Host guide · Sell modes
Sell the seat without going live｜Auction, fixed price, floor + countdown
Key points
- Job
- Pick how price is discovered—without forcing a live stream
- Live today
- Auction · Fixed price · Floor + countdown on one listing. Clock can run offline
- Default
- First-time hosts: fixed price. Auction optional when you want discovery
- Sister
- Starting bid · Waitlist · Cancel templates · Deposit ≠ cancel immunity
Hosts sometimes assume SlotVail means “go live or the seat does not sell.” It doesn’t. Sell mode is how price is discovered. Staying on camera is optional. One listing can run auction, fixed price, or floor + countdown—and the clock can keep working while you are offline.
1. Three modes on one listing
Live today—not a roadmap slide:
- Auction — bids rise; the hold follows the bid. Discovery when demand is unclear
- Fixed price — the seat sells at the number you set. Calm default for first listings
- Floor + countdown — a minimum (floor) plus a timed close. Scarcity with a clock, without full open bidding
Format (what seats) and sell mode (how price is found) stay orthogonal. Changing sell mode does not rewrite cancel policy.
2. First-time default: fixed price
If you are listing for the first time, start with fixed price. You already know what the seat should cost; you do not need a bidding war to learn it.
Auction stays available when you want discovery—scarce premium seats, unknown demand, or a host who wants the market to speak. Floor + countdown fits when you want a floor and a deadline without running a full auction theater.
3. You need not stay on camera
The listing clock can run while you are offline. You do not have to stream for seats to sell or for a countdown to close. Going live is a separate choice—useful for presence, not a gate on sell mode.
Day-of still uses check-in and roster ops when the experience happens. Selling the seat and walking someone through the door are different jobs. QR day → Experience day.
4. Who uses which
- 1:1 / private — fixed price is usually enough; auction if the slot is rare and demand is unknown
- 6-seat workshop — fixed price keeps the room calm; countdown when you want a shared close date
- Scarce premium — auction or floor + countdown when stickiness and discovery matter more than a quiet buy button
Numbers philosophy (floor as deposit feel, not a revenue fantasy) → How to set a starting bid.
5. Sell mode does not rewrite cancels
Guest can’t attend → managed resale (waitlist / re-list). Host can’t run → emergency cancel. Never blur the two. Deposit and hold stickiness still do not equal cancel immunity. → Deposit guide · Waitlist · Emergency cancel.
FAQ
Q. Do I have to stream while seats sell?
A. No. The clock and sell mode can run without you on camera. Going live is optional, not required to fill seats.
Q. What should a first-time host pick?
A. Fixed price. Auction and floor + countdown stay available when you want discovery or a timed close.
Q. Is auction the only way on SlotVail?
A. No. Auction, fixed price, and floor + countdown are live today on the same listing path.
Q. How do I set the number that feels like a deposit?
A. Treat the floor / starting bid as calendar stickiness, not a revenue target. → How to set a starting bid.
Q. Does selling without live change cancel rules?
A. No. Guest can’t-attend → managed resale. Host can’t run → emergency cancel. Sell mode does not blur that split.
Next step
Pick fixed price for the first listing, set a floor that feels like a real deposit, then choose a cancel template before the first win lands.
Open starting bid guide →Waitlist → · Cancel templates → · Reminders & waivers → · Deposit guide →