Commerce

Tier	1
Skill Tree	Social Skill
Skill ID	002C5A8E

The Commerce Skill is a Social Skill in Starfield that allows you to trade goods at reduced prices. In the Settled Systems' free market economy, almost anyone with the right skillset can open and run a successful business.

Is The Commerce Skill Worth It?

If you are wondering if the Commerce skill is worth getting in Starfield, here's a comparison of both the pro's and con's of the skill.

Without the Commerce Skill in Starfield you can sell goods at 12.5% of their total value. With Rank 4 of the commerce skill you can sell goods at 15.6% of their total value, which is only 3.1% more credits than if you had not invested 4 skill points into the skill. The real value of the commerce skill comes in getting a 25% discount to items you buy, especially more expensive items like spaceships or ship parts. The commerce skill is worth it if you engage in creating ship builds or actively buy ammo and other recipes that add up in costs over the course of playing the game.

Skill Details

Benefits	Challenge
Rank 1: Buy for 5% less and sell for 10% more Rank 2: Buy for 10% less and sell for 15% more Rank 3: Buy for 15% less and sell for 20% more Rank 4: Buy for 20% less and sell for 25% more	Rank 1: Buy or sell 25 unique items Rank 2: Buy or sell 75 unique items Rank 3: Buy or sell 150 unique items Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank

Skill Levelling Guide

The fastest way to level up the Commerce Skill fast in Starfield is to find 'unique items' to sell to vendors. A unique item is any item you have not sold or brought before (it does not need to be a Unique Weapon or armor set). The video above outlines the fastest ways of levelling up the Commerce skill fast at the start of the game. You can level up fast If you focus on buying and selling cheap resources, ammo, aid and low value miscellaneous loot. You must sell 150 items in total to reach rank 4 of the commerce skill.

Note that you do not need to sell items for a profit in order for them to count towards the skill challenge, giving items away for free to vendors still counts. You can however reset vendors credits by waiting in a nearby chair for 28 hours in total, this will reset the vendors credits and inventory that they have for sale. As shown in the video above it's possible to max out your Commerce skill at the first shop you reach, right at the start of the game.

All Skill Categories

Social Skills

Starfield has 16 Social Skills that help with convincing other NPC’s, commanding crew, managing outposts, trading goods, theft, scavenging, relationships, using Flora and Fauna. Gameplay mechanics such as pickpocketing can only be used by unlocking the Theft Skill.

Some Social Skills like Commerce are useful throughout Starfields gameplay and worth picking up early on to maximise the number of credits you earn.

