Difference between revisions of "Trading"

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[[File:steam trading.png|right]]
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{{Quotation|'''The Heavy''', commenting on a proposed trade.|Everything you have is bad, compared to this thing!|sound=heavy trade 14.wav}}
  
{{Quotation|'''The Engineer'''|Another satisfied customer!|sound=Engineer_specialcompleted02.wav}}
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'''Trading''' is a system that lets players exchange [[items]] with other players. Introduced with the [[Mann-Conomy Update]], this system allows players to swap or gift [[weapons]], [[cosmetics]], [[tool]]s, and more with other players. Valve later implemented the trading feature Steam-wide to encompass other games as well as within [[Steam]] itself.
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__TOC__
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{{clr}}
  
[[Image:Trading parcel.png|right|link=]]
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== Steam Trading ==
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[[File:Steam Item Trading.png|Steam Trading Beta|thumb|300px|A screenshot of Steam trading.]]
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'''Steam trading''' is a feature that was introduced on August 9, 2011 as an open beta.<ref>[http://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=6202 Steam Trading: Out of Beta and available to everyone! - TF2 Team]</ref> The beta updates were added to the public [[Steam]] client on September 6, 2011. With Steam trading, players are able to trade their in-game items for other in-game items and/or gift copies of Steam games. Trade requests can be sent through Steam chat windows or via the Steam Friends List window. Trading will also be disabled for Free to Play (nothing bought from Mann Co. Store) players and for 5 days after a user resets their password, which was added for user safety. If the user resets their password 2 months after their last account activity, trading will instead be disabled for 30 days. When changing your password, as opposed to resetting it, no restrictions will be applied. Upon changing your Steam username, trading will be locked for 2 hours.
  
'''Trading''' is an in-game system, first introduced in the [[Mann-Conomy Update]], that allows players to swap [[weapons]], [[hats]], [[Miscellaneous items|misc items]], and [[tool]]s with others. Players who have a free account are limited to receiving items in a trade, and are unable to offer items to other players.
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=== Steam Trading errors ===
 +
{{Trade Offer errors}}
  
__TOC__
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=== Trade holds ===
{{clr}}
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In November 2015, Valve introduced an escrow<ref>[https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8078-TPHC-6195 Steam Support article about trade holds]</ref> system which - when trading items with other parties and only Steam Guard is enabled, the trade may be placed on hold for up to 15 days.<ref>[https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8078-TPHC-6195&l=english Steam Trade Holds - Documentation - Knowledge Base - Steam Support]</ref> If the users have been friends for over 1 year, the hold will last 1 day instead.
  
==Mechanics==
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If Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator has been enabled for both parties for at least 7 days, trades will happen instantly once both sides have confirmed the trade, regardless of friends status.
[[File:Trading Screen Mann-Conomy1.png|thumb|300px|The trading screen, with an example trade in progress.]]
 
[[File:Trading Screen Mann-Conomy3.png|thumb|300px|A successful trade.]]
 
  
* To reach the trading screen from the main menu, select the Items button, and then the Trading icon.
+
When a trade takes the form of gifts (someone giving items without receiving), only the gift giver needs to confirm the trade offer.
  
* Players may request a trade with a fellow player from their friends list, from the current game server, or by entering the Steam Community URL of another player. A trading request will be sent to that player if they are online and currently playing ''Team Fortress 2''; if the receiver accepts the trade, the game screen will be replaced with the trading screen. If the receiver denies the trade or does not accept within the 30 second time limit, the trade will be canceled.
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=== Demonstration ===
 +
{{youtube|ZT3j8pb_KyU|hd=1|width=640|ratio=16x9}}
  
* There is a 30 second waiting period between trade requests.
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[[File: Steam Item Trading -Trade Offer.png|Steam Trading Beta|thumb|300px|A screenshot of Steam Trade Offers.]]
  
