Terms & Conditions

You must be at least 18 years old to use CardSwap, and you confirm this when creating your account. You must create an account with a valid email address (or Google sign-in) to list cards, send offers or buy. You are responsible for keeping your account secure and for all activity under it. Listings, trades and sales must comply with the listing rules below.

• List cards against the catalog card ID (set, number, variant, language).
• CardSwap is for trading card games only. Sports cards and other non-TCG items may not be listed, traded or sold.
• Member listings must include clear front and back photos of the actual card. CardSwap Official listings may use catalog images instead.
• Minimum ask price is $0.50 for sale listings.
• Represent condition and grading honestly — describe wear, and only claim a grade when the card is actually slabbed by the grading company you select.
• Only list cards you own and can ship.
• Listings that are misrepresented can be declined by the other collector and count as a non-completed trade for you.

Accepting an offer is a commitment. Once a trade is accepted, both collectors are expected to ship the agreed cards (and any cash adjustment) and mark the trade completed. If you need to back out, do it before accepting — cancelling a pending offer carries no penalty.

Walking away from a trade after it has been accepted has two consequences:

• Re-listing penalty (fee): a flat $2.99 re-listing fee is charged to the collector who cancels. It is never a percentage of card value. The penalty must be paid from your Offers page before you can send or accept any new offers.
• Trust penalty (completion rate): the cancellation is recorded on your profile and lowers your visible completion rate. Your ratings and completion history stay on your public profile permanently.

Repeat non-completions: collectors with 3 or more abandoned trades are hidden from the match feed and can be suspended from offering, matching and listing.

• Card-for-card trades: never a percentage of card value. Each side pays a flat trade protection fee ($2.99 for Free, $0 for Pro, $1.49 for Business members).
• Cash adjustments: when a trade includes a cash difference, CardSwap charges 5% of the cash amount only — not the value of the cards.
• Cash sales: a 7% commission on the sale price for free accounts, reduced to 5% on CardSwap Pro and Business. The seller receives the remainder.
• Trade Inspection Fee: $1.59 per trader, added at checkout whenever a trade is shipped through CardSwap for inspection (see section 13). Choosing tracked delivery from CardSwap adds $8.49 for that trader.
• Consignment: the consignment fee shown on your consignment form is taken from the sale price of a consigned card (see section 16).

Sale proceeds are held by CardSwap until the buyer confirms delivery, or for 7 days after payment, whichever comes first. They are then paid to the seller's payout account after CardSwap's fee. Sellers who connect a Stripe account are paid automatically per sale; others are paid manually. First payouts typically take 7–14 days while the payment provider verifies the account.

Pro is a recurring subscription billed monthly. Perks include a $0 trade protection fee, a 5% cash-sale fee instead of 7%, and high, medium and low Want List priorities, named and shareable want lists, price alerts, and want list import and export. Business also includes market insights for wanted cards. Want Lists are unlimited on every plan. Pro perks and remain active until the end of the period you have paid for, even after cancelling. See the pricing page for details.

• Sending cards that do not match what was offered (condition, card, or count).
• Repeatedly accepting offers with no intention to complete them.
• Manipulating ratings, reviews or completion statistics.
• Submitting, listing, trading or selling counterfeit cards, altered cards presented as unaltered, or stolen goods.

Counterfeit-item policy. CardSwap may place a transaction on hold and retain an item while reviewing a suspected counterfeit. CardSwap will preserve relevant records, notify the submitting user, and provide a reasonable opportunity to submit authenticity evidence, unless doing so would conflict with law enforcement, a court order, or an immediate safety or evidence-preservation need.

If CardSwap reasonably determines that an item is counterfeit after that review, CardSwap may cancel the transaction, refund the affected trader or buyer, restrict or suspend the submitting user's account, and cooperate with rights holders or law enforcement. To the extent permitted by applicable law, CardSwap may retain, surrender to authorities, or destroy the counterfeit item for evidence preservation or community protection, without returning it or paying compensation to the submitting user. Nothing in this section requires CardSwap to possess, return, transfer or destroy an item when doing so would violate applicable law or a binding official instruction.

