Frequently asked questions

UpChansa connects buyers and sellers in Quebec and across Canada. You can post a fixed-price listing or run an online auction — for free. Payment and the handover of the item happen directly between you — off-platform (cash, e-transfer, in person). UpChansa is never a party to the transaction itself.

No. Anyone can browse listings and auctions without an account. You need to register (free) to post a listing, place a bid, make an offer, or send a message.

Yes. UpChansa is fully bilingual. You can switch between English and French using the language selector in the navigation bar at any time.

Nothing. Posting listings and running auctions is currently free — no listing fees and no sales commission, so you keep 100% of what you sell for. The only paid features are optional promotional tools (like Featured and Bump to top) that give a listing extra visibility; they're never required to sell. Payment for the item itself is arranged directly between buyer and seller, off-platform.

Yes. Right now there are no listing fees and no commission — you can post and sell without paying UpChansa anything. The only paid features are optional promotional tools (Featured, Bump to top), and using them is entirely up to you. As the marketplace grows we may introduce modest fees for future listings; if we ever do, the price will always be shown before you publish and will only apply to new publications — never retroactively.

No. UpChansa does not currently take any commission on your sales — you keep the full sale price. Because payment happens directly between buyer and seller off-platform, what you agree on is entirely between you. (If a commission is ever introduced in the future, it would be shown up front and apply only to sales made under the new terms.)

Sign in, click "Sell" or "New listing" in the navigation, fill in the title, description, price, category, condition, and photos, then click Publish. Your listing goes live immediately — posting is free.

Go to your dashboard, find the listing, and click "Mark as sold." Select the buyer (anyone who messaged about that listing, or "someone not on UpChansa") and confirm the sale price. The item is marked sold right away. Arrange payment and handover directly with your buyer.

When you place a bid, the amount you enter becomes the new current price and you take the lead right away — there's no hidden maximum, and UpChansa never bids for you. Enter an amount at least one increment above the current price (bids are in whole dollars). If someone outbids you, just place a new, higher bid. A last-second bid extends the clock a little (anti-snipe), so you always get a fair chance to respond.

A reserve price is a hidden minimum price set by the seller. If bidding does not reach the reserve by the end of the auction, the item does not sell and no transaction takes place. You can see during bidding whether the reserve has been met.

"Sniping" is placing a bid in the final seconds to prevent others from responding. UpChansa automatically extends the auction closing time when a bid is placed in the last few minutes, giving all bidders a fair chance to respond. The extension repeats as long as bids keep coming in.

Some sellers set a buy-now price — a fixed amount that any bidder can accept to end the auction immediately and win the item at that price, without waiting for the auction to close.

As a buyer, you can submit an offer below the asking price. The seller can accept, decline, or counter with a different price. The negotiation alternates between buyer and seller. When the seller accepts, the sale is recorded right away and you arrange the exchange directly with each other. If it falls through, either of you can cancel the sale and the item goes back online.

Always meet in a busy public place (coffee shop, shopping centre, or a police station's safe exchange zone). Bring a friend if possible. Inspect the item before paying. Never send money in advance or share banking details through messages. Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, walk away.

Every listing and user profile has a "Report" button. Tap it, choose the reason (scam, prohibited item, harassment, etc.), and submit. Our moderation team reviews reports and will take action — which may include removing the listing or suspending the account.

Go to your account settings and scroll to the "Danger zone" section. Click "Delete account," confirm your password, and your deletion will be scheduled. You have a 30-day grace period during which you can cancel. After 30 days, your personal information is permanently anonymized and your listings are removed. Financial records are retained as required by law.

No. UpChansa never sells, rents, or trades your personal information to third parties. We share data only with the service providers who help us operate the platform (Stripe for payments, Cloudflare for images, etc.), and only to the extent necessary. See our Privacy Policy for full details.