William A. Barton reviewed Trader Captains and Merchant Princes in Space Gamer No. 69.[1] Barton commented that "Overall, Trader Captains and Merchant Princes is an excellent expansion to an outstanding game. if you already play ST:RPG, you should pick it up. If not, take a look – it might help convince you to switch."[1]
Frederick Paul Kiesche III reviewed Trader Captains and Merchant Princes for Different Worlds magazine and stated that "In conclusion, I feel that the designers have done an excellent job on this supplement. With the exception of the lack of specifics on cargo, everything was well thought out. The book is filled with many nice touches (artwork for example). I recommend this book for anyone who runs Star Trek and wishes to flesh out his or her universe or even to those running other science-fiction campaigns who are looking for an interesting background supplement on traders."[2]