Professional sellers

A major update to Trade Me Marketplace

Some big changes are coming to Trade Me Marketplace. We're singing goodbye to Success Fees for Casual Selling.

Last updated: 5 March 2026

Trade Me was founded on the spirit of secondhand trade, and our success is built on a thriving, active community. To maintain this, we are making a strategic and significant commercial investment in the future of our platform.

Growing platform vibrancy

To fuel market growth and attract a fresh wave of buyers, we are directly addressing the need for more casual inventory. We know a large segment of the casual market has been choosing platforms that do not charge Success Fees. As a result we are removing Success Fees for casual sellers on general items from 10 March 2026. There are no changes to the listing fees we charge on selected categories.

What’s changing?

To underpin this growth with confidence and maintain the high trust standard you offer, we are implementing platform-wide measures focused on security and assurance:

Mandatory Ping for security
By the end of the month, all Marketplace listings, including casual listings, will include Ping as our primary payment method along with Afterpay and cash. To protect our community, bank transfer will no longer be allowed as a payment option given nearly all unresolved scams on our Marketplace last year involved bank transfer. Ping and Afterpay are both covered by our Buyer Protection policy.

Service Fee
We’re introducing a Service Fee for buyers on all casual purchases. This fee will help keep Trade Me trusted and secure for everyone.This Service Fee does not apply to:

Purchases from professional 'in-trade' listings.
Purchases made using Afterpay or cash.

Improving Buyer Protection cover
We are increasing our Buyer Protection cover for Ping and Afterpay transactions from $2,500 to $5,000.

A major marketing effort

We are backing this new approach with a significant, high-impact marketing campaign. This campaign will reinforce Trade Me as the smart, safe, and easy choice and drive a substantial increase in customer traffic right to our doorstep.

While Success Fees for in-trade sellers remain in place to support the essential tools and dedicated services you rely on, this investment is focused on generating a more vibrant, active marketplace that delivers greater commercial opportunity for you.

FAQ's

How is this good for me?

A more vibrant Trade Me Marketplace is more profitable for our in-trade sellers. By removing Success Fees for casual sellers, we are driving a massive wave of new inventory and sellers to the site.

Will in-trade Success Fees be changing too?

We have no current plans to change our fees for in-trade sellers. However, we do regularly review pricing to ensure we offer fair value for the services and tools we provide.

Why are pro-sellers paying more Ping and Success Fees than casual?

By removing Success Fees for casual sellers, we’re making Trade Me the first place Kiwi go to list their items. This means more traffic and sales opportunities for all sellers including our in-trade sellers. In-trade sellers continue to receive the dedicated tools and support that help run a high-volume business, which remain a key part of our professional service.

Why have you upped the Buyer Protection limit? I sell high value products and now I’m liable for more if buyers lie about the item’s condition

We’ve increased the limit to give buyers more confidence. While the limit is higher, our process remains the same: we require a full review of evidence from both sides before any refund is issued. This change actually makes it easier for you to sell big-ticket items, as buyers feel safer clicking 'Buy Now' on higher-priced products when they are covered by Buyer Protection.

Trade Me recently made me an in-trade seller stating it was because it was fairer for members but I think it is just a money grabbing exercise

Our goal is to ensure a level playing field for everyone. When a member is trading at a professional volume, they are effectively a business. It’s important for consumer trust that these sellers are identified as 'in-trade' so buyers know they are protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act. This keeps Trade Me a professional, high-quality destination that buyers can trust. While this does mean a different fee structure, it also gives you access to tools and products to help you grow your sales. You can find out more about these on our ProSeller Hub.

What are you doing about people who should be in-trade but haven’t updated their accounts? They’re avoiding fees and it’s not fair.

We agree, it is only fair if everyone plays by the same rules. Any behaviours or activity that you think is suspicious or non compliant with our trading terms can be reported via Community Watch.

Why did you make us start using Ping before you made the change for casual sellers?

To make Success Fee free selling possible for casual sellers, we needed to ensure the platform remained safe and secure. Our in-trade sellers are our most experienced users, and moving this group to Ping first allowed us to build the secure foundation needed to revitalise the entire marketplace.

If you would like to know more about the tools and products we offer in-trade sellers to help grow your business you can find more information here: ProSeller Hub