For buyers

Protected payment

You pay the platform, never the seller. The seller ships only after your payment has settled, on a label we issue, and the money moves to the seller when you confirm the count or 3 business days pass after delivery. Nothing here is a promise; it is how the orders are built.

Create your free account Read the protected payment terms

Pay within: 2 business days; of the close
Seller ships within: 2 business days; of your payment settling
Confirm within: 3 business days; of delivery; silence releases
Buyer fees: None; hammer plus shipping at cost

Who holds the money

Three parties, one rule: the seller is paid last.

You

Pay the order within the payment window. Your money leaves your account once, to the platform.

The platform

Holds the funds in its own balance under the protected payment terms. Issues the label. Releases on your confirmation or when the window lapses, or pauses on a dispute.

The seller

Sees that the order is paid, ships on the platform label, and receives the net after the fee and payout processing when the funds release.

Memory Traders is a DBA of ITAD Authority, and the platform balance is one balance. Held buyer funds are a liability in the platform’s ledger and are never paid out to the platform itself; the ledger and the release rules are described in the protected payment terms and audited on the transparency report.

The timeline of a deal

Counted in business days in the company time zone, the way the order deadlines are. Delivery has no date until the carrier scans it.

An auction that closed today, Sun 25 Oct 2026

Done:
Auction closes
Sun 25 Oct 2026
The high bid met the reserve. An order is created at the hammer price.Not yet paid
Current step:
Buyer pays the platform
Tue 27 Oct 2026
Due within 2 business days of the close. Bank debit, bank transfer or card.Not yet paid
Upcoming:
Payment settles
Date set by the previous step
The money is now held by the platform. The seller gets the shipping label only now.Held by the platform
Upcoming:
Seller ships on our label
Thu 29 Oct 2026
Within 2 business days of settlement; the date assumes the payment settled on its due day.Held by the platform
Upcoming:
Delivered
Date set by the previous step
Set by the carrier scan, with a signature. The confirmation window starts here.Held by the platform
Upcoming:
Buyer confirms the count
Date set by the previous step
Within 3 business days of delivery. Silence releases the funds when the window lapses; a short count opens a dispute and pauses release.Held by the platform
Upcoming:
Funds released to the seller
Date set by the previous step
The net after the protected-payment fee and payout processing moves to the seller’s payout account.With the seller

Paying

Methods are offered by amount. Bank payment is free; a card is for small orders when speed matters.

Bank debit (ACH), any amount, free
Instant account verification or micro-deposits, a mandate you accept on the page, and the expected settlement date shown on the order. The ship window starts when it settles.
Bank transfer or wire, any amount, free
Funding instructions with a reference are shown on the order and emailed. The grace for a transfer to arrive is 3 business days beyond the payment window; the order shows the date.
Card, under $5,000
Card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 is added as its own line because card fees are not absorbed on lot sales. Settles at once.

Every order shows the deadline, the method you chose, what happens on default, and that the seller ships only after settlement. No buyer premium is added to the hammer price. Shipping is charged at cost from the rated FedEx options; insurance is required over $2,500.

When something slips

Every failure has a written rule. These are the ones that matter.

The buyer does not pay
After 2 business days the order is overdue: a strike on the buyer (3 strikes in 12 months ends the account), any deposit hold captured, and the runner-up offered the lot at their own highest bid for 24 hours. The seller keeps the 48 hours seller window if nobody takes it.
The seller does not ship
A reminder after 1 business day without a scan; after the 2 business days window, staff are alerted and the buyer may cancel for a full refund. Late shipping beyond grace is a strike.
The count is short or the lot is not as described
The buyer enters the received count or opens a dispute within 3 business days of delivery; release pauses until it is decided. Outcomes are a full release, a full refund or a split.
A refund
Always from the order’s own payment. Bank refunds take a few business days and cannot be cancelled once started; the page says so before you confirm.

For sellers

Ship with the money in. No invoicing, no net-30, no shipping on trust.

You see the order move to paid only after settlement; the shipping label appears at that moment. When the buyer confirms, or the window lapses, the platform releases the hammer price less the protected-payment fee and payout processing at cost to your Stripe payout account, and your statement itemises every line. The full breakdown is on Getting paid, and the fee in force today is on Pricing.

Questions people ask

Who actually holds my money?

The platform, in its own Stripe balance, until you confirm the count or the confirmation window lapses. The seller cannot touch it, and the seller gets the shipping label only after your payment has settled.

Which payment method should I use?

Bank debit (ACH) and bank transfer are free for any amount. A card works when the total is under $5,000 and carries card processing of 2.9% + $0.30, because card fees are not absorbed on lot sales.

How long does a bank debit take to settle?

Usually a few business days; the order page shows the expected clear date when you pay. The seller’s 2 business days ship window starts at settlement, not at the moment you click pay.

What if I win and do not pay?

You have 2 business days to pay. Miss it and the order is marked overdue: you receive a strike (3 strikes in 12 months ends the account), any deposit hold is captured, and the runner-up is offered the lot at their own highest bid for 24 hours.

What if the seller never ships?

The seller must ship within 2 business days of settlement. After the window lapses you can cancel from the order page for a full refund; the seller receives a strike. Bank refunds take a few business days and cannot be cancelled once started.

Is there a buyer fee?

No. You pay the hammer price plus shipping at cost, and insurance where the value requires it. Nothing else is added.