Star Citizen Trade Calculator
Calculate your exact aUEC investment, cargo capacity limits, and maximize your profit margins for every trade run.
Cargo & Logistics
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Star Citizen Trading Guide
Cargo hauling in Star Citizen is one of the most lucrative and dangerous professions in the 'Verse. Moving commodities from mining outposts to major planetary landing zones requires a solid understanding of the game's dynamic economy and the exact SCU capacity of your vessel.
Understanding SCU and Trade Units
Every ship has a physical cargo grid measured in Standard Cargo Units (SCU). However, trade terminals on outposts and space stations process transactions in Units. The mathematical conversion is static:
Example: A Cutlass Black holds 46 SCU. Therefore, it can hold exactly 4,600 Units of any commodity. If Gold costs 60 aUEC per unit to buy, filling a Cutlass Black will cost 276,000 aUEC in capital.
Managing Risk vs. Reward
Trading is high stakes. When you purchase cargo, that money leaves your account and is physically placed into your ship. If you crash, disconnect (the dreaded 30k error), or get destroyed by pirates, you lose your entire investment. Always look at the Required Capital generated by the calculator. A golden rule of Star Citizen trading is to never invest more than 50% of your total aUEC wallet into a single cargo run.
Why are commodity prices fluctuating?
Star Citizen utilizes a dynamic, server-meshed economy. Prices are driven by supply and demand. If an outpost is constantly visited by players buying Laranite, the outpost's supply will dry up, and the remaining units will become significantly more expensive, destroying your profit margins.
Can I mix different commodities?
Yes. If an outpost doesn't have enough Gold to fill your massive C2 Hercules, you can fill the remaining SCU grid with a secondary commodity like Beryl or Titanium. While less profitable, flying with a partially empty cargo hold is a massive waste of time and fuel.
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