Frequently Asked Questions

Crate.tf is an automated TF2 trading platform that lets you buy and sell items in bulk, fast. We connect you to a network of trading bots so trades complete quickly and consistently.

You choose what you want to buy or sell, we validate prices and availability, then a bot sends you a Steam trade offer. Once accepted, the transaction completes and inventory updates.

Yes. Trades happen through Steam’s official trade offer system. You control every trade by accepting it in Steam.

The trade offer URL is only required if you want to use the website. If you don’t want to provide it, you can send a direct offer to our bot and we will accept or counter it.

We need to read your inventory to price and verify items. If your inventory is private, we can’t validate or complete the trade.

Items can be temporarily unavailable if they’re trade-locked, in escrow, or already reserved in another trade.

Prices are kept up-to-date using a live key rate and our catalog pricing rules. This keeps buy/sell prices consistent and transparent.

The key rate is the current value of a Mann Co. Supply Crate Key in refined metal. It’s used as the base for pricing.

Stock is aggregated across all bots. If an item’s availability is low or reserved by other users, it can appear out of stock until replenished.

Reserved stock is temporarily held for a trade that’s in progress, so availability stays accurate for everyone.

Common reasons include inventory changes, trade URL issues, private inventory, trade locks, or stock that became unavailable.

Most trades are processed within minutes, depending on Steam and the bot’s availability.

If a trade offer has already been sent, you can simply decline it in Steam. That releases any reserved items.

Yes. Crate.tf is built for bulk trading and can handle multiple items in a single transaction.

Yes. Each bot is a real Steam account dedicated to trading. You can see bot profiles on the About page.

We use multiple bots to keep trades fast and balanced, and to distribute inventory across our network.

Prices already reflect our buy/sell spread. You always see exact prices before confirming.

We support Steam trades globally. Trade timing depends on Steam and your account’s restrictions.

Another trade may have reserved the item just before yours, or current stock is below the minimum needed.

You may need to enable Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator for at least 7 days to remove holds.

For trades involving 500 or more items, we can issue refunds if needed. If a full refund isn’t possible, we will return the difference whenever we can.

Provide your Steam ID and transaction ID (if available) and contact us through our support channel.

We store your Steam ID, profile data, and trade URL to process trades. We do not store your password.

Yes. We aim to be transparent about pricing and inventory, and we plan to publish public sales data.