What a Lightning Sale is

A Lightning Sale is an item on sale for a limited time. You have two ways to buy it. You can Buy Now at the listed sale price, or you can make an offer for less and let the seller decide.

This guide is about making an offer.

Before you make an offer

You need a payment method saved to your account. When a seller accepts your offer, your card is charged right away. There is no separate checkout step, so make sure a card is on file before you start.

How to make an offer

Open the listing and tap Make an Offer. Enter a price in whole dollars that is lower than the sale price. As you type, a meter shows how strong your offer looks, from hot down to cold. It only gives you a hint. It never shows you the seller's lowest acceptable price. Check the shipping details and submit.

Please offer only what you are ready to pay. Once you submit, you cannot take an offer back or lower it. You can only raise it.

What the seller can do

After you make an offer, the seller can accept it, decline it, or send back a different price.

If the seller accepts, your card is charged for your offer amount and you get an order confirmation.

If the seller declines, you can make a higher offer, Buy Now, or walk away.

If the seller sends back a different price, that is a counter, and you can respond to it.

While your offer is still waiting, you can raise it any time. That is handy if the meter says you are a little low.

When the seller counters

You have three choices, right from the message.

You can accept the counter, and your card is charged that amount.

You can decline, and the conversation ends.

You can counter back one time. Your new price has to be higher than your first offer and lower than the seller's counter. After that you either accept or Buy Now.

Each side gets one counter, so think of it as a single back and forth rather than a long haggle.

It is a race, and the first payment wins

More than one person can want the same item, and a seller can accept more than one offer. Whoever pays first gets it. That means another buyer could pay before you, and you would be told the item is gone. It also means anyone who hits Buy Now ends the sale right away.

If you win, you get a purchase confirmation. If you do not, we let you know.

If your payment does not go through

If your card is declined when an accepted offer is charged, the offer is marked as payment failed. Update your card or contact support. Depending on the seller's settings, your offer may reopen for the seller to approve again. A failed payment can still cost you the item in a race, so keep a working card on file.

Common questions

Can I take back an offer I regret? No. You can only raise an offer, never cancel or lower it.

Will I be charged just for making an offer? No. You are only charged if the seller accepts, if you accept their counter, or if you Buy Now.

Can I have two offers on the same item? No. You get one active offer per item, and you can raise it while it is waiting.

How low can I offer? Any whole dollar amount below the sale price. The seller may have a private minimum, and the meter hints how close you are without showing it.

What is the difference between accepted and paid? Accepted means the seller said yes and your card is being charged. Paid means the payment cleared and your order is confirmed.

I was declined. What now? You can send a higher offer, Buy Now while the sale is still on, or close it out and move on.