Badges are achievements you earn by using UrbanThrifter — like completing your first crawl, rating stores, or attending an event. They appear on your profile.

Pro tip – This is a new system and we have big hopes for it in the future so don’t sleep on this;)

Our store database is sourced from GeoDirectory listings and community contributions. Store owners can also claim and update their own listings. We verify store details periodically to keep information accurate.

We currently cover cities across the United States and a few other countries. Type any U.S. city name into the search bar to see nearby thrift stores. If no stores appear, that city may not have listings yet — but you can suggest it and we’ll work on adding coverage.

To get to the Search just hit the Thrift Stores Near Me? button on the main page. This will filter a list of thrifts near you then use the search bar on the top of that page to add a different city and  click the smiley face.

We include thrift stores, consignment shops, vintage boutiques, charity shops, chain stores (like Goodwill and Salvation Army), estate sale venues, and secondhand furniture stores. If it sells pre-owned goods, it belongs on UrbanThrifter.    We are also working on adding events like Flea Markets, Pop-Ups, and Online thrift and second hand stores from Etsy sellers to larger stores. Watch for the new additions in late 2026.

We do our best to keep listings current, but hours can change — especially around holidays. We recommend calling ahead or checking the store’s website before visiting. If you notice outdated info, use the “Suggest an Edit” option on the store page.

Distances are calculated from your current location (if you’ve allowed location access) or from the city center of the city you searched. When you search a city, distances show how far each store is from that city’s center.

UrbanThrifter is an independent project built by thrift enthusiasts Bill and April who wanted a better way to plan secondhand shopping trips. We’re a small team passionate about sustainable shopping.

The best way to support us is to use the platform, share your crawls, and tell your thrifting friends. You can also upgrade to a premium memberships or follow us on social media. Have something in mind? Shoot us an email at admin@urbanthrifter.com

UrbanThrifter is a free platform that helps you discover thrift stores, plan multi-stop shopping routes called “Thrift Crawls,” and connect with a community of secondhand shoppers. Think of it as a trip planner built specifically for thrifting.

A Thrift Crawl is a planned route that takes you to multiple thrift stores in a single trip. You pick a city, choose the stores you want to visit, and UrbanThrifter maps out the most efficient driving route between them — including turn-by-turn directions.

Yes. Browsing stores, building crawls, and reading the newsletter are completely free. We offer optional premium memberships with extra features like unlimited saved crawls, exclusive badges, and early access to new tools.

You can browse stores and view crawl routes without an account. To save crawls, leave ratings, earn badges, or subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll need to create a free account.

Click “Register” in the top navigation bar. You’ll need an email address and a password. Once registered, you can start building and saving crawls right away.

Building a crawl is easy — here’s the full walkthrough:

Step 1: Get Started
Click the + Get Started button in the top-right corner of any page. This takes you to the Crawl Builder.

Step 2: Choose Your City
You’ll see three dropdown menus: Country, State / Region, and City. Select your country first, then your state — the city dropdown will populate automatically. Pick the city you want to thrift in and click Start Building →.

Don’t see your city? Click the “Don’t see your location?” link below the dropdowns. Fill out the suggestion form with your country, state, city, and email — we’ll work on adding your area.

Step 3: Name Your Crawl
Give your crawl a name in the Crawl Name field (required). Something fun like “Downtown Vintage Run” or “Saturday Thrift Loop.” You can also add an optional description and cover image that will appear on your crawl card.

Step 4: Add Stores
Use the “Search stores by name or city…” field on the left to find thrift stores. Click a store from the results to add it as a stop. You’ll see a pin appear on the map and your stop count update (e.g. “3 / 15 stops”). Add at least 2 stores to build a route.

Step 5: Optimize Your Route
This is important — click Optimize Crawl before saving. This uses Google Maps to rearrange your stops into the most efficient driving order so you spend less time in the car and more time thrifting. You’ll see the route lines update on the map.

Step 6: Save Your Crawl
Once optimized, click Save Crawl. Your crawl is now saved to your Dashboard and ready to navigate or share.

You can add up to 15 stops per crawl. The stop counter below the search field shows your progress (e.g. “4 / 15 stops”). We recommend 4–6 stores for a comfortable half-day outing, but go bigger if you’re up for an all-day adventure.

Yes — but even better, let us do it for you. Click Optimize Crawl and the system will automatically arrange your stops in the fastest driving order using Google Maps. If you want a specific order instead, you can drag and drop stops in the list before saving.

When you click Optimize Crawl, we send your stops to the Google Maps Directions API. It calculates drive times between every possible stop order and picks the route with the shortest total travel time. The map updates instantly to show the optimized path. Always optimize before saving — it can shave significant time off your trip.

You’ll see a colored badge like EASY, MODERATE, EPIC and BEAST MODE next to your crawl. This is auto-calculated based on your stop count — more stops means a longer, more ambitious crawl. It helps other thrifters know what to expect if you share your route.

Yes. In the Crawl Builder, there’s a Cover Image (optional) section where you can drag and drop an image or click Select File. Accepted formats are JPG, PNG, or WebP. The cover image appears on your crawl card when browsing the crawl archive or sharing.

UPDATE 3/11/2026 we are not using the cover at this time and not sure if it will come back. 

Yes. After saving your crawl, open it from your Dashboard and click Open in Google Maps. This loads the full optimized route with turn-by-turn navigation on your phone or computer.

Absolutely. After clicking Save Crawl, it appears in your Dashboard under your saved crawls. You can edit it, re-optimize, navigate, or share it anytime.

Yes. Every saved crawl has a shareable link. You can share directly to Facebook, X (Twitter), or copy the link to send via text or email.

The + Add Activity button lets you add custom non-store stops to your crawl — like a lunch break, coffee stop, or a vintage market that isn’t in our directory yet. These show up as stops on your route alongside the thrift stores.

Coming Soon

Only if you allow it. Location access lets us show stores near you and calculate accurate distances. You can deny location access and search by city name instead.

UrbanThrifter works best in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. We recommend keeping your browser updated for the best experience.

Our weekly newsletter delivers curated thrifting news, trending finds, tips from experienced thrifters, and interesting secondhand market stats — all written with up to date news stories and trends.

Enter your email in any Newsletter Signup form on the site. You’ll be subscribed instantly — no confirmation email required.

Yes. Visit our Newsletter Archive page to browse and read every issue we’ve sent out.

The Store Digest is a separate newsletter that goes out once a week on Thursdays when new stores are added in your city/area. It’s automatic and based on your selected city.

We collect your email address, display name, and usage data (like saved crawls and ratings). We never sell your personal information. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

See the footer of each page on the site for the privacy policy in your area.

By default, saved crawls are public and will appear in public listings unless you explicitly make them private. You also have the ability to share your public and or private crawls with others.

All payments are processed securely through our payment provider, Stripe who is one of the worlds if not that worlds most used and secure payment processing providers. We never store your credit card number on our servers.

UrbanThrifter has three separate rating systems:

1. Store Ratings – When you visit a store during a thrift crawl, you can rate it 1–5 stars. Your rating and photos automatically create a review on the store’s page.
2. Crawl Route Ratings – After completing a crawl, you can rate the overall route 1–5 stars to help others find the best crawls.
3. Store Listing – Or you can leave a review and upload your haul photos on any Store listing as you are browsing the site.

Store ratings happen during an active crawl. After you check into a store, you’ll see a star rating widget right on your crawl page. Tap the stars (1–5) to set your rating. You can also add a note about your experience — what you found, the vibe, whether the prices were good. Your rating saves automatically, even if you lose internet connection.

39. What are the rating categories I see on store pages?
Store pages show multi-category ratings:

• Overall Haul Rating — Your general experience at this store
• Bang for your Buck — Were the prices fair? Did you score deals?
• Condition of Finds — Were items in good shape?
• Uniqueness / Hidden Gem Factor — Did the store have rare, unique, or surprising finds?

