Two legit ways to trade: the new asynchronous market via Ange and Merchant’s Tabs, or the classic manual trade via public Premium tabs and whispers. Buying is fast: click Secure Item on the trade site or in-game market, teleport to the seller’s hideout, and purchase from Ange. Seller can be offline. A small Gold fee is charged to the buyer.
Selling is structured: unlock Ange in Act 4, Trading in Path of Exile 2 got a serious quality-of-life upgrade. You can now list items, log off, and wake up to sales waiting at your hideout. This guide gives you a clean, practical path from “how do I buy a ring” to running a tidy, always-open shop.
This article reflects the Third Edict (0.3.0) update that introduced asynchronous trading and Merchant’s Tabs. And if you decide to buy PoE 2 currency early, think of it as seed capital — a small investment that can multiply once you flip gear, craft upgrades, and ride the economy for bigger profits.
The 30-second snapshot
– Get Merchant’s Tabs, price items, and let Ange handle the rest.
– Price smarter: use a companion tool like Sidekick to pull live comps from the official trade site in one keystroke.
– Manual trade still exists if you prefer conversations, counter-offers, or zero Gold fee on the buyer.
Step 1 — Set up your trading basics
You need a pathofexile.com account with your platform linked (Steam, Epic, PS, Xbox). Once you’re logged in, the official PoE2 trade site is your hub for searches and listings. Bookmark it.
If you plan to sell via the new system, progress your character to Act 4 and meet Ange. She is the merchant NPC who runs your shop from your hideout and from the seller’s side of every sale.
Step 2 — Buying items the fast way (asynchronous)
1. Search – Open the in-game Market Panel or the official PoE2 trade website. Use filters by base type, item level, affixes, sockets, and more. The web UI is powerful and worth learning.
2. Secure it – On a listing, press Secure Item. The game teleports you to the seller’s hideout, straight to Ange, with that item highlighted.
3. Pay and go – Buy for the listed currency plus a small Gold fee charged to the buyer. Take your item and bounce.
Why this is good: no whisper pinball, no “inv me,” no waiting for someone to finish a map. It is close to instant while keeping the economy intact.
Step 3 — Selling items on autopilot (your offline shop)
1. Unlock Ange – Play into Act 4 and talk to Ange. This unlocks shop management and lets you place Ange in your hideout.
2. Get Merchant’s Tabs – Purchase Merchant’s Tabs in the PoE2 shop. If you own older Premium tabs from before patch 0.3.0, you can convert eligible ones on the website. Newer Premium tabs typically cannot be converted.
3. List and forget – Place the item into a Merchant’s Tab, set the price, and you are done. Buyers can secure and purchase it even while you are offline. Collect profits from Ange later.
Good to know: there is no Gold cost to list for the seller. The buyer pays a small Gold fee on purchase. That fee is a light sink on the market.
Step 4 — Manual trading still works (and why you might use it)
Prefer the old dance, whispers, invites, hand-to-hand trades? You still can.
– Put items in a public Premium tab with a tab-wide or per-item price.
– Players find it on the trade site, whisper you, you invite them, and you trade in town or your hideout.
Manual trade is useful if you are experimenting with negotiation, moving bulk at custom rates, or avoiding the buyer Gold fee. It does require being online and responsive.
Pricing like a pro
Start with comps. Hover an item and use a price-check companion to fetch similar listings from the official site in an overlay. It is fast, transparent, and updated for PoE2.
Quick heuristics that save time:
– Match your tier, not your dream. Compare against items with the same base and similar rolls, not perfect god-rolls.
– Price to move during leveling. Selling a decent upgrade quickly often funds the next three upgrades.
– Re-check after patches or when a new meta build spikes demand for specific stats.
– Use ranges. If the floor is 1 Ex and the cluster of similar items sits 1.5 to 2 Ex, list at 1.4 to 1.6 and let the market do the work.
If you are unsure, under-list on a Premium tab first, watch incoming interest, then relist more confidently on your Merchant’s Tab for hands-off sales.
Search filters that actually matter
The official trade UI is deep. These are the MVP filters to learn:
– Base and item level, which control what affixes can exist
– Affix groups with counts, for “at least two of these mods”
– Requirement filters, to stay within your character level and attributes
– Sockets and links, when you need a specific setup
Learn one new filter every session. It compounds fast.
Etiquette and sanity checks
– Asynchronous: the buyer teleports in and purchases from Ange. You do not need to be there.
– Manual: buyer goes to the seller’s hideout, and the seller initiates trade. Clear inventory space before you invite. Double-check currency amounts.
Do not tilt over no-replies in manual trade. People map, AFK, price test, or get spammed. Asynchronous exists for a reason.
Troubleshooting in one glance
– “Secure Item” does not appear: make sure you are using the PoE2 trade site or the in-game Market, not the PoE1 site.
– Cannot find Merchant’s Tabs in your stash: they are managed through Ange, not as normal stash tabs.
– No access to Ange: progress to Act 4 on the character in the league you are playing, then place Ange in your hideout.
– Unsure about value: run a quick price check with a companion and refine filters for tighter comps.
Buyer and seller quick-starts
Buyer, five steps
1. Open PoE2 Trade or in-game Market.
2. Filter for your base and stats.
3. Click Secure Item.
4. Teleport to the seller’s hideout and talk to Ange.
5. Pay listed currency plus Gold fee and take the item.
Seller, five steps
1. Reach Act 4, meet Ange, place her in your hideout.
2. Acquire Merchant’s Tabs, or convert eligible pre-0.3.0 Premium tabs.
3. Drop item into a Merchant’s Tab and set a fair price.
4. Log off or keep mapping. Ange handles sales.
5. Collect currency from Ange later.
Bottom line
Use asynchronous trading for speed and sanity. Keep a small Premium tab around for manual experiments and bulk deals. Learn your filters, lean on quick comps, and let Ange make money while you sleep. That is Wraeclast’s version of passive income, and it feels good when it pings.