* Up to eight items of any kind can be traded from one player to another in a single transaction. The user's trading boxes are the upper eight on the right side of the screen. In order to offer items for trade, the user may either select and drag them from their backpack (displayed on the left) into any of their available boxes or double-click on them, which will automatically move them into the first available box. The lower eight trading boxes display the other user's trade offer. The trading window also shows the color of the item's [[Rarity]] as a background and outline.  
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=== Features ===
 +
* At first, the Steam Trading window only shows 8 slots to trade. When the 3rd slot on the last line is filled, more slots will appear. This allows for up to 256 items to be traded at once, eliminating the need for excessive trading.
 +
* Items can also be searched for by using the search bar, making trades quicker and easier to conduct. A chat box is also available for each of the traders to discuss, and items are color-coded according to their quality (Unusual, strange, etc.).
 +
* Once a trade has been made, any received items are placed into the user's in-game Backpack and Steam Inventory, ready to be used.
 +
* Items from other games can also be traded by clicking the inventory drop down menu and choosing a supported game's inventory.
 +
* On September 4, 2013, a new feature named "Trade Offers" was released. This feature allows users to send a pre-packaged trade to a friend, similar to regular trading, except the sender proposes the items for both sides. This feature includes the ability for regular traders to generate their own personal trade offer links, allowing other users to send them trade offers without needing to add them as a friend first.
 +
* Trade offers can be confirmed or declined through the Steam mobile application's "Confirmations" tab.
  
* Both users can communicate and determine the trade using the provided private chat box visible under the backpack.
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=== Trading inside ''Team Fortress 2'' ===
 +
In addition to sending trades through Steam, it is possible to send a trade to another player in ''Team Fortress 2'', though it still uses the Steam trading system to do so. The option for this is in the [[Customize items]] section of the [[main menu]], accessible through the "Items" button on the main menu, through the key set to open the menu {{DK|M}}, or through the console command {{code|open_charinfo_direct}}.  
  
* After reviewing the items offered in the trade, both users must click the "Ready to Trade" checkbox. If the offer is changed by either player, the players will be required to click "Ready to Trade" again. Once both users are ready to trade, they can then click "Trade Now" to complete the trade.  
+
This will open a small window with options to select a trading partner from the friends list, the current server, or directly through their Steam profile. If the friends list option is selected, it will show a list of users on the friends list currently playing ''Team Fortress 2''. The current server option will show a list of users in the current server. Once a user is selected through any of the three options, a trade request will be sent to them, which they can choose to accept or deny.  
  
* It is possible to continue playing and leave the trading screen in the background by pressing the 'Esc' key. Pressing 'Esc' again returns to the trading screen. A player wishing to block all trade requests can do so using the game options.
+
Once a trading partner has been selected, the Steam Overlay will open with a Steam Trade window, which can be toggled to return to the game and vice versa. If the trade is accepted, any items received will be shown in the in-game chat box, if the player is currently in a server.
  
=== Audio cues ===
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It is possible to filter trade requests through the game's Advanced Options menu. This option can be set to ''Anyone'', ''Friends Only'', ''Friends and In-Game Players'' and ''No-one''
There are several small sound files that play to alert the traders to certain events:
 
*[[Media:Trade_changed.wav|Items in the trade have changed.]]
 
*[[Media:Trade_failure.wav|The trade was cancelled.]]
 
*[[Media:Trade_ready.wav|Both players have accepted the offer.]]
 
*[[Media:Trade_sucess.wav|Trade complete.]]
 
  
=== Steam Trading ===
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Additionally, Free to Play players are not able to trade any items to other players; however, they may trade items that they have received from another player.
'''Steam Trading''' is a feature that was introduced on August 9, 2011. The feature is currently in the beta stage and all user's excluding F2P players may participate. By opting in to the program through their Steam Settings, a user is able to trade their in-game items for other in-game items and gift copies of Steam games with other users. A trade can be initiated with anyone in a Group Chat or on your Friends List who has also opted into the Steam Trading Beta. For more information, see the [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6748-ETSG-5417 Steam Trading FAQ page].
 
  
== Trading tips ==
+
Lastly, trading is permanent. If you trade an item that wasn't meant to be traded, you're unable to get it back unless the other person is willing to trade it back, so be cautious while trading with other people and double-check all trade offers.
Keep the following tips in mind for an enjoyable trading experience.  
 