When you rate during a crawl, your overall star rating populates all categories. You can also leave a detailed standalone review directly on the store page to rate each category individually.

Absolutely — and we encourage it! During a crawl, each store stop has a camera button where you can upload up to 5 photos of your finds. Supported formats are JPEG, PNG, and WebP. On mobile, the camera button opens your device camera directly so you can snap photos on the spot.

Your photos are automatically compressed for fast uploading and attached to your store review. This is our “Show Off Your Haul” feature — your best finds become part of the store’s gallery for other thrifters to see. You can also do this wile browsing the site on any store listing.

Yes! Each store stop has a text field where you can write about your experience — what you found, the store’s atmosphere, helpful staff, or tips for other shoppers. We encourage positive, helpful reviews that celebrate great finds and great stores.

Your note becomes the body of your store review. If you skip the note, a default message is used: “Visited during a Thrift Crawl on UrbanThrifter!”

Your reviews appear on the store’s page under the Reviews or Hauls section, along with your star rating and any haul photos you uploaded. Reviews also show a badge linking back to the crawl you were on — like “Visited on Saturday Vintage Run →” — so other users can check out the route.

You can change your rating and note at any time before you check out of a stop. Once you check out, the review is finalized and posted to the store page. If rating lock is enabled by the admin, your rating becomes permanent after submission.

It’s our call-to-action on every store page! We encourage thrifters to share photos of their best finds — the vintage jacket, the rare vinyl, the designer bag for $5. Click the “Show Off Your Haul” card on any store page to jump to the review form where you can upload photos and leave your rating.

Yes! UrbanThrifter uses offline-first technology . If you lose signal while thrifting (happens in those big warehouse stores!), your ratings, notes, and photos are saved locally on your device. When your connection comes back, everything syncs automatically to the server. You won’t lose any data.

After completing all the stops on a crawl, you’ll see a “Rate this Thrift Crawl” prompt on the completion screen. Tap 1–5 stars to rate the overall route. This helps other thrifters discover the best crawls in each city.

To prevent spam, admins can enable rate limiting — for example, a maximum of 5 ratings per hour. New accounts may also need to wait a minimum number of hours before they can rate. These protections keep the rating system fair for everyone.

The Rewards Store is where you spend your Thrift Cred points on exclusive rewards. It’s located in the Thrift Cred tab of your dashboard.

Rewards include raffle entries, profile badges, partner discounts, merchandise, and even membership upgrades. New rewards are added regularly.

Each reward has a point cost — if you have enough points, just click “Redeem” and it’s yours. Points are deducted instantly.

Yes! The Rewards Store offers membership upgrade rewards that let you unlock a paid membership tier using only your Thrift Cred points — no credit card needed.

When you redeem a membership upgrade, your tier is activated instantly for the specified duration (for example, 12 months). You’ll get full access to all the features included in that membership tier.

Tip: Keep earning Thrift Cred during your membership so you can renew it with points when it expires. The more active you are, the more you earn.

The point cost of the reward is deducted from your total balance instantly. Your Thrift Cred tier is based on your all-time total earned points, not your current balance — so spending points on rewards does NOT lower your tier.

For example, if you’ve earned 5,000 total points (Thrift Legend tier) and spend 3,000 on a membership upgrade, you still have Thrift Legend status. Your spendable balance is now 2,000, but your tier stays the same.

The Member Dashboard is your personal command center on UrbanThrifter. It puts everything you need in one place: your thrift crawl routes, store check-in history, Thrift Cred points and tier progress, financial tracking, rewards, favorites, events, account settings, and more. You can access it anytime by clicking your avatar or the Dashboard link in the site menu after logging in.

The Overview tab is your dashboard home screen. At the top you will see summary stat cards showing your total crawls created, stores visited, Thrift Hauls posted, and other key numbers. Below that is a Thrift Cred preview section with your current tier badge, a progress bar toward the next tier, a doughnut chart breaking down where your points come from, and a 30-day Activity Streak chart that tracks your recent daily consistency. At the bottom is a recent activity feed showing your latest actions across the platform.

On desktop, the top of your dashboard shows a profile header with your avatar, display name, bio, and membership badge (Pro or Member). On the right side of the header you will see a quick stats strip with four items: your Thrift Cred level ring showing your current tier, your current activity streak count, your total check-ins, and your total photos uploaded. These give you a snapshot of your activity without needing to navigate to any specific tab.

Your Rank shows where you stand compared to other UrbanThrifter members. It displays your position on the leaderboard based on your total Thrift Cred points. You can see this on the Thrift Cred tab in the two-column layout alongside your Level and Progress card. It is a fun way to see how you compare and to set goals for climbing the ranks.

The Thrift Cred tab is dedicated to your points and reputation. It is organized in a two-column grid. The top row shows your Level and Progress card (tier badge, points total, progress bar to next tier) alongside Your Rank. The bottom row shows your full Points History log and a list of Unlocked Perks you have earned. Below those is a full-width Tier Benefits section that explains what each of the six tiers unlocks. At the very top, you will also find the Rewards Store where you can spend your Thrift Cred points on real rewards.

The Finances tab (marked with a wallet icon) replaced the old Billing tab and now contains four subtabs:

• Thrift Ledger (default) — your complete check-in and shopping/donation history with summary cards, filterable table, and CSV export.
• Tax Center — tax profile selection, charitable donation tracking, business expense tracking, mileage, quarterly estimated tax reminders, multi-year comparisons, and PDF/TurboTax/QuickBooks/CSV exports.
• Sales & Inventory — log resale sales across 10 platforms, track inventory, connect eBay for auto-sync, and import CSV data from other platforms.
• Billing & Subscriptions — your membership plan, payment history, and invoices.

If you own or manage a thrift store listed on UrbanThrifter, the My Store tab is where you manage it. Inside you will find subtabs for Listings (edit store details like photos, description, hours, and contact info), Reviews Received (Thrift Hauls from visitors), Analytics (page views, check-in counts, favorites, crawl route inclusions, activity charts, and Google Visibility scores), and Perks (create discounts and rewards for visitors, manage your permanent QR code, and verify customer redemption codes).

The Crawls tab has four subtabs:

• My Crawls — routes you have created in the crawl builder.
• Saved Crawls — routes created by others that you bookmarked.
• History — past crawls you started and completed, with dates and stats.
• Plan & Limits — your current membership tier and what limits apply (max stops per crawl, max saved crawls, and other tier-based limits).

Events are organized group crawls with a set date, route, and community of thrifters. The Events tab has subtabs for Upcoming events you can join, events you are Hosting, events you are Attending, and Past Events you have participated in. Each event listing shows the date, route, number of attendees, and difficulty level.

Your Favorites tab lists every thrift store you have hearted. Tap the heart icon on any store listing page to add it to your favorites. It serves as your personal shortlist for planning future crawls or remembering shops you want to revisit. You can remove a store from your favorites at any time by clicking the heart icon again.

My Hauls shows all the Thrift Haul reviews you have posted across the platform. A Thrift Haul is your review of a store visit — what you found, what you scored, your photos, and your overall experience. Posting hauls earns you Thrift Cred points and helps other thrifters discover great stores.

Saved Searches let you bookmark a directory search so you can run it again later with one click. For example, you might save a search for “vintage” in Portland. When new stores matching your saved criteria are added to the platform, you can quickly check them out without re-entering your search terms each time.

The Settings tab has several subtabs:

• Profile — update your display name, bio, and avatar photo.
• Password — change your login password.
• Privacy — control what is visible on your public profile, and request a data export or account deletion.
• Notifications — manage email preferences for newsletters, event reminders, and store alerts.
• State — select your US state from the dropdown. This is used for state-specific tax guidance in the Tax Center (sales tax rules, reseller certificates, and income tax notes specific to your state).

