BUFF163
- 1.5–2.5% Seller Fee
- 0% Buyer Fee
- 0% Deposit Fee
- 1% Withdrawal Fee
Introduction
BUFF163 is the Chinese skin marketplace operated by NetEase, and by most measures the deepest pool of CS2 liquidity anywhere. Its prices are widely used as the industry reference point — SkinFlow, among others, pegs its own valuations to BUFF163 rather than to Steam.
How the market works
BUFF163 is peer-to-peer: sellers list from their own Steam inventory and buyers purchase directly, with the platform handling matching and escrow. The scale of the listing pool is what makes it the price-setter for the rest of the market.
Fees explained
BUFF163’s own announcement records a cut from 2.5% to 1.5%, but the post carries no year, so exactly when the reduction took effect is unconfirmed — and third-party data through mid-2026 still reports the seller fee at the older 2.5%. That is why the seller fee sits at 1.5–2.5% here rather than a single figure. Withdrawals cost 1%, per the same announcement. No source, official or third-party, reports a buyer fee or a deposit charge, so both stand at 0%. Combined with its liquidity, that seller rate is why BUFF163 consistently shows some of the sharpest prices in a cross-marketplace scan.
How to buy
Buyers fund their account via Alipay, WeChat Pay or bank transfer, then purchase directly from a seller’s Steam inventory once the platform matches the order. BUFF163 doesn’t publish a buyer fee or a deposit rate on its own site, and no third-party source reports either being charged, so budget on the listed price alone. Given the depth of the listing pool, most items are already available rather than needing a standing buy order to fill.
How to sell
Sellers list an item directly from their own Steam inventory, with BUFF163 handling the match against a buyer. The seller fee runs 1.5–2.5%: BUFF163’s own announcement records a cut to 1.5%, but it is undated, and third-party measurements through mid-2026 still put the rate at 2.5%, so both figures stand until the timing of that cut can be confirmed.
Cashing out
Withdrawing proceeds from BUFF163 goes out via Alipay or WeChat Pay, at a cost of 1% of the amount withdrawn. Those are the payout rails the platform publishes, in keeping with its China-facing registration requirements.
Access from outside China
This is the deciding factor for most readers. BUFF163 effectively requires a Chinese phone number and an Alipay or WeChat Pay account to register and transact. NetEase’s answer for everyone else is BUFF Market, a separate international platform built by the same team, which is the practical route into the BUFF ecosystem if you are not in China.
Who it's for
The best option available if you are trading from within China, with the lowest fees and deepest inventory of anything here. If you are not, treat BUFF163 as the price benchmark you compare against, and use BUFF Market to actually transact.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Deepest CS2 liquidity of any marketplace in this comparison
- Seller fee as low as 1.5% once BUFF163’s cut applies, among the lowest here
- Prices are the de facto industry reference, used by other platforms
- Operated by NetEase, one of the largest internet companies in China
Disadvantages
- Effectively requires a Chinese phone number to register
- Deposits and withdrawals run through Alipay or WeChat Pay only
- No English-language interface or support
- International traders are pushed to the separate BUFF Market platform
Alternatives to BUFF163
Frequently Asked Questions
Last reviewed 17 August 2026.