Aztec towns were required to pay tribute two to four times a year. Luxury goods used for trade and tribute included feathers, beads and ornate clothing.

The Aztecs also traded practical goods such as food, cloth and firewood.

Because of their extensive agricultural knowledge, the Aztecs had a wide range of fruits and vegetables available as surplus to trade. They transplanted crops from the lake chinampas to the hillsides to get more than one crop per season. This created huge crop surpluses of corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, berries, flowers (such as amaranth), grains, and more.