When CardSwap opens a review concerning a suspected counterfeit, alteration, material misdescription, or authenticity issue, CardSwap will place the affected transaction on hold and send the submitting user a notice through the account notification system. When app email is available, CardSwap may also send the notice to the email address associated with that account. Notice is effective when it is posted to the user's CardSwap account.

The notice will identify the affected transaction and card where reasonably possible, summarize the concern without disclosing another user's private information, state that no final decision has been made, describe the materials the user may submit, and provide a reasonable response deadline. The user must keep account contact information current and must respond through CardSwap. CardSwap may delay or limit notice when required by law, court order, law-enforcement request, safety concern, or a genuine need to preserve evidence.

A trained CardSwap reviewer will consider the transaction record, listing and shipment photographs, inspection observations, communications made through CardSwap, documents submitted by the parties, and other reasonably reliable information. The reviewer may request clearer photographs, proof of purchase, professional authentication, or other information and may consult qualified third parties. CardSwap's review is an internal marketplace-risk decision, not a professional authentication, appraisal, grading opinion, or legal determination.

The submitting user will have a reasonable opportunity to respond before a decision or enforcement action is recorded. CardSwap may decide that the card appears authentic, is counterfeit, or is inconclusive. CardSwap will document the evidence considered, the reasons for the decision, and any resulting action, and will notify both parties of the outcome. CardSwap may maintain the hold, cancel the transaction, issue or direct refunds, return or forward property, restrict an account, preserve the item, or cooperate with a rights holder or government authority as permitted by law and these Terms. An inconclusive decision is not a finding of authenticity.

Users authorize CardSwap to photograph, examine, securely store, and preserve cards and related packaging while a transaction, dispute, chargeback, authenticity review, legal hold, or carrier claim is pending. Evidence may include front and back photographs, close-ups, packaging and label images, tracking records, communications, purchase records, inspection notes, and third-party reports. Users must submit only accurate, relevant material they are authorized to provide and must not alter, fabricate, or destroy evidence.

CardSwap will keep custody records showing the item, owner, declared value, receipt date, status, and any scheduled disposition date. Access is limited to authorized personnel and service providers with a legitimate operational or legal need. CardSwap may retain copies of records after the physical item leaves its custody when reasonably necessary for fraud prevention, enforcement, claims, accounting, or legal compliance, subject to the Privacy Notice and applicable law.

If a final review determines that an item is counterfeit, CardSwap will hold the item for 30 days after the final decision before it becomes eligible for disposition, unless a longer legal, payment, carrier, or evidence hold applies. During that period, the affected user may submit a written objection and supporting evidence. Eligibility does not cause automatic destruction: an authorized administrator must separately document the final disposition. To the extent permitted by law, CardSwap may return, surrender to a rights holder or government authority, or destroy a confirmed counterfeit without compensation. CardSwap will not transfer a suspected counterfeit into commerce. Nothing in these Terms requires disposition that would violate law or a binding official instruction.

CardSwap provides matching and payment tooling but does not take ownership of cards. Cards sent for Trade Inspection are held temporarily only to inspect and forward them; ownership stays with the traders. Trades are between collectors. Except for cards in CardSwap's custody under section 14 (Risk of Loss), CardSwap's liability is limited to the fees collected on the affected transaction. We may update these terms; material changes will be announced in the app.

When a Rookie trader is involved in a trade, the Rookie must ship their cards to CardSwap at 1432 Water Lily Drive Unit 3, Chula Vista, CA 91913 US. After inspection, CardSwap ships the card to its new owner. If the other trader is Swapper level or higher, they do not send their card to CardSwap; they wait until CardSwap verifies the Rookie's card and then ship their card directly to the Rookie. If both traders are Rookies, both ship to CardSwap. Traders who are both Swapper level or higher may opt out and ship directly to each other when both agree. Each trader whose card is routed through CardSwap pays a $1.59 Trade Inspection Fee at checkout; a trader who ships directly pays no inspection fee.

