Is it safe to sell on Vinted or Depop and accept a bank transfer from a buyer?
No — accepting payment outside the platform's checkout removes all seller protection and is against the platforms' terms of service.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
On second-hand fashion platforms like Vinted and Depop, scammers pose as buyers and ask sellers to accept payment by direct bank transfer, claiming the platform's checkout is down or offers them a lower fee. Once you agree to go off-platform, buyer protection and seller protection are both gone. The 'buyer' may send a fake payment confirmation and pressure you to ship immediately. They may also send an overpayment and ask you to return the difference. Always complete transactions through the platform's official checkout. This protects you as a seller from payment reversal or non-payment, and ensures disputes can be resolved through the platform.
The requests are engineered to sound like favours to you: a higher price for your item, faster payment, avoiding the platform's fees. Each framing hides the same trade — you give up the payment system's guarantees in exchange for words on a screen. Fake payment confirmations are a particular trap for newer sellers: a convincing email or screenshot 'from' the platform or a bank says the money is waiting, sometimes adding that you must ship first or pay a small 'release' charge before the funds appear. No real payment system holds a seller's money hostage pending shipment proof you send by chat.
A clean policy costs you nothing: every message that proposes moving payment, shipping, or dispute-handling off the platform ends the conversation. Genuine buyers almost never make these requests, and the rare one inconvenienced by your caution is a far smaller loss than one reversed payment. If you have already shipped after an off-platform 'payment', contact the platform and your bank at once with screenshots — and report the account so the same script does not work on the next seller.
Common red flags
- Buyer asks to pay by bank transfer, PayPal Friends and Family, or outside the platform
- Claims the platform's payment system is not working
- Sends a fake payment confirmation and urges immediate shipping
- Offers to pay slightly more if you go off-platform
What to do now
- Decline any off-platform payment request and insist on the platform's checkout
- Do not ship until payment is confirmed inside the platform
- Report the buyer to the platform's trust and safety team
- If defrauded off-platform, report to your bank and Action Fraud or IC3
Frequently asked questions
Can I offer a discount for bank transfer to avoid platform fees?
Both platforms prohibit off-platform transactions. Doing so removes your protection and may result in your account being suspended if reported.
The buyer sent a screenshot showing they paid — should I ship?
No. Screenshots and confirmation emails are trivially faked. Money is only real when it shows as received inside the platform's own payment system or as cleared funds in your actual bank account.
I already posted the item after an off-platform payment that never arrived — what now?
Contact the carrier to attempt interception if the parcel is still in transit, report the buyer to the platform with screenshots, and report the fraud to your bank and national fraud service.