If you’ve ever stared at your Rocket League inventory wondering how to turn that duplicate Black Market decal into the Octane design you’ve been obsessing over, you’re in the right place. We’re breaking down exactly how to trade in Rocket League 2024, from unlocking the trade feature to avoiding common scams that catch new players off guard. Even if you’re a casual player who only logs in a few times a week, trading is a fun way to customize your ride without spending extra cash on credits.
First: Unlock Trading Eligibility and Understand Basic Rules
You can’t trade right out of the gate, as Psyonix has put safeguards in place to stop scammers from making throwaway accounts to rip off new players. Before you can send or receive trade offers, you need to meet all of the following requirements:
- You must have purchased at least 500 credits (or received them as a legacy player before the free-to-play transition) to remove the trade restriction on new free-to-play accounts.
- Your account must be at least level 30, verified via two-factor authentication on your Epic Games account linked to your Rocket League profile.
- You can't trade items that are labeled as untradable, including free Rocket Pass rewards you earned without upgrading the premium pass, and items received from promotional giveaways.
Never try to bypass these rules with alternate accounts, as you risk getting both your main and alt accounts permanently banned from all online play, including ranked matches and trading. A lot of new players try to skip the level grind by making smurfs, but it’s never worth the risk of losing all your hard-earned items. For legacy players who owned Rocket League before it went free-to-play in 2020, you don’t have to purchase the 500 credits to unlock trading, but you still need to hit level 30 and enable 2FA to access the feature.
How to Trade in Rocket League 2024: Step-by-Step for In-Game Trades
Once you’re eligible, trading in-game is super straightforward if you follow these simple steps. First, add the player you want to trade with as a friend on your Epic Games, PlayStation, Xbox, or Steam account, depending on which platform you play on. Next, invite them to a party, open the party menu, and select the “Invite to Trade” option. When they accept, you’ll see two panels: one for your items and credits, one for theirs.
Drag the items you want to trade over to your offer panel, double-check that the items they’re offering are exactly what you agreed to, then hit accept twice to finalize the trade. Always take 10 to 15 seconds to review the trade offer before confirming, because once you hit the final accept button, the trade is final and Psyonix almost never reverses legitimate trades, even if you made a mistake. If you're looking for items that aren't available from your immediate friend group, you can also use official community trading hubs, where players post their available items and what they're looking for in return. Just make sure any trade you arrange on those hubs is completed in the official in-game trade system, no exceptions.
Get Fair Value for Your Items and Avoid Bad Deals
A lot of players take breaks between trading sessions to decompress, especially if they’ve been haggling over item values for an hour or more. If you want a low-stakes, fun distraction while you wait for a trade partner to get back to you, lots of casual gamers play quick, casual games to pass the time, and JAIHO SLOTS is a popular pick for players who want a short, engaging break without switching to a whole new full game.
When it comes to valuing your items, don’t just take another player’s word for how much something is worth. Use third-party community price guides to check current market values for Black Market decals, exotic wheels, goal explosions, and other rare items, as prices shift regularly based on supply and demand from new event drops. Remember that painted and certified items are almost always worth more than their standard versions, so don’t let a more experienced trader lowball you for a rare painted Octane just because you didn’t check the value first.
If a deal feels too good to be true, it almost always is. If someone is offering a Black Market goal explosion for a common rare decal, they’re almost certainly trying to pull a scam, so walk away immediately. Price guides are updated regularly to reflect new event drops, so if you’re holding onto an item from a recent limited-time event, wait a few weeks after the event ends to sell it, as prices will go up once the item is no longer available from event challenges. Never trade items outside of the official in-game trade system, even if someone offers you twice the value of your items for a “friend deal” over Discord or social media. Those trades are not protected, and you will not get your items back if the other person doesn’t hold up their end of the bargain.
Common Trading Scams to Watch Out For
Scammers are everywhere in Rocket League trading, especially targeting new players who don’t know the rules. One of the most common scams is the “item switch” trick, where a player will put the correct rare item in the trade panel first, then swap it for a common version of the same item right before hitting accept. That’s why we mentioned reviewing the trade for 10 seconds earlier, because this trick only works if you’re in a rush to confirm. Another common scam is the “middleman” scam, where someone offers to hold both players’ items to facilitate a cross-platform trade, then runs off with both sets of items.
You never need a middleman for official in-game trades, so anyone who suggests using one is almost certainly trying to scam you. Also watch out for players who claim to be Psyonix support staff asking for your account details to “verify a trade” – Psyonix employees will never ask for your password or 2FA codes, ever. Another less common scam to watch out for is the “fake gift” scam, where someone sends you a fake email or Discord message claiming you won a free item, and asks you to log into a fake website to claim it. Those sites steal your account details, so never click on links from people you don’t know, even if they claim to be giving away free rare items. If you do get scammed, you can report the player to Psyonix support, but keep in mind that you’re only likely to get your items back if you traded through the official system and have clear proof of the scam.
At the end of the day, learning how to trade in Rocket League 2024 is a mix of following the rules, being patient, and using common sense to avoid scams. Once you get the hang of it, trading is one of the most fun parts of the game, letting you customize your ride exactly how you want it without spending extra money. Just take your time, double check every offer, and don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal that feels off, and you’ll be building your dream inventory in no time.
