Selling
How to Sell Pokémon Cards: What You Actually Net on Each Platform

Most "how to sell Pokémon cards" guides quote the marketplace fee (eBay's 13.25%, TCGplayer's 10.75%) and call it done. That's the smaller half of the math. Real net payout also includes payment processing, shipping, packaging, returns, and time. A $200 card listed on eBay doesn't net $173.50. After the full stack, you net closer to $160 to $165 depending on how you ship.

This is the actual math: one $200 card sold four ways, line by line, plus a decision tree for which platform makes sense at which price tier.

Key takeaways

• The headline marketplace fee misses payment processing (~2.5% + $0.30), shipping ($1 to $15 depending on insurance), and packaging ($0.50 to $1 per card).
• Sample $200 card net payouts in 2026: eBay ~$163 · TCGplayer ~$171 · Cardmarket (EU) ~$182 · Local cash $200.
• TCGplayer has lower headline fees (10.75% in 2026, up from 10.25%) and is the cleanest path for non-graded singles between $20 and $500.
• eBay has the broadest audience and the strongest auction premium for graded cards above $500, but the fee stack is the highest of any major platform.
• Local cash sales bypass all fees, but the buyer pool is small and most buyers expect a 20 to 30% discount versus listed prices.
• US sellers cross the federal 1099-K threshold at just $600 in 2026 (down from $20K), so almost every active reseller now files a 1099-K.

The real fee math — line by line

Marketplace fees are advertised as a single percentage. The actual cost stack is six items.

eBay (TCG/CCG category, US, 2026)

• Marketplace final value fee: 13.25% of total sale (item + shipping)
• High-value tier: add 2.35% for any portion above $7,500
• Payment processing: rolled into the 13.25% (eBay handles payments via Managed Payments)
• Promoted Listings (optional): 2% to 12% additional ad fee, depends on category competitiveness
• Shipping cost: $4 to $15 with tracking, typically eaten by seller for items under $25
• Packaging: $0.50 to $1 per card (toploader, sleeve, bubble mailer)

A $200 card with $5 shipping included sells for $205. eBay takes 13.25% of $205 = $27.16. Net before packaging: $172.84. Subtract $4.50 shipping label and $0.80 packaging: $167.54 net.

TCGplayer (Marketplace, Level 1-4 seller, 2026)

• Marketplace commission: 10.75% (raised from 10.25% in 2026)
• Payment processing: 2.5% + $0.30 per order (separate fee, applied to full order including shipping)
• High-value cap: $75 flat fee max per item (kicks in around $700+ cards)
• Shipping cost: seller sets, typically $1 to $5 for non-graded singles
• Packaging: $0.50 to $1 per card

A $200 card listed at $200 with $1.50 shipping = $201.50 order total. Commission 10.75% of $201.50 = $21.66. Payment processing 2.5% × $201.50 + $0.30 = $5.34. Total platform fees: $27.00. Subtract $1.50 shipping cost (passed through) + $0.80 packaging: $171.20 net.

Cardmarket (Europe, 2026)

• Marketplace commission: ~5% on most singles (lower for low-volume sellers, slight increase at scale)
• Payment processing: included in Cardmarket payment system
• Shipping cost: seller sets, varies by destination ($3 to $15 within EU)
• Packaging: equivalent to other platforms

A $200 card on Cardmarket: 5% fee = $10 + $8 shipping (EU tracked) + $0.80 packaging. Net: ~$181. The lowest fee structure of any major Pokémon platform, but the buyer pool is European-skewed and US sellers face customs and longer transit.

Whatnot (live auction format)

• Commission: 8% on items
• Payment processing: 2.9% + $0.30
• Shipping cost: seller-paid, typically $4 to $10 with insurance
• Hidden time cost: live shows are 2+ hours of streaming, doesn't scale beyond chase-card sales

A $200 card on Whatnot: ~$16 commission + $6 payment fee + $5 shipping + $0.80 packaging. Net: ~$172. Similar to TCGplayer on the math, with the time investment being the real cost.

