How to buy raw cards online: condition and refunds
What a raw card's condition label means on TCGplayer, eBay and Whatnot, which photos to ask for, how seller ratings work, and the window to report a problem.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 7 min read
To buy a raw card online without surprises, read its condition label against that marketplace’s own scale, buy from a listing that shows the exact copy when the card matters, and check the seller’s record knowing how the rating is built. Then note the deadline for reporting a problem. On TCGplayer it is 30 days after the estimated delivery date. On Whatnot it is 7 days after delivery for sports and TCG cards, or 30 days after purchase if that comes first. On eBay it follows the seller’s return policy, and a card that went through Authenticity Guarantee with no returns is a final sale except for damage in transit, reported within 3 calendar days.
What does a condition label mean on each marketplace?
The three marketplaces don’t share a scale, so the same words can mean different cards. Our glossary entries on card condition and Near Mint give the short definitions.
| TCGplayer | eBay | Whatnot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steps for a raw card | Five: Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played, Damaged | Four: Near Mint or Better, then Lightly Played, Moderately Played and Heavily Played for TCG cards (Excellent, Very Good and Poor for sports and non-sport cards) | Four: a top step above Near Mint, then Near Mint, Good and Damaged |
| The top step | Near Mint; no higher condition is sold | Near Mint or Better | A step above Near Mint for cards with no visible wear |
| What its Near Mint takes in | A card with no flaws or a few slight ones | Minor chipping on corners and edges is allowed | By Whatnot’s own description, cards a shop would call Near Mint or one step lower |
| Its lower steps | Heavily Played still can’t be structurally damaged; anything worse is Damaged | Its bottom label allows tears | Good covers what a shop calls Moderately Played; Damaged covers Heavily Played and Damaged |
So a Whatnot card labeled Near Mint may be what TCGplayer would call Lightly Played, and a Whatnot card labeled Good is, by Whatnot’s own mapping, a Moderately Played card. Our guide to card condition grades sets out what TCGplayer allows at each step, down to the size of each flaw.
Which listings show you the exact card?
On TCGplayer, a standard listing is a condition label on a catalog entry. To see the copy itself, buy from a Listing with Photos, which shows the seller’s own images and is required for graded, signed and most non-English cards. TCGplayer Direct is the other route: Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon singles from qualifying sellers ship from TCGplayer’s Authentication Center, where staff check every order for the right card in the right condition. A Direct package ships free in the US over $50 and costs $3.99 below that, and Listings with Photos can’t go into a Direct order.
On eBay, sellers are asked for clear photos of the front, the back and any significant blemish. eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee adds a check on higher-value singles, with two lines given for raw cards: $200 or more and over $250. The authenticator checks the corners, edges, surface and overall condition against the listing, as well as authenticity, and if the card fails you get a full refund. It is not a grade.
On Whatnot, listings must carry photos of the actual item, with at least one clear, uncropped shot of all of it, and stock photos are barred for used items.
Whatever the site, ask for any view the photos miss: the back, the corners and edges, and a shot with light running across the surface, where marks and dents show. The photos then become part of the deal. A TCGplayer Listing with Photos that arrives matching its photos, title and description doesn’t have to be taken back, and Whatnot doesn’t cover a flaw the seller clearly showed before the sale.
How do you read a seller’s rating?
| TCGplayer | Whatnot | eBay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | 1 to 5 stars; 4 and 5 count as positive, 3 as neutral | 5 stars, with an optional written review | Star ratings from buyers, plus a Top Rated badge for some sellers |
| Time to rate | 60 days after the sale | 30 days after delivery | No time limit given |
| What to know | A sale with no feedback five days after it is marked complete is rated 5 automatically, and comments come on about 10% of sales | Star-only ratings count toward the profile rating but don’t show one by one; only written reviews appear in the Reviews tab | Top Rated sellers need consistent 4 and 5 star ratings, $1,000 of sales and 100 transactions a year, and tracking on 90% of US transactions |
TCGplayer’s automatic 5 means a high rating partly reflects buyers who said nothing, so read the written comments, which its storefront shows for the last 12 months. Two badges help there too. A Gold Star Seller has a rating of 99.5% or better and at least 100 transactions in the past 90 days. A Certified Hobby Shop has verified with TCGplayer that it is a licensed reseller with a physical storefront. The Verified Seller filter shows only those two.
