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.

These are the auction’s own charges only. Transport, title work, and storage sit outside this schedule and are covered in Copart hidden costs buyers miss. To apply the whole schedule to a specific vehicle before you bid, how to calculate your total cost before bidding on Copart works through it line by line.