  
*Pay attention to the background color of the items being traded, signifying [[Quality|Rarity]].
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==== Untradable items ====
*Always re-check items being traded after seeing the "Offer is changing... Please wait" message.
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All items in the game are tradable, with the exception of items with a "Not Usable in Trading" suffix or an [[Achievement weapons#Weapons|achievement milestone weapon]]. If metal is crafted using any achievement weapon, it becomes untradable. Anything crafted using untradable items also becomes untradable. Likewise, you can not trade items that you get from other games via achievements.
*Trades should be conducted with patience. Don't give into the other player's pressure if they're pushing you into a trade you're not happy with.
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Also, Free to Play players are unable to receive tradable items from a [[Item drop system|drop]]; they would have to get the item from someone else.
*Keep your backpack tidy. A well-organized inventory will allow you to easily show a trading partner the items they're looking for.
 
*Respect goes a long way in a trade.
 
*Always remember that patience is the key. There will usually be somebody who will want to take your trade.
 
*Keep in mind that certain sites or forums such as the official TF2 steam forum has a trading section. This is handy for setting up fair trades and a good place to consult if one is not sure about the value of an item.
 
*Avoid trades involving more than 8 items(split it up into separate trades). For an example, if you were selling an item for 19 refined, a scammer could give you 8 refined for the item in the first trade and then run away with your item.
 
*Avoid trading for cash, especially without a middleman. The trader could take your cash or item and you would have no way to ensure that they will give it back.
 
*Check the reputation of who you deal with, and make sure that the person you are trading with is the same person that you looked up. Click on their avatar during trade to inspect their profile.
 
  
==Untradable items==
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==== Purchased items ====
{{Item tradability list}}
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* After the [[Manniversary Update & Sale|Manniversary Update]], all items purchased from the [[Mann Co. Store]] will become tradable after seven days, as long as the Steam account has made another purchase at least 30 days prior.
 +
* Additionally, items that are awarded in [[Genuine|Genuine quality]] upon pre-ordering a game on Steam are initially untradable, but generally become tradable once the associated game is released or the promotion period ends.
 +
* Items purchased from the Steam Community [[Marketplace]] can be put back on the market as soon as they are purchased, but cannot be traded within 7 days.
  
However, most of these items are 'gift-wrappable'. See [[Gift Wrap]].
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== Trading tips ==
 +
{{main|Community trading tips{{if lang}}|l1=Community trading tips}}
  
 
== Update history ==
 
== Update history ==
{{Update history|
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{{Update history |
'''[[September 30, 2010 Patch]]''' ([[Mann-Conomy Update]])
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'''{{Patch name|9|30|2010}}''' ({{update link|Mann-Conomy Update}})
* Added trading.
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* Added trading system.
  
'''[[October 6, 2010 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|10|6|2010}}'''
 
* The Trading dialog now starts with the chat window having focus.
 
* The Trading dialog now starts with the chat window having focus.
 
* Gifted items are now craftable and tradable.
 
* Gifted items are now craftable and tradable.
 
* Community, Self-Made, and Valve items are not tradable or usable in crafting.
 
* Community, Self-Made, and Valve items are not tradable or usable in crafting.
  
'''[[October 20, 2010 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|10|20|2010}}'''
 
* Added some anti-scam advice to the chat window.
 
* Added some anti-scam advice to the chat window.
 
* Increased trading slots to 8 slots per person.
 
* Increased trading slots to 8 slots per person.
 
* Added item rarity colors.
 
* Added item rarity colors.
 
* Added the item’s original name to the item description.
 
* Added the item’s original name to the item description.
* Made most tools tradable.
 
* Fixed Ellis' Cap and the Frying Pan not being tradable
 
  
'''[[October 27, 2010 Patch]]''' ([[Scream Fortress|Scream Fortress Update]])
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'''{{Patch name|1|19|2011}}'''
* Gentle Manne's Service Medal is now tradable.
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* Added a note in the trading dialog to let you know when your trading partner is typing.
  
