Path of Exile 2's Async Trading is Finally Here: How to Use It & How It Will Change the Economy Forever

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The wait is over. On August 29, 2025, with the launch of Path of Exile 2’s The Third Edict update, Grinding Gear Games will finally deliver the single most requested quality-of-life feature in the franchise’s history: asynchronous trading (async trade).

This long-awaited system dismantles PoE’s archaic, friction-heavy trade mechanics, letting players buy and sell items even when the seller is offline. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about async trading—how it works through the new Merchant NPC Ange, how to set up your shop, and most importantly, how it will forever reshape the Path of Exile 2 economy.

Path of Exile 2's Async Trading Guide
The End of an Era: Why Async Trade is a Game-Changer

For years, Path of Exile trading has been a defining yet often frustrating part of the game. Under the old system, both buyer and seller had to be online and in the same hideout to complete a deal. This led to wasted hours chasing AFK sellers, price manipulators, and gameplay interruptions.

The Third Edict update completely eliminates this problem. As Game Director Jonathan Rogers explained, this overhaul directly addresses “every problem people are currently unhappy about.” Async trading isn’t just convenient—it rewires the game’s economy, impacting both casual players and hardcore traders.

How to Use Async Trading in Path of Exile 2

1. Unlocking the Merchant NPC Ange

Your entry point into async trading is Ange, assistant to Rog in the Meridian Free Traders Company.

  • You first meet her in Act IV of the campaign.

  • Once you unlock your hideout (via an Act IV quest), you can invite Ange to stay there permanently.

2. Setting Up Your Shop: Merchant Tabs vs Premium Tabs

You have two options to list items for trade:

  • Merchant Tabs (New) – A new stash tab type designed for async trading. They’re bought from the MTX shop, but for a limited time, you can upgrade existing Premium Tabs to Merchant Tabs for free.

  • Premium Tabs (Old) – Still usable for listing items, but only for synchronous (online) trades.

⚖️ Key Difference: Listing with Ange + Merchant Tabs costs a small Gold fee. This creates a gold sink to stabilize the economy. Premium Tabs remain free but don’t allow offline sales.

3. Listing an Item for Async Sale

  1. Place your item in a Merchant Tab.

  2. Speak to Ange in your hideout.

  3. Set your price in Chaos Orbs, Divine Orbs, or other currencies.

  4. Pay the small Gold fee.

  5. Your item is automatically posted on the official PoE trade site.

Once listed, your shop remains open 24/7—even if you’re logged out.

4. How Buyers Purchase Items Offline

Here’s what happens when someone buys your item:

  1. The buyer finds your listing on the Path of Exile trade website.

  2. Instead of a “Whisper” button, they see a “Secure Item” button.

  3. Clicking it teleports them to your hideout, even if you’re offline.

  4. They interact with Ange, confirm the purchase, and pay with their stash currency.

  5. The currency is instantly deposited into your stash, and you’ll get notified next login.

This makes trading automatic, instant, and frictionless compared to the old system.

The Economic Earthquake: How Async Trade Reshapes PoE2

1. The End of Price-Fixing

Under the old system, manipulators could list fake low-priced items, go AFK, and distort market perception. With async trading, if an item is listed, it’s actually for sale—and will be instantly bought. Price-fixing becomes impossible at scale.

2. Faster Gear Progression

Buying upgrades now takes seconds, not hours. This smooths out progression spikes and helps players enter PoE2 endgame content much faster.

3. Equal Access for Casual Players

Async trading is a great equalizer. Casual players can now:

  • List items before logging out.

  • Wake up to a stash full of currency.

  • Buy upgrades instantly, regardless of time zone.

4. The Gold Sink Effect

Merchant Tab fees introduce a sustainable gold sink that:

  • Keeps Gold valuable all league long.

  • Helps control inflation.

  • Forces a choice between free but limited trading (Premium Tabs) or 24/7 automated trading (Merchant Tabs).

5. A Buyer-Centric Market

With instant purchases, buyers hold more power. Sellers must competitively price items, leading to a healthier, more accurate market.

A Note for High-Value Traders

Mirror-tier or rare items that require negotiation or collateral will likely remain in the synchronous trade system. Async trading is designed for commodities and mid-tier gear, not high-trust deals.

Conclusion: A New Dawn for Trade in Wraeclast

The arrival of async trading in Path of Exile 2’s Third Edict is nothing short of revolutionary. It eliminates a decade of frustrations, improves market accuracy, and respects player time by letting you play the game instead of chasing whispers.

When the update launches on August 29, 2025, alongside the Rise of the Abyssal league, millions of players will stress-test this new system. The economy will never be the same—and for most players, that’s a very good thing.

👉 Will you be using async trading on day one? Do you think it will truly kill price-fixing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!  

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