Money in Probably Stolen is counted in credits, and almost every system feeds back into one question: can you make the next rent payment? Rent rises over time, and a shop that falls behind loses attractiveness and customers. This page covers the economy as described in the store text, official patch notes and pre-release screenshots ahead of the October 28, 2026 launch.
Rent
Rent increases over time regardless of how your week went. If you fall behind, the store loses attractiveness, fewer customers walk in, revenue drops and the gap grows. Climbing back out often means taking riskier deals just to steady your cash flow. The store page also warns that an expensive item that gets confiscated, fails inspection or simply does not sell can leave you short when rent is due.
Pre-release screenshots show a day counter with the weekday and a rent sign beside it. Values in these images may change before launch.
Day Counter | Rent Sign |
|---|---|
Day 5, Friday | Rent in 2 days |
Day 9, Tuesday | Rent in 5 days |
Day 259, Sunday | Rent due today |
The long-term goal is to earn enough to buy out the shop before rising rent forces your hand. As of October 20, 2026, the buyout price has not been published.
Attractiveness and Customers
A store attractiveness meter tracks how appealing the shop is. The Mirage Projector adds an attractiveness bonus, and patch notes fixed bugs where the meter did not match the real value with bonuses applied and where it could overflow when the projector's bonus was too high. Playtesters asked for more store customization, and the developers said in September 2026 that they had heard those requests.
Customers vary in who they are and what they can pay. Patch notes mention barter customers, appraisal customers, premium and discount buyers, tourists and Upper Level customers, and screenshots label others as Lower Level Citizens. Update 049 changed how bargaining affects customer budgets and made some T3 buyers from the display case scale their budget. Customer factions and reputation are covered on Factions and Reputation.
Bargaining
Haggling happens in the bargain panel. The store page frames it as a trade-off: every bargain costs you something. Since Update 049, buy-side and sell-side bargains no longer affect reputation gains in the opposite direction, and the panel shows a separate reputation multiplier for each direction.
The Display Case
Goods placed in the display case sell to buyers. It does not work on the first day when the tutorial is enabled. Showing contraband there is risky: Patch 48.3.12 stopped players from farming Security reputation by displaying contraband and then hiding it in the smuggler bay before an inspection. See Security and Contraband.
Market Events and Goods Categories
Market events reprice goods by category. Update 049 made water containers count as water goods only while they hold liquid and as household goods when empty, so market events reprice both the liquid and the container. The water pitcher is also classed as a household item, and pricing for containers that hold goods, such as a case of beers, was made more consistent. An information dealer sells information about upcoming events.
Phone Orders and Suppliers
You can order supplies by phone, and a phone book holds quick-dial contacts. Quick-dialing a contact who will answer connects instantly. Dr. Jackson is a recurring seller who stocks guides, the Toolbox and other items. The store text warns that suppliers overstate value, so the tools on Authentication and Appraisal matter on the buying side too.
End of Day
Each day closes with the End of Day screen, where running costs such as the power service appear. Unlocking Power Hijack removes the power service from that screen and keeps it always active. Nightly logs and reports record what happened, and a calendar has a Status tab that shows active perks.
Lottery and Scratch Tickets
Scratch tickets are sold in the game, and the developers said playtesters had lots of fun with gambling. Since Update 049, winning lottery tickets can be redeemed immediately. The Gambling Addiction perk buys scratch tickets automatically; see Starting Scenarios and Perks.
The Commissary
A pre-release screenshot shows the Commissary, where Commissary Tokens are spent. Items on its list include Peat, Nutrifruit, Galaxy Blend, Puice, Pilk, a Sealed Water Ration (Standard) and a Basic Bandage. Two buttons read Redeem All Eligible Lottery and Redeem Valid Food Stamps. As of October 20, 2026, how tokens are earned has not been described in official notes.
