Quick answer (TLDR): Easy Money - Part 1 is a Skier quest on Customs. You need PMC level 10 and Skier loyalty level 2 for it to appear. Skier mails you 3 Arena advertisement posters (the objective calls it the Bison vs Undertaker poster), and you stash 1 on any of the 5 beds on the first floor of the Scav base living quarters: the walled fortress with the mounted guns in the middle of Customs. The reward is +3,000 EXP, 450 euros (up to 517 with Intelligence Center 2) and, most importantly, it unlocks Ref as a trader. Lost all 3 posters? Skier sells them at LL1.
Easy Money - Part 1 looks like a five-minute errand, and on a good raid it is. It also draws a steady stream of questions, and the searches tell you why: "not showing up", "bugged", "lost posters", "no poster". The quest has a hidden gate, a consumable item and a location that changed maps since older guides were written. This guide covers all three, then shows why the quest's real payoff is Ref and his GP coin economy, not the 450 euros.
Facts below were checked on November 11, 2026 against the official EFT Wiki quest page, on patch 1.3.0.x during Season 1: KORD BREACH, which ends December 7.
Escape from Tarkov - Roubles
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Key takeaways
- Giver: Skier. Map: Customs. Unlock: PMC level 10 + Skier LL2.
- Skier LL2 itself needs level 7 and 0.60 reputation with Skier, which is the usual reason the quest "isn't showing up".
- Objective: stash 1 Arena advertisement poster on one of 5 first-floor beds in the Scav base living quarters.
- Rewards: +3,000 EXP, 450 euros (472 with Intelligence Center 1, 517 with IC 2), and Ref unlocked as a trader.
- Lost posters: Skier sells the Arena poster at LL1. It can't go in a secure container, but it fits in a Document case or a S I C C pouch.
- Next step: Easy Money - Part 2 from Ref asks for 5 found-in-raid drinks and 5 found-in-raid food items and pays 52 GP coins.
What is Easy Money Part 1 in Tarkov?
It is Skier's recruitment errand for the Arena. The briefing sets it up in his usual style:
"You heard anything about the Arena yet? You gotta put up flyers around Tarkov. Like 'come and check it out', shit like that, you know." — Skier, Easy Money - Part 1 briefing (in-game quest text, via the EFT Wiki)
He also warns you that if you lose the posters, "it's your own bloody problem". That warning matters, because the poster is a physical item you carry into the raid.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Quest giver | Skier |
| Map | Customs |
| Required PMC level | 10 |
| Required trader level | Skier LL2 |
| Items provided | 3× Arena advertisement poster (by in-game mail) |
| Objective | Stash 1 poster in the Scav base living quarters |
| EXP | +3,000 |
| Money | 450 € (472 € with IC 1, 517 € with IC 2) |
| Unlocks | Ref (trader), Easy Money - Part 2 |
Why is Easy Money Part 1 not showing up?
This is the most common question, and it usually comes down to a requirement rather than a bug. The quest has two requirements, and the second one is easy to miss:
- PMC level 10. The quest stays hidden below level 10.
- Skier loyalty level 2. Per the Skier wiki page, LL2 needs level 7 and 0.60 standing with Skier. A level 10 PMC who has ignored Skier's early tasks can easily sit below 0.60.
Check your Skier standing on the Traders screen. If it is under 0.60, finish more of Skier's quests until he hits LL2, and Easy Money - Part 1 will appear in his task list. Our Tarkov trader loyalty levels guide covers the fastest ways to raise standing.
Two more cases come up on Reddit:
- You prestiged in PvE. A PvE Prestige resets your tasks and traders, so plan on repeating Easy Money on the new profile before you can use Ref. See how PvE Prestige resets work.
- You are on a different profile. PvP Zone, PvE Zone and Season 1 characters have separate quest progress. Finishing the quest on one does not unlock Ref on another.
Where do you plant the poster for Easy Money Part 1?
The target is the Scav base on Customs: the big walled fortress with the mounted machine guns in the centre of the map, between the main road and the river. On the map at the top of this guide it is circled in red. The ZB-1013 extract sits in the same fortress.
Inside, head for the living quarters on the first (ground) floor. The wiki marks five beds split between two rooms, and the poster can go on any one of them:
- Middle room: three beds (a bunk in the centre and two cots on the sides).
- Southern room: two bunk beds.
Look at a bed with the poster in your inventory and use the stash/hide interaction. Hold it until the bar completes. Placing the poster is the only objective, so the task completes the moment the poster is stashed. Extracting afterwards just saves your kit.
Why do some guides say Lighthouse?
Older guides and videos send you to Lighthouse with a big poster pack. That was an earlier version of the quest. The EFT Wiki now lists the "Easy Money poster pack" as historical content: "a large pack of Arena posters supposed to be stashed on Lighthouse". In the current game, the quest is Customs only, and it uses the single Arena advertisement poster. If a guide mentions Lighthouse, it is out of date.
What is the fastest way to do Easy Money Part 1?
The fortress is a Scav hotspot and a PMC crossroads, so treat it as a fight, not a walk. A route that works for most players:
- Load in light. A cheap kit, a few meds and one poster. You don't need a backpack.
- Protect the spare posters. Leave 2 posters in your stash. If you take extras, put them in a Document case or a S I C C organizational pouch and keep that case inside your secure container, because the poster can't go straight into a secure container.
