Established marketplaces use escrow systems that hold payment until both sides confirm, which eliminates most delivery risks. The main danger is phishing - fake login pages that steal your Steam credentials. Always verify the site URL and never enter your Steam password on a third-party marketplace.

On platforms with escrow, items and payment are held until both parties confirm, and failed transactions reverse automatically. The risk increases with P2P trades outside escrow - items sent directly to another user's trade URL can't be recovered. Bot-based marketplaces are safest because the platform controls the entire process.

Most third-party marketplaces bypass Valve's 7-day trade hold by pre-stocking items in bot inventories that have already cleared the cooldown, so delivery is instant for buyers. If you're selling, your items must clear the 7-day hold before the marketplace can list them.

Seller fees on third-party marketplaces range from 2% to 15%, compared to Steam's flat 15% cut. Some sites charge lower base fees but add withdrawal fees of 1-3% when cashing out to PayPal, bank transfer, or crypto. Always calculate the full fee stack - a 5% seller fee plus 2% withdrawal fee still beats Steam's 15%.

The buyer pays the marketplace, which holds the funds while the seller sends items to the platform's trade bot. Once confirmed, items go to the buyer and payment releases to the seller's balance. If either side fails, the transaction cancels and both parties keep what they started with.

Most third-party marketplaces let you withdraw to PayPal, bank transfer, or cryptocurrency - unlike the Steam Community Market, which locks earnings as Steam Wallet funds. Cashout processing ranges from instant to 3 business days, and withdrawal fees typically add 1-3% on top of seller commission.