Reverse / Declining-Price Auctions

Dutch auction software that sells fast

Start the price high and let it fall — the first bidder to commit wins. BidWright's Dutch engine is built entirely in-house, with four drop strategies, multi-quantity lots, and a protected floor price. No third-party plugins, no licence fees.

✓ 100% in-house code ✓ 4 drop strategies ✓ Multi-quantity lots

What is a Dutch auction?

A Dutch (reverse) auction is a declining-price sale. The lot opens at a high price that falls over time, and the first bidder to accept the current price wins. Instead of rewarding the highest competing bid, it rewards decisiveness — which makes it fast, decisive, and ideal for clearing volume.

Fast by design

No waiting for a closing time. The moment a buyer commits, the lot is sold — perfect for high-volume catalogues.

💲

Creates urgency

Wait and the price drops, but someone else may grab it first. That tension pulls buyers off the fence.

📦

Great for clearance

Surplus, perishable, or time-sensitive stock moves quickly without a race to the bottom you can't control.

How BidWright's Dutch engine works

Set it up in minutes; the platform handles the drop maths.

01 — Set pricesChoose a start price and a floor price the lot can't drop below.
02 — Pick a strategySelect how the price should fall; we calculate the drop amount and interval automatically.
03 — PreviewA live drop preview shows the exact price curve before you go live.
04 — SellBuyers commit at the current price; multi-quantity lots keep selling until sold out.

Four drop strategies

Shape the price curve to your lot and your audience. Set a default for the sale, override per lot.

1 phase

Constant

A steady, even drop from start to floor. Predictable and easy for buyers to follow.

3 phases

Fast-sell

Drops quickly early, then slows near the floor — surfaces real buyers fast.

3 phases

Max-value

Rushes to the decision zone, then crawls at the bottom to squeeze out the best price.

3 phases

High-drama

Builds tension throughout with a very slow finish — keeps the room watching.

When to use a Dutch auction

Liquidation & clearance

Move large volumes of surplus or end-of-line stock without a manual fire-sale.

Perishable & time-sensitive

Produce, flowers, event tickets — sell before value evaporates.

Wholesale & bulk

Multi-quantity lots let many buyers take units at the live price until you're sold out.

Repeat commodity stock

Run fast, repeatable sales where speed matters more than a bidding war.

Returns & ex-demo

Clear graded or returned goods at a fair, market-found price.

High-footfall events

The drama of a falling price keeps a live audience engaged between lots.

Built in-house — like all six BidWright engines

The Dutch engine is our own code, not a bolted-on plugin. That means no per-module licence fees, no breakage when a third-party updates, and the freedom to tailor the drop behaviour to your exact business.

Dutch auction FAQ

What is a Dutch auction?
A Dutch (reverse) auction starts at a high price that falls over time. The first bidder to commit buys the lot at the current price — so it rewards decisiveness rather than the highest competing bid.
How is it different from a normal (English) auction?
An English auction ascends as bidders compete, and the highest bid wins at close. A Dutch auction descends, and the first buyer to accept the current price wins. Dutch is faster and ideal for clearance and volume.
Can I sell multiple units in one Dutch lot?
Yes. Multi-quantity lots let buyers purchase units at the current price until the lot sells out, with quantity sold tracked automatically.
What stops the price dropping too low?
You set a floor price. The lot will not drop below it, protecting your minimum.
Can I control how the price falls?
Yes — choose from four drop strategies (constant, fast-sell, max-value, high-drama). The platform calculates the drop amount and interval, and a live preview shows the curve before you go live.
Can lots run at the same time or one after another?
Both. Simultaneous mode drops all lots together, each on its own timing; sequential mode runs lots one after another with a configurable gap.
Is the Dutch engine built in-house?
Yes. It's our own code — no third-party auction plugins and no per-module licence fees — and it can be white-labelled or extended for your business.

Launch a Dutch auction engine you own

Book a 30-minute demo and we'll show the declining-price engine live, then map it to your stock and your sale calendar.

In-house. No plugins. No licence fees.