The dashboard uses a tab bar along the top (on desktop) or a scrollable menu (on mobile). Click or tap any tab name to switch sections. Some tabs have subtabs that appear as a secondary row underneath. The currently active tab and subtab are highlighted so you always know where you are. You can also use the browser back button to return to a previous tab view.

Yes, the entire dashboard is fully responsive and mobile-friendly. On smaller screens, the tab navigation becomes scrollable, multi-column layouts stack into single columns, and touch-friendly tap targets are used throughout. Features like Quick Check-In, store perk verification, and financial tracking all work just as well on your phone as they do on a desktop computer.

Throughout the dashboard, colored indicators help you read statuses at a glance. Green means active, completed, or easy difficulty. Orange means pending or moderate. Red means cancelled, overdue, or epic difficulty. Purple indicates beast mode difficulty or premium features. You will see these on crawl difficulty levels, event statuses, payment statuses, and quarterly tax reminder badges.

To host an event you need an active UrbanThrifter membership that includes the Host Events feature. From your dashboard, go to Events → Hosting and click “Host an Event.” You will be guided through a multi-step form where you set your event title, description, date and time, city, maximum attendees, minimum attendees (optional), and whether the event is public or invite-only. You can also build out your thrift route stops and set up ticket types — free or paid. Once submitted, your event goes into a brief review queue before going live.

No. There is no hosting fee to create or publish a Crawl Event on UrbanThrifter. Hosting is included as part of eligible membership tiers. The only cost involved is a small platform commission taken automatically on paid ticket sales — this covers payment processing and platform operating costs. Free events have zero cost for both the host and the attendees.

When you submit a new event, it enters a short review period where our team checks that it meets community guidelines — appropriate content, a real location, reasonable ticket pricing, and accurate descriptions. Most events are reviewed and approved within 24 hours. You will receive a notification by email and in your dashboard when your event is approved and goes live. If there is an issue, you will hear from us with details.

Draft — saved but not yet submitted for review.
Pending — submitted and awaiting admin approval.
Approved — reviewed and approved but not yet open for RSVPs or ticket sales.
Live — fully active; attendees can RSVP and purchase tickets.
Completed — the event date has passed and the event ran successfully.
Cancelled — the event was cancelled by the host or by UrbanThrifter. If you purchased a ticket for a cancelled event, you will be automatically refunded in full.

Navigate to any live event page and click the “RSVP — I’m Going!” button. For free events, your spot is confirmed immediately. For paid ticket events, you will choose your ticket type and complete your purchase through our secure checkout. You will receive a confirmation email with your ticket and event details. Your RSVP also appears in your dashboard under Events → Attending.

Yes. For free RSVPs, you can cancel any time from the event page or your dashboard — just click “Cancel RSVP.” For paid tickets, refund eligibility depends on how close to the event you cancel. Hosts set their own cancellation window. If the host cancels the entire event for any reason, all ticket holders are automatically refunded in full regardless of when you purchased.

When all spots are taken, the RSVP button changes to a “Join Waitlist” button. Joining the waitlist costs nothing and does not charge your card. If a spot opens up — because someone cancels their RSVP or ticket — the next person on the waitlist is automatically notified by email and has a window of time to claim the spot before it moves to the next person.

The waitlist is a first-come, first-served queue for sold-out events. When you join the waitlist, you hold a numbered position. If a spot opens, you get an email notification with a link to claim it. You will have a limited window (set by the host) to complete your RSVP or ticket purchase before the spot is offered to the next person. You can leave the waitlist at any time from your dashboard.

In your dashboard, the Events section has separate tabs for everything:

• Upcoming — events happening soon that you can join.
• Hosting — events you have created, with guest lists, messaging tools, and management options.
• Attending — events you have RSVP’d or bought tickets for.
• Past Events — events you attended or hosted previously.

Hosts can offer one or more ticket types for their events — for example, a free General Admission ticket and a paid VIP ticket with extras. Each ticket type has a name, price, optional description of what’s included, and a cap on how many can be sold. When you buy a ticket, you receive a confirmation email with a unique QR code. The host scans your QR code at the door to check you in. Ticket purchases are processed securely through Stripe.

Hosts can create unlimited ticket types for a single event. Common examples include General Admission (free or paid), VIP (includes extras like meals or after-hours access), Early Bird (discounted for early sign-ups), or Group (for families or groups). Each ticket type can have its own price, a description of what attendees get, and a limit on how many are available. If a type sells out, attendees can join the waitlist or choose another available type.

On any live event page, scroll to the Tickets section and select your ticket type. Click “Get Ticket” and you will be taken to a secure Stripe checkout page to complete your purchase. After payment, you will receive a confirmation email with your QR code ticket. Your ticket also appears in your dashboard under Events → Attending. You do not need to print your ticket — showing it on your phone is fine.

Yes. UrbanThrifter never stores your credit card number, CVV, or banking information on our servers. All ticket payments are processed through Stripe, one of the world’s most trusted payment platforms used by millions of businesses. Your card data is encrypted and handled entirely by Stripe under PCI-DSS compliance standards. We only receive a confirmation that the payment was successful — never your raw financial data.

When you purchase a ticket, your payment goes directly to the host’s connected Stripe account — not to UrbanThrifter first. UrbanThrifter automatically deducts a small platform commission (to cover payment processing and operational costs) at the moment of purchase. The host receives the remaining amount directly. This direct-to-host payment model means hosts get paid faster and your money is not sitting in a middleman account.

UrbanThrifter charges a small percentage commission on paid ticket sales. This commission is automatically deducted at the time of purchase and covers Stripe payment processing fees and platform operating costs. The exact percentage is displayed transparently when a host sets their ticket price. Free tickets have no commission. Hosts keep the remaining revenue after the commission is deducted.

Hosts connect their own Stripe account to UrbanThrifter (called Stripe Connect). Once connected, ticket payments flow directly into the host’s Stripe account in real time. Stripe then pays out to the host’s linked bank account on a standard payout schedule (usually within 2–7 business days depending on country). Hosts can view their payout history directly from their Event Income dashboard tab.

Yes. As a host, you can cancel any live, approved, or pending event from your dashboard at any time. When you cancel, you are shown a confirmation that lists how many ticket holders will be affected. You can provide a reason (which attendees will see). Once you confirm, UrbanThrifter automatically processes full refunds to every ticket holder and sends each person a cancellation email with your reason. You do not have to manually issue refunds — it is all handled for you.

If a host cancels their event, you will receive an automatic full refund to your original payment method — no action required on your part. You will also receive an email explaining that the event was cancelled and confirming that your refund is on its way. Stripe refunds typically appear on your card within 5–10 business days depending on your bank. Your RSVP is also cancelled automatically.

If the host cancels the event, you get a full automatic refund — no questions asked. For other refund requests (if you can no longer attend), you will need to contact the host directly. Hosts set their own refund/cancellation policy when creating the event. UrbanThrifter does not control individual host refund policies, but we do enforce automatic full refunds any time a host cancels their own event. If you believe you are owed a refund that has not been issued, you can submit a complaint through the Report a Problem button on the event page.

When creating an event, hosts can set a minimum number of attendees required for the event to run. For example, a host might need at least 10 people to make a bus rental worthwhile. If you RSVP for an event with a minimum, the event page shows a progress bar so you can see how close it is to hitting the target. If the minimum is not reached and the host decides to cancel, all ticket holders are automatically refunded in full.

If an event is set below its minimum attendee count as the event date approaches, UrbanThrifter sends the host a warning notification. The host then decides whether to proceed or cancel. If the host cancels due to low attendance, all ticket holders receive automatic full refunds and cancellation emails. The host is not penalized for cancelling under these circumstances.

