What ItemBay does

ItemBay (아이템베이), founded in 2001 and headquartered in Seoul's Yangcheon-gu (Mok-dong), is a privately held Korean corporation (주식회사 아이템베이, CEO Lee Dae-hoon / 이대훈) that operates a consumer-to-consumer online marketplace for the trading of virtual game assets — in-game currencies, items, equipment, and full accounts — across more than 30 Korean and international online games, with Lineage, Lineage Classic, Lineage 2, Aion/Aion 2, R2, Lost Ark, MapleStory, and Diablo 4 among the most actively traded titles. The platform is built around an escrow-based transaction protection system ("매매보호 서비스"), a real-time transaction ticker for price discovery, a proprietary game-specific search engine (Baygle), and a native buyer-seller messaging system (BayTok), all reinforced by a multi-factor verified-member authentication stack integrating I-PIN/NICE 평가정보, OnGate, and Korea Mobile Authentication.

The company monetizes primarily through seller-side transaction commissions (5% on trades over 20,000 KRW; a flat 1,000 KRW on smaller trades, with a 50 KRW floor and 53,000 KRW ceiling), tiered optional Bay Safety insurance (1%-28% of transaction value, providing 70%-200% compensation coverage including a distinctive 200% Member Compensation Program capped at 3 million KRW), and resale margin on a gift card shop that distributes Cultureland, Google Play, T-money, and other digital vouchers. Supporting the core marketplace are a mileage/point loyalty wallet, a five-tier member grade system (Bronze through Diamond), coupon infrastructure, and a 24/7 customer support center. The platform operates exclusively in South Korea, requires adult (19+) real-name registration, and is positioned in its own disclosures as a 통신판매중개자 (online brokerage intermediary) rather than a counterparty to trades.

Name

ItemBay

Legal name

주식회사 아이템베이

Website

https://itembay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ItemBay is a privately held Seoul-based C2C online marketplace founded in 2001 that lets Korean gamers buy and sell in-game currencies, items, and accounts across 30+ titles via an escrow-protected, real-name-verified platform, monetizing through seller commissions, optional safety insurance, and gift card resales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Gaming Marketplace

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Goods & Digital Item Commerce (skins, cosmetics, DLC) (MPAFAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Game Item Marketplaces & Trading Platforms (MPAFACAJ), Digital Game Marketplaces & Item Economies (NFT/Skins/Trading) (BPAMAKAJ)

Keywords

• Online gaming marketplace
• Virtual item trading
• Game currency exchange
• In-game asset trading
• Game account trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction Commission Fees: Sellers pay a commission fee upon successful transaction completion. For transactions over 20,000 KRW, a 5% fee is charged. For transactions under 20,000 KRW, a flat 1,000 KRW fee applies. Minimum fee is 50 KRW and maximum fee is 53,000 KRW.
2. Bay Safety Premium Services: Optional paid safety services where users purchase coverage tiers (1%-28% of transaction value) that provide varying levels of compensation protection for account and item transactions
3. Gift Card Sales: Platform acts as reseller for various gift cards (T-Cash, Cultureland, Google Play, etc.) earning margin on sales

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ItemBay operates a peer-to-peer online marketplace where individual Korean gamers buy and sell virtual game items, in-game currencies, and game accounts across more than 30 supported online games. The platform facilitates transactions through an escrow-based protection system, charging sellers a transaction commission (5% for transactions over 20,000 KRW; flat 1,000 KRW for transactions under 20,000 KRW) and offering optional paid safety/insurance tiers (Bay Safety Service) with up to 200% compensation protection.

Product overview

ItemBay is a peer-to-peer online marketplace platform (시세·안전거래소) connecting game players for the purchase and sale of virtual in-game goods. The platform is organized around four core product verticals — 게임머니 거래 (game money trading), 아이템 거래 (item trading), 계정 거래 (account trading), and 상품권 샵 (gift card shop) — all facilitated through a proprietary escrow-based transaction protection system. The ecosystem is supported by a mileage/point loyalty system, the 200% Member Compensation Program, Bay Safety insurance, security services (Safe Number, Security IP, ARS), a member grade system, coupon/discount system, and a dedicated customer support center. The platform supports over 20 major Korean and international online games and operates as a communications intermediary under Korean law, not as a direct seller or buyer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Game Money Trading (게임머니 거래)

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 200% compensation (100% mileage + 100% points) for covered transactions, capped at 3,000,000 KRW
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OnGate (온게이트)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnGate account registration integration allows ItemBay users to authenticate through OnGate's identity verification system. OnGate provides identity verification services while ItemBay manages the trading platform.
• NICE Evaluation Information (NICE평가정보)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides real-name authentication and identity verification services (i-PIN, phone verification) required for member registration and age verification
• Korea Mobile Authentication (한국모바일인증)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides phone-based identity verification and MyOTP authentication services
• WiseInfo Tech (와이즈인포텍)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides electronic payment system operation and maintenance services
• IMI Consulting (아이엠아이)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperates customer service center (Customer Delight Center) providing consultation and support services
• SK Shielders (SK쉴더스)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides CCTV/facility security management services for office locations
• AhnLabminorOthersProvides free AhnLab V3 Lite antivirus software recommendation for user PC security checking
• Korea Internet & Security Agency (한국인터넷진흥원)minorOthersPartner organization for cybersecurity and internet safety initiatives

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MuleFactory: MuleFactory is a Korean game money and item trading platform — directly comparable to ItemBay's game-money vertical, serving the same Korean MMORPG customer base.
• Rasalas: Rasalas is a Korean gaming portal and item-trading marketplace that competes with ItemBay for Korean gamers' C2C game item trading volume; mentioned as a paid advertising partner in ItemBay's marketing.
• Itemmania: Itemmania is a leading Korean peer-to-peer marketplace for trading game items, money, and accounts — ItemBay's most direct domestic competitor and a marketing partner referenced in ItemBay's own channels.

Broad incumbents

• G2G: G2G is a large global marketplace for game items, skins, accounts, and top-ups — a broad incumbent offering similar escrow-protected C2C trading with cross-game and cross-region coverage comparable to ItemBay's vertical model.
• PlayerAuctions: PlayerAuctions is a global C2C marketplace for MMO game currency, items, and accounts with escrow-based buyer protection — directly comparable business model to ItemBay but with a global footprint across multiple regions.
• Funpay: Funpay is an international peer-to-peer marketplace specialized in game items, accounts, and currency across hundreds of titles — comparable marketplace mechanics with broader geographic reach than ItemBay's Korea-only model.
• Nexon: Nexon is a major Korean game publisher whose franchises (MapleStory, etc.) drive significant trading volume on ItemBay — an adjacent incumbent that controls the IP ecosystem in which ItemBay operates and could constrain it through publisher-side policies.

Emerging players

• DMarket: DMarket is a blockchain-based marketplace for in-game items and virtual goods — overlaps with ItemBay's virtual goods trading category with a Web3 twist and global footprint.
• Gameflip: Gameflip is a marketplace for buying and selling in-game items, accounts, gift cards, and digital goods — comparable diversified virtual goods marketplace with global reach, serving as an emerging cross-border competitor.
• Skinport: Skinport is a marketplace for trading CS2/Dota 2 virtual item skins with buyer protection — comparable C2C marketplace mechanics focused on virtual item commerce, though narrower in game coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/hashtag/%EC%95%84%EC%9D%B4%ED%85%9C%EB%B2%A0%EC%9D%B4
• Facebookfacebook.com/itembay/?locale=ko_KR
• Xx.com/itembay_kor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ItemBay