Frequently asked questions

Kaup is a social bartering platform. Post what you have, collect bids — cash, barter, or services — pick a winner, and trade. It's built around intent instead of endless scrolling.

On those, you list an item and wait for cold DMs. On Kaup, bids come to you inside a live window, every trader carries a reputation score, and messaging only unlocks once you pick a winning bid — so no spam and no lowball chaos.

Barter is free forever — no listing fees, no monthly fees. Cash trades keep a small, transparent fee. Founding Traders also get a free Boosted Offering slot at launch.

Possessions, services, or cash — in any combination. Sneakers for a watch, a guitar for a camera, design work for a used bike. If you can describe it, you can post it.

Messaging is gated behind a winning bid, every trader has a reputation score built from completed trades, and an AI safety layer watches threads for pressure, scams, and attempts to move off-platform — warning you when something looks off.

When someone bids on your Offering, a countdown opens. It keeps trades moving instead of dying in an inbox. When the window closes, you pick your favorite bid and the private thread unlocks.

Kaup launches city by city, starting with New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. We open the next city based on where the waitlist is loudest — so add yours to move it up the queue.

Join the waitlist. Founding Traders get first access when their city goes live, plus a free Boosted Offering slot.