GC Auctions - Bidder Check-In and Registration

Applies to: GC Events with GC Auctions enabled

Roles: Events administrators with the Manage Registrations permission; volunteers with a check-in link and access code

Location: Auction > Bidders

Outcome: Guests are registered to bid, checked in, and holding a paddle number.

Summary: Bidders can register online before the event, or your team can check them in at the door. Bidder check-in is separate from event attendee check-in, and it's built for volunteers. Share a link and an access code, and they're ready to go without a GiveCampus login.

This article covers

• How bidder check-in differs from attendee check-in
• How guests register to bid on their own
• Creating a check-in link for volunteers
• Checking guests in and sending card links
• Assigning paddle numbers
• Using the Bidders tab

Bidder check-in vs. attendee check-in

Bidder check-in and event attendee check-in are separate. Checking a guest in as a bidder doesn't mark them as attended for the event, and vice versa. If you use both, plan to check guests in twice, or assign different volunteers to each.

How guests register to bid on their own

Guests can register ahead of time or on the spot:

1. They enter their email and verify it from a link GiveCampus sends them.
2. They complete bidder registration: name, a credit card, and optionally a mobile phone and display name. They can also choose to bid anonymously.
3. They're assigned the next available paddle number.

Guests are also prompted to register the first time they try to bid on a silent item.

Step 1: Create a check-in link for volunteers

1. Go to Auction > Bidders.
2. Select Share access.
3. Select Create check-in link.
4. Copy the Check-in link and the six-digit Access code and share them with your volunteers.

The link works until the auction closes. The same menu also has Open console, Regenerate (a new link and code), and Revoke (turns the link off).

Step 2: Open volunteer check-in

Volunteers open the check-in link and enter Your name, so you know who checked each guest in. Then they enter the Access code and select Start checking in. Admins who are signed in to GiveCampus skip the access code.

Step 3: Check guests in

The Volunteer check-in screen lists every guest on a completed event registration, plus bidders who registered on their own. Search by guest, registrant, or paddle number. Counters at the top show how many guests are checked in, ready to bid, and can't bid yet.

Each guest shows a status:

• Ready to bid: They have a card on file and can bid.
• Can't bid yet: They haven't added a card yet.

To check a guest in:

• If they're ready to bid, select Check in and hand them their paddle.
• If they don't have a card on file, select Check in & send link. Confirm the email address, which becomes their bidder email. GiveCampus emails them a link to finish registering and add a card. Use Resend card link if they need it again.

Paddle numbers

Bidders who register with a card are assigned a paddle number automatically, in sequence from your Starting paddle number.

For guests without a card on file, you can still hand them a paddle for the live auction and paddle raise:

• On the check-in screen, open the guest's row and select Assign paddle.
• On the admin Bidders tab, select Assign paddle (or Edit paddle) from the bidder's menu.

A bidder without a card on file can win live items and make paddle raise pledges. They can't bid on silent items themselves until they add a card.

Important: When you select Confirm & Notify, winners without a card on file get an invoice where they can pay

A paddle number can't be changed once the bidder has live auction activity.

Using the Bidders tab

• Bidders: Every bidder, with their paddle, name, registration, status (Pending, Active, or Deactivated), amount committed, and check-in time. From the row menu, you can:
  • View details or the bid timeline
  • Assign or edit a paddle
  • Send a registration or sign-in link
  • Deactivate or reactivate a bidder
• Should-be-bidders: Registered event guests who haven't finished bidder registration, with the reason (e.g., "Started, not finished" or "No email"). Send or resend their registration link from here before the event.

Keywords: bidder check-in, bidder registration, register to bid, paddle number, assign paddle, card on file, access code, volunteer check-in, QR code, should-be-bidders