'''[[January 3, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|2|24|2011}}''' ({{update link|Community Map Pack Update}})
* The Earbuds and Gentle Manne's Service Medal are now gift wrappable.
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* {{Undocumented}} Fixed trades only displaying one of the items traded to the server.
  
'''[[January 19, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|6|14|2011}}'''
* Added a note in the trading dialog to let you know when your trading partner is typing.
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* Fixed Steam inventory/trading not showing the correct item level for some items.
 +
* Fixed Steam inventory/trading sort order not matching the in-game backpack.
  
'''[[February 7, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|10|20|2011}}'''
* Updated the RIFT pre-order items to be not-tradable until the RIFT pre-order period is over
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* Fixed "Not Usable in Crafting" text not appearing under certain conditions on item tooltips in the trading UI.
  
'''[[February 24, 2011 Patch]]''' ([[Community Map Pack Update]])
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'''{{Patch name|11|16|2011}}'''
* {{Undocumented}} Fixed trades only displaying one of the items traded to the server.
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* Fixed an exploit that allowed untradable items to be traded with Steam trading.
  
'''[[March 1, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|11|23|2011}}'''
* Updated the Sharpened Volcano Fragment and the Sun-on-a-Stick so they can be traded.
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* {{Undocumented}} Fixed a Steam Trading bug that allowed items to be duplicated.  
  
'''[[March 15, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|12|15|2011}}''' ({{update link|Australian Christmas 2011}})
* Updated The Shogun Pack items to be tradeable.
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* {{Undocumented}} Players with [[Account types|free]] accounts can now trade items that have been traded to them.
  
'''[[March 21, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|2|14|2012}}'''
* Hero's Hachimaki now tradable.
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* Updated the in-game trading system to use the Steam trading menus.
  
'''[[May 5, 2011 Patch]]''' ([[Replay Update]])
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'''{{Patch name|9|4|2012}}'''
* {{Undocumented}} The Hetman's Headpiece, the Janissary Ketche,The Dead Cone, and The Brain Bucket were made craftable, tradable, and could be found in drops.
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* Added a notification to Steam Trading when a user's backpack is full.
  
'''[[May 19, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|2|22|2013}}'''
* Made the [[Three-Rune Blade]], [[Hero's Tail]], and [[Sign of the Wolf's School]] tradable.
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* Fixed a problem where traders that send in-game trade requests would receive the error message "The other player is currently busy trading with someone else" when the problem was actually related to Steam Guard settings.
  
'''[[June 14, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|2|23|2014}}'''
* Made the [[Conjurer's Cowl]] and [[Maul]] tradable.
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* Fixed trade invites not working in-game.
  
'''[[August 9, 2011 Patch]]'''
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'''{{Patch name|12|17|2014}}'''
* Made the [[Original|The Original]], [[Dragonborn Helmet|The Dragonborn Helmet]], [[Anger|The Anger]], [[Pip-Boy|The Pip-Boy]], and [[Wingstick|The Wingstick]] tradeable.
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* Added a one week delay before items purchased from the Mann Co. Store or the Steam Community Market can be traded.
  
 +
'''{{Patch name|7|4|2015}} #1'''
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* Fixed items that are removed from the Steam Community Market having the trade restriction removed.
 