Delivery after inspection. Each trader chooses how CardSwap sends their card on to the recipient. Tracked delivery adds $8.49 to that trader's checkout and includes a tracking number. Untracked delivery is sent by regular mail at no extra charge; if a trader chooses untracked delivery, CardSwap is not liable for any card that is lost, missing, or damaged after it leaves CardSwap. The choice is locked once that trader starts checkout.

CardSwap provides a trade facilitation and inspection service designed to help reduce fraud and identify potential issues with cards submitted for trade.

Inspection does not constitute professional authentication or grading. Cardswap Marketplace does not guarantee, certify, or warrant that any card submitted through the marketplace is authentic, unaltered, genuine, or accurately represented by the submitting user.

Each user is solely responsible for the authenticity, ownership, condition, and description of the cards they submit for a trade. Users must not knowingly submit counterfeit, altered, stolen, or misrepresented cards.

When a card is submitted to CardSwap, CardSwap may perform a visual inspection and may use available information, tools, or third-party resources to identify apparent inconsistencies or potential concerns. An inspection result is not a certification of authenticity and should not be relied upon as a professional authentication opinion.

If CardSwap identifies an apparent authenticity concern, material discrepancy, or other issue during its inspection, CardSwap may place the trade on hold, cancel the trade, return the card to the submitting user, restrict the user's account, or take other action permitted under the Marketplace Terms.

CardSwap is not responsible for defects, counterfeit characteristics, alterations, or other issues that are not reasonably detectable through the inspection process.

By participating in a protected trade, each user acknowledges and agrees that the inspection process is a fraud-prevention and risk-reduction measure and is not an authenticity guarantee, professional authentication service, or grading service.

Users remain responsible for conducting their own due diligence and should obtain professional authentication for cards where authenticity is particularly important or where the value warrants independent authentication.

Shipping to CardSwap. The sender bears the risk until CardSwap receives and logs the package. If a carrier loses an inbound package, the claim is between the sender and the carrier; CardSwap is not responsible for packages that never reach us.

Shipping from CardSwap. From the moment CardSwap receives and logs a card until delivery is confirmed, CardSwap is responsible for getting it to its new owner. Outbound packages are sent on labels CardSwap controls, photographed and documented at intake, and — when the trader chooses tracked delivery — shipped with tracking and delivery confirmation. CardSwap's responsibility for a lost or damaged outbound card is limited to the card's declared value, capped at $100 per card.

Untracked delivery. If a trader chooses untracked delivery (see section 13), CardSwap is not liable for any card that is lost, missing, or damaged after it leaves CardSwap.

High-value cards. Cards with a declared value above the $100 cap may require signature on delivery, and traders should obtain independent insurance for value above the cap.

If a card is lost. If the outbound leg is lost, the affected trader receives their card back if it is recovered, or the trade's cash value for that card — funded by the carrier insurance claim, not by the other trader.

Filing. A trader may open a dispute from the trade page if a card is not received, does not match its listing, is damaged, or is suspected counterfeit. Disputes about a delivered package must be filed within 48 hours of delivery confirmation. Disputes must be filed in the app; off-platform claims are not reviewed.

Evidence. The filing trader must describe the problem and may upload photos. Photos are screened under our content rules and stored privately for CardSwap staff. Fabricated, altered, or misleading evidence is a violation of these Terms.

Hold and notice. Opening a dispute places the trade and any related payout on hold. The other trader is notified and may respond with their own evidence. Suspected counterfeits follow sections 9 to 11, including the Counterparty Notice.

Decision. CardSwap staff review the evidence and decide whether to complete, cancel, or partly refund the trade, return cards, or apply account restrictions. Both traders are notified of the outcome. Decisions are limited to the remedies in these Terms and do not prevent either party from pursuing other remedies available by law.

• Consignment: consigned cards stay yours until sold. CardSwap stores and lists them as CardSwap Official listings and, after a sale, pays you the sale price minus the consignment fee to your linked payout account. Risk of loss while in CardSwap's custody follows section 14.
• CardSwap Official listings: cards sold by CardSwap or on consignment carry a CardSwap Official badge.

Read the Seller FAQ for fee math and payout timelines, or reach out from your profile page.