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Auction fees explained: what you pay at Copart and IAA

The winning bid isn’t the price you pay. Both auctions add a buyer fee and several smaller charges, brokers add theirs, and a car bought for export still has to cross an ocean and clear customs.

Updated October 2026

The buyer fee rises with the price

Copart and IAA both charge a buyer fee on every vehicle sold. It is set in bands of the final bid: the higher the price, the higher the fee. On some Copart schedules the top bands switch from a flat amount to a percentage of the price.

Which table applies to you depends on who you are and how you pay:

  • Copart sorts its fees by member type (business, with a business license on file, or consumer), by title group (clean or non-clean, shown in the Title Code tooltip on each lot), by vehicle type (standard or heavy) and by payment method. At the same price, paying by credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal costs more than paying by wire transfer or debit card. Copart’s guidance puts buyers with a non-US address in the business category.
  • IAA publishes separate schedules for licensed buyers, non-licensed buyers, heavy vehicles (a GVWR of 10,001 lb or more) and Rec Rides powersports. Licensed buyers pay the high-volume schedule if, in the past 12 months, they bought 25 or more units for $75,000 or more in total and have fewer than five bidder accounts; other licensed buyers pay the standard-volume schedule.

Fees for bidding online

Copart adds a virtual bid fee to bids placed from a computer, phone, tablet or yard terminal. It is tiered by the winning bid, with one table for pre-bids and another for live bids, and a live bid costs a little more than a pre-bid at the same price. IAA charges an internet bid fee or proxy bid fee when a vehicle is awarded on an internet bid.

Handling, gate and title fees

On top of the buyer fee, each auction charges per-vehicle fees for handling and paperwork. This is how they compared on the US fee pages:

From each auction’s US fee pages, read on 13 October 2026. Fees change, so check the current page before you bid.
ChargeCopartIAA
HandlingA gate fee on every purchase, covering administration and moving the car from storage to the loading area. The amount depends on the fee schedule.A service fee of $105 per unit from 1 October 2026, covering imaging, pull-out and loading.
TitleUp to 10 titles mailed from one yard for $15 by USPS or $20 by FedEx; $20 per title picked up in person.A title-handling fee of $20 on every purchase.
OtherLate-payment and relist fees (see below).An EH&S and fuel surcharge, and $10 per unit where a Premium Imagery Set is included.

Storage and paying late

Copart holds a car free for up to three days, counting the day you bought it; after that it charges storage at rates that vary by yard. Its fee page asks for payment within three business days, including sale day, or charges $50 per vehicle. A car not paid in full within eight calendar days is relisted, with a relist fee of 10% of the sale price and a minimum of $600.

IAA sets payment and pickup deadlines, late fees and storage rates branch by branch, and lists them on each branch’s location page.

Broker fees if you have no business license

Copart notes that most states require a license to buy vehicles at auction, depending on the title type, so many lots are closed to buyers without one. In that case you buy through a broker, a registered buyer who bids and wins for you. Copart’s glossary lists what brokers typically charge: a one-time registration fee, a security deposit you lose if you fail to pay for a car you win, and transaction fees for their service. IAA notes that brokers charge for their services and set their own terms.

The auction still charges its own fees on a broker purchase, and the broker adds theirs, so ask for a full written quote before you bid. For buyers outside the US, Copart points to Certified Resellers and Copart Lounge operators, and IAA to its Market Alliances, which help with bidding and shipping.

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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It’s on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, and on the title.

Export buyers: after the auction invoice

For a car leaving the US, the auction invoice is the first bill, not the last. Budget for:

  • Transport from the yard to the port, and any storage while the car waits for a ship.
  • Ocean freight and marine insurance.
  • Import duty, taxes and port charges in your country. How customs values the car, and whether it counts the shipping, depends on the country.
  • Inspection, conversion and registration at home. Some countries limit the age of imported cars or refuse salvage-titled ones.

We don’t arrange shipping or customs. Check your country’s rules with a licensed customs broker before you bid, and see our import guides.

Before you bid: a quick cost check

  1. Find the fee schedule that applies to you: license, buyer type, vehicle type and payment method.
  2. Work out the fees at your maximum bid, not the current one. Registered IAA buyers who are signed in can use the IAA Cost Calculator on the vehicle page.
  3. Add broker fees, transport, freight, duty and a few days of storage.
  4. Check what was recorded about the car at the sale. Our guides explain the Copart record and the IAAI record.

Questions

Are Copart and IAA fees the same?

No. Both charge a buyer fee that rises with the price, but they group buyers differently: Copart by member type, title group, vehicle type and payment method; IAA by license, purchase volume and vehicle segment. Compare the actual schedules for the car you want.

Why does Copart charge more when I pay by card?

Copart publishes separate tables for secured payment methods, such as wire transfer and debit card, and unsecured ones, such as credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. At the same price, the unsecured table is higher.

If I use a broker, do I still pay auction fees?

Yes. The auction charges its buyer fee on every vehicle sold, and the broker charges for its own service on top. Ask the broker for a quote that lists both.

How long can I leave a car at the auction?

At Copart, up to three days free, counting the day of purchase, then storage at the yard’s rate. At IAA, each branch sets its own pickup deadline and storage rate and lists them on its location page.

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