}}
 
}}
  
== Bugs==
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== Bugs ==
* As of the [[Über Update]], there is no server wide chat notification of items traded.This also happens when , [[Crafting]] an new item, opening a [[Mann Co Supply Crate]] or obtaining an item from the [[Drop System]].
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* If a player is kicked from a server while waiting for a trade request, the timer at the home screen will show over 10,000 seconds.
 +
* Sometimes users in a trade will be unable to add items to a trade or click the 'confirm trade' button. This can typically be fixed by pressing the 'F5' on your keyboard to refresh the trade.
 +
* Often items in a trade will not display correctly for a short period of time after they are added. The picture is typically absent in this scenario along with the item's description and name.
 +
* Sometimes when a user adds an item into the trade, it will not be visible from the other user's perspective, even though the name of the item will be shown in the trade chat. This can be fixed if the other user puts an item into the trade and then takes it out again.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
* If you have been scammed, you can file a [http://support.steampowered.com/ Steam support ticket] and explain the situation. It helps to provide evidence of the scam, such as conversation logs of negotiations or screenshots/videos of the scammed transaction. Valve has clearly stated, however, that they will not do anything to recover your items if you are a victim of a phishing scam. A complete list of trading guidelines can be found [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9958-MJDG-3003 here].
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* If you have been [[Glossary of player terms#Scam|scammed]], you can file a [http://support.steampowered.com/ Steam support ticket] and explain the situation. It helps to provide evidence of the scam, such as conversation logs or screenshots/videos of the scammed transaction. ''See: [[Community trading tips#Trade Scamming|Trade Scamming]].''
 +
* There is a 30 second waiting period between unsuccessful trade requests.
 +
* If a player sends multiple trade requests to another player who declines them, there is a 2 minute waiting period between each trading request to prevent spamming.
 +
* You can not trade if your Steam account has been restricted and/or you have been trade banned on Steam.
 +
* Some ways that users scam others are by using external links outside the control of Valve (sometimes posing as fake steam sites) and/or by impersonating other users with high value inventories. Never enter your Steam login unless you trust the site! Only visit trusted links like the Steam Store/Community Hubs.
  
== Demonstration ==
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== Old trading system ==
 
{{youtube|JRIt84itoJs|width=640|hd=on|ratio=16x9}}
 
{{youtube|JRIt84itoJs|width=640|hd=on|ratio=16x9}}
  
 
== Gallery ==
 
== Gallery ==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
File:Trading Screen Mann-Conomy1.png|The trading screen, with an example trade in progress.
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File:News item 2011-09-06 Inter-Universe Trading!.png|In-game announcement of Steam Inventory.
File:Trading Screen Mann-Conomy3.png|Receiving items after trade.
 
File:Trading Screen Mann-Conomy2.png|Successful trade dialog.
 
File:Steam Item Trading.png|Steam Trading Beta
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
* [[TF2TP]]
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* [[Gift Wrap]]
* [[TF2 Backpack Examiner]]
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* [[Account types]]
 +
* [[Trade Scamming]]
 +
 
 +
== References ==
 +
<references/>
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
* [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9958-MJDG-3003 Official Team Fortress 2 Item Trading Guidelines]
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* [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9958-MJDG-3003 Official Team Fortress 2 Item Trading Guidelines page]
 +
* [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=6748-ETSG-5417 Steam Trading FAQ page]
 +
* [https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8625-WRAH-9030 Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator page]
  
 
[[Category:Items]]
 
[[Category:Items]]
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[[Category:Trading]]

Latest revision as of 19:17, 7 November 2024

Steam trading.png
Everything you have is bad, compared to this thing!
The Heavy, commenting on a proposed trade.

Trading is a system that lets players exchange items with other players. Introduced with the Mann-Conomy Update, this system allows players to swap or gift weapons, cosmetics, tools, and more with other players. Valve later implemented the trading feature Steam-wide to encompass other games as well as within Steam itself.

Steam Trading

A screenshot of Steam trading.

Steam trading is a feature that was introduced on August 9, 2011 as an open beta.[1] The beta updates were added to the public Steam client on September 6, 2011. With Steam trading, players are able to trade their in-game items for other in-game items and/or gift copies of Steam games. Trade requests can be sent through Steam chat windows or via the Steam Friends List window. Trading will also be disabled for Free to Play (nothing bought from Mann Co. Store) players and for 5 days after a user resets their password, which was added for user safety. If the user resets their password 2 months after their last account activity, trading will instead be disabled for 30 days. When changing your password, as opposed to resetting it, no restrictions will be applied. Upon changing your Steam username, trading will be locked for 2 hours.