Local cash (Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, in-person)

• Marketplace commission: $0 (for in-person handoffs)
• Payment processing: $0 (cash) or $0 to 2.9% if using Venmo/Zelle for friend transactions
• Shipping cost: $0 (in-person)
• Packaging: $0 to $0.30 if you hand over a sleeve

A $200 card local-cash: $0 in fees, $200 net. The catch: local buyers expect a discount. Realistic local-sale price is usually 70 to 85% of online list, so $200 listed often becomes $150 to $170 cash in hand.

The actual decision: where to list, by card price

The fee differences only matter relative to the buyer pool. A 5% fee on Cardmarket isn't a savings if no European buyer wants the card.

• Under $20. Sell as bulk on eBay (50-card lots) or list on TCGplayer if already inventoried. Single-card listings at this price tier rarely cover the per-listing time cost. Local cash is fine if you have a local buyer.
• $20 to $100. TCGplayer wins on fees and on buyer-intent (people on TCGplayer came specifically to buy that card). eBay works if the card has an alt-art or chase-card hook that benefits from photo-driven listings.
• $100 to $500. TCGplayer or eBay, with the choice driven by graded vs raw. Raw stays on TCGplayer; graded goes to eBay where slabbed listings get auction premium.
• $500 to $2,000. eBay 7-day auctions consistently outperform fixed-price for graded vintage and modern alt-art chase cards. The auction premium typically exceeds the fee differential. TCGplayer Pro is competitive at the upper end if you have the seller history.
• $2,000+. Consider Goldin, PWCC, or Heritage auctions. Fees are higher (10 to 20% buyer premium plus seller fee), but the auction-house buyer pool reaches the deep-pocketed collectors who don't browse eBay.

Time and risk are real costs

Every platform has hidden costs beyond fees.

eBay: photo-heavy listings (8 to 12 photos for a graded card), 30-day return policy enforced by buyer, occasional disputes that the platform sides with the buyer on. Time per listing: 10 to 20 minutes for a one-off graded card. The audience is the largest in TCG, but the operational overhead is the highest.

TCGplayer: card must be in your TCGplayer inventory (you scan and grade condition once, then orders auto-deduct). Time-per-card after initial inventory: 30 seconds. Disputes are rarer because the platform's condition standards are stricter and buyers are TCG-aware. The catch: getting cards into inventory takes upfront time.

Cardmarket: similar to TCGplayer in workflow, but the European buyer base means international shipping is required. US sellers add 1 to 2 days to shipping per order and pay $5 to $15 in tracking depending on destination.

Whatnot: the time cost dominates. A 2-hour live show that nets $500 in sales sounds good until you factor 30 minutes of prep + 30 minutes of post-show shipping. The hourly rate is often worse than the fee math suggests.

Local cash: safe but slow. Most local buyers offer 60 to 80% of online list. The "no fees" advantage often dissolves in the negotiation.

The 1099-K threshold matters in 2026

Federal tax law changed the 1099-K reporting threshold from $20,000 to $600 in 2026. Almost every active reseller now receives a 1099-K from at least one platform.

What this means in practice:

• Track basis (what you paid) for every card you intend to sell. Without basis records, the IRS treats the entire sale price as taxable income, not just the gain.
• Self-employment income from Pokémon sales above $400 net per year requires Schedule SE in addition to Schedule 1 reporting.
• Hobby sellers (no profit motive) report on Schedule 1 line 8j without Schedule C; sellers with regular volume need Schedule C and pay self-employment tax.
• State thresholds vary; a few states still use the old $20K threshold, most match federal.

This isn't tax advice, but the rule of thumb: if you're crossing $600 in any platform's annual reporting, talk to an accountant once before April. The cost of an hour with a CPA is less than the cost of one mistake.

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