We take fraud seriously and have multiple layers of protection in place:

• Host vetting — all events go through a review before going live.
• Direct payments — ticket money goes straight to the host’s verified Stripe account, not through a middleman.
• Complaint system — attendees can report problems after any event. Reports from multiple attendees trigger an immediate alert to our admin team.
• Ban system — hosts who violate community standards or engage in fraud are banned from creating future events.
• Refund enforcement — if UrbanThrifter determines a host acted in bad faith, we can cancel the event and issue refunds directly.

If a host fails to show up, attendees can submit a no-show complaint through the “Report a Problem” button on the event page. This button appears after the event start time and is only available to people who had an RSVP or ticket. When multiple attendees report the same event, our team is immediately alerted. We will investigate and, if the no-show is confirmed, we will cancel the event, issue full refunds to all ticket holders, and review the host’s account for banning. We cannot guarantee an outcome in every case, but we take every complaint seriously and act as fast as possible.

On any event page, after the event start time has passed, a “Report a Problem” button appears at the bottom of the page (only visible to people who had an RSVP or ticket). Click it to open a short form where you choose the type of problem (no-show, misrepresented event, safety concern, not refunded, or other) and optionally describe what happened. Your report goes directly to our admin team. If multiple attendees report the same event, our team is alerted immediately.

Through the Report a Problem system you can flag:

• No-show — the host never appeared.
• Misrepresented event — the event was significantly different from what was advertised (wrong location, missing activities, different than described).
• Not refunded — the event was cancelled but you have not received your refund.
• Safety concern — something at the event made you feel unsafe.
• Other — anything else worth reporting.

You can also add a written description with any details that help us investigate.

Yes. Hosts who no-show, commit fraud, misrepresent their events, or repeatedly cause problems can be banned from creating future events on UrbanThrifter. Bans are issued by our admin team after reviewing complaints and evidence. A banned host cannot create new events but their previous event data is retained for reporting purposes. Bans may be permanent or temporary depending on the severity of the issue.

UrbanThrifter is a platform that connects event hosts with attendees. We are not the organizer of any individual event and cannot be held liable for the actions of independent hosts, for what happens at events, or for losses that result from attending an event. That said, we do everything within our power to ensure safe, legitimate events — including host vetting, a complaint and refund system, and the ability to ban bad actors. We take reports seriously and respond quickly. By attending any event, you acknowledge that you are participating voluntarily and that UrbanThrifter does not guarantee any specific outcome.

Your safety comes first — leave immediately if you feel threatened or in danger, and call emergency services (911) if necessary. After you are safe, you can submit a Safety concern through the Report a Problem button on the event page. Our team will review it and take appropriate action, which may include banning the host and coordinating with law enforcement if warranted. Do not wait until you are out of a dangerous situation to report — your safety always takes priority over filing a report.

If you suspect a host is running fraudulent events — for example, selling tickets for events they never intend to hold — report it immediately using the Report a Problem button. Select “Other” and describe what you believe is happening. If multiple people report the same host, our team is alerted right away. UrbanThrifter can cancel the event, issue refunds to ticket holders, and ban the host. For large-scale fraud, we will cooperate with law enforcement. Remember: because ticket payments go directly to the host’s verified Stripe account, Stripe also has fraud protections in place and can freeze accounts flagged for suspicious activity.

Yes. When creating your event, toggle the “Invite Only” option. Invite-only events are not publicly listed and cannot be discovered through search. Only people you personally invite with your unique event invite link or code can RSVP or buy a ticket. This is great for private group crawls with friends, colleagues, or a specific community.

Multi-day events span more than one calendar day. When you create an event and select the multi-day option, you can set individual stops and activities for each day. Attendees see a day-by-day breakdown of the route and schedule on the event page. All the same ticketing, RSVP, and management features work the same as single-day events.

Yes. While Crawl Events are built around thrift store stops, you can also add custom non-store locations — a lunch spot, a park meetup point, an after-party venue, a donation drop-off, or anywhere else that is part of your event. These show up on the event map and day-by-day schedule alongside your store stops.

Yes, with some limitations. You can edit most event details (description, host notes, schedule) at any time from your dashboard. However, if tickets have already been sold, key fields that affect what attendees paid for — such as the event date, location, and ticket prices — are locked to protect buyers. If you need to make a significant change after tickets are sold, we recommend messaging all attendees through your hosting dashboard to explain the change.

Yes. In your dashboard under Events → Hosting, click on any event to expand the guest list. You can see every attendee’s name, RSVP status, check-in status, and ticket type. You can also see how many spots are filled versus your capacity, and whether anyone is on the waitlist. The guest list updates in real time as people RSVP, purchase tickets, or cancel.

From your hosting dashboard, each event has an “Invite Attendees” panel. You can search for UrbanThrifter members by name and send them a personalized invitation directly through the platform. Invitees receive a notification in their dashboard and an email with a link to RSVP or buy a ticket. For invite-only events, invited members will have exclusive access to the event page.

Yes. From the guest list in your hosting dashboard, there is a “Message All Attendees” option. You can type a message — such as a last-minute route update, parking tips, or a reminder — and it will be delivered to all confirmed attendees as an in-dashboard notification and an email. Attendees also have the option to unsubscribe from host messages at any time.

In your dashboard, go to Events → Event Income. This tab shows a full breakdown of your ticket revenue by event — gross sales, platform commission, and net payout. You can filter by date range, download a CSV for your records, and view your payout history pulled directly from your connected Stripe account. If you have opted in, your event income also feeds into the Tax Center to help with your Schedule C estimates.

Yes. Every event page includes an interactive map showing all the stops on the route. Each stop is pinned with the store name and address. For multi-day events, stops are color-coded or grouped by day so attendees can easily see the full itinerary. The map is powered by Google Maps and supports directions to the first stop.

When you purchase a ticket, you receive a unique QR code via email and in your dashboard. At the event, the host uses the UrbanThrifter host scanner tool to scan your QR code and mark you as checked in. You do not need to print anything — show the QR code on your phone screen. Each QR code is unique to you and can only be used once, preventing sharing or duplication.

Streak bonuses reward consistency. When you check in at a thrift store every day for multiple days in a row, you earn bonus points at key milestones:

• 7-day streak — One week of daily check-ins
• 14-day streak — Two weeks straight
• 30-day streak — A full month of daily thrifting

Your current streak is shown on your dashboard. If you miss a day, the streak resets — so keep that momentum going!

Streak bonuses stack with your regular check-in points. Think of them as a thank-you for being consistently active in the community.

Stack your actions! Every time you visit a thrift store, you can earn points for multiple things at once:

1. Check in at the store (GPS verified)
2. Rate the store with a star rating
3. Take a photo of your haul or the store
4. Write a review about your experience

That’s four point-earning actions from a single visit. If you’re on a crawl, completing the crawl earns you even more points on top of all the individual check-ins.

Pro tip: If you’re attending a community event, you get event attendance points PLUS all the check-in points at each stop. A 5-store crawl event could earn you check-in points at each store, plus the event bonus, plus crawl completion — that adds up fast.

No. Thrift Cred is automatically active on every UrbanThrifter account from the moment you sign up. There is no separate registration, no activation step, and no fees. Just start using the platform and your points accumulate on their own.

No, they are separate systems. Your membership tier (Free or Pro) is based on your subscription and controls crawl limits, max stops, and access to premium features like advanced tax exports and platform integrations. Your Thrift Cred tier (Newbie Thrifter through Urban Elite) is based purely on your activity and earned points. A free member who thrifts actively can reach Urban Elite — Thrift Cred is about what you do, not what you pay.

You earn points through these actions:

• Check-in — check in at a store during a crawl or via Quick Check-In.
• Store Rating — rate a store during your check-in (1-5 stars).
• Review / Thrift Haul — write a review about your visit and finds.
• Photos — upload photos of your hauls or the store (points per photo).
• Store QR Code — scan the store’s permanent QR code or enter the 6-character code manually for bonus points.
• Complete a Crawl — finish all stops on a crawl route for the full completion bonus, or at least 50% for a partial bonus.
• Attend an Event — participate in a community crawl event.
• Crawl Used by Others — create a route that another member actually runs.
• Streak Bonuses — maintain consecutive days of activity for escalating bonuses at 7, 14, and 30 days.

