Frequently Asked Questions ❓

Click "Join the Crew" in the top navigation bar and complete signup. Your unique pirate username is generated automatically. After signup, finish onboarding to earn up to 3 free promotional bids (name + address, verified phone, and product interests) — no card required.

No! Creating an account is completely free with no subscription required. You only pay when you purchase coin packs (or a Pro Membership), or when you win an auction and complete winner checkout / use Buy Now.

Coins are your pre-bidding currency. By default, each pre-bid costs 1 coin (an auction can be configured with a different cost per bid). You buy coin packs in advance and use them during the pre-bid phase. Live auction bids are real dollar amounts, not coins.

Yes! Earn up to 3 free promotional bids by completing onboarding: (1) add your name and shipping address, (2) verify your phone, and (3) choose product interests. No card required. Promotional coins expire 24 hours after they're added, so use them soon.

Each auction has two phases: (1) Pre-Bidding — place coins (or loyalty points on Loyalty Auctions) to help "Trigger the Treasure." Only pre-bidders can compete in the finale. (2) Live Auction — once triggered, eligible pirates bid real money on a timer. The highest bidder when the timer hits zero wins and pays that live bid amount.

When enough total pre-bids have been placed to meet the auction's threshold, the auction triggers and moves to the Live Auction phase. You'll get notified through your enabled channels (in-app, email, and/or push) when an auction you've pre-bid on goes live.

After placing 10+ pre-bids on an auction, Bid Status unlocks with range hints (for example, more than 100 / less than 100 / less than 50 / less than 10 remaining). Pro Members see the exact remaining count after 10 personal pre-bids. On the web, free users see ranges only; on mobile, free users unlock exact counts after 20 personal pre-bids.

The live auction starts at the auction's starting price (default $1) with a countdown timer (typically 3 minutes; big-ticket treasures may run longer). Eligible pirates bid real money amounts higher than the current price. Each bid adds 30 seconds. When the timer hits zero, the highest bidder wins. Pro Members can also see eligible competitor counts and who's online. There is no auto-bidding.

No. If you're currently the highest bidder, your bid button is disabled until someone else outbids you. This keeps the competition fair.

If an auction doesn't reach the trigger threshold within its pre-bid window (default 30 days; each auction shows its own timing), it is cancelled and ALL pre-bids from ALL participants are automatically refunded. You never lose coins (or loyalty points) on an auction that doesn't trigger.

We offer three fixed packs: Starter Pack (10 coins for $10), Pirate Pack (20 coins + 5 bonus = 25 total for $20), and Treasure Chest (50 coins + 10 bonus = 60 total for $50). On the website you can also buy a custom Treasure Chest from 50–1000 coins at $1/coin (10 bonus coins at 50–99; 15 bonus coins at 100+). Bonus coins are promotional and expire 24 hours after purchase. Mobile apps sell the fixed packs through the App Store / Google Play.

On the web, payments go through Stripe (major cards and Stripe-supported digital wallets). In our mobile apps, coin packs and memberships are purchased through Apple App Store or Google Play billing. Winner checkout and Buy Now on mobile use Stripe where applicable.

Yes. We never store your full card details on our servers. Web payments are processed by Stripe. Mobile coin and membership purchases are processed by Apple or Google.

If you lose a completed Live Auction, your pre-bid coins are spent. On regular (non-loyalty) auctions, once the winner completes payment you earn 1 loyalty point for each paid coin you spent — redeemable in Loyalty Auctions. If the auction never triggers, you get all pre-bids back. If someone else uses Buy Now, other participants are refunded automatically.

Paid (regular) coins never expire. Promotional bonus coins — from onboarding free bids, coin-pack bonuses, membership monthly bonuses, or promotions — expire 24 hours after they're added. Referral rewards are credited as regular coins and do not use the 24-hour promo expiry.

Coin purchases are generally non-refundable once made, since they can be used immediately for bidding. If you haven't used coins from a purchase, contact support@piratebids.com and we'll review case by case. Mobile store purchases may also be subject to Apple or Google refund policies.

Buy Now lets you purchase the item during the pre-bidding phase at the listed Buy Now price, reduced by what you've already spent on pre-bids for that auction. Starting Buy Now briefly reserves the auction (about 15 minutes) so bidding is paused while you check out.

Your price is: Buy Now price minus your prebid spend on that auction, but never below 10% of the original Buy Now price. There is no separate convenience fee in Buy Now checkout. Example: if Buy Now is $100 and you've spent $40 in pre-bids, you'd pay $60 (unless the 10% floor is higher).

On the mobile app, Buy Now is blocked while you still have promotional coins in your account balance. Your Buy Now discount is based on what you've already spent on pre-bids for that auction. Buy Now is not available on Loyalty Auctions.

When Buy Now completes successfully, the auction ends and all other participants who placed pre-bids are refunded. The buyer keeps their own prebid spend as the discount already applied to their Buy Now price.

No. Buy Now is only available during the pre-bidding phase. Once an auction triggers, you must compete in the live auction (if you pre-bid) to win.

Loyalty points are a reward you earn when you participate in regular auctions you don't win. They can be spent as pre-bids in special Loyalty Auctions. They have no cash value, are non-transferable, cannot be purchased, and cannot be exchanged for cash or coins.

