Copart Fee Schedule 2026: All Buyer Fees Explained

May 29, 2026

Copart Buyer Fee Structure

Copart charges fees in four separate categories. Every winning bidder pays all applicable fees — they are not optional or negotiable.

Buyer fee — the primary auction fee, based on your winning bid amount
Virtual bid fee — charged when bidding online (pre-bid or live)
Gate fee — a flat per-vehicle pickup fee
Other fees — environmental, title handling, storage, and late payment

Use the Copart Fee Calculator to compute your exact total cost before bidding.

2026 Secured Payment Buyer Fees

Secured payments: wire transfer, ePay, debit card, cashier’s check, cash, money order.

Winning Bid Range	Buyer Fee
$0 – $49	$25
$50 – $99	$45
$100 – $199	$80
$200 – $299	$130
$300 – $499	$135–$180
$500 – $699	$205–$235
$700 – $999	$260–$305
$1,000 – $1,499	$355–$410
$1,500 – $1,999	$420–$465
$2,000 – $2,999	$500–$550
$3,000 – $4,999	$650–$750
$5,000 – $9,999	$775–$850
$10,000 – $14,999	$900
$15,000+	7.5% of bid

2026 Unsecured Payment Buyer Fees

Unsecured payments: credit card, digital wallet apps (PayPal, Venmo, etc.).

Winning Bid Range	Buyer Fee
$0 – $49	$27.50
$50 – $99	$50
$100 – $199	$90
$200 – $299	$145
$300 – $499	$155–$205
$500 – $699	$235–$270
$700 – $999	$300–$355
$1,000 – $1,499	$415–$485
$1,500 – $1,999	$500–$565
$2,000 – $2,999	$620–$700
$3,000 – $4,999	$825–$1,000
$5,000 – $9,999	$1,025–$1,100
$10,000 – $14,999	$1,250
$15,000+	12.5% of bid

Secured vs Unsecured Fee Difference

At most bid levels, unsecured fees run 12–35% higher than secured fees. The gap widens significantly at higher bid amounts.

Bid Amount	Secured Fee	Unsecured Fee	Extra Cost
$500	$200	$227	+$27
$1,000	$355	$415	+$60
$2,500	$550	$700	+$150
$5,000	$775	$1,025	+$250
$10,000	$900	$1,250	+$350
$20,000	$1,500	$2,500	+$1,000

Always use a secured payment method. Wire transfer or cashier’s check before the auction saves hundreds at mid-range bid amounts.

Virtual Bid Fee Schedule

Virtual bid fees apply only to online bids. In-person and kiosk bids have no virtual bid fee.

Pre-Bid Fees (placed before the live auction)

Bid Amount	Pre-Bid Fee
Under $100	$0
$100 – $499	$49
$500 – $1,499	$79
$1,500 – $4,999	$99
$5,000 – $7,999	$119
$8,000+	$129

Live Bid Fees (bidding in real time during the auction)

Bid Amount	Live Bid Fee
Under $100	$0
$100 – $499	$59
$500 – $1,499	$89
$1,500 – $4,999	$109
$5,000 – $7,999	$129
$8,000+	$149

Live bids cost $10–$20 more than pre-bids at every tier. Pre-bid whenever possible to avoid the premium.

Gate Fee

Title Type	Gate Fee
Clean title	$79
Salvage title	$95

The gate fee is charged per vehicle at pickup. It covers yard handling and vehicle preparation. Paid at time of collection.

Other Fees

Fee	Amount	Notes
Environmental fee	$15	All vehicles, mandatory
Title handling	$20	Processing, mandatory
Storage (after 3 free days)	~$30/day	$20–$40/day depending on yard
Late payment fee	$50	If payment not received within 3 business days

The 3 free business days begin the day after the auction closes. Weekends and federal holidays do not count as business days.

Total Cost Formula

Grand Total = Winning Bid
            + Buyer Fee (see tier tables above)
            + Virtual Bid Fee (pre-bid or live-bid tier)
            + Gate Fee ($79 clean / $95 salvage)
            + Environmental Fee ($15)
            + Title Handling ($20)
            + Storage ($30/day × days over 3 free days)
            + Late Payment ($50, if applicable)

Worked Example: $2,500 Bid

Secured payment · pre-bid online · clean title · no storage:

Item	Amount
Winning bid	$2,500
Buyer fee (secured, $2,000–$2,999 tier)	$550
Virtual bid fee (pre-bid, $1,500–$4,999)	$99
Gate fee (clean title)	$79
Environmental fee	$15
Title handling	$20
Grand total	$3,263

Effective fee rate: 30.5% above the winning bid.

If paying with a credit card (unsecured), the buyer fee rises to $700, making the grand total $3,413 — $150 more for the same vehicle.