In Starfield, the Trade Authority merchants are one of the few vendors and merchants that will buy and sell anything with you. They have very relaxed rules regarding trading illicit goods like contraband and will be happy to do so.
They also trade regular goods such as building materials, resources, weapons, food, etc. Here are the locations where you can find Trade Authority kiosks in Starfield.
With the benefits now apparent, there is plenty of incentive to want to know what areas the Trade Authority operates in. The trade authority operates in five different locations, namely the Den, Akila City on Planet Akila, Cydonia Mining Colony on Mars, Neon on Volii Alpha, and New Atlantis in Jemison.
It is important to note that the Trade Authority does not have dedicated mission boards, and the kiosks do not give Trade Authority quests either. Trade Authority quests are available at every standard mission board found throughout Starfield.
1. The Den
The first trade authority shop is in the Den, near planet Cthonia in the Wolf system. Upon docking with the Den space station, move forward past the ship services technician until you reach the overlook with chairs strewn about. Take a left, and you’ll see a compact storefront titled ‘Trade Authority’ above in Starfield.
When you enter The Den, go to the Ship Services technician’s left, and the Kiosk will be nearby. This is one of the best locations to sell your stolen cargo because it is the only area that does not scan your ship upon arrival. This allows you to circumvent potential bounties.
2. Akila City
The second Trade Authority location is in Akila City on the Planet Akila, which resides in the Cheyenne system. From your landing zone, go past the Akila City gate and head straight until you see a ‘Ship Services’ store and a left path. Take the left path and head straight. As you head further on the left path, you will eventually see a different part of the city and a few stores. Locate the ‘Hitching Post’ and go behind it. Doing so, you will inevitably arrive at the Trade Authority building.
As you enter the Akila City gate, you will see a ‘Ship Services’ shop. Right next to that will be a Trade Authority Kiosk in Starfield.
3. Mars
To locate the third Trade Authority location, go to Cydonia Mining Colony on Mars in the Alpha Centauri system. As soon as you enter the Cydonia mining colony, keep heading straight till you see the ‘Hours without incident’ sign up top. Head straight down the ramp and keep to the right. As the hall opens, head right, and you will see a storefront with a white light on top that reads ‘Trade Authority Outpost’.
The trade authority kiosk is near the entrance to the Cydonia mining colony in Starfield. Take a left until you see a lone ship service technician standing before a ship services hut. The Kiosk will be to the left of the technician.
4. Neon
To find the next Trade Authority location, go to Neon on Volii Alpha in the Volii system. Just keep heading straight from the docking port until you reach the elevator past the ‘Neon Security’ and ‘Terminal’ signs. Ride the elevator down, and you’ll see a big red dragon painting. To the left, you’ll see a big yellow neon sign that reads ‘Trade Authority’ in Starfield.
As soon as you land, while going straight on the platform takes you to Neon City, going left will lead you into the ship services hut. Enter it, and you will find the Kiosk next to a man sitting on a nearby chair.
5. Jemison
The fifth and final trade authority location can be found in New Atlantis, on Jemison, which resides in the Alpha Centauri system. To reach this, you’ll have to go down to ‘The Well’. Get past the New Atlantis spaceport and head straight towards the Jemison Mercantile building. Once near, strafe to the right of the building’s exterior until you see an open corridor leading to an elevator. Take this elevator down to the Well. Once in The Well, go straight till you see ‘Kay’s House’ to your right. Walk opposite Kay’s House, and you will see the Trade Authority building shortly in Starfield.
The trade authority kiosk on New Atlantis is close to your ship’s parking location.
How to sell items to the Trade Authority in Starfield
Trading with the trade authority has a few caveats to keep in mind. For starters, you can conduct trade with them in 2 ways. Each method has a limit that may limit the amount of goods you can sell at any given time.
1. Go to a Trade Authority kiosk
These are remote terminals under the Trade Authority’s jurisdiction where you can sell your items. Do note that the Trade Authority has a limit on how much funds they can offer you in one day. When it comes to Trade Authority Kiosks, you can sell items till you gain 5000 credits in value, after which you will need to wait a day for the funds to replenish, either naturally or by fast-forwarding time.
2. Go to a Trade Authority building
While Kiosks are more convenient to access, Trade Authority buildings come with a few extra bonuses that make the detour well worth it.
For starters, the credit limit in Trade Authority buildings is set at 12,000 credits. Not only that, but you can also conduct trade with them, and they tend to have a selection of noteworthy goods at their disposal.
Can you Join the Trade Authority in Starfield?
Unfortunately, you can not join the Trade Authority in Starfield, and by extension, you can not join any of the other minor factions in the game either.
