive through the house's own website or through platforms such as Drouot, Interenchères, Sixbid, Numisbids, Biddr or Philasearch. Pre-bids close at a set time before the session; live bids are relayed to the auctioneer during the sale.

In Selloff, bids from connected platforms are imported with their origin, matched to existing contacts and, if configured, rounded up to the next increment, so online and room bids end up in the same bid book. See [selling on several platforms from one catalogue](https://www.selloff.auction/articles/selling-on-drouot-interencheres-sixbid.md).

## Related features

- [Bid import from platforms](https://www.selloff.auction/features/bid-import.md): Bring bids, results and registrations from Drouot, Sixbid, Numisbids, Philasearch, Biddr and Excel files into your sale, with contact matching and a review step.
- [Live auctions & online bidding](https://www.selloff.auction/features/live-auctions.md): Run the room from the auctioneer's console and take live online bids through Selloff Live Auction, with every hammer price recorded in Selloff.
- [Online catalogue publishing](https://www.selloff.auction/features/online-catalogue-publishing.md): Publish catalogues on your own website through the Selloff API and WordPress plugin, with instant updates, online bidding, client accounts and platform exports.

## Related terms

- [Timed online auction](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/timed-online-auction.md): An auction held entirely online in which each lot closes at a scheduled time, often extended by a few minutes if a bid arrives just before the close. No auctioneer calls the lots.
- [Hybrid auction](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/hybrid-auction.md): A live auction in which bids are taken at the same time from the saleroom, telephone lines, absentee orders and online bidders, all competing on the same lots in real time.
- [Bid increment](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/bid-increment.md): The minimum amount by which each new bid must exceed the previous one. Increments rise with the price and are defined in a table published in the conditions of sale.
- [Telephone bid](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/telephone-bid.md): A bid placed live during the sale by a client on the phone with a member of the auction house's staff, who relays the client's bids to the auctioneer in real time.