Big changes for Trade Me Marketplace

No, this change impacts Trade Me Marketplace only. It does not include Motors.

Professional sellers (or in-trade sellers) are businesses who use Trade Me as a platform to market their items. These businesses have access to a whole raft of different tools not available to casual members and a huge audience that enables them to profit off the items they sell.

Professional sellers continue to pay fees as part of a commercial partnership that provides them with a high-volume, secure, and New Zealand-supported marketplace.

We have clear criteria for "in-trade" sellers based on their activity, and we regularly review accounts to ensure everyone is operating under the correct seller type.

This is crucial for maintaining a fair and transparent platform for all users and helping our sellers to comply with the Fair Trading Act. Our team will continue to monitor this closely to ensure these changes benefit the casual sellers they are designed for.
 

Ping is our swift and secure payment system that allows buyers to pay by credit or debit card for purchases onsite. It allows sellers to receive money instantly to their Ping wallet and you can make withdrawals to your bank account.

Learn more about using Ping.

Our 2.19% Ping fee is a competitive transaction fee that covers the cost of processing payments. This ensures your money shows up immediately and that the trade is fully backed by our protection policies. Buyers prefer Ping too, because if a trade goes wrong, they’re covered up to $5,000.

If shipping prices weren’t included in the listing, the buyer will need to make payment for shipping via bank transfer as there isn't a way to update the Ping payment after the listing closes. Alternatively, you can set up a new listing for the buyer with the shipping cost added so they can re-purchase the item and pay via Ping – the seller is able to refund the Ping payment for the initial trade if needed.

You can do this on our website or on the Trade Me app. Go to My Trade Me to see your Ping balance. When you get paid from a buyer the money will instantly appear in your Ping balance. More details here.

You can do this on the website or on the Trade Me app - simply go to My Trade Me Profile & Account Manage Ping. Then select Transfer Out and you can update your bank account there. More details here.

We charge 2.19% to sellers for the use of Ping and that covers the cost of processing a secure, instant payment, also known as an ecommerce payment service. This Ping fee is not new - it ensures that sellers get their money immediately and that the trade is fully backed by our protection policies.

We have introduced a Service Fee that will be charged to buyers on casual purchases and this enables us to continue to operate our platform including providing local based support service. For items under $20 there is still no Service Fee and for items above $20 it averages to be about $0.99.

Overall, when our members are selling their things, they will be keeping much more of the profit they make.

This change is all about keeping our users safe. While most fraudulent activities on Trade Me are resolved quickly, 90% of the scams that we couldn't help our members with last year involved bank transfers. That’s not a risk we want for our community. By moving to a more secure system, we can double our Buyer Protection for you from $2,500 to $5,000, giving you much greater peace of mind.

We’re doing this to keep you and your hard earned money safe. Moving to Ping is the only way we can confidently offer you protection (up to $5,000) and ensure the Trade Me Marketplace remains a safe place for everyone. Using bank transfer will soon be against our site policy.

Payments made via Ping are instant to the sellers’ Ping wallet. Once money is in your Ping wallet, the money is yours and the trade can be finalised. You can choose either to withdraw your Ping balance to your bank account or spend it again on Trade Me.

To receive payments from your Ping wallet to your nominated bank account, transfers are currently processed daily at 2:45pm - you can set this up to be transferred automatically or on an ad hoc basis. We are currently working on increasing this frequency.

By using Ping, you are keeping your important personal information private, reducing the risk of people misusing your details for things like identity fraud. We also have checks on our transactions to help reduce the impact of fraudsters, which helps keep your trades safer. 

Cash remains an option for pick-ups because the buyer can physically inspect the item before handing over money, which significantly reduces the risk of fraud compared to unseen bank transfers. We know that for large items that cannot be shipped, cash is a preferred payment method.

If we decide you meet the eligibility criteria, we may provide you with a refund in the following circumstances.

• Non-delivery
• Faulty goods
• Not as described

These situations are not covered by Buyer Protection. 

• Buyer's mistake
• Change of mind
• Incorrect delivery address
• Seller or another party has refunded you
• Item excluded
• Fraudulent claims
• Items damaged during pick up by the buyer
• Non-delivery where items are shipped to a vacant address
   

This Service Fee helps keep our platform operating and allows us to provide a safe, supported platform for Kiwi to trade. You’ll only see this fee when you’re buying from a casual seller, and it will be clearly shown before you commit to a purchase.

We’re also removing Success Fees for casual sellers, which means more people listing more great stuff for you to buy.

The Service Fee tiers are: 

$0.00 - $20.00 = Free
$20.01 - $100.00 = $0.99
$100.01 - $250.00 = $1.99
$250.01 + = $4.99

It's calculated based on the purchase price, not including shipping.

Service Fees are not being charged to buyers in the following categories:

• Motors - Vehicles
• Household pets
  • Cats
  • Dogs
  • Birds
• Rabbits & guinea pigs
• Livestock, horses and ponies
• Heavy Machinery - For heavy machinery listings (in the 'Business, farming & industry' category) Trade Me Motors / All other vehicles fees apply.
• Businesses for sale - Classified listing only – no Success Fee.
• Carbon Credits
• Domain names
• Shipping Containers
• Portable Cabins and Tiny Homes
• Boats and Marine > Parts and accessories > Boat trailers
• Forklifts & Pallet movers
• Earthmoving Machinery
• Farming and forestry > Tractors
• Farming and forestry > Irrigation and drainage > Drain diggers and cleaners

If something goes wrong with a payment on a $2,000 sale, there's a lot more at stake for everyone than on a $20 sale. That Service Fee helps us cover the higher risk involved with more expensive items and allows us to keep the platform safe for every transaction, big or small.

If you and the seller agree to cancel a trade, your Service Fee will be refunded when they process a refund of your Ping payment. If you’re ever in a situation where you’re having trouble getting in touch with the seller and the item hasn’t arrived, you can file a report to have your payment refunded under our Buyer Protection policy. 

Our primary goal was to address the number one complaint from our sellers - our Success Fees - while continuing to operate a safe and successful trading platform in New Zealand. This model, where a Service Fee is paid by the buyer, is a common practice for e-commerce businesses both in New Zealand and internationally.

No. We’re saying goodbye to all Success Fees from Tuesday 10 March. If your item hasn’t sold by 10 March, we’ll remove the Success Fee when it sells or when you relist it.

If you feel the timing is better for you next week, you can definitely end the listing now, however a withdrawal fee will apply. If you withdraw your listing you will lose any watchlisters or interest. Often, the 'Success Fee' is worth the price of a fast sale while buyer interest is at its peak. 

If your item remains unsold on 10 March, Success Fees will be removed when the item sells or on relist.

Yes. If we charged you a Success Fee before the changes started and the trade didn't work out, you can still apply for a refund. 

If your item sells on or after Tuesday 10 March, and the buyer pays with Ping, the buyer will pay a Service Fee at checkout.

Yes, from 10 March, Ping will be standard for all listings. By using Ping, your buyers can pay you instantly and securely via card and your sales are backed by Buyer Protection and our dedicated support team. It’s all about making it easier to say goodbye to your things while ensuring you get paid safely every time. Learn more about using Ping.

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