Exact point values are configured by the site administrators and may be adjusted over time to keep the system balanced. You can see a full breakdown of where your points come from on your dashboard — the doughnut chart on the Overview tab and the Points History on the Thrift Cred tab show exactly which actions contributed and how much each one earned. The biggest bonuses typically come from completing full crawls and maintaining long streaks.

Yes, always. There are no buttons to click, nothing to claim, and no daily login rewards to collect. The moment you complete a qualifying action — check in, post a review, upload a photo, finish a crawl — your points are calculated and added to your balance in the background. You will see your updated total the next time you visit your dashboard.

There are six tiers, each with its own unique icon and badge color:

• Newbie Thrifter — 0 points. Everyone starts here.
• Thrift Scout — 100 points. You are finding your rhythm.
• Haul Hunter — 500 points. You are a consistent, active thrifter.
• Bargain Boss — 1,500 points. Community leader territory.
• Thrift Legend — 5,000 points. Serious dedication to the craft.
• Urban Elite — 15,000 points. The highest tier on the platform.

Your tier badge is displayed on your dashboard, your public profile, and in the profile header quick stats strip.

As you climb tiers, you gain access to exclusive benefits. Store owners can create VIP perks that are only available to members at certain tier levels — for example, a special discount only Bargain Boss or above can redeem. In the Rewards Store, some rewards are gated to specific tiers, meaning you need to reach that tier before you can spend your points on them. Your tier badge also shows up on your public profile, giving you social recognition in the community.

No. Thrift Cred points only go up under normal circumstances. Once you have earned points, they stay on your account permanently. You will never lose a tier you have reached. The only exception would be an administrative adjustment in cases of verified abuse, but normal everyday use will only ever move you forward.

Go to your Member Dashboard and look at either the Overview tab (the Thrift Cred preview section) or the dedicated Thrift Cred tab. Both show your current tier badge, your total point count, and a progress bar indicating exactly how many points you need to reach the next level. The Thrift Cred tab also shows your rank among other members.

Streaks reward consistent thrifting activity. Every day you earn at least one Thrift Cred point counts as an active day. String together consecutive active days and you build a streak. When you hit milestone days, you earn bonus points:

• 7-day streak — a nice bonus for a solid week of thrifting.
• 14-day streak — a bigger bonus for two consistent weeks.
• 30-day streak — the largest streak bonus for a full month of dedication.

Your current streak count is visible in the profile header quick stats and on the 30-day Activity Streak chart on the Overview tab. If you miss a day, your streak resets to zero and you start building a new one.

Any point-earning action counts toward your daily streak: a check-in, a store rating, a Thrift Haul post, a photo upload, completing a crawl, attending an event, scanning a store QR code, or entering a store code. As long as you earn at least one point on a given calendar day, that day counts as active and your streak continues.

Several layers of anti-gaming protection keep the system honest:

• Store cooldowns — after checking in at a store, you must wait a set number of hours before earning points at that same store again.
• Daily points cap — there is a maximum number of points you can earn in a single day, set high enough for active thrifters but preventing abuse.
• GPS verification — Quick Check-In uses your phone’s GPS to confirm you are actually at or near the store before awarding points.
• Duplicate prevention — the system tracks unique keys for each action so the same check-in, review, or photo cannot be double-credited.
• Minimum review length — Thrift Haul reviews must meet a minimum word count to earn points, encouraging quality contributions.

These protections run silently in the background. If an action is blocked by one of these rules, you will still be able to check in and leave reviews — you just will not earn points for that specific action.

The Rewards Store is where you spend your Thrift Cred points on real rewards. It appears at the top of the Thrift Cred tab in your dashboard. Each reward shows its point cost, a description, and any requirements (like a minimum tier level or availability limits). When you redeem a reward, the point cost is deducted from your Thrift Cred balance.

The Rewards Store can include several types of rewards:

• Raffle Entries — spend points to enter prize drawings.
• Badges — exclusive profile badges that show off your accomplishments.
• Premium Features — unlock premium platform features using your earned points instead of a paid subscription.
• Partner Discounts — discount codes for partner stores and services.
• Merch — UrbanThrifter branded merchandise.
• Custom Rewards — special or seasonal rewards that may be added over time.

Available rewards are managed by the site administrators and new ones may appear periodically.

Go to Dashboard, then the Thrift Cred tab. The Rewards Store section appears at the top. Browse the available rewards, check that you meet the requirements (enough points and the required tier level), and click the Redeem button. Your points will be deducted and you will receive the reward according to its type — a badge applied to your profile, a discount code displayed on screen, a raffle entry confirmed, or fulfillment instructions for physical items.

The point cost of the reward is deducted from your Thrift Cred balance. However, your tier level is not affected — tiers are based on your lifetime points earned, not your current balance. So if you are a Haul Hunter with 600 total points earned and you spend 200 on a reward, you drop to 400 in your spendable balance but remain a Haul Hunter because you earned 600 lifetime points.

Yes, individual rewards can have limits set by the administrators. These may include:

• Quantity limits — a reward may only be available a certain total number of times.
• Per-user limits — you may only be able to redeem a specific reward a set number of times.
• Cooldown periods — after redeeming, you may need to wait before redeeming the same reward again.
• Tier gates — some rewards require you to be at a specific Thrift Cred tier or higher.

All of these requirements are shown on the reward card before you redeem.

Your full points history is available on the Thrift Cred tab in your dashboard. The Points History section shows every point transaction: what action earned the points, how many points were awarded, the date, and the running balance. This includes both points earned from activities and points spent on rewards, so you can see your complete Thrift Cred ledger.

Quick Check-In lets you check in at any thrift store on UrbanThrifter using GPS verification. When you’re near a listed store, just tap the check-in button.

Your phone’s location is verified against the store’s address. Once confirmed, you earn Thrift Cred points instantly. You can then add a rating, photos, and a review for additional points.

There’s a cooldown period between check-ins at the same store to keep things fair.

When you attend a thrift crawl event, check-ins and event points stack together. Here’s how to maximize your earnings at an event:

1. RSVP and attend the event — You earn event attendance points just for showing up
2. Check in at each stop — As the group visits each store on the crawl, check in at every one for individual check-in points
3. Rate each store — Quick star rating at each stop earns additional points
4. Post haul photos — Found something cool? Snap a photo for more points
5. Write reviews — Share your thoughts on the stores for the highest per-action points
6. Complete the crawl — Finishing all the stops (or at least half) triggers the crawl completion bonus

A single 5-store event could earn you event points + 5 check-ins + 5 ratings + photos + reviews + crawl completion. That’s a serious haul of Thrift Cred!

Quick Check-In lets you check in at any thrift store on UrbanThrifter without needing to start or be on an active crawl route. It opens as a modal popup right on the store’s listing page. You can rate the store, add photos of your finds, write a review, log how much you spent or donated, and enter a store QR code — all in one step. You will earn the same Thrift Cred points you would get on a crawl (except for crawl-specific bonuses like the completion bonus). It is designed for everyday store visits when you are not running a planned route.

During an active crawl, you check in at each stop along your planned route and can earn a crawl completion bonus for visiting all (or at least 50%) of the stops. Quick Check-In is a standalone action — you visit any store, check in, and earn your individual points (check-in, rating, photos, review, store code). The main difference is that Quick Check-In does not contribute toward a crawl completion bonus since there is no crawl route involved. Everything else — point values, cooldowns, GPS verification — works the same way.