When can you send a raw card back?
| TCGplayer | eBay | Whatnot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You changed your mind | Not covered | Only if the seller’s policy takes returns | Not covered; most sales are final |
| Worse condition than listed | Contact the seller within 30 days of the estimated delivery date | Outside Authenticity Guarantee, the seller must resolve it even with a no-returns policy, and pays the return shipping | Covered within 7 days of delivery for sports and TCG cards, or 30 days of purchase if sooner |
| A flaw shown before the sale | A Listing with Photos that matches doesn’t have to be taken back | No rule given | Not covered |
| You suspect a fake | Send it to TCGplayer on a prepaid label for review; a full refund if it is counterfeit | Cards in Authenticity Guarantee are checked before they reach you | 30 days from receipt to report it |
On TCGplayer, a seller has three ways to settle a condition problem. You can agree a partial refund, and TCGplayer suggests about 10% per condition step, so a Near Mint order that arrives Moderately Played would get about 20%. Or the seller can send a replacement, or refund the card in full, and either way must send you a prepaid way to ship the wrong card back. The seller has 2 business days to answer before you can ask TCGplayer to step in, and a seller can’t insist on photos before resolving it.
On eBay, a seller can offer no returns, 30 or 60 days with free or buyer-paid returns, or 14 days in some categories. For cards outside Authenticity Guarantee, a seller with a no-returns policy must still resolve a claim that the item doesn’t match the listing. A card inside it was checked against the listing before it reached you.
What should you do when the card arrives?
- Check the package first. TCGplayer asks you not to open a package damaged in shipping and to contact the seller.
- Photograph everything before you handle the card: the mailer, the packing and both sides of the card. Whatnot asks for photos of the item and the packaging with a claim.
- Check the condition under a bright light, tilted so the light runs across the surface, and enter the border widths you measure into our centering checker. Compare what you see with the listing and our condition guide.
- Report it quickly. TCGplayer recommends getting in touch within 48 hours of spotting a problem, well inside its 30-day limit.
- Send nothing back until it is approved. TCGplayer refuses refunds on cards sent back without the seller’s say, and Whatnot sends a prepaid label when it needs the card, to be shipped within 5 business days.
Before you buy, check the price against recent sales of the same card in the same condition. Our guides on how to find what a card sold for and market, listed and sold prices set out the method, and for English Pokémon cards the card price lookup gives a dated NM market price. For a card that looks wrong, see how to spot fake Pokémon cards or fake Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Swapping cards rather than buying them? See how to trade cards. Buying a slab instead? Our guide to buying graded cards online covers cert lookups, and storing trading cards covers what to do once the card is home.
Frequently asked questions
Does a factory miscut count as damage on TCGplayer?
Usually. TCGplayer judges a miscut or printing defect the same way even when a product line is known for them, and makes an exception, case by case, only when every copy or nearly every copy of a card shares the flaw.
Can you cancel a Whatnot order instead of filing a claim?
Yes, within 24 hours of the order if it hasn't shipped, and that is often the quickest fix. A buyer who asks to cancel can't rate the order afterward, even if the seller declines.
Why is Whatnot's window shorter for cards than for other things?
Cards share Whatnot's shorter 7-day window with coins, sneakers, streetwear and luxury goods, while most other purchases get 14 days from delivery.
What counts as a good seller rating on TCGplayer?
A rating between 97% and 100% marks a healthy store on TCGplayer, which urges a seller to act once the rating dips below 95%. A few negative ratings barely move it.