Guide · Updated 23 October 2026
Ping post for lead buyers: how to receive, bid on and accept leads
Short answer
In a ping post flow a lead buyer first receives a ping: limited data about a lead, with no contact details. You have a short time, usually a few seconds, to reply with a bid or to decline. If your bid wins, the seller sends the full lead, the post, to your endpoint, and you accept or reject it under the rules you agreed.
What a ping contains and what you send back
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Ping | You receive details such as state, ZIP, product and a quality band, without name, phone or email |
| Your reply | A bid price, or a decline, within the seller's timeout |
| Result | The seller picks the winner, often the highest bid |
| Post | If you win, the full lead arrives at your endpoint |
| Response to the post | You accept it, or reject it for an agreed reason |
How to decide what to bid
Work backwards from what a lead is worth to you. If a lead converts to a sale 8% of the time and a sale earns you $400, the lead is worth about $32 before costs. Your bid should sit below that by enough to cover your calling or follow-up cost and a safety margin for returns. These numbers are illustrative; use your own conversion and revenue.
- Bid higher for the states, products or quality bands that convert best for you.
- Bid lower, or decline, for segments that rarely convert.
- Review your bids weekly against actual sales, not against the winning price.
Speed and timeouts
The seller sets a timeout for each ping. A reply that arrives after it is ignored, so a slow endpoint means lost leads, however good your bid. Keep your response time well inside the limit, and ask the seller what the timeout is.
Accepting and rejecting the post
- Accept leads that match what the ping described.
- Reject for reasons you agreed in advance: a duplicate, an invalid phone number, a state outside your criteria.
- Respond inside the agreed return window, and keep a record of why.
- Repeated rejects after winning a bid will cost you volume, so make your ping rules match your post rules.
What to ask a seller or platform
- What data is in the ping, and what is the timeout?
- How do I receive the post, and can I test with a test lead?
- What is the return policy and window?
- Can I set my own daily or monthly cap?
- Do I get statements showing what I received and what I owe?
When the seller uses pingtype
A seller on pingtype sets up your delivery with field mapping, and sends you a test lead before going live. Caps and acceptance rules on your account keep volume and criteria as agreed, and buyers can sign up through a portal and see their own statements.
Questions
What is a lead buyer ping?
A ping is the first message a seller sends to a lead buyer: limited, non-identifying data about a lead, so the buyer can decide whether to bid.
How long do I have to respond to a ping?
The seller sets the timeout, usually a few seconds. Ask the seller, and keep your endpoint well inside it.
Can I reject a lead after I win the bid?
Only for reasons agreed in advance, such as a duplicate or an invalid contact. Check the return terms with the seller.
What is a ping post lead bid system?
It is the sequence of a ping, bids from buyers, a winner, and a post of the full lead to that winner. See ping post software for the seller's side.