- To perform trading in Pokemon GO, ensure you and your friend are at least friends in-game for a day, are level 10, and live within 100-300 meters.
- Then, head into your friend's list, select the friend you want to trade with and proceed by selecting the Pokemon.
- Once the Stardust requirement is met, confirm and complete your trading in Pokemon GO.
The in-game trade system is one of the most popular features of any Pokemon game, and naturally, Pokemon GO also has a version of it. Combining inspiration from previous games with a touch of social aspects, trading in Pokemon GO is quite fun. However, it can be confusing for newcomers to get started with it all. I had the same problems, so I sat down and created a dedicated guide teaching you how to trade in Pokemon GO. So, with that, let’s begin!
Pokemon Go Trading: Things to Remember
Before you begin trading, you have to keep some things in mind. Fundamentally, the trading system works similarly to your average Nintendo release. You’ll need friends or someone interested in a trade to be around you. However, the game alters the trading system to fit the free-to-play model. This means there are additional hoops you have to jump through.
To successfully start trading, you and the person must be level 10 and on your friend list for at least a day. On top of this, both people must be within 100 to 300 meters of each other. As long as you meet these requirements, you can trade. Niantic occasionally removes these restrictions during major real-world events. There’s also a Stardust requirement for trading, but we will talk about it briefly.
Furthermore, you cannot trade the following Pokemon type:
- Shadow Pokemon
- Mythical Pokemon
- Pokemon you’ve already received in a trade
- Pokemon without full health
- Your Pokemon buddy
- Slashed Pokemon (earned through illegitimate means)
You can trade Poipole from the ongoing World of Wonders event in-game.
Pokemon GO Trading: Stardust Requirement
Stardust is an item you receive when you capture a Pokemon. If you are a regular player, chances are you have tons of it. Stardust is used for trading in-game. A friendship meter in-game changes depending on your interaction with your friend.
It’s divided into four tiers – Good, Great, Ultra, and Best. Depending on your friendship level, the Stardust requirement also changes. Thanks to the community, we have a proper chart with the cost requirement, which you can refer to below.
Conditions Good Friends (minimum a day) Great Friends (minimum seven days) Ultra Friends (minimum thirty days) Best Friends (minimum 90 days) Stardust cost for Pokemon registered in both the trader’s Pokedex 100 100 100 100 Stardust cost for Pokemon not registered in either of the trader’s Pokedex 20,000 16,000 1,600 800 Stardust cost for trading shiny and legendary Pokemon (if they are registered in both the trader’s Pokedex) 20,000 16,000 1,600 800 Stardust cost for trading shiny and legendary Pokemon (if they are not registered in either of the trader’s Pokedex) 1,000,000 800,000 80,000 40,000
How To Trade in Pokemon GO
Now that you know all the requirements, it is time to trade. Do that by following the steps below:
- Click on your character portrait on the bottom left. This will open up your character menu.
- On the character menu, press the Friends tab. Select the one you want to trade with to bring up the options.
- Right below the portrait, tap on the Trade option. Click on that, and wait for the other person to accept the request.
- Once inside the menu, select the Pokemon you want to trade. It will now show you its CP and HP and where it was caught.
- Once both of you are satisfied with the conditions, hit Confirm and complete the trade.
Select your profile picture and open up the menu. 
Click on the friends tab to open up the friends list 
Select the friend you want to exchange your monsters with 
Once confirmed, select the trade option 
When the other player accepts trade request, you’ll get a pop-up to select your Pokemon 
Once you select a Pokemon, it will show the stats for that Pokemon 
Confirm your trade request in Pokemon GO 
You get a pop-up when the trade gets confirmed.
Congratulations, you have successfully traded a Pokemon. Remember, you can only trade a maximum of 100 Pokemons in a day. Furthermore, you also get a Pokemon GO candy at each successful trade, which is even more amazing!
So, do you have any stories from your trading experiences? Let us know in the comments below.
If you trade a Legendary, a Shiny, an Ultra Beast, or a Purified Pokemon, that gets considered a Special or Lucky trade. This is because these are Pokemon that are better than the standard ones.
