Bank transfer removed as an option We removed bank transfer as a payment option starting from 10 March 2026. 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. Since we have zero visibility of those transactions, we can’t protect you or step in if something goes wrong

this is the reply from the Trademe AI Chat Q: are traders still protected after paying via bank transfer? Trade Me · AI says: If you pay by bank transfer, you’re not covered by Buyer Protection. Only payments made with Ping or Afterpay are protected. If something goes wrong with a bank transfer, Trade Me won’t be able to help sort it out. It’s always safest to use Ping or Afterpay for extra peace of mind. Sources: Buyer Protection Big changes for Trade Me Marketplace Non-delivery scams Buyer Protection policy Payment options  

traders can still use bank transfer outside of TM for complete payment. a lot of sellers don't list post costs and require bank transfer for post payment. this could be a way to avoid refunds on post costs if there is a problem with the sale. or they want to charge high cost for post after the auction closes or they just don't know the post costs at the time of listing. either way there is zero insurance on bank transfers. if you have an issue after paying in full with bank transfer then you are on your own tm will not help and feedback will be all you have left. tm will advise you to go to...

Scammers on Trade Me frequently use sophisticated tactics, often hijacking established, reputable accounts to deceive users, with popular targets including high-value items like electronics, cars, and collectibles. Common scams include non-delivery of items, phishing attempts to steal login credentials, and "too good to be true" prices to lure buyers into fast, off-platform payments.   Here are the most common scams attempted on Trade Me:     1. Compromised Account Scam ("Hijacked" Accounts)  The Tactic: Scammers take over old, inactive, or phished accounts that have high positive feed...

Yes you have 100% feedback even with the 6 negative feedbacks you have received from buyers. its impressive as you say. however tm set the rules and you cant do anything about it. I don't pay any fees on my sales i receive free selling :) I'm fully protected by Ping. and feel a lot safer on tm now. every dispute I've had in the past involved bank transfer payments.

buyers are not protected by trademe when they use bank transfers anymore that's why trademe banned bank transfers on there site there were to many scammers and issues with it.

yes they would cover the item cost but you would loose the shipping costs as tm do not allow bank transfers any more and offer zero protection with any bank transfer. if you brought a large item that cost $100 for shipping paid with bank transfer and there was an issues with not receiving it and the seller says he has sent it tm will NOT help at all or even investigate. they do not allow bank transfer, they only protect shipping if its part of the ping payment. 

I think the biggest problem is that a lot of sellers don't list shipping but have mentioned that they can ship ok. then when we win the auction they want to be paid by bank transfer for shipping, the problem with that is trademe don't offer any insurance or protection for these payments anymore and if there is a problem with delivery or the seller doesn't ship and says they have then trademe will not help us. they step aside. trademe only offer protection for shipping if its included in the listing details.    

Something has just changed? was there an upgrade? or has TM done something to address the transfer out issue? the last 3 pings payment and the transfers out have appeared in my bank within 4hours, excellent and about time ! maybe the community page has sparked tm into doing something. it makes a huge difference getting access to our money sooner.

Ping is very safe and secure and owned and operated by Trademe. Ping is more than a method of payment its also insurance. the times are changing fast and there are some amazing things going to happen with tech and travel by 2030 so i believe it pays to keep up with the changes happening right now! Trademe would have looked at many Models before making the decision to make these changes. upgrades and updates are happening daily at the moment. They take our Safety very seriously and I fully support them.