This is true, it is payable upfront (but it is a bond, not a fee, so it is refundable when the terms of the bond are met). You can read more about the bond here: http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/wiki/index.php?title=Seller%27s_Guide#Bond The bond was introduced to deter scammers. If it worked the other way, starting with a minus balance, a person could simply buy an ounce of weed, sell it all in grams to make up the $500, some buyers would inevitably FE and it would make the bond pointless in the first place. There is incentive with the current system to be a good, legitimate vendor as you can see from the page linked above. Libertas