BUFF 163 Guide

Because getting started on BUFF can be a bit of a hastle, I made a guide to help you through it.

Introduction

Hello Guys,

Most people I know, that are interested in skins, have heard of skins-marketplace BUFF163. But getting on there can be a bit hard. So I wanted to help you make an account and get started.

Pro's and Con's

Pro's

1. The biggest
Currently BUFF163 is the biggest marketplace for CS:GO skins. This means that every skin you could ever be looking for can be found there.

2. Cheapest
Most skins are cheaper than on European marketplaces. The cheapest Bowie Knife | Fade (Factory New) on BUFF163 is a little less than half the price of the cheapest Bowie Knife | Fade (Factory New) on cs.money or about 15% cheaper than the cheapest Bowie Knife | Fade (Factory New) on Skinport for example (at the time of writing this guide: August 2021)

Con's

1. Payment
Because BUFF163 is a chinese website it doesn't support any European or American payment methods currently. This means you can't directly buy skins or withdraw your money.

There is a workaround for this tho:
If you buy a skin on the steam market or another trading website, you can sell it through BUFF163 which will give you a balance in Chinese Yuan.
The downside is that you will make a loss on buying skins this way, because if you buy a skin for €100 it will sell for around €80/€85 euros on BUFF163.
The upside to this is that you will make some extra profit by cashing out, because if you buy a skin on BUFF163 for all your ballance. Let's say €100, you can sell that skin on cs.money or Skinport for about €120.

2. API-key
Because you don't send your skins to a BUFF163 bot, but sell them directly to the buyer or vice versa, BUFF163 needs your steam API-key. They need this to give you notifications about trade-offers.

Making an account

So you decided to open a BUFF163 account. Where do you start?

Step 1: Finding BUFF163
First things first, you have to find the site. This is easilly done by going to BUFF163. [buff.163.com] This should take you to their homepage. Which looks like this.

(Step 1B: Translation)
If the site isn't automaticaly loaded in English. Click the Chinese flag in the top right and click the English flag after that.


Step 2: Register
On the top right of the homepage, next to the language flags is a Login/Register button.

Step 3A
When you click that button, this window will pop-up.


Step 3B: Phone Number
Here you have to enter your phone number.


Step 3C: Country Code
Don't forget to select your country code. This is a bit annoying because you can't sort them and they are not in order. If you dont know your country code
click here [countrycode.org] and find it in that list.


Step 3D: Authentification
Now you have to complete this authentification. In my experience you have to be pretty spot on so pay a little attention.


Step 3E: Confirmation
After you have completed the authentification, you can get your confirmation code sent to you.


Step 3F
It can take a few moments until you recieve this code, but when you get it enter it here.


Step 3G
Before clicking "Login/Register" make sure you have accepted their EULA and Terms of Agreement.


Step 3H
Now you are finally ready to create an account.

Setting up your account

Step 4: Referral Code
After clicking "Login/Register" this screen will pop up. If you are a nice guy you can use my code: LEECE, but no hard feelings when you don't :)


Step 5A: Connect your Steam account
After the referal pop-up, BUFF163 will show you this pop-up. I strongly advice using it, because it's just faster and you don't have to search for stuff. Click the "Connect Steam" button.

Step 5B
When clicking this button your browser (in my case Google Chrome) will open another window, which looks like this. I think you will have seen it before, on for example European trading sites. Sign into Steam through this window.

Step 5C: Connect your trade-link
When signed in that window should close automatically, if it doesn't you can close it manually. The BUFF163 pop-up will have checked of the first point now. And will ask you to enter your trade-link. BUFF163 made this easy for you by taking you directly to your trade-link when clicking the marked box.


Step 5D
Clicking "Get trade url" will open this window for you. It will have pre-selected your entire trade-link for you, so the only thing you have to do is pressing Ctrl+C at the same time on your keyboard.

Step 5E
After you have copied your trade-link, you can close this window. Now click in the "Enter trade url" bar and press Ctrl+V at the same time. This will paste your trade-link into that bar. After that, click the blue box that says "Save". If you have done all this, the pop-up will check off the second point as well. The pop-up will look like this now:


Step 5F
You can close this pop-up now, by clicking the "X" in the top-right corner.

Step 6: Account settings
This will take you to the homepage. In the top right you should see your steam profile picture and a random combination of numbers and letters. Click there.


Step 7A
This will take you to your profile page. Then in the menu on the left click on "Account".


Step 7B
This will take you to all your account related settings.


Step 8A: Steam API
One of those settings is your Steam API. This might be a bit of a sensitive subject. But as far as I know BUFF163 is a trustworthy site and I have not had any problems myself or heard of people with problems. But if you want to buy or sell skins using BUFF163 you have to give them your Steam API. You can find your Steam API really easy due to BUFF163's help. Just click "To get"

Step 8B
This will open a separate window again. In this window select all the numbers and copy them with Ctrl+C again. After you have copied your Steam API you can close this window.


Step 8C
Now paste your Steam API in the bar which I highlighted with Ctrl+V .


Now you are done with creating and setting up your BUFF163 account.

Tips and Tricks

Changing your name
In the window that opens at step 7B you can change your name too. It's the second option from the top.

Installing the app
I suggest you to download the app (available on both IOS and Android). This will make trading a lot easier, especially if you have the steam authentificator on your phone. You can send and accept trade-offers all in one place then. And some options are only available in the app.

Other trading sites
If you found out you don't want to use BUFF163 after reading this guide I totally get it. If you still want to sell your skins for real cash or buy them at a discount I advice you to use marketplaces.
Here are a few I use and advice you to use if you have only bought/sold through Steam:
-Skinport
-Skinbaron
-cs.money

Conclusion

Using BUFF163 has a few upsides and downsides. You have to decide for yourself if you want to use this marketplace or not. But now you at least know how you can use it, if you want to.

If you feel like I treated you like a baby who has never used the internet before, I am sorry. I want this guide to be understandable by everyone. If you still have questions, feel free to comment or send me a message.

[R.O.B N°2]

TY FOR THE GUIDE it help a lot understand the skins community and thanks to the guys in the comments for the informations see yall guys

[「Wangel.bh」]

For anyone asking, no, you no longer can use it as foreiner as only IDs accepted are chinese citicens. And no, even if you have a Alipay with KYC approved it won´t work.

[Ebasherrr]

is it now impossible to top up the balance on the site?

[Otten]

i need some kind of id number any workaround or how to get it

[mr.Cat]

is it forbidden to use buff163 ? i mean can Valve ban my steam account because i using buff163 ?

[STYX | chenso]

used your code, gg

[Kimi |]

I used your referral code :) Cheers

[susej ツ]

I used your referral code :) Cheers

[󠀡󠀡]

These are two seperate videos btw

[󠀡󠀡]

search How to Buy BUFF163 Balance (2 Different Ways) and This is a WORKING method for how to make a BUFF163 account in the US or Canada in 2023 on youtube to solve all your problems