Step 1
List your car.
Snap a few photos and punch in your VIN — we auto-fill the rest.
5 minutesListing · Photos
Upload your photos
Engine bay
Dash / damage (+5)
7 of 8 uploadedAuto-enhanced
How Bidbus works
No more lowball offers. No more haggling. No more wondering whether you left money on the table.
Step 2
Set your minimum selling price.
Set the lowest number you'll accept. It stays private — you walk free if no bid clears it.
2 minutesStep 2 · Set reserve (private)
What's the lowest you'd take?
$26,500
$22k$28k
Best instant offer$24,800
KBB trade-in value$25,400
Your reserve$26,500
Hidden from dealers
Step 3
Watch dealers fight over it.
1,000+ dealers go head-to-head for 2 hours. Watch the price climb live, TikTok-style.
2 hoursCurrent bidReplay
$22,300$22,600$23,100$24,100
2023 Tesla Model Y
Your reserve$400 to go
Step 4
Sold.
Accept the winning bid. Drop off the car, get a check — same day if your title's in hand.
Same-day if title in handSold · Check delivered Tue 11:42 AM
+$28,619
↑ $2,340 vs best instant offerWinning dealerGalpin Motors
Winning bid$28,919
Bidbus fee (1%, $300 min)−$300
Net to you$28,619
Bidbus took care of
Title & DMV transferDone
Loan payoff to lenderDone
Release of liabilityDone
View payout receipt →
That's it. Sold.
Most sellers close on their first auction — and walk away with $2,340 more than the best instant offer they got.
Get my offerWhy it works
Three things make the price go up.
Bidbus exists because the trade-in model is broken. One buyer = one offer. Two buyers = bargaining power. 1,000 buyers = a fair market price.
Dealers bid against each other, not you.
CarMax and instant-cash buyers know they're your only option. We make sure they're not. The number on the screen when the 2-hour auction closes is the actual market price — not a take-it-or-leave-it figure.
You set the floor. Bids below it never sell.
Your reserve is private. Dealers see only "met" or "not met," never the number. Setting a reserve is your promise to sell at that price or above — if a bid clears it, the sale goes through. If bids stay below, you walk free, no fee.
Free unless your car actually sells.
No listing fee. No appraisal fee. We charge a 1% success fee ($300 minimum) only after you accept a winning bid. Compare your CarMax offer to the high bid and keep whichever is bigger.
Is Bidbus a real company?
Yes. Bidbus is an online dealer-auction marketplace operating in California and Texas. We are not a dealer ourselves — we run the auction layer between you and 1,000+ verified franchise and independent dealers who compete for your car in a 2-hour live auction.
Does Bidbus actually buy my car?
No — and that’s the point. Unlike instant-offer platforms, Bidbus does not purchase your car directly. Instead, we match you with verified local dealers who bid against each other in a 2-hour live auction. The dealer with the winning bid is the one who buys and pays for the car. Most dealers ask you to drop the car off at their lot; some offer pickup — it’s optional and depends on the dealer. Bidbus handles paperwork on your behalf either way.
Will I get spam calls or texts from dealers after listing?
No. Dealers in the Bidbus network never receive your phone number or email. All bids and communication route through the app, and only the winning dealer gets contact info — after you accept the bid. No follow-up calls, no auction-loss outreach, no list resales.
How does Bidbus make money if it doesn’t take a spread?
Bidbus charges a 1% success fee ($300 minimum), deducted from the sale proceeds only after you accept a bid. There is no cost to list, run the auction, or walk away if bids don’t meet your reserve. We never mark up dealer offers, take spread, or get kickbacks for routing you to a specific dealer — the highest bid is what shows on screen, and what you receive minus the success fee.
How much more do sellers actually get on Bidbus?
Bidbus runs an internal audit on every car sold on the platform, comparing the winning auction bid against the same seller’s instant-offer quotes for that exact VIN. Across the most recent 184 same-VIN audits, the winning Bidbus bid averaged $2,340 more than the best instant offer the same seller received. The gap is largest on vehicles over $15,000 and on trims with strong dealer demand.
What types of cars are most popular on Bidbus?
Dealer demand — and therefore the biggest auction lift over instant offers — is strongest on 2018–2024 Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Tesla, and Ford trucks. Specifically, Tacoma, 4Runner, RAV4, CR‑V, Civic, Camry, Model 3, Model Y, F‑150, and Tundra consistently see the most competing bids. Luxury sedans (BMW, Mercedes, Audi) and EVs also do well. Older economy cars under $5,000 still sell on Bidbus but with a smaller premium.
What does Bidbus cost me as a seller?
