TBBN orchestrates the trade. You keep every dollar.
TBBN is the API infrastructure layer underneath your checkout — not a replacement for it. Here is exactly what happens, end to end, for a single trade between two sellers on two different platforms.
A seller lists an item on your platform
They opt into trade. You send the category, brand, condition, original price, and — optionally — their "wants" (what they'd accept in trade). TBBN never sets or discounts the price; you supply it.
TBBN scores and surfaces compatible trades
The Trade Compatibility Score weighs wants match (35%), category (20%), brand (15%), condition (10%), value closeness (10%), geography (5%), and seller reputation (5%) — a real matching engine, not a search index.
Sellers negotiate an offer
Either side can offer one item or several. The trade value is Original Price + Requested Amount − Willing To Pay — TBBN calculates the difference; you decide what to do with it.
TBBN reserves items and hands off to checkout
Once accepted, TBBN locks both sides’ items and redirects each seller to the other seller’s merchant checkout — never its own. Both sides can pay immediately and in any order; nobody waits on the other.
You collect payment, tax, and commission — same as any sale
TBBN sends you the original price and the trade amount so your checkout can compute tax and commission exactly as it would for a normal transaction. You are the merchant of record.
You fulfill once both sides have paid
TBBN fires a webhook the moment both payments land. Shipping, tracking, returns, and customer service stay entirely with you.
A common misconception
Neither seller waits for the other to pay.
As soon as a trade is accepted and items are reserved, both sides can complete checkout immediately, in either order. Fulfillment only begins once both payments have landed — but nothing about the payment step itself is sequential.