- Approach on cover. The fortress sits in the open centre of Customs, so move along buildings and the railway instead of crossing open ground under the mounted guns.
- Clear the ground floor first. Scavs guard the fortress, and the mounted guns can cover the yard.
- Stash on the nearest bed of the five and leave. Don't loot the fortress on a quest run.
- Extract if you can. The quest is already done once the poster is placed, so this is only about keeping your gear.
Combine it with other Customs tasks if you can. The fortress is in the middle of the map, so it pairs well with Customs runs from our Customs money guide. For extract and building names, see the Customs map guide.
Escape from Tarkov - Leveling
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What if you lost all the Arena posters?
Skier gives you 3 posters and you only need 1, so you can lose 2 before it matters. If you lose all three, you are not locked out. The Arena advertisement poster is sold by Skier at loyalty level 1. Buy one and run it again. The same posters also show up on walls around Tarkov, and they can be installed in the Hideout, so don't sell spares you might need.
What does Easy Money Part 1 unlock?
The euros are pocket change. The real reward is Ref. According to the Ref wiki page, Ref is locked in the main game until you finish Easy Money - Part 1. Once he is unlocked, you get:
- A new trader who sells well-modded weapons, rare mods, armor, plates, helmets, backpacks, containers and rare ammo packs.
- A GP coin economy. Ref trades in GP coins, and his early quests pay them out.
- The Arena link. After Ref's Arena quest To Great Heights! - Part 3, he offers item and currency transfers between Arena and the main game for main characters. Seasonal characters get it after Jack of All Trades.
| Ref loyalty level | PMC level | Standing |
|---|---|---|
| LL2 | 15 | 0.25 |
| LL3 | 25 | 0.50 |
| LL4 | 35 | 1.20 |
How much can the Arena transfer move?
Per the Ref wiki page, a main character can transfer up to ₽1,000,000 a day with the Standard Arena edition (₽1,500,000 with "Ryzhy"), plus 350 GP coins and 5 Lega Medals. A seasonal character is capped at ₽400,000, 150 GP coins and 2 Lega Medals a day, plus 3 of each rare crate type. Transfers cost 15% of the amount for roubles and 5% of the value for items, reduced by Charisma and Ref loyalty. For players who also play Arena, this is a real rouble pipe into the main game, and it all starts with one poster on a bed.
What comes after Easy Money Part 1?
Once Part 1 is done, talk to Ref:
- Easy Money - Part 2: hand over 5 found-in-raid items from the Drinks category and 5 found-in-raid items from the Food category. Reward: +2,900 EXP, +0.02 Ref standing, 52 GP coins (55 with IC 1, 60 with IC 2). Keep any found-in-raid water, juice, canned food or MREs from your Customs run.
- Provide Viewership (opens when you accept Part 2): install 4 WI-FI Cameras inside the industrial plant on Customs, then eliminate 15 targets there. It pays +32,000 EXP and 45 GP coins.
- Balancing - Part 1 (after Part 2): eliminate 5 Scavs while using a Steyr AUG. It rewards the AUG A1 itself, mags, ammo and 45 GP coins.
The wiki marks Part 2 and these follow-ups as not required for Kappa, so if you're rushing the Collector, they can wait. For Ref's currency, our GP coins guide shows every way to earn them.
Should you rush Easy Money Part 1?
Yes, as soon as you hit level 10 and Skier LL2. It costs you one Customs raid. It opens a trader whose stock (containers, rare plates, AUG and TX-15 rewards) saves you roubles later, and it starts the GP coin income. On a fresh Season 1 character or after a PvE Prestige, it's one of the best value-per-minute tasks in the early game.
If you are short on time with Season 1 ending on December 7, skip the grind instead.
Short on raids before the season ends? We can push your quest line, or fund your kits and Ref's GP coin stock.
- EFT Roubles: fund your Customs kits and the other traders (choose PvP, PvE or Season zone at checkout)
- EFT GP Coins: Ref's own currency, so you can buy his stock without waiting on quest payouts
- EFT Kappa Container & Quest Boost: Skier, Ref and the rest of your task list done by pro players
- EFT Customs Raid Boost: a carry through the fortress if the Scav base keeps killing you
FAQ
Who gives Easy Money Part 1 in Tarkov? Skier gives it. You need PMC level 10 and Skier loyalty level 2 (level 7 and 0.60 standing) before it appears.
Where is the Easy Money Part 1 poster location? Stash one Arena advertisement poster on any of the 5 beds on the first floor of the Scav base living quarters on Customs. The Scav base is the walled fortress with mounted guns in the middle of the map.
Why can't I see Easy Money Part 1? You're below level 10, below Skier LL2, or on a profile (PvE Zone, PvP Zone or Season 1) that hasn't met those requirements. A PvE Prestige also resets it.
Can I put the Easy Money poster in my secure container? No. Put it in a Document case or a S I C C pouch instead, and leave spares in your stash.
What happens if I lose all 3 posters? Buy another Arena advertisement poster from Skier at loyalty level 1 and try again.
Is Easy Money Part 1 still on Lighthouse? No. The Lighthouse poster pack version is historical content. The current quest is completed on Customs.
What does Easy Money Part 1 unlock? It unlocks Ref as a trader and his next quest, Easy Money - Part 2, which pays 52 GP coins for 5 found-in-raid drinks and 5 found-in-raid food items.
