Today, we're making another change to how payouts work on Marketplace.tf. For context, please see our previous post on this topic here.
The current payout model is structured to provide free payouts for every user, while incentivizing users to cover the costs of automated payouts through optional fees to increase the speed of a payout. For example, most users have the option of a free 1-hour payout, or paying a 2% fee to receive it within 5 minutes. Non-US-based customers (to whom sending payouts costs us an additional percentage fee) have a different structure with higher fees to help offset the cost, but ultimately still have a free payout option in the form of a 24-hour payout.
Our new payout structure, live for every user now, is very simple and accessible. When requesting a payout, you have the following options:
Oh. That's it. Enjoy!
Bonjour! Marketplace.tf is broadening its horizons. We want to speak your language, and you can help!
Launching soon is the Marketplace Translation Service, a central location where anyone can help contribute translate Marketplace.tf into multiple other languages.
In the beginning, we'll be launching with three languages: Spanish, French, and German. We've chosen these languages due to their prominence in our userbase and their relative similarity to English. This is just the start; we'll support many, many more languages in the future!
If you'd like to participate in the beta as a translator for any of the three languages, please join our Discord Server and leave a message in the #beta-signup channel. We ask that translators meet the following criteria:
Additionally, we are looking for language administrators for each of the languages we seek to support. We are looking for a small amount of hand-picked individuals who will review submitted translations and approve or deny them. Compensation is provided on a per-translation basis. If you are fluent in and excel at both English and one of the supported languages, please join our Discord server and speak with us.
"Undercutting" is the process of pricing your item a meaningless amount -- say, $0.01 -- below the current lowest price on an item, which causes your item to be displayed and added to a user's cart first. While this is not against the rules, and we do not have a problem with competition amongst sellers, this is the wrong kind of competition.
This sort of "competition" is centered around pleasing the Marketplace.tf service, not customers. A $0.01 difference is all that is needed to prioritize an item for the code, but to a customer a single penny is likely negligible. This is not meaningful or healthy competition; this actively degrades our service.
Before we continue, a quick note on our current round-robin sales system. This system ensures that, within the scope of a single order, as many possible sellers are represented.
For example, let's say someone buys 10 of item X at $5.00, and there are 4 sellers providing this item at that price point. Each seller is guaranteed to sell two items in such a scenario, and two sellers will sell 1 additional item each.
Matching the current lowest price ensures you have an equal chance to sell an item as every other seller.
Back to undercutting, we've made a simple change to pricing items. Now, if you attempt to price an item below the current lowest price offered by other sellers, your new price must be 1% (or $5, whichever is lower) lower than the other price. (However, you can match their price just fine).
This does not apply to items priced below $2.50.
For example, if you're selling item Y at $55.00 and someone else wants to undercut you, they'll need to price their item at $54.45 or lower (or $55.00 or higher).
This change ensures that if someone undercuts your price, it's because they've offered a meaningful price decrease to customers, as opposed to because they made a negligible change that nobody cares about.
Today's site update makes the following changes.
We've made a change to the way we handle dueling mini-games. Previously, dueling mini-games with any amount of uses left would all be listed together with no way to determine how many uses are left.
Now, only dueling mini-games with the full 5 uses may be listed on Marketplace.tf. All other dueling mini-games may not be listed.
Additionally, we've refunded every dueling mini-game ever purchased -- totaling 104,968 mini-games with a combined value of $2,783.50 -- to the purchaser's store credit balance.
Marketplace.tf now supports all security keys that implement the FIDO U2F standard (examples: Titan Security Key by Google, YubiKey).
With a Security Key registered to your account, it will act as an additional two-factor authentication device. When logging in or authorizing an account action, you will be asked to either provide a traditional code from your phone, or use a security key.
Security Keys are the most convenient and safest ways to secure your Marketplace.tf account.
Click here to set up two-factor authentication or add a security key to your account.
With a few days left before Christmas, we have two sweet Marketplace.tf updates for you! Similar Items debuts today, while Sponsored Listings have been with us for a few weeks (but we're announcing it today!)
Similar Items
Now, when you visit certain items' pages (for example, Australium Rocket Launcher or Yeti Coated War Paint), you'll be shown items for sale that are very similar to the item you're viewing; such as a Professional Killstreak variant, or a different wear or unusual effect on a war paint.
If you were in the market for a Miami Element War Paint, but wanted to see all your options before making a decision, you might wrangle with search and try to get the parameters just right. Alternatively, you can now simply visit any Miami Element War Paint's page, and you'll be shown all Miami Element War Paints! This is especially helpful if you're the bookmarking sort.
The following items will now display similar items:
We will be increasing the amount of items that are categorized together in the future.
Sponsored Listings
If you've had trouble selling a rarer item, Sponsored Listings may be for you! Sponsored Listings are simple: buy one, and you can have your item featured on Marketplace.tf for 48 hours at a time.
Enjoy!
As you're enjoying Scream Fortress X and our Scream Fortress Seller Special, we've got a completely non-spooky update for you today. Doot.
Buy Orders are a great way to buy items passively: instead of constantly F5ing an item's page hoping it'll get listed for a certain price, you can place a buy order on it and go to sleep. However, buy orders may only be made using Wallet Funds, which can be an inconvenience. Until today, that is:
Buy Orders can now be placed using a credit or debit card! Any card saved to your account can be used to place buy orders, and you'll only be charged when it buys an item.
That's not all; we've made some improvements to buy orders in general:
Scream Fortress X is here, and with it comes all sorts of new trading opportunities! Whether you've unboxed your first unusual or are a seasoned trading veteran, the Scream Fortress Seller Special (SFSS) will spook you to your soul... with money!
The Scream Fortress Seller Special runs from October 20th until the end of Scream Fortress X -- currently November 14th, but we know Valve.
During the SFSS, the seller commission on certain items (that is, the fee we take) is lowered:
What defines a "Halloween item"? We're glad you asked, because we like making lists:
Basically, anything spooky. If your item is eligible for a discounted commission, a special badge will appear next to its name on your dashboard. Hover over it to see more details.
Enjoy Scream Fortess X!
Today, we're making some important changes to our stock limit system. Currently, we limit the stock of certain items to a global cap; this is a small list of items that have very low sales volume yet have taken up a large amount of our bot space. However, a negative side-effect of this is that in some cases, one person can take up the entire stock of an item, monopolizing it.
To combat this, the stock limit system now functions as follows:
It's important to keep in mind that the list of items this applies to is very small, affecting mainly crates and cases.