Nothing up front. Listing your car, running the auction, and walking away if bids don’t meet your reserve are all free — no listing fee, no auction fee, no penalty for declining the winning bid. If you do accept a bid, Bidbus charges a 1% success fee ($300 minimum) deducted from the sale proceeds. You only pay after the sale closes; never before.
What if the auction doesn’t beat my best instant offer?
You walk away free and take the instant offer. That’s why most sellers run an instant-offer quote first as a price floor, then list on Bidbus to see if dealer competition beats it. If it does, you pocket the difference. If it doesn’t, you’ve lost 2 hours and gained certainty that you got the best number on the market today.
How long does a Bidbus auction take from start to finish?
Listing your car takes about 10 minutes — VIN, photos, condition, and your reserve price. The live auction itself runs for 2 hours, during which verified local dealers place competing bids in real time. If the highest bid meets your reserve, the sale closes to that bidder. If it doesn’t, you walk away free. End-to-end, most sellers complete the entire process in a single afternoon.
What’s a reserve price and how do I set one?
Your reserve is the minimum price you’ll accept. If the auction closes below your reserve, you owe nothing and walk away free. If it closes above, the car sells to the highest bidder. Bidbus suggests a reserve based on recent same-VIN sales and current dealer demand, but the final number is yours — set it high to protect your downside, or low to maximize the chance of a sale.
What happens if my auction closes below my reserve?
You don’t sell, and you walk away free — no fee, no obligation. You can relist with a revised reserve, or take the bids you received as data on what dealers will actually pay today. Most sellers who don’t hit reserve on the first run either lower it slightly and rerun, or fall back to a separate instant-offer quote.
Do I have to accept the winning bid?
If the winning bid meets or exceeds your reserve, you’re committed — the sale goes through to the highest bidder. That’s how a reserve auction works: setting a reserve is your promise to sell at that price or above, and dealers bid on that basis. If the auction closes below your reserve, you owe nothing and can walk away free, relist with a revised reserve, or pursue another channel.
Can I see who’s bidding on my car?
Yes — once your auction goes live, you’ll receive a link to watch the bidding in real time, styled like a TikTok-style live stream. Each bid lands on screen with the dealer’s name, location, and rating as it happens. Dealers cannot see your contact information — only the winning dealer gets your info, and only after the sale closes.
When and how does the dealer pay me?
It depends on your situation. If your car is paid off (you have the title in hand), most dealers pay the same day at handoff via company check. If your car still has a loan, the dealer pays off your lender directly — this typically takes up to 10 business days, depending on how your lender processes payoffs. Any remaining equity is then paid to you by company check. Your dedicated Bidbus rep can follow up with the dealer and lender on your behalf if anything stalls.
Can I sell a car that still has a loan on it?
Yes. You provide a 10-day payoff quote from your lender, and the winning dealer wires the lender directly to clear the loan; any remaining equity is paid to you. If you’re upside-down (the loan exceeds the sale price), you’ll need to cover the difference at the time of drop-off — via check, credit card, or other accepted payment — before the title transfer can complete.
What does Bidbus charge me at payout?
A 1% success fee with a $300 minimum, deducted from the sale proceeds — only after you accept a bid. There’s no listing fee, no auction fee, and no charge if you walk away. On a $25,000 sale, that’s $300; on a $50,000 sale, $500.
Who handles the title and DMV paperwork?
The winning dealer handles all DMV paperwork, including title transfer, ownership registration, and emissions or smog certifications where required. Bidbus support also files release-of-liability with the DMV on your behalf in California, and can guide you through Texas’s title transfer process step by step.
Where does Bidbus operate?
Bidbus currently operates in California and Texas. We’re rolling out to additional states based on dealer-network density — if you’re outside CA or TX, you can join the waitlist in-app and we’ll notify you when we launch in your state.
What kinds of cars can I list on Bidbus?
Most passenger vehicles with a clean title — sedans, SUVs, trucks, EVs, hybrids, and luxury vehicles up to about 12 years old. Branded titles, salvage titles, and vehicles with unrepaired damage are not accepted; the car must be in driveable, sellable condition. Heavy-duty commercial vehicles and motorcycles are also not supported.
Can I run a Bidbus auction and an instant offer at the same time?
Yes — and most sellers do. Pulling instant quotes is free and creates no obligation. Use the highest instant offer as your reserve floor on Bidbus; if the auction beats it, take the auction. If it doesn’t, fall back to the instant offer. The whole comparison takes a single afternoon.
Still have questions? Visit our help center
Get your free estimate in 2 mins
Copyright © 2026 Bidbus Inc.
All rights reserved