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Payments and Penalties on Copart and IAAI Auctions
When bidding on a car at Copart or IAAI, keep in mind that the auction price is only part of the final cost. Additional fees include auction fees (Buyer Fee — depending on the car's value and title), Virtual/Internet Bid Fee (for online participation), Gate/Service Fee (for vehicle preparation), Environmental Fee (mainly for damaged vehicles), Title Handling Fee (for document preparation), and possible local fees (e.g., state tax). After winning the auction, there is a short payment deadline — 3 business days (Copart) or 3–5 days (IAAI) — exceeding it results in a $50 penalty or even 2% of the car's value. Non-payment leads to the loss of the deposit and additional relisting fees (Copart: $600 or 10%, IAAI: $1000 or 15%). Once paid, the car must be picked up within 2–5 business days, otherwise, daily storage fees apply (Copart: $5–$30, IAAI: $50). In total, the final cost of purchasing a car from the USA can be significantly higher than the price shown at auction — consider this before you click "Bid.”
What Does the Final Payment Amount for a Winning Bid Consist Of?
When bidding on a car at Copart and IAAI auctions, participants need to account for several types of costs in addition to the final winning bid. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these fees:
1. Winning Car Price
This is the amount you bid during the auction and the system accepted as the highest offer. This is now the official purchase price of your car. It is the basic component of the final amount to be paid — other costs are calculated based on this amount. At this point, the car is assigned to you and awaits payment.
2. Auction Fees
Auction houses add several additional fees to the winning amount, which contribute to the final price. Their amount and structure depend on various factors — vehicle value, type of auction (online or through a broker), vehicle location, and the specific auction house’s policies (Copart or IAAI). Some fees are fixed, while others are percentage-based or depend on local regulations.
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Buyer Fee (Сopart / IAAI) – the basic auction house commission, which increases with the vehicle's value. The more expensive the vehicle, the higher the fee.
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Buyer Fee amount
Prices are in USD
Lot price Buyer fee: Copart Buyer fee: IAAI Clean title Non-clean title 0 - 99 1 1 1 100 - 199 25 25 25 200 - 299 50 60 60 300 - 349 75 85 85 350 - 399 75 100 100 400 - 449 110 125 125 450 - 499 110 135 135 500 - 549 125 145 145 550 - 599 130 155 155 600 - 699 140 170 170 700 - 799 155 195 195 800 - 899 170 215 215 900 - 999 185 230 230 1,000 - 1,199 200 250 250 1,200 - 1,299 225 270 270 1,300 - 1,399 240 285 285 1,400 - 1,499 250 300 300 1,500 - 1,599 260 315 315 1,600 - 1,699 275 330 330 1,700 - 1,799 285 350 350 1,800 - 1,999 300 370 370 2,000 - 2,399 325 390 390 2,400 - 2,499 335 425 425 2,500 - 2,999 350 460 460 3,000 - 3,499 400 505 505 3,500 - 3,999 455 555 555 4,000 - 4,499 600 600 600 4,500 - 4,999 625 625 625 5,000 - 5,499 625 650 650 5,500 - 5,999 625 675 675 6,000 - 6,499 675 700 700 6,500 - 6,999 675 720 720 7,000 - 7,499 675 755 755 7,500 - 7,999 690 775 775 8,000 - 8,499 715 800 800 8,500 - 9,999 715 820 820 10,000 - 11,499 720 850 850 11,500 - 11,999 720 860 860 12,000 - 12,499 720 875 875 12,500 - 14,999 720 890 890 15,000+ 5.75% 6% 6%
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Virtual Bid Fee (Copart) or Internet Bid Fee (IAAI) — added when you participate in an online auction. This applies to both Pre-Bid and live auctions. The fee depends on the vehicle price.
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Virtual / Internet Bid Fee amount
Prices are in USD
Copart
Pre-bid Live auction Lot price Clean title Non-clean title Clean title Non-clean title 0 - 99 0 0 0 0 100 - 499 39 40 49 50 500 - 999 49 55 59 65 1,000 - 1,499 69 75 79 85 1,500 - 1,999 79 85 89 95 2,000 - 3,999 89 100 99 110 4,000 - 5,999 99 110 109 125 6,000 - 7,999 119 125 139 145 8,000+ 129 140 149 160 IAAI
Lot price Pre-bid Live auction 0 - 99 0 0 100 - 499 40 50 500 - 999 55 65 1,000 - 1,499 75 85 1,500 - 1,999 85 95 2,000 - 3,999 100 110 4,000 - 5,999 110 125 6,000 - 7,999 125 145 8,000+ 140 160
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Gate Fee (Copart) or Service Fee (IAAI) — a standard service fee charged for preparing the vehicle for pickup (e.g., moving the car to the lot, forklift loading). Amount: $95 or $79 for Clean Title cars at Copart.
