Boost recurring donations this giving season with the upsell prompt!With the Auctions app, you can see at a glance whether each bidder has a card ready to charge for an auction. A bidder's Payment Card Status tells you which card a batch charge will use, or that the bidder still needs one.
Where to find it
- Open the Auctions Manager.
- Click the title of the auction you want to manage.
- Click the Bidders tab.
The status appears in the list's Payment Card Status column, and next to the bidder's number and status when you click their name to open the detail panel. You can't sort by the column; use the filter below instead.
What each status means
| Status | Color | What it means | Card a batch charge uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auction Default Set | Green | A card is set as the bidder's card for this auction, and it is valid. | The card marked Auction Default |
| User Default Set | Orange | No card is set for this auction, and the bidder's account default card is valid. | The card marked account default |
| Card Needed | Red | Neither of the above. Every bidder with no linked Soapbox user account shows this status. | None. The batch can't charge this bidder. |
A card is valid when:
- It hasn't passed the end of its expiry month.
- It was saved through Stripe.
- It was saved with everything Stripe needs to charge it.
In the list, a note can appear under Card Needed. "Requested" with a date means a card request was sent on that date. "Has a saved card" means the bidder's account holds a valid card that a batch charge would not use, so open the bidder and click Set Auction Default next to it.
The card status on an event's Tickets tab
For an event linked to the auction that offers bidder sign-up to guests, the event's Tickets tab shows a shorter status under each ticket's bidder number:
- Card Ready is a bidder that is Auction Default Set or User Default Set here.
- Card Needed is a bidder that is Card Needed here.
- Needs Review means the ticket and its bidder need your attention before the card question matters. The row says why. For example, "Shares an email with Maria Lopez, bidder #12" means the ticket's email address is already another bidder's. See What to do when two guests share an email address.
Which card is charged
- A batch charge (Charge cards on file… on the Checkouts tab) charges the card set for this auction. If no card is set for this auction, it charges the account default card. It never falls back to another card, so a bidder whose card for this auction has expired shows Card Needed even when their account default card is fine.
- A single charge from the bidder's own checkout (Take a payment, then Saved card) lets you choose any saved card that hasn't expired from the Card list. You can still charge a Card Needed bidder this way if they have another good card.
Fixing Card Needed
Click the bidder's name to open the detail panel, then match the reason:
| Reason | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| The bidder has no linked user account. | Link the bidder to a Soapbox user account, or create one from the bidder. See Linking and unlinking user accounts. Then add a card. Or send the bidder a card request, which gives them an account and asks for a card in one step. |
| The bidder has no saved cards. | Under Payment Methods, click Add, then choose Use Terminal Reader or Enter Card Manually. Or send the bidder a card request, or ask them to add a card themselves (see below). |
| The card set for this auction has expired or can't be used, or no card is set and there is no valid account default. | Click Set Auction Default next to a card that isn't marked Expired, or add a new card. |
After you add a card, click Set Auction Default next to it if it isn't already marked Auction Default. Set Auction Default is offered on expired cards too, so pick one that isn't marked Expired. The panel's badge updates straight away; the list catches up the next time it refreshes.
Note: Add needs a linked user account on the bidder; hover over it to see what's missing. If the panel shows "Payment methods are unavailable on this site — the Stripe payment gateway is not enabled.", contact Soapbox support.
Bidders can also fix this themselves. On the auction site, they open My Preferences and, under Payment Method for This Auction, click Add new payment method if needed, then Use for This Auction on the card they want. If that card is valid, the bidder shows Auction Default Set.
Checking who needs a card before the event
Before your event, and again before a batch charge, list the bidders who still need a card:
- On the auction's Bidders tab, click the filter button (Show filters).
- Under Payment Card Status, choose Not Ready.
- Click Save.
Not Ready lists Card Needed bidders; Ready lists the other two. To show everyone again, choose All Bidders and click Save.
For an auction linked to an event that offers bidder sign-up, you can email every guest who still needs a card in one step, from the event's Tickets tab. See Sending a reminder to ticket holders and purchasers for an Event.
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