Open any card bot directory and you will see a lot of small numbers with arrows between them. They are simple once you know the pattern. This article explains each one using the layout on SteamTradeIndex.
Two sides of every rate
A bot can do two things with a key currency. It can sell you card sets for keys, and it can buy card sets from you and pay in keys. Each side has its own rate, and they are rarely the same.
- Top line, key on the left. This is the sell side: how many card sets you receive for one key. Higher is better for you when you are buying sets.
- Bottom line, key on the right. This is the buy side: how many sets the bot takes from you for each key it pays. Lower is better for you when you are selling sets.
For example, if a bot shows 7 sets on the top line and 8 on the bottom line, you get 7 sets for 1 key when buying, and you give 8 sets to get 1 key when selling. The gap between the two numbers is how the bot makes its margin.
Gem rates
Gems follow the same idea in a different currency. The top number is how many gems you pay to buy a set from the bot, and the bottom number is how many gems the bot pays you when you sell it a set. Gems are explained in our guide to Steam gems.
Working out the real cost
To price a level target, find the number of sets you need, then divide by the sets per key. Going from level 10 to level 50 needs 140 sets. At 7 sets per key that is 20 keys. At 6 sets per key it is 140 divided by 6, which is about 23.3, so you would pay 24 keys.
Other columns worth a glance
- Stock: the number of complete sets the bot has right now. It should be larger than the amount you need.
- Max level: the highest level the bot is set up to take you to.
- Last updated: how long ago the bot last reported. Fresh numbers are trustworthy numbers.
Rates change quickly, so always confirm in chat before you trade. Start from the live card bot list and sort by the TF2 column to see the best sell rates first.