Andrew Bracken, a co-founder of the failed penny auction site Win The Hunt, launched BidXcel in late 2012. This new venture combined elements of its predecessor's auction model with a multi-level marketing compensation plan, operating from Colorado. Win The Hunt had closed its operations by then, despite earlier claims of a 100,000-member base.

Win The Hunt launched in July 2011, founded by Bracken and Dave Hofer. Bracken announced in late 2011 that the site would enter 2012 with "a solid customer base of over 100,000 registered members." However, many of its penny auctions expired without bids shortly before the site went offline.

BidXcel built on the foundation of Win The Hunt, merging the penny auction concept with a broader product range and an MLM compensation plan. Andrew Bracken serves as BidXcel's CEO. David Hofer is named a co-founder, but his executive role in BidXcel remained undisclosed at publication. The company states its ownership is privately held, without further detail. Operations appear to run from Colorado.

BidXcel's product is penny auction bids, similar to other MLM penny auction models. Customers purchase these bids through the company for use on its XcelBids auction website. Bids sell in packs: 20 bids for $40, 50 bids for $100, 225 bids for $200, 555 bids for $500, and 1550 bids for $1000. The domain for XcelBids.com registered on August 3, 2012, but the site remains offline.

The BidXcel compensation plan includes retail and profit pool commissions, matrix commissions, and various matching and incentive bonuses. The plan uses two primary metrics: Qualifying Volume (QV) and Group Volume (GV). QV measures retail bid purchases by affiliates or their personally referred retail customers. GV tracks retail bid purchases by personally referred affiliates or their retail customers.

To qualify for commissions, affiliates must maintain two active retail customers and generate a minimum of 40 QV each month. Affiliates also must complete a "daily business promotion," which BidXcel describes only as a "daily check-in with the promotional task you completed that day." No further specifics are provided.

BidXcel's compensation plan features eleven membership ranks. Each rank requires specific QV, GV, and active customer numbers.
The ranks are:
Certified Affiliate: 40 QV, 2 active customers.
Supervisor: 40 QV, 120 GV, 2 active customers.
Manager: 100 QV, 300 GV, 2 active customers.
Director: 100 QV, 400 GV, 2 active customers.
Executive: 100 QV, 500 GV, 2 active customers.
Senior Executive: 100 QV, 600 GV, 2 active customers.
Bronze Executive: 100 QV, 600 GV (with one recruited affiliate contributing at least 300 GV), 2 active customers.
Silver Executive: 100 QV, 600 GV (with two recruited affiliates each contributing at least 300 GV), 2 active customers.
Gold Executive: 100 QV, 600 GV (with three recruited affiliates each contributing at least 300 GV), 2 active customers.
Platinum Executive: 100 QV, 800 GV (with four recruited affiliates each contributing at least 300 GV), 2 active customers.
Diamond Executive: 100 QV, 1000 GV (with five recruited affiliates each contributing at least 300 GV), 2 active customers.
The GV requirements for recruited affiliates at Gold Executive rank and higher exceed the total GV needed for the rank itself, according to the stated compensation plan figures.

BidXcel affiliates earn a 20% retail commission on bid purchases made by their direct retail customers or by other affiliates they recruit. The company also offers additional commissions on bid purchases from recruited affiliates, paid down four levels. Affiliates personally recruited are Level 1. Those they recruit are Level 2, and so on.

The affiliate bid purchase commissions are:
Level 1: 5% of the bid purchase amount.
Level 2: 4% of the bid purchase amount.
Levels 3 and 4: 3% of the bid purchase amount.

BidXcel calls itself a "customer acquisition program" for XcelBids. Its Xcelerator Bonus Pool aims to reward affiliates for these "customer acquisition activities."