CS2 trading glossary

22 terms every CS2 trader should know, plain-English.

• Float (wear)

  Numeric value 0–1 that defines a skin's visible wear.

  Every CS2 skin has a float value between 0 (perfect Factory New) and 1 (heavily Battle-Scarred). The same skin at float 0.06 and 0.14 can differ in price by 5–20×.

• Pattern index

  Random seed that decides texture placement on the skin.

  Pattern index ranges 1–1000 and affects how the texture maps onto a weapon. Some patterns (e.g. Case Hardened 'blue gem') sell for multiples of the base price.

• StatTrak™

  Counter on the skin that tracks confirmed kills.

  StatTrak skins display kill counts in-game and trade at 1.2–2× the price of identical non-StatTrak versions.

• Souvenir

  Skin dropped during a Major championship with player stickers.

  Souvenirs come with non-removable stickers from the Major where they dropped. Rare team / player combos make some Souvenirs worth thousands.

• Trade hold

  Valve's 7-day lock after a Steam trade.

  Steam locks any skin moved between accounts for 7 days. No marketplace can bypass it — but skin-for-skin sites let you trade locked items off-platform instantly.

• Trade-up contract

  Combine 10 same-rarity skins into one of higher rarity.

  A trade-up contract takes 10 skins of the same rarity and returns one skin of the next rarity, with float and collection rules determining the outcome.

• P2P marketplace

  Skin moves directly between two users via Steam trade.

  Peer-to-peer marketplaces hold an escrow for the buyer's payment but never custody the skin. Lower fees, slightly slower delivery.

• Instant sell

  Site buys your skin immediately at a fixed bid.

  Instant-sell platforms hold their own inventory and pay you the moment the Steam trade clears — fastest cash-out, lower payout than P2P.

• Skin-for-skin trade

  Swap inventory items without using fiat money.

  Skin-for-skin platforms let you trade skins directly against the site's inventory. No payouts, no fees on cash — but a small per-trade margin.

• Buff balance

  CNY-denominated credit on Buff163.

  Buff163 is China-only and pays sellers in CNY balance, which can be withdrawn via Alipay or converted to USD by third-party brokers.

• Float checker

  Tool that reads exact float + pattern from an inspect link.

  Float checkers query Steam's inspect protocol and return the precise float, pattern index, stickers and paint seed — essential before any high-value purchase.

• Doppler phase

  Phase 1–4, Ruby, Sapphire, Black Pearl variations.

  Knife / glove Dopplers share one skin name but have distinct phases. Phase 2 and Sapphire trade far above Phase 3 or 4.

• Fade percentage

  How much of the rainbow gradient is visible.

  Fade skins are graded 80–100%. A 100% fade typically sells for 2–3× a 90% fade of the same wear.

• Case Hardened blue

  Percentage of blue showing on a Case Hardened skin.

  Tier 1 'blue gem' Case Hardened knives are six-figure assets; lower blue % is cheap. Always check a screenshot, not just the float.

• Trade ban

  Valve-imposed restriction on trading items.

  Caused by VAC bans, community bans, or unconfirmed payment methods. A trade-banned account cannot trade — inventory becomes effectively non-tradable.

• KYC

  Know-Your-Customer identity verification.

  Larger cash-out platforms (DMarket, Skinport) trigger KYC on big withdrawals to comply with EU AML rules. Have ID + proof of address ready.

• Escrow

  Holding of funds or items until a trade clears.

  Marketplaces escrow your payment until the seller delivers the skin via Steam. If the trade fails, escrow refunds the buyer automatically.

• Steam API key

  Key that lets a site monitor your Steam trade offers.

  Required by most P2P marketplaces. Never share an API key with unofficial sites — phishing 'API hijack' is the #1 cause of stolen inventories.

• Steam Guard / Mobile Authenticator

  Valve's 2FA that authorises every trade.

  Mobile Authenticator must be active for 7+ days before you can trade instantly. Without it every offer enters 15-day hold.

• Phishing site

  Fake marketplace clone built to steal your login.

  Always verify the URL letter by letter (csgofloat ≠ csfloat). Lock in real domains as browser bookmarks instead of clicking Discord links.

• Gambling site

  Skin gambling platform — not a marketplace.

  Roulette / case-opening sites are entertainment, not investment. Treat any deposit as already spent.

• Trade lock (purchase)

  Skin bought on Steam Market is locked for 7 days.

  All Steam Market purchases enter a fresh 7-day hold. Third-party marketplaces deliver items already off-hold.