How do Auctions work in Optimity?

What are auctions?

Daily auctions are available for More Rewards, and gift cards (please note: if you are in the US, you will not have access to More Rewards auctions).

How can I place a bid into an auction?

1. 1. Go to the Gift Cards and Points (or Gift Cards if you’re in the US) sections in the Rewards tab.
   2. Choose the auction you want to enter (like for a gift card).
   3. Optional: Check Yesterday's Winning Bids to see the lowest bid amount that won yesterday. This will give you a guide for how many Gems you need to work toward to get to the top of the auction.
   4. Choose how many Gems you want to use.
   5. You can use Give It Your All (which is the same as the number of Gems you have).
   6. Alternatively, you can choose Set A Limit and pick a specific amount (which is the most Gems you want to use for the auction).
   7. Once you've entered, you'll see Your Current Entry at the top.
   8. Congratulations, you're entered!
   Note: You can't enter another auction until you remove your entry.

What is my Max Gem Limit?

There are two ways to enter an auction:

There are two ways to enter an auction:

Give It Your All: Your bid into the auction is always equal to your total Gem balance, which can go up or down based on how many Gems you earn or spend. Your Current Entry will always be equal to your total Gem balance. However, your Max Gem Limit won't be displayed in the app. Choosing this method will maximize your chance of winning.

Set A Limit: When you enter an auction this way, you choose the highest amount of Gems you're willing to spend to win. This is called your Max Gem Limit, and it's displayed in the app. If you enter the auction with a lower Gem balance, your Max Gem Limit stays the same. Even if you earn more Gems later, your entry into the auction will not exceed your Max Gem Limit.

How can I change the amount of my auction bid?

1. 1. Go to the Gift Cards and Points (or Gift Cards if you’re in the US) sections in the Rewards tab.
   2. Tap on the pencil icon next to Your Current Entry.
   3. Choose how you want to enter the auction: Give It Your All or Set A Limit (please read "How can I place a bid into an auction" for more info).
   4. Choose the amount you want to enter and confirm.
   Your Current Entry will now show your new Gem amount. You're done!

How can I remove my auction entry or place an entry into a different auction after I’ve already entered one?

1. Go to the Gift Cards and Points (or Gift Cards if you’re in the US) sections in the Rewards tab.
2. Choose the auction you entered. 
3. Choose Leave This Auction. 
4. You've successfully removed your entry and can now enter a different auction if you’d like. Congratulations!

How many auctions are there?

In Canada, there are 2 separate auctions – Gift Cards and More Rewards (western Canada). In the United States, there is one auction for Gift Cards.

• Note: All gift card options are part of the same auction and compete with each other.

Can I place a bid for more than one auction?

No, you can only enter one auction at a time. If you've already entered an auction, you can't enter another one until you manually remove your entry in the app. Once you remove your entry, you can enter a different auction.

How do I win an auction?

To win an auction, your entry needs to be one of the highest at the end of the auction period (9 pm ET). If you win, you'll get an email and a push notification, and the Gems you used for the entry will be taken from your Optimity account. You can review this in the history drawer.

Once you win an auction, you’ll be removed from the auction. To re-enter the same auction or a different auction, go back into the Optimity app and select the auction you’d like to enter.

What’s the raffle component and how can I win even without the highest entry?

If you’ve entered into an auction and did not win at the end of the daily auction period (9 pm ET), you will automatically be entered into a random raffle draw to win. A portion of our stock goes to this aspect on a daily basis. There will be a daily draw every day so even if you’re still working on earning more Gems, you still have a chance to win!   

Do I need to keep re-entering the auction?

If you haven’t won the auction yet: No, once you enter the auction, you will continue to participate in daily auctions based on the Gem contribution you’ve selected until you leave the auction.

If you’ve won the auction: Yes, if you win an auction, your bid will be removed. To re-enter, you’ll need to go back into the Optimity app and select the auction you’d like to enter.

How many Gems do I need to win the auction?

The number of Gems to win the auction will vary from day to day depending on all the participants in the auction. You may win the raffle component with any number of Gems.

Tie-Breaker Rule

When multiple people have the same lowest minimum winning bid, the auction system will reward the users who have not won a gift card yet or it has been a long time since they last won.

This rule only applies if someone placed the exact same bid as you, and you recently won a gift card. This ensures that the auction system is fair in providing everyone the chance to win a gift card. 

If your bid is higher than the lowest minimum winning bid, then you will win the auction.

Note: You must have at least 1 Gem to be considered in the raffle component.