Marketplace protocol / version 2026.09
How we review CS2 skin marketplaces
We compare public documentation for buying, selling and cashing out. The score does not guarantee safety, liquidity, a sale price, payout speed or eligibility in your country.
01 / Eligibility gate
A marketplace must be identifiable before it can rank
We require a verified official domain, current Terms and Privacy pages, an accessible support route, a named operator, an age rule, a documented trading process, public fee and payout information, and no unresolved critical security signal. A missing fact lowers confidence; it is not presented as proof of fraud.
02 / Weighted score
Seven criteria, one public-information score
Fee and total-cost clarity
Buyer, seller, withdrawal and conversion costs are documented with scope and date.
Selling and payout clarity
The route from completed sale to external payout, minimums and balance limits is explained.
Marketplace model and trade flow
The custody model, Steam delivery steps and instant-sell distinction are reproducible.
Operator and legal transparency
Current legal pages identify the contracting entity, age rule and material restrictions.
Account and trade security
Official guidance covers account access, Steam confirmations, trade checks and known failure points.
Support and reputation signals
A working support route and multiple independent source families provide context.
Regional, payment and KYC clarity
Country availability, verification and payment eligibility are stated without overgeneralising.
Overall = sum of each 0-10 criterion score multiplied by its weight, rounded to one decimal.
03 / Evidence rules
Dynamic numbers need a source and a date
Primary evidence
Current Terms, Privacy, help, fee, payout, security and KYC pages; Valve or Steam documentation; and official company or regulator records where applicable.
Independent context
Reporting, security research and relevant user discussions can identify patterns to investigate. They do not override current contractual terms or turn an individual story into a platform-wide fact.
04 / Claim verdicts
Every material claim gets a status
Confirmed Supported by a current applicable source.
Partially confirmed Supported in part, with an important condition missing.
Contradicted A stronger or newer source conflicts with it.
Insufficient evidence The public record does not support a conclusion.
05 / Ranking and freshness
Ranks can change when documentation changes
Ranked entries require Medium or High evidence confidence. Ties use the unrounded score, then fee clarity, payout clarity, operator transparency and the most recent verification date. Reviews are scheduled monthly during this launch phase and reopened sooner after a material fee, operator, KYC, payout or Steam-policy change.