How CaterBids Works: The Five Questions Sellers Ask Every Week

The same five questions come in every week. Different sellers, different kit, near enough the same wording every time. So here they are, answered properly.

"Is it really free, or what's the catch?"

Your first listing is free while our launch offer lasts, then from £5 for 30 days. No commission and no final value fee.

After that, a single listing is £5 for 30 days. There are listing packs and monthly plans if you list regularly, all on the pricing page.

That is the whole of it. No commission. No final value fee. No success fee.

The catch, if you want to call it one, is that you pay up front rather than out of the sale. Most sellers work that out in about ten seconds. A percentage of a £4,000 machine is a great deal more than £5.

"How does this work?"

Plainly, and there is not much to it.

• You put the listing up. Title, description, price, category, location, and up to 6 photos.
• Buyers find it and message you. They contact you through the site.
• You choose fixed price or offers. Set your price, and switch on "Accepts offers" if you are happy for buyers to make one. You can set a private minimum, and offers below it are turned down for you.
• You and the buyer agree the rest. Collection is arranged between you. If the listing offers Pallet delivery (with Interparcel), the buyer books and pays Interparcel directly: CaterBids doesn't deliver, book or charge for delivery.

If you want the listing to work harder, Featured puts it on the homepage and first in search results and category pages, from £4.99 for 7 days. It is optional and plenty of stock sells without it.

"Can you list it for me?"

We don't write listings for you, but you don't have to type them one at a time either.

• Bulk upload. If your stock is in a spreadsheet, upload it as a CSV or Excel file, or paste the rows in, from your account. You check the listings it makes, then publish them. You see the cost before anything goes live.
• CaterBot. Photograph the data plate and it comes back with the specs, the dimensions and the weight and size a courier needs to quote, so you are not typing out a spec sheet for every machine.

If you want the listing itself to do more work, our guide on how to write a used catering equipment listing covers what buyers actually read.

"What happens when the free offer ends?"

Nothing changes except that you start paying to list: from £5 for 30 days, with packs and monthly plans on the pricing page if you are shifting stock regularly.

What does not change is the part that matters. There is still no commission, no final value fee and no success fee. If you want the comparison against what a percentage actually costs you, we went through it in the piece on what selling catering equipment really costs.

"Can I put my logo on my listings?"

This one comes from dealers, and the answer depends on your plan.

• Your name is on every listing you put up. Buyers see who they are dealing with.
• On the Pro and Trade plans you get your own CaterBids Showroom. One page with your logo, your details and all your stock, with search and categories, at its own address you can share.
• On the Trade plan your logo also goes on your listing photos. The Trade plan includes up to 500 live listings.
• Branded photography still helps. If your unit or workshop is in the background of your photos, or your kit is photographed against a consistent backdrop, buyers recognise it.

Before you list

• Photograph the data plate, not just the front of the machine
• Use all 6 photo slots, including the tired corner
• Put the price on it, because a listing without one gets skipped
• Say where it is and whether it is collection only
• Decide whether Featured is worth it on this particular item
• Be ready to answer a buyer direct, because the message comes to you

That is the whole platform in five answers. No percentage, no surprises at the end, and the money from a sale goes to the person who owned the machine.

Ready to Put Something Up?

Your first listing is free while our launch offer lasts, then from £5 for 30 days. Start a listing, or have a look at what is already on there before you decide.