Steam Trading errors

Steam trade offer errors
Error code
Internal name
Encountered when Explanation
2
Fail
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. Generic failure, shown if a more specific error could not be determined.
11
InvalidState
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. The trade offer is in an "invalid state" and cannot be acted upon. Often requires a new trade offer to be sent.
15
AccesDenied
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. The trade offer cannot be send or accepted due to you being unable to trade with the other user.
Possibly also caused by an invalid trade token (when using a trade offer URL).
The other user is unable to send or receive one of the items in the trade (due to a VAC ban or having a full inventory).
16
Timeout
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. Steam's trade offer server took too long to reply. It is possible the trade offer succeeded anyway.
20
ServiceUnavailable
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. The trade offer service is currently unavailable.
25
LimitExceeded
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. You are over your limit of active trade offers (including those that require confirmation, but does not include those in escrow).
Users are limited to 5 offers to a single recipient, or 30 active offers total.
If this error occurs when accepting a trade offer, one of the items in the trade may exceed your inventory for that game.
26
Revoked
Sending, accepting, declining, or cancelling trade offers. One or more of the items in the trade offer doesn't exist in the inventory anymore. Also used for revoked guest passes.
28
AlreadyRedeemed
Accepting trade offers. Trade offer has already been accepted, also used for guest passes that have already been redeemed.
34
LogonSessionReplaced
Sending trade offers. Trade offer cannot be send because you have recently changed your Steam username.

Trade holds

In November 2015, Valve introduced an escrow[2] system which - when trading items with other parties and only Steam Guard is enabled, the trade may be placed on hold for up to 15 days.[3] If the users have been friends for over 1 year, the hold will last 1 day instead.

If Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator has been enabled for both parties for at least 7 days, trades will happen instantly once both sides have confirmed the trade, regardless of friends status.

When a trade takes the form of gifts (someone giving items without receiving), only the gift giver needs to confirm the trade offer.

Demonstration

A screenshot of Steam Trade Offers.

Features

  • At first, the Steam Trading window only shows 8 slots to trade. When the 3rd slot on the last line is filled, more slots will appear. This allows for up to 256 items to be traded at once, eliminating the need for excessive trading.
  • Items can also be searched for by using the search bar, making trades quicker and easier to conduct. A chat box is also available for each of the traders to discuss, and items are color-coded according to their quality (Unusual, strange, etc.).
  • Once a trade has been made, any received items are placed into the user's in-game Backpack and Steam Inventory, ready to be used.
  • Items from other games can also be traded by clicking the inventory drop down menu and choosing a supported game's inventory.
  • On September 4, 2013, a new feature named "Trade Offers" was released. This feature allows users to send a pre-packaged trade to a friend, similar to regular trading, except the sender proposes the items for both sides. This feature includes the ability for regular traders to generate their own personal trade offer links, allowing other users to send them trade offers without needing to add them as a friend first.
  • Trade offers can be confirmed or declined through the Steam mobile application's "Confirmations" tab.

Trading inside Team Fortress 2

In addition to sending trades through Steam, it is possible to send a trade to another player in Team Fortress 2, though it still uses the Steam trading system to do so. The option for this is in the Customize items section of the main menu, accessible through the "Items" button on the main menu, through the key set to open the menu (default key: M), or through the console command open_charinfo_direct.

This will open a small window with options to select a trading partner from the friends list, the current server, or directly through their Steam profile. If the friends list option is selected, it will show a list of users on the friends list currently playing Team Fortress 2. The current server option will show a list of users in the current server. Once a user is selected through any of the three options, a trade request will be sent to them, which they can choose to accept or deny.

Once a trading partner has been selected, the Steam Overlay will open with a Steam Trade window, which can be toggled to return to the game and vice versa. If the trade is accepted, any items received will be shown in the in-game chat box, if the player is currently in a server.

It is possible to filter trade requests through the game's Advanced Options menu. This option can be set to Anyone, Friends Only, Friends and In-Game Players and No-one

Additionally, Free to Play players are not able to trade any items to other players; however, they may trade items that they have received from another player.

Lastly, trading is permanent. If you trade an item that wasn't meant to be traded, you're unable to get it back unless the other person is willing to trade it back, so be cautious while trading with other people and double-check all trade offers.

Untradable items

All items in the game are tradable, with the exception of items with a "Not Usable in Trading" suffix or an achievement milestone weapon. If metal is crafted using any achievement weapon, it becomes untradable. Anything crafted using untradable items also becomes untradable. Likewise, you can not trade items that you get from other games via achievements. Also, Free to Play players are unable to receive tradable items from a drop; they would have to get the item from someone else.

