Help & support
Everything you need to post, bid, trade safely, and get the most out of Kaup.
Need a hand?
Email our team and we'll get back to you, usually within two business days.
support@kaupapp.comGetting started
Create your account
Sign up with your name, email, and a password. You can add a photo, a short bio, your city, and links to your socials or storefront from You → Edit profile at any time.
Post an Offering
An Offering is something you have and want to trade. Tap the + button, add a few photos and a description, pick a category, and set an estimated value. You can let the app draft the listing for you from a photo or a few words.
Post a Want
A Want tells the community what you're looking for. Wants help Kaup surface the right Offerings to you — and let other traders know you might have something they want in return.
Bidding & winning
How bids work
Anyone can bid on your Offering with cash, one of their own items (a barter bid), or a mix. When the first bid lands, a countdown window opens so trades keep moving instead of stalling in an inbox.
Picking a winner
When the window closes, you review your bids and pick the one you like best. Only then does a private message thread unlock between you and the winning bidder — so there's no spam and no cold DMs before you're ready.
Editing or withdrawing your bid
While a bid is still active you can edit its amount or message, or withdraw it entirely. Withdrawing a barter bid releases the item you'd offered so you can use it elsewhere.
Messaging & completing a trade
Arranging the trade
Once a bid wins, use the private thread to agree on the details and a public place to meet. Both people confirm the meetup is arranged, then confirm again once the exchange is complete — that's what marks the trade done and updates both reputations.
Payments
Kaup doesn't process payments. Cash amounts are agreed between the two of you and settled directly, at your discretion. Never send money before you've received what you agreed to.
Staying safe
Meet in public
Always meet in a busy, public place in daylight, and bring a friend when you can. Trust your instincts — if something feels off, walk away. No trade is worth your safety.
Keep it on Kaup
Keep your conversation inside Kaup. An automated safety layer watches threads for pressure, scams, and attempts to move off-platform, and warns you when something looks risky. Moving off-platform removes that protection.
Reporting a problem
If a trade or a person feels unsafe, stop and email us at support@kaupapp.com with the details. We can review the thread and take action on accounts that break our rules.
Your account
Editing your profile
Go to the You tab → menu (top right) → Edit profile to update your name, city, bio, photo, and links.
Appearance
Kaup follows your device's light or dark setting by default. You can force Light or Dark from the account menu under Appearance.
Deleting your account
You can request account deletion by emailing support@kaupapp.com. To protect the people you've traded with, your completed-trade history is preserved in anonymized form after deletion.
Troubleshooting
I can't log in
Double-check your email and password. If you're still stuck, close and reopen the app; if that doesn't help, email support and we'll sort it out.
My photos won't upload
Make sure Kaup has permission to access your photos (in your device Settings) and that you're on a stable connection. Very large images can take a moment — give it a few seconds.
I'm not getting notifications
Confirm notifications are enabled for Kaup in your device Settings. You can always see the latest activity by pulling to refresh on the Activity and Inbox tabs.
Looking for something else? Read the FAQ, see how it works, or review our Terms and Privacy Policy.