How to earn credits quickly in Starfield

Take a look at our handy coverage of how to earn credits fast in Starfield, which breaks down three of the best methods for getting money when you play.

Tarran Stockton

20th Dec 2023 13:03

Images via Bethesda

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Credits make the galaxy go around in Starfield, and you will need plenty of them if you want to succeed. Starfield has many ways to make money, but some endeavors are more profitable than others.

Credits do everything from buying the best ships to keeping your ammo stocked up for the many weapons in your arsenal. For some of the best money schemes in the game, check out how to make credits quickly with the methods below.

Make credits with contraband smuggling

Some of the best ways to earn credits fast in Starfield involves smuggling and selling contraband, or building outposts for resource farming and then selling it on.

an image of contraband in Starfield, one of the best ways to earn credits fast in Starfield

For the first one, you will need to secure a good source of contraband. While it can be found randomly when exploring, there is plenty of contraband all over the Settled Systems in random places. You'll know that you've found contraband as it has a unique look and symbol compared to most items. Oh, and it'll be worth an absolutely huge amount of credits too.

You might want to invest in ship parts that can shield your cargo so your contraband doesn't get spotted too. Taking this to the Trade Authority located in major cities like New Atlantis will let you earn thousands at a time, and if you reinvest it into better-shielded storage for more contraband, you can continue to rake in money.

Earn credits through outposts & missions

an image of an outpost in Starfield

For our second method, building outposts and creating extractors will automatically collect and store resources for you. If you set up a few of these on various planets and leave them running while you explore or pass time in-game, you can return to collect your resources and sell them on to vendors.

The biggest issue you will run into with this method is vendors running out of money when you sell your goods, so you'll need to get used to making rounds to various vendors in the systems.

a mission board, one of the best ways to earn credits fast in Starfield

Another way to earn credits in Starfield, which doesn't have the issue of limited vendor money, is mission boards. All major factions have mission boards you can interact with in their main building, such as the one in the lobby of Constellation.

You can pick pretty simple missions from these, most of them taking no more than 10 or 20 minutes of playtime, and earn thousands of credits back for your work.

That's our coverage of how to earn credits fast in Starfield, and now you know three of the best ways to consistently get money in the game.

That is it for making credits quickly. For more, check out our Starfield homepage, where we have guides on topics like lockpicking, achievements, and the best mods for the game.

About The Author

Tarran Stockton

Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.

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