Steam Trading Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the Steam trading terms you actually run into.
Trade Hold
A Trade Hold is a Steam delay after a trade is accepted. If the account sending items has not been protected by Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator for at least 7 days, Steam may hold those items for up to 15 days. SteamVaults keeps a held offer pending and does not credit the site balance until Steam reports it accepted and the bot confirms receipt.
Read the full {term} definition βSteam Mobile Authenticator
Steam Mobile Authenticator (also called Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator) is Valveβs two-factor app for login and trade confirmations. If the account sending items has been protected by it for fewer than 7 days, Steam may hold outgoing items for up to 15 days. Passing 7 days does not override other account or item restrictions.
Read the full {term} definition βSteam Trade URL
A Steam Trade URL is a personal link Steam generates so other users (or services like SteamVaults) can send you trade offers without being friends. The URL contains a partner ID and a token, both safe to share publicly.
Read the full {term} definition βSteam Trade Escrow
Steam Trade Escrow is an older name for Steam's trade-hold system. If the account sending items has not been protected by Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator for at least 7 days, delivery may be delayed for up to 15 days. SteamVaults tracks the offer as pending and credits nothing until Steam reports it accepted and the bot confirms receipt.
Read the full {term} definition βMarket Hash Name
The Market Hash Name is the canonical string Steam uses to identify a tradable item β for example, Mann Co. Supply Crate Key or AK-47 | Redline (Field-Tested). It is the lookup key for prices, listings, and trade offers.
Read the full {term} definition βSteam Wallet
Steam Wallet is the prepaid balance attached to a Steam account. It can buy games and Marketplace listings but cannot be withdrawn to a bank β funds are effectively locked to Steam.
Read the full {term} definition βMarketable
A marketable Steam item can be listed on the Steam Community Market for Steam Wallet credit. Marketability is independent of tradability β some items are tradable but not marketable, and vice versa.
Read the full {term} definition βTradable
A tradable Steam item can be sent to another account via a trade offer. New items, items received in a trade, and items purchased from the Market each carry a different trade-lock duration before they become freely tradable.
Read the full {term} definition βTrade Lock
A Trade Lock is an item-level restriction shown in Steam inventory. A newly purchased Mann Co. Supply Crate Key may be untradable for 7 days. SteamVaults accepts only a key currently marked as tradable and rejects locked items.
Read the full {term} definition βSteam Guard
Steam Guard is Valve's name for its account-security features, including email protection, mobile authentication, and login confirmation. Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator can remove the specific trade-hold need after 7 days of protection, but it does not guarantee that every account or item is ready to trade.
Read the full {term} definition βSkin Float (Wear)
In CS2, every skin has a float value between 0 and 1 that determines its wear category β Factory New (0.00β0.07), Minimal Wear, Field-Tested, Well-Worn, Battle-Scarred. Float visibly affects the texture and the price.
Read the full {term} definition βSticker Capsule
Sticker Capsules are CS2 in-game packs that contain one random sticker. Major tournament capsules (e.g. Stockholm 2021, Antwerp 2022) carry investment value far beyond their drop price.
Read the full {term} definition βP2P Trading
Peer-to-peer (P2P) trading is a direct item-for-payment exchange between two Steam users, usually settled through PayPal Friends & Family, crypto, or gift cards β outside of any marketplace.
Read the full {term} definition βGas Fee (Network Fee)
A gas fee is the on-chain cost of moving crypto. SteamVaults currently supports USDT withdrawals on Polygon and charges a $0.80 withdrawal fee, shown before confirmation and separate from the bid/ask spread.
Read the full {term} definition β
Ready to sell Mann Co. Supply Crate Keys?
SteamVaults currently supports only tradable Mann Co. Supply Crate Keys. Check the live quote, then confirm the trade in Steam.