On mobile devices, visit the store’s listing page and look for the full-width Check In button that appears below the Call Now button. Tap it and the check-in modal will open. From there you can rate the store, add photos, write a review, toggle between Shopping and Donating visit types, enter an amount spent or donation value, and enter a store code if the store has one posted.

On desktop, visit the store’s listing page and look for the pin icon in the store header area (the row of action icons that includes the heart, share, and other buttons). Click the pin icon and the Quick Check-In modal will open with all the same options available on mobile.

When you open the Quick Check-In modal, your phone or computer asks for your location. GPS verification compares your actual position to the store’s address to confirm you are physically at or near the store. This is how UrbanThrifter ensures that check-in points go to people who actually visited. If your GPS confirms your location, your check-in and any review you leave will receive a blue GPS Verified badge, which builds trust with other members reading your review.

If GPS verification is enabled, the check-in modal displays your estimated distance from the store. For short distances it shows in feet (like “200 ft away”) and for longer distances in miles (like “0.5 mi away”). This helps you confirm you are at the right location. If you are within the allowed radius, you will earn full points. If you are outside the radius, what happens depends on the site’s GPS enforcement mode.

It depends on the GPS enforcement mode set by the site administrators:

• Soft mode — you can still check in and leave a review, but you will not earn Thrift Cred points for that visit. Your check-in and review are still saved. This is the most common setting.
• Strict mode — the check-in is blocked entirely if you are outside the radius.
• Off — GPS is not checked at all, and everyone earns points regardless of location.

In soft mode you will see a notice that says “No Thrift Cred will be awarded” but you can still proceed with your check-in.

Inside the Quick Check-In modal, you will see a row of five stars. Tap or click the number of stars you want to give (1 through 5). Your rating earns you Thrift Cred points and contributes to the store’s overall rating that other members see. Rating is optional but encouraged — it helps the community and earns you points.

In the check-in modal, there is a photo upload area where you can select or take photos of your finds, the store interior, or anything else from your visit. Each photo you upload earns you additional Thrift Cred points, up to the maximum number of photos allowed per check-in (set by the site administrators). Photos appear in your check-in record and are visible to other members if you leave a review.

The check-in modal includes a text area where you can write about your experience. Describe what you found, the store’s condition, staff friendliness, prices, or anything else worth sharing. If your review meets the minimum word count, it earns you additional Thrift Cred points and is published as a review on the store’s listing page. Reviews written during a GPS-verified check-in receive the GPS Verified badge.

Participating stores may display a permanent UrbanThrifter QR code sticker near the register, on the door, or on a counter card. Scan it with your phone camera and it will open the check-in modal for that store automatically. There is also a 6-character alphanumeric code printed below the QR image (like X7K3NP) that you can type manually into the store code field in the check-in modal. Entering a valid store code earns you bonus Thrift Cred points on top of your other check-in points.

When you check in and your GPS confirms you are at or near the store, your review receives a blue “GPS Verified” pill badge that appears next to it. This tells other thrifters that you were physically at the store when you wrote the review. It is a trust signal — GPS Verified reviews carry extra credibility because readers know the reviewer was actually there.

There is a cooldown period between check-ins at the same store. This prevents point farming by repeatedly checking in at one location. You can still check in during the cooldown period — your review, rating, and photos will all be saved — but no Thrift Cred points will be awarded until the cooldown expires. The cooldown is measured in hours, so visiting the same store again later in the week will typically earn you points again.

This message appears when you are within the cooldown period for a store you already checked in to recently. Depending on the site’s cooldown settings, you may see one of two behaviors: either you can still check in and leave a review but without earning points (“Allow without points” mode), or the check-in may be temporarily blocked (“Block” mode). Either way, the cooldown will expire after the configured number of hours and you can earn points at that store again.

No. You must be logged in to your UrbanThrifter account to use Quick Check-In. If you are not logged in and tap the Check In button, you will see a login prompt. After logging in, you will be redirected back to the store page where you can proceed with your check-in.

If your browser or phone cannot determine your location (GPS is disabled, you denied the location permission, or the signal is weak), the check-in modal will show a GPS status indicator. Depending on the site’s GPS enforcement setting, you may still be able to check in without GPS (in soft or off mode) but will not receive GPS-verified points or the GPS Verified badge. To fix this, make sure location services are enabled on your device and that you have granted location permission to the UrbanThrifter website in your browser settings.

Yes. The check-in modal includes a visit type toggle that lets you switch between Shopping and Donating. When set to Shopping, you can enter the amount you spent. When set to Donating, you can enter the estimated donation value, select donation item categories (clothing, books, electronics, furniture, housewares, toys, or other), and even upload a receipt photo. This data flows into the Thrift Ledger in your Finances tab for tracking your annual spending and donations.

Store Perks are real-world rewards — discounts, deals, and custom offers — that thrift store owners create for UrbanThrifter members. When you visit a participating store and meet the unlock condition (check in, post a Thrift Haul, or reach a certain Thrift Cred tier), you receive a unique one-time redemption code. Show that code at the register and the store honors the discount or reward. Perks can be percentage discounts (like 10% off), dollar-off deals (like $5 off), or custom rewards (like a free tote bag or early access to new inventory).

Each perk has an unlock condition set by the store owner:

• Check-in perks — unlock automatically when you check in at the store (during a crawl or via Quick Check-In).
• Haul perks — unlock when you post a Thrift Haul review about that store.
• VIP perks — only available to members at a certain Thrift Cred tier or above (for example, only Bargain Boss and higher).

Some perks may also have spending thresholds or visit milestones. When you meet the condition, a unique redemption code is generated for you automatically.

When you unlock a perk, you receive a unique redemption code in the format UT-XXXX-X (for example, UT-A3K9-7). Show this code to the cashier at the store. They will verify it from their UrbanThrifter dashboard, confirm the discount or reward, and mark the code as used. Codes are valid for 7 days from when they are issued, so use them promptly.

Each thrift store on UrbanThrifter has a unique, permanent QR code that never changes. Stores can print this QR code and display it near the register, on the door, or on a counter card. When you scan it with your phone camera, it opens the Quick Check-In modal for that store, letting you instantly check in and earn bonus Thrift Cred points. The QR code also has a 6-character text code printed underneath for manual entry.

Point your phone camera at the store’s UrbanThrifter QR code sticker. Your phone should recognize it and prompt you to open the link. This takes you directly to the store’s Quick Check-In modal where you can rate, review, add photos, and enter the store code — all in one step. If your camera cannot scan the code, look for the 6-character code printed below the QR image and type it into the store code field manually.

Inside the Quick Check-In modal (or the crawl check-in screen), you will find a text field labeled for the store code. Type in the 6-character alphanumeric code exactly as printed below the store’s QR image. If the code is valid, you will earn bonus Thrift Cred points on top of your regular check-in points.

Go to your Member Dashboard, click the My Store tab, then the Perks subtab. You will see a form to create a new perk. Select which store it is for (if you have multiple listings), choose the unlock condition (check-in, haul review, or VIP tier level), give it a title, select the discount type (percentage, dollar amount, or custom), set the value, and optionally configure a per-user limit and cooldown period. Click Save and the perk goes live immediately for members who visit your store.

Three types:

• Percentage discount — a percent off the purchase, like 10% off or 15% off.
• Dollar-off discount — a flat dollar amount off, like $5 off any purchase or $10 off a $25+ purchase.
• Custom / Other — anything else: a free tote bag, early access to new arrivals, a free item with purchase, priority access to weekend drops, or any creative reward you want to offer. You write the description and the customer sees exactly what they are getting.

Go to your Dashboard, click My Store, then the Perks subtab. Your store’s permanent QR code is displayed there with a Print QR Card button. Click it to open a printable card with your QR code, your store name, and brief instructions for customers. Print it out and post it near your register. The code is permanent — it never changes, so you only need to print it once.