Purchased items

  • After the Manniversary Update, all items purchased from the Mann Co. Store will become tradable after seven days, as long as the Steam account has made another purchase at least 30 days prior.
  • Additionally, items that are awarded in Genuine quality upon pre-ordering a game on Steam are initially untradable, but generally become tradable once the associated game is released or the promotion period ends.
  • Items purchased from the Steam Community Marketplace can be put back on the market as soon as they are purchased, but cannot be traded within 7 days.

Trading tips

Main article: Community trading tips

Update history

September 30, 2010 Patch (Mann-Conomy Update)
  • Added trading system.

October 6, 2010 Patch

  • The Trading dialog now starts with the chat window having focus.
  • Gifted items are now craftable and tradable.
  • Community, Self-Made, and Valve items are not tradable or usable in crafting.

October 20, 2010 Patch

  • Added some anti-scam advice to the chat window.
  • Increased trading slots to 8 slots per person.
  • Added item rarity colors.
  • Added the item’s original name to the item description.

January 19, 2011 Patch

  • Added a note in the trading dialog to let you know when your trading partner is typing.

February 24, 2011 Patch (Community Map Pack Update)

  • [Undocumented] Fixed trades only displaying one of the items traded to the server.

June 14, 2011 Patch

  • Fixed Steam inventory/trading not showing the correct item level for some items.
  • Fixed Steam inventory/trading sort order not matching the in-game backpack.

October 20, 2011 Patch

  • Fixed "Not Usable in Crafting" text not appearing under certain conditions on item tooltips in the trading UI.

November 16, 2011 Patch

  • Fixed an exploit that allowed untradable items to be traded with Steam trading.

November 23, 2011 Patch

  • [Undocumented] Fixed a Steam Trading bug that allowed items to be duplicated.

December 15, 2011 Patch (Australian Christmas 2011)

  • [Undocumented] Players with free accounts can now trade items that have been traded to them.

February 14, 2012 Patch

  • Updated the in-game trading system to use the Steam trading menus.

September 4, 2012 Patch

  • Added a notification to Steam Trading when a user's backpack is full.

February 22, 2013 Patch

  • Fixed a problem where traders that send in-game trade requests would receive the error message "The other player is currently busy trading with someone else" when the problem was actually related to Steam Guard settings.

February 23, 2014 Patch

  • Fixed trade invites not working in-game.

December 17, 2014 Patch

  • Added a one week delay before items purchased from the Mann Co. Store or the Steam Community Market can be traded.

July 4, 2015 Patch #1

  • Fixed items that are removed from the Steam Community Market having the trade restriction removed.

Bugs

  • If a player is kicked from a server while waiting for a trade request, the timer at the home screen will show over 10,000 seconds.
  • Sometimes users in a trade will be unable to add items to a trade or click the 'confirm trade' button. This can typically be fixed by pressing the 'F5' on your keyboard to refresh the trade.
  • Often items in a trade will not display correctly for a short period of time after they are added. The picture is typically absent in this scenario along with the item's description and name.
  • Sometimes when a user adds an item into the trade, it will not be visible from the other user's perspective, even though the name of the item will be shown in the trade chat. This can be fixed if the other user puts an item into the trade and then takes it out again.

Notes

  • If you have been scammed, you can file a Steam support ticket and explain the situation. It helps to provide evidence of the scam, such as conversation logs or screenshots/videos of the scammed transaction. See: Trade Scamming.
  • There is a 30 second waiting period between unsuccessful trade requests.
  • If a player sends multiple trade requests to another player who declines them, there is a 2 minute waiting period between each trading request to prevent spamming.
  • You can not trade if your Steam account has been restricted and/or you have been trade banned on Steam.
  • Some ways that users scam others are by using external links outside the control of Valve (sometimes posing as fake steam sites) and/or by impersonating other users with high value inventories. Never enter your Steam login unless you trust the site! Only visit trusted links like the Steam Store/Community Hubs.

Old trading system

Gallery

See also

References

External links