A bid increment is the least amount by which a bid must be raised for the next bid. Increments are determined by the current bid on the item, not the maximum bid entered. As the current bid increases, the bid increment increases.
AutoBid incrementally increases your bid:
We suggest you bid the maximum amount you're willing to pay for an item, and let AutoBid incrementally increase your bid for you, as necessary. As the auction proceeds, we compare your bid to those of other bidders. When you're outbid, we automatically increase your bid by increments, but only as much as needed to ensure your position as highest bidder. Your Maximum Bid reflects the amount you're willing to pay for an item, but you could end up paying less.
Learn more about AutoBid.
Bid increments are determined by the current bid:
The bid increment is displayed as $0.00 in the item listing until the first bid has been placed.
Following are the bid increments currently in effect:
| Current Bid | Bid Increment |
| $0.00 - $9.99 | $.25 |
| $10.00 - $49.99 | $1.00 |
| $50.00 - $99.99 | $2.00 |
| $100.00 - $999.99 | $5.00 |
| $1000.00 and up | $25.00 |
Example:
If the current bid is $57, the next bid must be at least $59 ($57+$2).
Bid increment scenario –
The bid increment is determined by the current bid price at the time not the maximum bid a user has entered. You had a maximum bid of $576.00 but the current bid price was at $566.00 when the winning bidder entered his bid. He would have had to enter a minimum bid of $571.00 but his maximum bid was $577.75. As long as his maximum bid amount exceeded your maximum bid amount, he would become the high bidder by the difference between your maximum bid and his.