Yes, you can regenerate your store’s QR code from the Perks subtab in your My Store section. However, keep in mind that regenerating the code creates a new permanent code and invalidates the old one. If you have printed QR stickers, you will need to print and post a new sticker to replace the old one, since the old sticker will no longer work.

The old QR code and its associated 6-character text code become invalid immediately. Any stickers displaying the old code will no longer work when scanned. You will need to print the new QR card and replace any posted stickers. For this reason, only regenerate your code if absolutely necessary (for example, if the code was compromised or you need a fresh start).

On the Perks subtab in your My Store section, there is a Quick Verify tool at the top. Type in the customer’s code (it looks like UT-A3K9-7), tap Verify, and you will instantly see whether it is valid, what perk it is for, the customer’s name, when it was issued, and whether it has already been used. This works on your phone right at the register — the entire dashboard is mobile-friendly.

Yes. Each perk on the Perks subtab has a toggle to pause or reactivate it. Pausing hides the perk from members and stops new unlocks without deleting it — you can reactivate it anytime. You can also set per-user limits (how many times one member can redeem it) and cooldown periods (how many days before the same member can unlock it again). For example, you might allow one redemption per customer every 30 days.

Yes. A daily cleanup process runs in the background and expires any unredeemed codes older than 7 days. You do not need to manage this manually. Expired codes cannot be verified at the register and will not count against a customer’s per-user limit, so they can earn a new code on their next qualifying visit.

The Finances section is a tab in your Member Dashboard (marked with a wallet icon) that brings together all your financial tracking tools. It contains four subtabs: Thrift Ledger (check-in and spending/donation history), Tax Center (tax profile, charitable donation tracking, business expenses, mileage, estimated taxes, and exports), Sales & Inventory (resale sales logging, inventory management, and eBay auto-sync), and Billing & Subscriptions (your membership plan and payment history).

The Thrift Ledger is a comprehensive record of every store check-in you have made, whether through a crawl or Quick Check-In. It shows four summary cards at the top: Total Spent (current year), Total Donated, Total Visits, and Average Per Trip. Below that is a filterable table showing the store name, date, visit type (Shopping or Donating as colored pill badges), amount, your rating, GPS verification status, photos, and an expandable detail view. You can filter by date range and visit type, and export everything to CSV.

When you check in at a store via Quick Check-In, the modal includes a visit type toggle (Shopping or Donating). If you select Shopping, an “Amount Spent” field appears where you can enter how much you spent at the store. This amount is saved with your check-in record and flows into the Thrift Ledger, where it contributes to your Total Spent and Average Per Trip calculations. It is completely optional — you can skip it and still complete your check-in.

There are two ways. First, during a Quick Check-In, toggle the visit type to “Donating” and enter the estimated donation value, select item categories (clothing, books, electronics, furniture, housewares, toys, or other), and optionally upload a receipt photo. Second, from the Thrift Ledger in your Finances tab, there is a “Log Donation” form where you can record a donation without checking in — select the store, enter the date, estimated value, categories, notes, and upload a receipt. Both methods save the donation to your Thrift Ledger and make it available in the Tax Center for charitable deduction tracking.

The Tax Center (Dashboard, then Finances, then Tax Center subtab) is a suite of tools to help you organize your thrift-related finances for tax time. It includes your tax profile selection, charitable donation tracking with organization details, business expense tracking across 8 categories, mileage logging, quarterly estimated tax reminders, multi-year comparisons, and multiple export formats. It is designed for thrifters who donate regularly or resell items as a side hustle or business.

Important: UrbanThrifter is not a tax advisor, CPA, or financial professional. The Tax Center provides organizational tools and general educational information only. Always consult a qualified tax professional for advice specific to your situation.

Your tax profile helps the Tax Center show you relevant guidance:

• Hobby — you thrift for fun and personal use. You may still claim charitable donation deductions on Schedule A if you itemize. No business expense tracking needed.
• Side Hustle — you resell thrift finds for extra income but it is not your primary job. You should track business expenses and may need to file Schedule C and pay quarterly estimated taxes.
• Business — reselling is your primary business activity. You need full expense tracking, COGS calculation, Schedule C reporting, and quarterly estimated tax payments.

You can change your profile at any time at Dashboard, then Finances, then Tax Center. The selection is saved and remembered across sessions.

COGS is a tax concept that calculates the direct cost of the items you sold during the year. The formula is: Beginning Inventory + Purchases During the Year – Ending Inventory = COGS. If you track your inventory in the Sales & Inventory tab, the Tax Center automatically calculates your COGS based on the cost basis of items you have bought and sold. COGS is deducted from your gross revenue on Schedule C to determine your gross profit. This is important because you are only taxed on your profit, not your total sales revenue.

In the Tax Center’s Business Expenses section, you can log mileage for store visits, thrift runs, post office trips, or any other business-related driving. Enter the number of miles and the system automatically calculates the deduction using the current IRS standard mileage rate ($0.70 per mile for 2026). Each mileage entry records the date, description, miles driven, and calculated deduction amount. The total mileage deduction flows into your business expense summary and PDF exports.

If your tax profile is set to Side Hustle or Business, the Tax Center shows a timeline of IRS quarterly estimated tax due dates (Q1 through Q4) with status badges: Past Due (red), Due Soon (orange), Upcoming (blue), or Paid (green). You can mark each quarter as paid by clicking the button next to it. The section also shows your purchase and donation totals for each quarter so you can estimate how much you might owe. This is a reminder and tracking tool — for actual estimated tax calculation, use IRS Form 1040-ES or consult your tax professional.

Go to Dashboard, then Settings, and look for the State dropdown. Select your US state (all 50 states plus DC are listed) and save. Once set, the Tax Center will show state-specific notes relevant to your location — for example, whether your state has no income tax, no sales tax, reseller certificate requirements, or special rules (like California, New York, Texas, or Florida specifics). You can change your state at any time.

The Tax Center supports multiple export formats:

• PDF Summary — a professional, print-ready document with your donation summary, business expenses, mileage, COGS, revenue, and applicable IRS form references. Three PDF types are available: Donations only, Business only, and Combined.
• TurboTax (TXF) — a .txf file that can be imported directly into TurboTax. Includes donation and business expense data mapped to the correct tax form lines.
• QuickBooks (IIF) — a tab-delimited .iif file for QuickBooks Desktop with transactions categorized into generic accounts (Sales Income, Cost of Goods Sold, Selling Expenses, etc.). Three IIF types: sales, expenses, and donations.
• CSV — a standard spreadsheet export of your Thrift Ledger data for use in Excel, Google Sheets, or any other tool.
• Receipts ZIP — downloads all your uploaded receipt photos (donations, check-in photos, and expense receipts) organized into folders in a single ZIP file.

No. UrbanThrifter is not a tax advisor, CPA, enrolled agent, or financial professional. The Tax Center provides organizational tools to help you keep your thrift-related finances in order, along with general educational information about common tax concepts. It is not a substitute for professional tax advice. Tax laws are complex and vary by state, income level, and individual circumstances. Always consult a qualified tax professional before making tax decisions based on the information provided in the Tax Center.

The PDF exports are professional, print-ready documents with clean formatting, your UrbanThrifter branding, and IRS form references. The Donation PDF includes your charitable donation summary with organization names, addresses, donation dates, values, and references to Schedule A Line 12 and Form 8283. The Business PDF includes your purchases by store, COGS calculation, revenue and profit by platform, mileage, other business expenses by category, and references to Schedule C and Schedule SE. The Combined PDF merges both into one document with a combined annual summary and multi-year comparison.

In the Tax Center, click the TurboTax export button (available in the Donations and Business sections). This downloads a .txf file. In TurboTax, go to File, then Import, then From Accounting Software, and select the TXF file. TurboTax will read the transactions and map them to the appropriate tax form lines. Review the imported data to make sure everything looks correct before filing.

