Protecting your money and account
We only allow secure payment methods on Trade Me. Compare payment security and learn how to protect your account.
Learn how to protect your money and account on Trade Me, and why we only use secure payment methods.
Comparing payment security
We support secure payment methods to keep you safe from scams. This table explains the difference between our supported payment options and bank transfers.
| Payment method | Available on Trade Me | What it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Ping by Trade Me | Supported on Trade Me. | Your purchase is protected up to $5,000 through our Buyer Protection policy. |
| Afterpay | Supported on Trade Me. | Your purchase is protected up to $5,000 through our Buyer Protection policy. |
| Cash | Supported on Trade Me. | Nothing. |
| Bank transfers with Confirmation of Payee (CoP) | Not supported on Trade Me. | Checks the name matches the account number, however you don’t know if that person is honest or a potential scammer. |
| Bank transfers | Not supported on Trade Me. | Nothing. |
Ping and Afterpay
Ping and Afterpay are the safest ways to pay on Trade Me.
- How it works: We act as an intermediary to securely manage the money. The seller never sees your credit card or bank details.
- The benefit: When you use these methods, your purchase is covered by our Buyer Protection policy. If your item doesn’t arrive or isn't as described, you may qualify for a refund up to $5,000.
Bank transfers outside of Trade Me
We removed bank transfer as a payment method to make trading safer. When you pay with a bank transfer, we can't track or recover it if something goes wrong.
- The risk: Once you send the money, it’s gone. There is no undo button and Trade Me can’t help get it back. You are not covered by Buyer Protection.
Confirmation of Payee (CoP)
If you pay someone directly from your bank account, your bank might use a feature called Confirmation of Payee (CoP). This alerts you if the name you typed doesn't match the account number.
- The risk: CoP only checks that the name matches the account number. While this is helpful in making sure you are sending money where you meant to, it doesn’t verify if the person you’re sending money to is honest.
Keep your payments on Trade Me
Using bank transfer is against our site policy. If a seller asks you to pay this way, let them know you prefer to use Ping or Afterpay so your purchase is protected. If you’re worried about a seller’s behaviour, make sure to report the listing through Community Watch.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
While secure payments protect your money, Multi-factor authentication (MFA) protects your account. By asking for multiple steps or factors to log in, it makes it significantly harder for scammers to access your account, even if they know your password.
- How it works: You enter a 6-digit code from an authenticator app on your phone every time you log in from a new device.
- The benefit: It blocks unauthorised access to your Trade Me account, even if someone guesses your password.
Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Add MFA to your Trade Me account to help protect yourself from scams. Find out how.