Name	Tier	Benefits	Challenge	Skill ID
Commerce	1	Rank 1: Buy for 5% less and sell for 10% more Rank 2: Buy for 10% less and sell for 15% more Rank 3: Buy for 15% less and sell for 20% more Rank 4: Buy for 20% less and sell for 25% more	Rank 1: Buy or sell 25 unique items Rank 2: Buy or sell 75 unique items Rank 3: Buy or sell 150 unique items Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002C5A8E
Deception	2	Rank 1: Ships 10% stronger will automatically surrender to piracy demands. Enemy contraband scans are 10% less effective Rank 2: Ships 20% stronger will automatically surrender to piracy demands. Enemy contraband scans are 20% less effective Rank 3: Ships 30% stronger will automatically surrender to piracy demands. Enemy contraband scans are 30% less effective Rank 4: Ships 50% stronger will automatically surrender to piracy demands. Enemy contraband scans are 50% less effective	Rank 1: Convince 5 ships to surrender Rank 2: Convince 10 ships to surrender Rank 3: Convince 20 ships to surrender Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002CFCAF
Diplomacy	2	Rank 1: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to stop fighting for a while Rank 2: You can force a target NPC up to 10 levels higher than you to stop fighting for a while Rank 3: You can force a target NPC up to 20 levels higher than you to stop fighting for a while Rank 4: You can force target NPCs to permanently stop fighting (unless they're attacked again)	Rank 1: Successfully use Diplomacy on 5 different people Rank 2: Successfully use Diplomacy on 25 different people Rank 3: Successfully use Diplomacy on 50 different people Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge	002C59E1
Gastronomy	1	Rank 1: You can craft specialty food and drinks, and research additional recipes at a Research Lab Rank 2: You can research and craft gourmet food and drinks Rank 3: You can research and craft food and drink delicacies Rank 4: Crafting food and drinks occasionally doesn't use up resources You can research and craft exotic recipes	Rank 1: Create 5 food or drink items Rank 2: Create 25 food or drink items Rank 3: Create 50 food or drink items Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002C5A94
Instigation	3	Rank 1: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to attack their allies for a limited time Rank 2: You can force a target NPC up to 10 levels higher than you to attack their allies for a limited time Rank 3: You can force a target NPC up to 20 levels higher than you to attack their allies for a limited time Rank 4: Enemies affected by Instigation will attack their allies until they are dead	Rank 1: Successfully Instigate 5 different people Rank 2: Successfully Instigate 25 different people Rank 3: Successfully Instigate 50 different people Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002C555D
Intimidation	2	Rank 1: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to flee for a limited time Rank 2: You can force a target NPC up to 10 levels higher than you to flee for a limited time Rank 3: You can force a target NPC up to 20 levels higher than you to flee for a limited time Rank 4: Intimidated targets now flee for a substantial amount of time	Rank 1: Successfully Intimidate 5 different people Rank 2: Successfully Intimidate 25 different people Rank 3: Successfully Intimidate 50 different people Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this ran	002C59DE
Isolation	2	Rank 1: Do +10% weapon damage and gain 15 Damage Resistance for each Spacesuit and Helmet equipped when you don't have a companion or any crew Rank 2: Do +20% weapon damage and gain 30 Damage Resistance for each Spacesuit and Helmet equipped when you don't have a companion or any crew Rank 3: Do +30% weapon damage and gain 45 Damage Resistance for each Spacesuit and Helmet equipped when you don't have a companion or any crew Rank 4: Do +40% weapon damage and gain 60 Damage Resistance for each Spacesuit and Helmet equipped when you don't have a companion or any crew	Rank 1: Kill 20 enemies while not in command of a follower Rank 2: Kill 50 enemies while not in command of a follower Rank 3: Kill 100 enemies while not in command of a follower Rank 4: Complete the previous rank chall	002C53AE
Leadership	3	Rank 1: Companions gain affinity 25% faster Rank 2: Companions have 50 more health and 50kg more carrying capacity Rank 3: Companions will occasionally heal you when you get low health Rank 4: Doubles the bonuses of Combat and Physical Crew Skills on Companions. Companions have a chance to pick themselves up from a downed state	Rank 1: Sprint 1000 meters with an active follower Rank 2: Sprint 2500 meters with an active follower Rank 3: Sprint 5000 meters with an active follower Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002C890D
Manipulation	4	Rank 1: You can force a target NPC at or below your level to obey commands for a limited time Rank 2: You can force a target NPC up to 10 levels higher than you to obey commands for a limited time Rank 3: You can force a target NPC up to 20 levels higher than you to obey commands for a limited time Rank 4: Manipulated targets now obey commands for a substantial amount of time	Rank 1: Successfully Manipulate 5 different people Rank 2: Successfully Manipulate 25 different people Rank 3: Successfully Manipulate 50 different people Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this ran	002C5555
Negotiation	2	Rank 1: You now have access to Bribery in speech challenges Rank 2: Reduces bribery cost by 25% Rank 3: Reduces bribery cost by 50% Rank 4: Occasionally, bribery won't cost any money	Rank 1: Bribe 3 times through persuasion Rank 2: Bribe 5 times through persuasion Rank 3: Bribe 10 times through persuasion Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002C555F
Outpost Management	3	Rank 1: Additional cargo links can be placed at outposts Rank 2: Additional robots can be constructed at outposts Rank 3: Additional crew can be assigned at outposts Rank 4: Outpost extractors produce twice as fast	Rank 1: Build cargo links on 6 different planets Rank 2: Build cargo links on 8 different planets Rank 3: Build cargo links on 10 different planets Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	0023826F
Persuasion	1	Rank 1: 10% increased chance of success when persuading someone Rank 2: 20% increased chance of success when persuading someone Rank 3: 30% increased chance of success when persuading someone Rank 4: 50% increased chance of success when persuading someone	Rank 1: Succeed in 3 speech challenges Rank 2: Succeed in 5 speech challenges Rank 3: Succeed in 10 speech challenges Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	0022EC82
Scavenging	1	Rank 1: There's a chance you'll find extra credits when searching containers Rank 2: There's a chance you'll find extra ammo when searching containers Rank 3: There's a chance you'll find extra aid items, like Med Packs or chems, when searching containers Rank 4: Tracked resources will get highlighted when using the hand scanner	Rank 1: Loot 25 containers Rank 2: Loot 75 containers Rank 3: Loot 150 containers Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	0028B853
Ship Command	4	Rank 1: You can have up to four active crew members Rank 2: You can have up to five active crew members Rank 3: You can have up to six active crew members Rank 4: You can have up to eight active crew members	Rank 1: Destroy or board 5 ships with a crew of two or more Rank 2: Destroy or board 25 ships with a crew of two or more Rank 3: Destroy or board 50 ships with a crew of two or more Rank 4: Complete the previous rank c	002C53B3
Theft	1	Rank 1: Unlock the ability to pickpocket targets Rank 2: 10% greater chance to successfully pickpocket Rank 3: 30% greater chance to successfully pickpocket Rank 4: 50% greater chance to successfully pickpocket Can now pickpocket holstered weapons	Rank 1: Successfully pickpocket 5 times Rank 2: Successfully pickpocket 10 times Rank 3: Successfully pickpocket 20 times Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock this rank	002C555B
Xenosociology	4	Rank 1: You can force a target alien creature up to 10 levels higher than you to stop fighting for a limited time Rank 2: You can force a target alien creature up to 10 levels higher than you to flee for a limited time Rank 3: You can force a target alien creature up to 10 levels higher than you to attack their allies for a limited time Rank 4: You can force a target creature up to 10 levels higher than you to obey commands for a limited time	Rank 1: Successfully use Pacify on 15 different aliens Rank 2: Successfully use Flee on 15 different aliens Rank 3: Successfully use Frenzy on 15 different aliens Rank 4: Complete the previous rank challenge to unlock	002C53B0