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Environmental Fee (Copart / IAAI) — a small environmental fee for vehicles that are not roadworthy. This covers the recycling of fluids, for example. Amount: $15 or $0 for Clean Title cars at Copart.
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Title-Handling Fee (Copart / IAAI) — a fee for preparing and sending the ownership document (Title). Amount: $20. For auctions offering vehicles with problematic titles (e.g., salvage title), the costs may be higher as additional procedures are required to verify the documents.
Additionally, depending on the vehicle’s location, there may be local fees, such as:
- State tax or national tax (for vehicles purchased in Canada)
- Additional administrative costs related to processing the vehicle.
All these costs should be considered before bidding to realistically assess the total cost of purchasing a car.
3. Payment and Pickup Deadlines, Possible Penalties for Violating Vehicle Purchase Rules
Winning an auction is just the beginning of the purchasing process. Afterward, strict payment and pickup deadlines apply. Both Copart and IAAI have clearly defined rules — not following them results in additional fees, and in extreme cases, even losing the car and the deposit. Below are the most common penalties that may be imposed on buyers:
Late Payment Fee
After winning the vehicle, you have a certain number of business days to pay for it. If you do not make the payment on time, a late fee will be imposed. The fee is fixed or calculated per day of delay, and failure to settle it may result in further penalties, such as transaction cancellation.
IAAI. Each individual auction site can set its own rules, but they usually include:
- Payment Deadline: 3-5 business days from the day of purchase, including the auction day
- Late Payment Fee: $50 or 2% of the purchase price (whichever is higher)
Copart. The rules are the same for all locations:
- Payment Deadline: 3 business days from the day of purchase, including the auction day
- Late Payment Fee: $50 one-time fee
Relisting Fee (Copart) / Renege Fee (IAAI)
If you do not pay for the vehicle within the required time, the auction house may relist it for sale (called relisting). Before that happens, you are given several hours to settle the payment — after this period, the transaction is automatically canceled. In such cases, you lose your deposit and an additional relisting fee is charged, which must be settled before participating in future auctions.
IAAI has a much stricter approach towards clients who do not pay on time. If you fail to pay for a car twice, your account may be blocked or suspended, preventing further bidding. In practice, this means that brokers buying cars on behalf of clients need to ensure their clients make thoughtful decisions. Often, they introduce additional rules or deposits to avoid irresponsible purchases.
- Payment Deadline before Relisting: 7 calendar days from the day of purchase, including the auction day
- Relisting Fee Amount: $1000 or 15% of the vehicle’s value (whichever is higher)
Copart is more flexible. Even if you fail to pay for the car multiple times, your account typically remains active. Although you lose the deposit and pay a relisting fee, the auction house does not automatically block your account. This allows brokers more flexibility and reduces the pressure to monitor clients as strictly — though, of course, any non-payment results in extra costs and risk.
- Payment Deadline before Relisting: 8 calendar days from the day of purchase, including the auction day
- Relisting Fee Amount: $600 or 10% of the vehicle’s value (whichever is higher)
Storage Fee
Once the vehicle is paid for, you have a limited number of free days during which the car can remain at the auction lot. After this period, the auction house charges a daily storage fee.
IAAI. Each individual auction site has the right to set its own rules, but they usually include:
- Free Vehicle Storage Period: 3-5 business days from the day of purchase, including the auction day
- Fee After Expiration: $50 one-time fee (or $50 per day at some rare sites)
Copart. Each individual auction site can set its own rules, but they usually include:
- Free Vehicle Storage Period: 2-3 business days from the day of purchase, including the auction day
- Fee After Expiration: $5–$30 per day — generally, the shorter the delay, the lower the daily fee
It’s best to pick up the car as soon as possible, as any further delays could result in several hundred dollars of additional costs.