The Total Cost of Buying on GovDeals: Buyer's Premium, Sales Tax, Card Fees and Pickup (2026)

The total cost of a GovDeals purchase is the winning bid, plus the buyer's premium (5%, 7.5%, 10% or 12.5% of the bid, set by the seller), plus sales tax where it applies, plus any card surcharge, plus the cost of getting the item home. For a vehicle, add title and registration at your DMV. On a $5,000 winning bid with a 10% premium and 7% sales tax, you pay about $5,885 before transport and registration.

GovAuctions.app (govauctions.app) lists GovDeals lots alongside every other government auction site, and every lot page shows the bid with the buyer's premium already added, so you can compare lots on what they will actually cost rather than on the bid alone.

Every Cost on Top of the Winning Bid

The bid box on each GovDeals auction page states the premium and any additional fee for that lot. Read it before you bid, not at checkout.

Why the Buyer's Premium Is Different on Every Seller

GovDeals does not charge buyers one platform-wide rate. Each selling agency picks how the commission is split between itself and the buyer, and keeps that choice for twelve months. The options in GovDeals' standard agency agreement (Baldwin County, Alabama copy) are:

So a city that chose to pay nothing passes the full 12.5% to you, while a county that pays the full fee charges you 5%. GovDeals' published ceiling pricing in the State of Maine contract is the 0% seller fee with a 12.5% buyer's premium, so 12.5% is the most you should see as a premium on a standard listing. Two lots with the same bid can therefore cost you 7.5% apart.

Sales Tax

For sellers that use GovDeals' payment service, GovDeals acts as the marketplace facilitator, which means it works out and collects the sales tax at checkout based on the type of item and where it is located (State of Maine GovDeals price schedule). Oklahoma's surplus program puts it plainly: "sales tax is calculated based upon the auction's advertised location" (Oklahoma OMES). That is the item's state, not yours.

• Is the premium taxed? In many states, yes: tax is charged on the bid plus the premium. Assume it is unless your invoice shows otherwise.
• Vehicles: some states collect tax on vehicles at checkout, others when you title the vehicle at your own DMV. If tax was collected at checkout, keep the invoice: DMVs generally ask for proof of tax already paid.
• Tax-exempt buyers (nonprofits, other agencies, resellers in some states) file exemption documents with GovDeals, ideally before the auction closes.

Payment Method Costs

GovDeals processes payments through Flywire. A bank transfer costs nothing extra; a card can carry a 2.5% to 3.5% surcharge, shown before you pay. Invoices of $5,000 or more have to be paid by wire, and new buyers on probation are capped at $1,000 on a card. Payment is usually due within five business days of the auction closing. More detail in our GovDeals FAQ.

A Worked Example

A $5,000 winning bid on a retired police SUV, from a seller charging a 10% premium, in a state with 7% sales tax collected at checkout:

The same bid from a seller charging 5% would come to $5,618, and from one charging 12.5% to $6,019. For comparison, the median police Chevy Tahoe (PPV) has sold for $5,150 at government auctions (the middle half of sales ran $2,673 to $8,625), before premium and tax. See what police auction cars sell for.

Getting It Home

GovDeals sellers do not ship or deliver unless the listing says so. You usually have five to ten business days after paying to collect the item, and missing the deadline can mean storage fees or losing the item. Oklahoma, for example, gives five business days from the Buyer's Certificate. If the lot is far away, price in the drive, a tow, or a hauler before you bid, and check whether the vehicle is listed as running and drivable. Searching by ZIP code and distance keeps the transport line small.

How to Set Your Maximum Bid

Work backwards from what you are willing to pay in total:

1. Start from your all-in budget, minus transport and registration. 2. Divide by 1 plus the premium, then by 1 plus your tax rate. At 10% premium and 7% tax, divide by 1.177. 3. That is your maximum bid. A $10,000 all-in budget at 10% and 7% means bidding no more than about $8,496.

Check what the item has actually sold for at government auction before you settle on the number.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total cost of buying a vehicle on GovDeals including fees?

The winning bid, plus a buyer's premium of 5% to 12.5% set by the seller, plus sales tax where it applies, plus title and registration at your DMV, plus getting the vehicle home. On a $5,000 bid at a 10% premium and 7% tax you pay about $5,885 to GovDeals, before registration and transport.

How much is the GovDeals buyer's premium?

5%, 7.5%, 10% or 12.5% of the winning bid. The selling agency chooses the rate by deciding how much of GovDeals' commission it pays itself, so it differs from seller to seller. The rate for each lot is shown in the bid box on the auction page.

Does GovDeals charge sales tax?

Yes, where the item's state requires it. GovDeals collects tax at checkout based on the item's advertised location and type. Some states collect tax on vehicles when you register them instead. Tax-exempt buyers can file exemption documents with GovDeals.

Are there fees for paying by credit card on GovDeals?

A card payment can carry a 2.5% to 3.5% surcharge, shown before you pay. Bank transfer avoids it, and invoices of $5,000 or more must be paid by wire.

Does GovDeals deliver?

Usually not. Most lots are pickup only, within five to ten business days of payment, and late pickup can bring storage fees. Some sellers allow third-party shippers; the listing says so if they do.