Arc Raiders Trading: Item Swaps & Vendors Explained

Arc Raiders trading works through a mix of direct player-to-player item swaps and vendor transactions, but there is no open auction house or global marketplace. You can trade items with other players in your lobby via a trade menu, and you can buy and sell specific gear and resources from NPC vendors located in the hub area. This article explains exactly how both systems work, what you can trade, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

How Player-to-Player Item Swaps Work

Direct trading in Arc Raiders is designed for exchanging items between two players who are in the same session. To initiate a trade, you and the other player must be in the same lobby or party, and you need to be physically near each other in the game world. The process is straightforward:

• Open the social menu and select the player you want to trade with.
• Send a trade request; the other player must accept it.
• A trade window opens showing both players’ inventories.
• Each player selects the items they want to offer and confirms the trade.
• Both players must lock in the trade, and then finalize it to complete the swap.

There is no global trading post or auction house in the game as of the current build. This means you cannot list items for sale while offline or browse listings from players outside your session. The trade system is purely synchronous and requires both parties to be online and in the same instance.

What Can Be Traded and What Cannot

Not every item in Arc Raiders is tradeable. The game distinguishes between bound and unbound items. Generally, weapons, armor, and consumables that you find in the world are tradeable, but items that you craft or receive from quests may be bound to your account. Here is a breakdown:

• Tradeable: Common and uncommon weapons, armor pieces, mods, consumables, and most crafting materials.
• Not tradeable: Quest rewards, starter gear, and any item that shows a “bound” icon in its tooltip.

You can check an item’s trade status by hovering over it in your inventory; if it says “Bound” or “Account Bound,” you cannot offer it in a trade. This is to prevent players from selling high-level gear for real money or bypassing progression.

Vendor System: Buying and Selling

Vendors in Arc Raiders are NPCs located in the main hub area. They offer a rotating stock of items that you can purchase with in-game currency (Credits). You can also sell items to vendors for Credits, but the prices are typically lower than what you might get from a player trade. There are several types of vendors:

• Weapon Vendor: Sells weapons and attachments, occasionally rare blueprints.
• Armor Vendor: Sells armor pieces and cosmetic skins.
• Supply Vendor: Sells consumables like medkits, ammo, and grenades.
• Material Vendor: Buys and sells crafting materials.

Each vendor has a limited stock that refreshes on a timer (usually daily or weekly). You can also sell unwanted items to any vendor for Credits, but you cannot sell items that are bound to you.

How to Choose Between Trading and Vendors

When you have excess items, you have two main options: trade with players or sell to vendors. The right choice depends on what you want:

• Trade with players if you want to get specific items you need without spending Credits, or if you want to get a better value for rare items.
• Sell to vendors if you just want quick Credits and don’t care about maximizing value, or if you have common items that no one would want to trade for.

For example, if you find a legendary weapon mod that you don’t need, a player might offer you a rare armor piece you’ve been hunting for. A vendor would only give you a few thousand Credits, which might not be enough to buy that armor piece from the vendor’s stock.

Common Problems and Mistakes

Players often run into issues when trading, mostly due to misunderstanding the rules. Here are the most common pitfalls:

• Attempting to trade bound items: The trade window will not let you add bound items, but players sometimes waste time trying to figure out why they can’t trade a quest reward.
• Scams: Always double-check the items in the trade window before confirming. Some players will try to swap a high-value item for a low-value one at the last second.
• Vendor price confusion: Selling to a vendor gives you Credits, but you cannot buy back items you sold. There is no buyback tab.
• Trade range: You must be close to the other player in the game world to initiate a trade. If you are in different areas of the hub, the trade option may be greyed out.

Costs and Economy

Trading itself is free—there is no fee for swapping items with another player. However, there is a soft cost in time and risk. Vendors, on the other hand, have fixed prices that fluctuate slightly based on supply and demand within the game’s economy, but you don’t have to negotiate. The in-game currency, Credits, is earned by completing missions, selling items, and looting. There is no real-money trading in Arc Raiders; the game does not support it and it is against the terms of service.

Alternatives to Trading

If you can’t find a trade partner or don’t want to deal with the hassle, there are other ways to get the items you need:

• Crafting: Use materials to craft weapons and gear at the workbench. This is often more reliable than hoping for a drop.
• Looting: Explore the world and complete missions to find gear. Higher difficulty areas yield better loot.
• Vendor refresh: Check vendors after their stock refreshes; they sometimes sell rare items that are worth the Credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade with players on different platforms? Yes, Arc Raiders supports cross-play, so you can trade with players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox as long as you are in the same session.

Is there a level requirement to trade? No, there is no minimum level to trade, but you must have completed the tutorial and unlocked the hub area.

Can I sell items to vendors for real money? No, vendors only give in-game Credits. There is no cash-out system.

Do vendors buy everything? No, vendors only buy items that are not bound. They also have a limited buy list; some junk items may not be purchasable.

Can I trade crafting materials? Yes, most crafting materials are tradeable, but some rare materials may be bound if they were obtained from special events.

What happens if I trade a weapon with attachments? Attachments stay on the weapon and are traded with it. You cannot strip attachments before trading unless you remove them in your inventory.

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