Why we built this

Custom plates in New Zealand have been bought, sold and traded for over 30 years. The first personalised plates appeared in 1989, and by the mid-90s a secondary market had already formed. People trading combinations privately, hunting for short plates, holding them as assets.

That market never went away. It just never had a proper home.

For years, NZ plate trading happened in Facebook groups with 70,000 members and counting. No search. No filters. Posts buried within hours. Buyers scrolling through hundreds of photos hoping to find what they want. Sellers getting lowball offers in the comments for everyone to see. And plenty of people who simply don't want their financial decisions playing out on social media.

TradeMe exists but plates get lost among cars, parts and everything else. KiwiPlates has a resale board but charges $40 to list and barely anyone finds it.

MarketPlates exists to fix that. A dedicated platform built for the NZ plate market. Free to list, no commission, with real search, real price history, and a straightforward transfer guide so buyers and sellers can transact with confidence.

If you've got a plate worth selling, or you're hunting for something specific, this is where NZ plates belong.