I have lost count of how many times I told myself that a quest in Escape From Tarkov would be simple, only to end up limping toward extraction with no meds and a very fragile plan. Big Customer is exactly that kind of job. On paper, Prapor just wants you to mark a van full of chemicals on Customs. In practice, you are one bad spawn or one angry PMC away from losing everything.

As a regular player in the current 2026 wipe, I can tell you that this quest still comes down to preparation, map knowledge, and a little luck. The Big Customer quest only opens after you complete Chemical - Part 3 from Skier. Once that is done, Prapor gets interested in the chemicals and offers to cut you in if you help him find the transport and mark the location. So what could possibly go wrong?

Big Customer Objectives

The objectives are straightforward, at least when you read them in the task menu:

1. Locate the transport carrying the chemicals on Customs.

2. Plant a beacon on the van.

3. Survive the beacon placement timer.

4. Extract alive.

That sounds manageable, right? But nothing in Tarkov is ever that easy. You need to find a specific warehouse near the SCAV checkpoint, avoid players and scavs, plant the beacon, wait 30 seconds, and then escape the map. If you die before extracting, none of it counts.

Preparation Before the Raid

Before you queue into Customs, buy the beacon from Prapor. Do not forget this step. I have seen too many players load into a raid only to realize they left the beacon in their stash. Keep it in your secure container. That way, if you take a bullet on the way to the van, you do not lose the quest item.

Also bring a basic kit you are willing to lose. Customs is a hot map, and the warehouse area is often contested by other PMCs. You do not need to fight everyone. Sometimes the best play is to hide, plant, wait, and disappear.

Locating the Van

Once you spawn into Customs, your first job is to reach the warehouse near the SCAV checkpoint. Depending on your spawn, this can be extremely easy or brutally difficult. On a lucky run, you may spawn inside or right next to the warehouse. On an unlucky run, you will have to cross a large chunk of the map and pray nobody sees you.

Inside the warehouse, look for the van with the chemicals. In my own runs, the hardest part is not finding the van, but dealing with whatever is already lurking in the area. Scavs can be avoided if you stay quiet, but PMCs often push this spot because they know questers come here. Do not get tunnel vision. Clear the area or wait for a quiet moment before you commit.

Planting the Beacon

When you find the van, interact with its side to plant the beacon. A countdown timer begins, and you do not need to stand right next to the van for the marker to work. That is the one piece of good news. Find a safe corner, a bush, or a dark spot nearby and wait out the timer. The countdown is only 30 seconds, but in Tarkov, 30 seconds can feel like 30 minutes.

Once the timer hits zero, do not hang around. Check your extraction zones and move out as fast as possible. The longer you stay, the more likely you run into player scavs or PMC squads rotating through the area. Your job is done, so get out and collect your reward.

Big Customer Rewards

Here is where Big Customer gets interesting: you can turn the quest in to different traders for different rewards. Which one should you choose? That depends on what you need.

Trader	EXP	Reputation	Roubles	Other Rewards
Prapor	8,200	+0.1 Prapor, -0.01 Jaeger	200,000	PACA Soft Armor, two ammo cases
Skier	6,600	+0.1 Skier, -0.01 Jaeger	35,000	Grenade case, ability to buy ZSh-1-2M helmet from Ragman
Therapist	8,300	+0.3 Therapist	170,000	Meds case

For me, Prapor and Therapist are the most tempting options. Prapor gives a large amount of Roubles and ammo cases, which are always useful. Therapist gives slightly more EXP than Prapor, a solid reputation boost, and a meds case. Skier offers less money, but the grenade case and the helmet unlock can be valuable if you are building up your hideout or gearing for heavy raids.

Which trader is the best? Ask yourself what your account needs right now. If you are short on storage, the cases are excellent. If you care about trader reputation, Therapist gives the largest single reputation bump. If you want the helmet unlock, Skier is the only route.

Final Tips

Big Customer is not the hardest quest in Tarkov, but it punishes carelessness. Buy the beacon before you load in, keep it in your secure container, and do not fight unless you have to. Move quietly through the warehouse area, plant the marker, hide during the timer, and leave as soon as it completes.

After enough wipes, I have learned that the real reward is not just the Roubles or reputation. It is the moment you extract after planting that beacon and remember why Tarkov still gets your heart racing in 2026.