Abstract: An auction service may allow auction sponsors to interact with a customer through online and offline methods. Customers may receive a portion of the value of paid bids used in auctions returned as stored value to be used with an auction sponsor. Customers may also receive discounts, incentives and offers that provide more value to the customer, which may ease or remove the feeling of losing money. Customers may also perform actions in the real-world that earn rewards in the online world and vice versa. Thus customers may be encouraged to interact in-store and online with the sponsor.

Abstract: A sponsor provides items to a residual value bidding system, which allows an auction to auction the items to bidders. Value expended to bid on the item, such as through a pay-per-bid model may be returned as a giftcard to the sponsor's store. Incentives may be used to encourage bidding, such as a coupon that gains value as more bids are placed. The coupons may be time dated to encourage immediate redemption. Sponsored auctions may also be limited to geography or demographics.

Abstract: An adjustable discount system adjusts discounts based on system events. The discount system may provide greater or lesser discounts on such events as timing, inventory levels, the number of people committed to purchasing, velocity of sales and acceleration of sales.

Abstract: An auction giftcard redemption system sends an electronic giftcard to a winning bidder according to preferences pre-determined by the bidder. The auction system may communicate current balances and give access to the giftcard on demand by a mobile device app or cell phone messaging services.