---
title: "No asking price: why a listing without a price is hard to judge"
url: https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/no-asking-price/
updated: 2026-10-07
publisher: FirstPass Memo (hello@firstpassmemo.com)
---

Red flag explained · Price and earnings

# No asking price: why a listing without a price is hard to judge

Short answer: A listing with no asking price cannot be judged on payback or multiple, because both start from the price. It may be an auction, a make-offer listing or a seller testing interest. Ask for the price and exactly what it includes before you spend time on diligence.

Updated 7 October 2026 · Checker rule NO_PRICE

## When the checker raises it

Raised as high severity when the checker finds no asking price in the pasted text and none is typed into the price box.

## Why it matters

Payback in months is the price divided by monthly profit, and the annual multiple is the price divided by a year of profit. Without a price there is nothing to divide, so every other number in the listing floats.

Make-offer and auction listings are common on open marketplaces. They are not a problem in themselves, but they push the work of pricing onto you, and a seller who will not name a number may be waiting for the highest anchor.

## A worked example

Composite example, not a real listing

Content site about home coffee brewing, Mediavine ads Price: make an offer Average monthly revenue: $1,900 Average monthly profit: $1,650 Business age: 4 years Owner hours: 3 hours per week

Traffic or revenue sources typed in: Organic search 70%, Direct 20%, Social 10%.

What the red-flag checker (https://firstpassmemo.com/checker/) returns: no payback figure, and this flag:

High No asking price found

Without a price there is no payback or multiple to judge. Enter the ask above if the listing shows one.

Ask: What is the asking price, and which assets and terms does it include?

The same example also raises: Depends on Mediavine/ad network (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/depends-on-a-platform/), Organic search is about 70% of traffic (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/organic-search-over-half-of-traffic/), No connected data source mentioned (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/no-connected-data-source/), Concentration not disclosed (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/concentration-not-disclosed/).

## What to check

- Ask for a number, and whether it includes the domain, inventory, social accounts, email list and any software licences.

- If it is an auction, work out the most you would pay with the payback calculator before you bid, and keep to it.

- Ask whether the seller has had offers, and at what level. The answer tells you how far apart you are.

## Questions to send the seller

- What is the asking price, and which assets and terms does it include?

- What is the asking price, and exactly which assets, accounts and terms does it include?

- Is the price firm for the business as listed, and does it change if inventory, domains or other assets are left out?

## Related flags

- Priced below one year of profit (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/priced-below-one-year-of-profit/)

- Multiple above the typical range (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/asking-multiple-above-typical-range/)

- All red flags explained (https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/)

## Useful next

- True payback calculator (https://firstpassmemo.com/tools/payback-calculator/)

- Free red-flag checker (https://firstpassmemo.com/checker/): paste a listing and see which flags it raises.

The checker is a set of plain rules, not an AI model, and its flags are prompts for questions, not verdicts. Composite examples are invented. Informational screening only, not investment, legal or tax advice.

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FirstPass Memo is informational screening, not investment, legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and not an audit. Seller figures are not independently verified. HTML version: https://firstpassmemo.com/flags/no-asking-price/