How to Keep Your Trade Me Account Safe

1. Update Your Password Regularly

When was the last time you updated your Trade Me password? Now's a good time. A strong password is the first line of security against unauthorised access.

• Make it long and unique. A password with 10 or more characters that uses a mix of numbers, letters, and symbols is the strongest.

• Don’t use personal information like a pet's name or your birthday - it's too easy for others to guess.

• Use a password manager to securely store your passwords and create unique ones for each website.

2. Lock Down Your Account with MFA

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a fancy term for adding a second layer of security to your login. Think of it like a secret handshake: even if someone gets your password, they can't get into your account without your phone to approve the login. It’s one of the best ways to keep your account protected from any dodgy activity.

Turn on MFA today.

3. Get Peace of Mind with Ping

When you're buying, paying with your debit or credit card through Ping is the way to go. Ping is Trade Me’s very own payment method and it means you're covered by our Buyer Protection policy. If your item doesn’t show up, or it’s not what the seller described, we can step in and help sort a refund up to $2,500. Just look for the Ping logo on the listing or filter your searches to only show listings with Ping as a payment method.

While your bank’s Confirmation of Payee adds a layer of protection, once you pay into someone's bank account, there's very little that can be done if you've paid a fraudster.

Learn more about Buyer Protection

More Tips to Keep You Safe

• Be wary of emails. We will never ask you to confirm your password, credit card, or any other personal information by email. If an email seems suspicious, don't click any links or share information.

• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Stay up to date on online safety so you can spot red flags.

Our dedicated Customer Experience and Fraud Prevention teams are working seven days a week to keep our site safe. If you notice anything that looks incorrect or you have concerns, you can get in touch with our team by using the Community Watch button at the bottom of every listing or by reaching out to us directly.