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How-to: Run a Hybrid Silent Auction

Run a Silent Auction that’s open to both in-person event guests and online participants — all managed in one place.

A hybrid Silent Auction lets your in-person event guests and online supporters bid on the same items at the same time — no paper bid sheets, no separate tracking systems, and no second Campaign needed. RallyUp manages all bids in one place, keeping totals accurate in real time regardless of where each bidder is participating from. This article walks you through everything you need to know to plan, set up, and close a hybrid Silent Auction successfully.

How Hybrid Silent Auctions Work in RallyUp

A hybrid Silent Auction in RallyUp runs entirely within a single Campaign. Your in-person guests and online participants see the same items, compete in the same bid pool, and drive the same running totals — RallyUp reconciles every bid automatically as it comes in.

One Campaign, One Set of Bids

You do not need to create separate Campaigns for your in-person and online audiences. Every item, every bid, and every running total lives in one Campaign. When an online supporter outbids a guest standing in your venue — or vice versa — the new high bid is reflected immediately for everyone. Learn more about how RallyUp handles auction bidding in Understand: Auction Bidding Styles.

How Participants Access the Auction

Both audiences access your Campaign through the same Campaign link. In-person guests typically open it on their phones (you can make this even easier with QR codes — see the Helping In-Person Guests Bid with QR Codes section below). Online participants open the link from any device. There is no separate portal or experience for either group; the Campaign works the same way on a phone at your venue as it does on a laptop at home.

📝 Note: RallyUp’s Silent Auction uses an open bidding format. Participants can see the current high bid and place a new bid at any time while the auction is open. For a full explanation of how timing and open bidding work, see Understand: How Auction Timing and Closing Works.

Pricing for Hybrid Silent Auctions

Running a hybrid Silent Auction does not cost anything extra. Whether you are on a Free plan or a Flex plan, the pricing structure for your Campaign stays exactly the same regardless of whether your bidders are in the room or across the country.

You will not be charged additional fees for having both in-person and online participants, for the number of active bidders, or for using QR codes to support on-site bidding. For a full overview of what’s included in each plan, visit our Pricing Page.

Helping In-Person Guests Bid with QR Codes

QR codes let your in-person guests jump directly to a specific Auction item on their phone — no searching, no typing. Each item in your Campaign can have its own QR code, which you print and display at the corresponding table or display station. Guests scan the code, land on the item page, and place their bid.

This replaces the paper bid sheets that traditional silent auctions rely on, and it eliminates the manual tallying that happens at the end of the night. Every bid placed on-site is recorded in RallyUp the same way an online bid is, so your totals are always current.

Generating QR Codes for Your Items

RallyUp has a built-in QR code generator for Auction items. You do not need a third-party tool. For step-by-step instructions on creating and downloading QR codes for your items, see How-to: Create QR Codes for Your Auction Items.

💡 Tip: Print QR codes at a size guests can comfortably scan from arm’s length — at least 2 inches × 2 inches. Include the item name and starting bid on the same sign so guests know what they’re scanning before they pick up their phone.

💡 Tip: If you have a large number of items, consider using bulk import to add them to your Campaign efficiently, then generate QR codes once your items are all in place.

Planning Your Wi-Fi Setup

A hybrid Silent Auction depends on your in-person guests being able to access your Campaign on their phones. That means reliable wi-fi (or strong cellular coverage) is essential in your venue.

Why Standard Guest Wi-Fi Often Falls Short

Most venue guest wi-fi networks are designed for light browsing, not for dozens or hundreds of simultaneous active users. When many guests try to load and interact with your Campaign at the same time — especially during high-activity moments like the final minutes before closing — a weak or congested network can cause slow load times or failed bids.

What to Do Before Your Event

Reach out to your venue well in advance and ask specifically about wi-fi capacity for events with high simultaneous device usage. Key questions to ask:

  • How many concurrent connections does the guest network support?
  • Is there a dedicated event network available (separate from general guest access)?
  • What is the expected bandwidth during your event window?

💡 Tip: Consider renting a dedicated mobile hotspot as a backup, particularly for smaller venues or outdoor events where wi-fi coverage may be uneven. Brief your staff or a volunteer on how to set it up quickly if connectivity issues arise during the event.

📝 Note: Cellular coverage is a valid fallback. If your venue has strong LTE or 5G signal throughout the space, many guests will bid over their cellular connection without ever touching the venue wi-fi.

Closing the Auction and Notifying Winners

When a hybrid Silent Auction closes, RallyUp handles winner determination and payment automatically — the same process applies whether a winner was bidding in person or online.

How Auction Closing Works

RallyUp closes your Silent Auction at the date and time you set. At that point, the highest bidder on each item is designated the winner. For a full explanation of timing, soft closes, and what happens in the final moments of bidding, see Understand: How Auction Timing and Closing Works.

Automatic Charges

Once the Auction closes, RallyUp automatically charges the winner’s payment method for the amount of their winning bid. Winners who bid in person are charged the same way as online winners — no manual invoicing or cash collection is needed at the event. For a complete breakdown of what happens after the Auction ends, see Understand: What Happens After Your Auction Ends.

Notifying Winners and Non-Winners

RallyUp can send automated notifications to winners and non-winners after the auction closes.

💡 Tip: If your event runs late and guests are still on-site when the Auction closes, a brief announcement from the stage or MC letting guests know the Auction has ended — and that they’ll receive an email confirmation — helps set expectations before they leave.

If a Winner Is Ineligible

Occasionally, a winning bidder cannot complete their purchase — for example, if their payment fails or they are otherwise ineligible. RallyUp has a defined process for handling this, which may include moving to the next highest bidder. See Understand: Ineligible Auction Winners for the full details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to create separate Campaigns for my in-person and online guests?

No. One Campaign handles both. In-person and online participants bid on the same items, and RallyUp tracks all bids together in real time. There is no advantage to splitting your audience across multiple Campaigns — doing so would divide your bidder pool and reduce competition on your items.

Can in-person guests and online participants see each other’s bids?

Yes. All bidders see the same current high bid for each item, regardless of where they are participating from. This is part of what makes the Auction competitive — in-person guests can see when an online bidder has outbid them and respond immediately.

What if a guest’s phone can’t connect to the venue wi-fi?

Most smartphones will automatically use cellular data when wi-fi is unavailable or slow. As long as your venue has reasonable cellular coverage, guests can still bid. If you anticipate connectivity challenges, brief a staff member or volunteer on using a mobile hotspot as a backup.

Is there an additional fee for running a hybrid Silent Auction?

No. Hybrid formats — where both in-person and online participants bid — are supported on all plans at no extra cost. Your plan’s standard pricing applies regardless of how your bidders access the Campaign.

Can I see who placed bids and when, including from in-person guests?

Yes. RallyUp logs every bid, including the bidder’s identity and timestamp, whether they bid in person via QR code or online. See How-to: View Lists of Auction Bids and Bidders for instructions on accessing this data.

What happens if two people bid at exactly the same time?

RallyUp processes bids in the order they are received. If two bids arrive simultaneously, the first one recorded by the system is accepted as the current high bid, and the second bidder is prompted to place a higher bid if they want to compete. This applies equally to in-person and online bids.

Can I extend the Auction closing time if in-person guests are still actively bidding?

Yes, you can adjust your Auction’s closing time while it is still open. For details, see Understand: How Auction Timing and Closing Works.

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