When a regular auction concludes with a paid winner, every participant who didn't win receives 1 loyalty point for each paid (regular) coin they spent on pre-bids in that auction. Points are credited after the winner completes purchase. Promotional coins don't earn points, and the auction winner doesn't earn points. Loyalty Auctions and Buy Now endings don't award new points.

Points are credited after the auction completes and the winner's order is paid. If the winner doesn't pay within 24 hours, their checkout is suspended and their pre-bids are forfeited; other participants are refunded when that expired checkout is cancelled (contact support@piratebids.com if you need help). No loyalty points are issued when you're refunded instead.

Loyalty Auctions work like regular auctions, except pre-bids are placed with loyalty points instead of coins (typically 1 point per pre-bid when the auction's cost-per-bid is 1). The live phase still runs in real dollars. Buy Now is not available on Loyalty Auctions. Some require a minimum loyalty tier.

Yes. Loyalty points expire 6 months after they're issued. Points are spent oldest-first. You can review balances and upcoming expirations in your account / loyalty views.

Points spent in a Loyalty Auction that completes with a winner stay spent, just like coins on a regular auction. If a Loyalty Auction is cancelled (for example, it doesn't collect enough pre-bids in time), points you spent are refunded with a fresh 6-month expiry.

Your lifetime loyalty points (every point you've ever earned, even if later spent or expired) determine your rank: Deckhand (0+), First Mate (100+), Quartermaster (500+), or Captain (1500+). Some Loyalty Auctions require a minimum rank. Your rank never goes down.

No. Loyalty points cannot be purchased, sold, transferred, or redeemed for cash or coins. They're earned through auction participation and can only be spent in Loyalty Auctions.

Share your unique referral code from Dashboard → Invite Friends (or Account → Referrals on mobile). When your friend signs up with your code and makes their first paid purchase (a coin pack or membership), they get 5 coins and you get 10 coins. Those referral rewards are regular coins (they don't expire in 24 hours like promotional bonuses).

No extra signup bonus beyond the normal onboarding path. Referred friends can still earn up to 3 free promotional bids by completing onboarding, just like everyone else. Referral rewards unlock on their first paid purchase.

Shipping details are shown on each auction page before you bid (including when free shipping applies). Winner checkout charges your winning live bid amount; shipping address is collected at checkout.

Delivery times vary by item and carrier. After your order ships, you'll receive tracking information by email and can also check it from your Orders page.

Checkout currently collects shipping addresses for the United States and Canada. If you have a special shipping question, contact support@piratebids.com.

Once your item ships, you'll receive an email with tracking details when available. You can also review order status from your Orders page in the dashboard.

Contact us at support@piratebids.com as soon as possible with photos of the damage and packaging. We'll help arrange a resolution.

Go to your Account Settings / profile and update your shipping address. Make sure it's correct before winning an auction or completing Buy Now checkout.

Click "Sign In", then use the forgot-password option. Enter your email and we'll send a secure reset link.

Usernames are automatically generated and cannot be changed. Your username helps other pirates recognize you in auctions.

You can request account deletion from Account Settings. Deletion is blocked if you have a pending winner checkout or are the current high bidder on an active auction. Remaining coin balance is forfeited, and deletion cannot be undone. Need help? Email support@piratebids.com.

We use industry-standard protections for your data and do not sell your personal information. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Contact us immediately at support@piratebids.com. We'll investigate and help secure your account.

Pro Membership (stored as Premium on your account) is our $24.99/month subscription. Each month you get 25 regular bid credits + 10 promotional bonus coins (bonus coins expire in 24 hours), plus insights and member-only auction access.

Pro Members get: (1) 25 monthly bid credits + 10 bonus promotional coins, (2) exact bids-remaining counts after 10 personal pre-bids, (3) eligible-pirate and online competitor insights, (4) access to Members Only auctions, and (5) unlimited chat with Polly (free users have a hourly message limit).

Yes. Pro Membership is month-to-month. Cancel from your account / membership settings. You keep Pro benefits through the end of your current billing period. Mobile subscriptions cancel through Apple or Google subscription settings.

Monthly Pro credits already added stay in your account — regular credits don't expire. The 10 monthly bonus coins are promotional and expire 24 hours after they're added. You won't receive new monthly coins after your subscription ends.

Yes. Pro Members can access Members Only auctions that free accounts cannot bid on. Look for the Members Only badge on auction listings.

Yes. Products listed on Pirate Bids are authentic and brand new unless an auction page clearly states otherwise.

Revenue comes from pre-bid coins placed across the community, plus the winner's final live bid (or Buy Now payment). That combined amount funds the product cost and operating the platform.

There is no general daily or monthly win cap in the product today. You can participate in multiple auctions at once as long as you have coins (or loyalty points for Loyalty Auctions) and meet any auction-specific eligibility rules.

Winners must complete payment within 24 hours. If payment isn't completed, the checkout is suspended and your pre-bids on that auction are forfeited. After 2 expired checkouts, your account may be suspended. Contact support@piratebids.com to appeal.

Yes. Place pre-bids on as many auctions as you like (subject to eligibility). Your coins work across regular auctions; loyalty points are for Loyalty Auctions. Turn on notifications so you don't miss triggers.

Email support@piratebids.com or use the Contact Us page. You can also ask Polly, our in-app parrot assistant, for help with how Pirate Bids works.