Equipment auction payment due in 72 hours: get the funding file ready

What do the auction's payment rules actually say?

Read the auction terms before you do anything else, because the due time, accepted payment methods and removal deadline decide how much room you really have.

Most auctions publish their terms in the bidder agreement or on the lot page. Find four facts: the exact date and hour payment is due, which methods are accepted (wire, certified funds, card with a cap), what happens to the machine if payment is late, and how long you have to remove it after paying.

Then read the invoice itself. A winning bid is rarely the whole bill. In the checklist example the bid is $68,000, the 10% buyer premium adds $6,800 and loadout adds $2,400, so the invoice is $77,200. Ask for the final invoice early, since a funder can only size a request to a real number. For the wider picture, see our guide to equipment auction financing.

Which invoice and business documents should be ready?

Assemble the auction invoice, the lot listing, a government-issued ID, recent business bank statements and a voided business check, then add anything the funder asks for.

Those are the items a funder commonly requests, along with the deal paperwork for the purchase. Put them in one folder with plain file names such as invoice, lot-listing, id and statements. Phone photos of pages are slower to read than PDFs, so scan or export where you can.

Larger or longer requests may add tax returns or financial statements, so have your last return findable even if you do not send it. Our list of documents for opportunity funding covers what each one proves.

Check the names. The name on the invoice, the name on the bank account and the name on the application should match your business. A mismatch is one of the easiest ways to lose an afternoon.

What are the review and settlement limits?

A decision is typically within 24 hours of a complete application, but a decision is not settlement, and neither one is a date you can bank on.

Three separate things happen: the application is completed, the funder reviews it and makes a decision, and then money settles if you accept an offer. The first depends on you. The second, the funder's decision, is typically within 24 hours of a complete application, though a funder may need more time or more paperwork. The third depends on the product, the paperwork and the banks involved, and Prime cannot promise a settlement date.

That is why the checklist reserves the last 12 hours for a fallback. Do not accept terms just to beat a clock. Read the written offer, compare the total repayment against the cash you receive, and remember there is no obligation to accept. Checking your options does not affect your personal credit score.

Can the seller or auctioneer extend the deadline?

Sometimes, but only if you ask early and get the answer in writing.

Auctioneers vary. Some allow a short extension for a documented financing request, some charge a fee, and some relist the lot after the deadline and keep your deposit. Ask on day one, not hour 70. Offer facts: the lot number, the invoice total, that you have applied for equipment funding, and the date you expect to pay.

Other options to ask about are a partial payment now with the rest later, a longer removal window (which can ease the loadout date even when payment stays fixed), and whether paying the buyer premium separately is allowed. If none of this works, decide in advance whether you can cover the invoice with your own cash, or whether to let the lot go. Skipping a lot is a valid outcome. When you are ready, start your application and include the deadline in the description.

Updated October 17, 2026 · Prime Funding Now Funding Team