Introducing BidPointsSM
eSnipe users are charged using a micropayment system called BidPoints. Each BidPoint costs
1 cent and pays for $1 of the final auction price
only if you win.
If you don't win, there's no charge. You buy BidPoints at the rate of 1 BidPoint
per $1 of the auction closing amount (normally called the "auction win"), rounded
down to the nearest BidPoint. If you're confused by this whole BidPoints thing, don't worry.
It's all handled automatically, and you can see your balance easily. If you take
the time to learn about BidPoints you'll find that they can save you money over
and above the 1% if you buy in bulk. Using BidPoints allows eSnipe to keep costs
down by minimizing transaction fees for credit cards and electronic checks, to
issue refunds quickly, and to offer promotions from time to time.
| Winning Bid |
BidPoints Required |
Your Cost |
| $0-$24.99 |
25 BidPoints |
$0.25 |
| $25-$1,000 |
1 BidPoint per $1 of each item won |
$0.25 to $10.00 |
| $1,000 and up |
1000 BidPoints per item won, never more! |
$10.00 maximum |
| Dutch Auctions |
100 BidPoints per auction win (any quantity) |
$1.00 |
| Foreign Auctions |
100 BidPoints per auction win (any quantity) |
$1.00 |
BidPointSM
Links
Purchasing BidPoints
BidPoint Examples
BidPoints Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)< class="H2vs8">
BidPointTM
Basics
- For auction wins up to $24.99 in US$, the fee is 25 BidPoints.
- For auction wins of $25-$1,000 in US$, the fee is 1%, rounded down to the
nearest penny. So if you win an item for $500 on eBay, the eSnipe fee is $5.
- For auction wins of $1,000 and over in US$, the fee is a flat $10. If you
buy a house for $350,000, the eSnipe fee is still just $10.
- Foreign auctions: All auction wins for items denominated in non-US
currency are charged a flat $1 fee, regardless of closing price.
- Dutch Auction wins are charged a flat $1 fee, regardless of
quantity, currency, or winning price.
- To pay for eSnipe fees, you purchase BidPointsSM. Each BidPoint
costs 1 cent and pays for $1 of the final auction fee. So a fee of 25
BidPoints costs 25 cents. A fee of 500 BidPoints costs $5. You can pay even
less by purchasing BidPoints in large quantities--the more BidPoints you buy
at once, the less they cost.
- You must buy at least $5 worth of BidPoints.
- You need not purchase BidPoints until you win an item. eSnipe reserves the
right to discontinue service to users who have a negative balance and who have
not purchased any BidPoints.
- eSnipe reserves the right to relax its payment rules for selected users.
- New users will get limited use of eSnipe for a free trial period. Once
the free trial ends, any new bids placed will be subject to auction fees
(BidPoint charges). After that trial period expires standard auction fees will
apply.
BidPoints stay active as long as you do
BidPoints don't expire as long as you remain an active user. An active user
is defined as anyone who has logged on to the eSnipe site within the last year.
If a year passes and you do not log on, three attempts will be made to contact you by
email over a period of a month. If at that time you cannot be reached, the
BidPoints will expire.
eBay services not fully supported
Currently eSnipe works with any auction available to all members through the
main www.ebay.com site by item number, and
eBay Motors. We are still working on support for the following services.
- Specialty eBay sites such as eBay Premier, Mature Audiences, Half.com,
Butterfields, and eBay Disney
- Multiple snipes (where you can place more than one snipe on the same item)