In the Tax Center, click one of the QuickBooks export buttons (available for sales, expenses, or donations). This downloads an .iif file in tab-delimited format. In QuickBooks Desktop, go to File, then Utilities, then Import, then IIF Files, and select the downloaded file. The transactions will be imported with generic account names like “Sales Income,” “Cost of Goods Sold,” and “Selling Expenses.” Review and adjust account mappings as needed for your specific chart of accounts.

Yes. In the Tax Center, look for the “Download All Receipts (.zip)” button. Clicking it generates a ZIP file containing all your uploaded receipt photos organized into three folders: donations/ (donation receipts from check-ins and logged donations), purchases/ (photos from check-ins where you logged shopping amounts), and expenses/ (receipts attached to business expense entries). Duplicate filenames are automatically handled so no files are lost.

After the Combined Annual Summary in the Tax Center, you will see a year-over-year comparison table. It compares your donations, purchases, expenses, and totals between the two most recent years with data. The Change column shows a green up-arrow with percentage for increases and a red down-arrow for decreases. This helps you spot trends in your thrifting finances. If you only have one year of data, you will see a message indicating that comparison data will be available once you have a second year.

Go to Dashboard, then Finances, then Tax Center, and scroll to the Business Expenses section. You can log expenses in 8 categories:

• Mileage — auto-calculates deduction at $0.70/mile (2026 IRS rate).
• Shipping — postage, packaging, and shipping supply costs.
• Platform Fees — selling fees from eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc.
• Equipment — cameras, scales, measuring tools, steamers, etc.
• Storage — storage unit rental, shelving, bins, etc.
• Internet & Phone — business use percentage of your internet and phone bills (with a built-in calculator to figure out the deductible amount).
• Supplies — bags, tissue paper, labels, hangers, etc.
• Other — anything else that does not fit the above categories.

Each expense records the date, description, amount, and optional receipt photo. Category summary cards at the top show your totals.

When adding an Internet & Phone expense, you will see a business use percentage calculator. Enter your total monthly bill and the percentage of time you use your internet or phone for your reselling business. The system automatically calculates the deductible business portion. For example, if your phone bill is $100/month and you use it 30% for business (listing items, responding to buyers, managing shipments), your deductible amount is $30 for that month. The calculated amount is what gets recorded as your expense.

The Sales & Inventory tracker is a subtab within the Finances section of your dashboard (Dashboard, then Finances, then Sales & Inventory). It has two main sections: a Sales Log for recording every item you sell on any platform, and an Inventory section for tracking items you have purchased for resale. It includes summary cards, platform filtering, profit calculations, and integration with the Tax Center for COGS and revenue reporting. It is built for thrifters who resell finds online or locally.

In the Sales Log section, use the inline form to enter your sale details: select the platform you sold on, enter the sale price, shipping collected from the buyer (if any), platform fees charged, your shipping cost, and the cost basis (what you originally paid for the item). Click Add Sale and it is saved immediately. The system automatically calculates your net profit. You can also edit or delete sales after the fact if you need to make corrections.

Your net profit for each sale is calculated as: Sale Price + Shipping Collected – Platform Fees – Shipping Cost – Cost Basis = Net Profit. For example, if you sold an item for $40, collected $8 shipping, paid $6 in platform fees, spent $5 on shipping, and originally bought the item for $12, your net profit is $40 + $8 – $6 – $5 – $12 = $25. Profit is displayed in green if positive and red if negative. The dashboard summary cards show your total revenue, total profit, items sold, and average profit per sale.

The Sales & Inventory tracker supports 10 platforms: eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, Depop, Etsy, OfferUp, Amazon, Local (in-person sales), and Other (for any platform not listed). You can filter your sales table by platform using the pill selector at the top of the Sales Log section. The Tax Center also breaks down your revenue by platform in the PDF exports.

In the Sales & Inventory subtab, look for the eBay connection panel at the top. Click Connect eBay and you will be redirected to eBay’s login page to authorize UrbanThrifter to access your sales data. After granting permission, you will be redirected back to your dashboard with a confirmation message. Once connected, your eBay sales can be synced automatically. You can disconnect at any time without losing previously imported sales.

Once your eBay account is connected, UrbanThrifter automatically pulls your recent eBay sales into the Sales Log. It imports the sale price, shipping details, and item information. It also attempts to pull eBay platform fees from the eBay Finances API and match them to your sales. Each imported sale is tagged with a unique eBay order ID so duplicates are never created, even if you sync multiple times. You can also click Sync Now to trigger an immediate sync at any time.

eBay auto-sync runs automatically once per day via a background task. Each sync pulls the last 7 days of orders, so even if a sync is missed on one day, the next successful sync will catch up. You can also click the Sync Now button on the eBay panel to trigger an immediate sync whenever you want the latest data. The sync covers orders, shipping, and fees.

For platforms that do not have direct API integrations, you can use the CSV import feature. Most resale platforms let you export your sales data as a CSV file from their website. Download the CSV from the platform, then use the CSV Import tool in the Sales & Inventory subtab to upload it. Select the matching platform from the dropdown, upload your file, and the system will import the sales. Only platforms that the site administrator has enabled will appear in the platform selector.

The CSV import lets you bulk-upload sales data from a spreadsheet file. Export your sales from any platform as a CSV, then upload it in the Sales & Inventory section. The importer reads the columns and maps them to the required fields (sale price, platform fees, shipping, cost basis, etc.). After reviewing the preview, confirm the import and all rows are added to your Sales Log. This is useful for platforms that do not have direct API integration or for importing historical sales data.

The Inventory section lets you track every item you purchase for resale. Add an item with its name, category (clothing, shoes, electronics, books, home, toys, vintage, collectibles, or other), purchase price (cost basis), purchase date, where you bought it, and an optional photo. Each item has a status that you update as it moves through your pipeline: In Stock (just purchased), Listed (posted for sale on a platform), Sold (sold and shipped), Donated (given away), or Trashed (discarded). You can filter your inventory by status and category.

When you log a sale, you can optionally link it to an existing inventory item. This automatically updates the inventory item’s status to Sold, and the cost basis from the inventory record is used in your profit calculation. For eBay auto-synced sales, the system attempts to auto-match imported sales to your inventory items based on item details. Linking inventory to sales gives you accurate COGS calculations in the Tax Center.

• In Stock — you have the item but have not listed it for sale yet. It is in your inventory waiting to be processed, photographed, or listed.
• Listed — the item is actively listed for sale on one or more platforms.
• Sold — the item has been sold and shipped (or picked up by the buyer).
• Donated — you donated the item instead of selling it. It counts toward your charitable donations in the Tax Center.
• Trashed — the item was discarded (damaged, unsellable, etc.). It may still count as a business loss depending on your tax situation.

Status is displayed as a colored pill badge in the inventory table for quick scanning.

COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) is automatically calculated using the standard formula: Beginning Inventory + Purchases During the Year – Ending Inventory = COGS. The system looks at the cost basis of all inventory items to determine beginning inventory value (items in stock at the start of the year), purchases during the year (items added during the year), and ending inventory (items still in stock or listed at year end). This COGS figure appears in the Tax Center and is included in your business PDF export with a full breakdown. Accurate COGS is essential for Schedule C reporting because it directly reduces your taxable income.

Yes. In the eBay connection panel at the top of the Sales & Inventory subtab, click Disconnect and confirm. Your eBay authorization tokens will be removed from your account. Any sales that were already imported will remain in your Sales Log — they are not deleted when you disconnect. You can reconnect at any time by clicking Connect eBay again and going through the authorization flow.

Availability depends on the site configuration. The administrator may gate certain platform integrations (like eBay auto-sync, CSV imports, or tax exports) behind the Pro membership tier. If a feature requires Pro, you will see a purple crown icon with an “Upgrade to Pro” button instead of the feature. Administrators always have access to all features regardless of membership tier. Check the Billing & Subscriptions subtab to see your current plan and upgrade options.