Listia
Listia operates a commission-free online auction marketplace where individual consumers trade unwanted physical goods using a virtual Points currency. Founded in 2009, the platform has 10M+ members and monetizes via advertising through its Listia Rewards offer-wall program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMountain View, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Listia does
Listia is a privately held, commission-free online auction marketplace founded in 2009 and headquartered in Mountain View, California. The platform enables individual consumers to trade unwanted physical goods by bidding with a virtual Points (PTS) currency in place of money. Sellers earn Points when their items are won, and buyers spend Points accumulated from their own listings or from the Listia Rewards program, where users complete surveys, watch videos, and try offers in exchange for Points redeemable for gift cards. The platform spans 22 product categories (Antiques, Collectibles, Electronics, Clothing, Video Games, etc.) and has accumulated more than 10 million registered members and 66 million items exchanged since inception.
The core product is the Listia Marketplace web platform, supplemented by the Listia Assurance buyer/seller protection program, the Listia Rewards offer-wall module, and the PassCard Digital Collectibles sub-brand, which extends the marketplace into blockchain-based digital collectibles. The technology stack is a conventional consumer web/mobile marketplace with proprietary Points ledger mechanics, gamification features (badges, levels, leaderboards), and self-serve listing/bidding flows; no APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
Listia monetizes almost entirely through advertising and brand partnerships rather than transaction fees. The principal revenue stream is Listia Rewards, where advertisers and survey providers pay the platform for engaged-user attention, with secondary revenue from brand partnerships such as the 2013 Best Buy gift card collaboration. The company has raised approximately $26.2 million across five funding rounds from 2009 to 2018, with Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Founder Collective, and Y Combinator among its investors. Operations are lean (1-10 employees), the platform is North America-focused, and Gee Chuang serves as co-founder and CEO.
Listia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Listia
- Legal name
- Listia Inc.
- Website
- https://listia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Listia operates a commission-free online auction marketplace where individual consumers trade unwanted physical goods using a virtual Points currency. Founded in 2009, the platform has 10M+ members and monetizes via advertising through its Listia Rewards offer-wall program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Listia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Auction Marketplace (C2C)
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (4595), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO), Collectibles, Trading Cards & Memorabilia Marketplaces (CRAFAGAE)
Keywords
Where Listia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mountain View
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Listia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction-Free Marketplace: While Listia does not charge transaction fees for users trading items, the platform monetizes through advertising, premium features, and the Listia Rewards program where brands pay for user engagement through surveys and offers.
- Listia Rewards: Users earn gift cards by completing surveys, watching videos, and trying apps. Brands and advertisers pay Listia to distribute their offers to the engaged user base.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free marketplace access with no transaction fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Listia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Listia operates a free online auction marketplace where users list and trade unwanted physical items using a Points (PTS) virtual currency instead of money. Users earn Points by selling their own items or completing offers through the Listia Rewards program (surveys, videos, app trials), then spend Points to bid on items they want across 22+ categories including electronics, collectibles, clothing, and home goods.
Product overview
Listia operates as a free online auction marketplace with a Points-based currency system. The core product is the Listia Marketplace, where users trade physical items using Points earned from selling their own goods or through the Listia Rewards program. Additional offerings include Listia Assurance for transaction protection and PassCard Digital Collectibles for digital collectibles. The platform supports 22 item categories including Antiques, Collectibles, Electronics, Clothing, and Video Games, with over 10 million registered members since 2009.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PassCard Digital Collectibles: Digital collectibles and blockchain-based marketplace for NFT-like collectibles
Products and services
- Listia Marketplace A free online auction marketplace where individual users list unwanted physical items and bid on items posted by other users using a virtual Points (PTS) currency. Covers 22+ categories including Antiques, Electronics, Clothing, Collectibles, Video Games, and Home & Garden. No transaction or listing fees. New users receive a 50 PTS sign-up bonus.
- Listia Rewards A rewards program where users earn Points by completing surveys, watching videos, trying new apps, and completing special offers from brand advertisers. Earned Points can be redeemed for free gift cards from various retailers. Provides an alternative way for users to acquire Points without selling items.
- Listia Assurance 100% Guaranteed transaction protection program that safeguards buyers and sellers during trades on the Listia Marketplace, addressing trust concerns in peer-to-peer item exchanges.
- PassCard Digital Collectibles A blockchain-based digital collectibles offering that allows users to collect, trade, and acquire digital/NFT-like assets within the Listia ecosystem, extending the Points-based trading model into digital assets.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 10 million registered members
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Listia
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Listia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Listia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Best BuyminorTechCrunch reported on Listia partnering with Best Buy, though specific partnership details are limited in the available sources. The partnership was announced around January 2013.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Listia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Listia social profiles
Digital presenceListia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Listia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Listia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Listia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Listia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Listia
What does Listia do?
Listia operates a free online auction marketplace where users list and trade unwanted physical items using a Points (PTS) virtual currency instead of money. Users earn Points by selling their own items or completing offers through the Listia Rewards program (surveys, videos, app trials), then spend Points to bid on items they want across 22+ categories including electronics, collectibles, clothing, and home goods.
Is Listia a public or private company?
Listia is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Listia founded?
Listia was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Listia based?
Listia is headquartered in Mountain View, United States, in the North America region.
How does Listia make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Transaction-Free Marketplace is the primary driver. The others are listia Rewards.
Does Listia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Listia.
What industry is Listia in?
Listia's product category is Online Auction Marketplace (C2C). Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAAAC, Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail. Its NAICS code is 4595 and its SIC code is 5940.