Where to sell cards online: eBay, TCGplayer, Whatnot

TCGplayer and Whatnot each take a cut of a card sale, but they measure it differently. TCGplayer takes 10.75% of the items (capped at $75 per item) and of the shipping, plus 2.5% of the total and $0.30. Whatnot takes 8% of the item price alone, plus 2.9% of the total and $0.30. On a $250 card, under the assumptions below, that leaves about $215 on TCGplayer and $222 on Whatnot. eBay’s fee rates are not priced here, so check its fee page before you list.

What does each site charge?

These are the standard rates for a US seller: TCGplayer’s Level 1 to 4 marketplace seller, and Whatnot’s standard tier for sports and TCG categories.

TCGplayer has no listing fee.

A few conditions change those numbers:

• TCGplayer applies its $75 cap per item, not per order. Its own example: two $1,000 cards in one order pay $150 in commission. On commission alone, the cap starts to matter at about $698.
• Whatnot lowers its rate as your sales grow. Its US tiers start at $15,000 of sales in a four-week period, and the 8% for sports and TCG drops in steps to 6.5% at $500,000 or more. It also charges 0% commission on the part of a single sale above $1,500 in its TCG and sports singles categories. That is a limited-time promotion running since January 14, 2026, and it excludes sports breaks.

What do you keep after fees?

The table works through one card sold on its own. It assumes the buyer pays $5 for shipping, which you then spend on postage, and 7% sales tax on the item plus shipping, the rate TCGplayer uses in its own fee examples. “Kept” is the sale price less the site’s fees, before supplies, insurance or a signature.

Two things explain the pattern:

• Whatnot takes less on the two cheaper cards. Its commission skips shipping and tax. Whatnot makes the same case with a $10 item: 8% of the item price is $0.80, less than 6% of the full $15.84 total.
• TCGplayer takes less at $1,000. Its $75 cap has kicked in, so its commission stops growing, while Whatnot’s 8% keeps climbing.

Shipping costs come on top. On the $1,000 card, eBay asks for signature confirmation on cards over $750, TCGplayer requires it on orders over $250, and Whatnot may add it automatically at about $500, at $4.36 by USPS. Our guide to shipping a graded card yourself prices insurance and signatures by card value.

What else does each site require?

What does eBay ask of sellers?

eBay’s trading card guide asks you to name the grader and the grade on a graded card, and recommends adding the cert number. Higher-value cards also go through eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee, so you ship them to an authentication facility. eBay gives two thresholds, cards over $250 and $200 or more. The check costs sellers nothing, but your postage to the facility is yours to pay.

What does TCGplayer ask of sellers?

New sellers go through an initial review, then start at Level 1. That level caps you at 100 items, $1,000 of listings at once and $500 for any single item. Level 2 lifts the single-item limit to $1,000 once you have two orders that have reached their expected delivery date and feedback of 80% or more. Level 3, after 11 such orders and 85% feedback, allows items up to $20,000.

Graded cards, signed cards and most non-English cards must go up as Listings with Photos, showing the exact card, its set, its condition and any flaws. TCGplayer sorts listings by price plus shipping, so a lower shipping charge moves a listing up the page.

What does Whatnot ask of sellers?

Whatnot sells through live shows and through ordinary listings. In a show, the rate follows the show’s category, and for a listing it follows the product’s category. Its packing rules ask for each slab to go in a graded card sleeve or team bag, and it offers shipping protection, through partners, at 1% of the item value plus shipping, with a $10,000 maximum covered amount.

How fast does the money arrive?

TCGplayer marks a sale “Completed - Pending Payment” 24 hours after the tracking shows delivery. Without confirmed delivery, it waits until 24 hours after the expected delivery date. It sends payments every Monday and Thursday, and direct deposits usually reach the bank about four business days later. A buyer dispute holds the money until it is settled.

Whatnot makes US sale money available within about 4 hours of confirmed delivery. You then request a transfer, which usually reaches your bank in 1 to 2 business days. Sellers who qualify for its early release can draw the money as soon as they create the shipping label.

Which site fits which card?

• A low-priced single: On these figures, Whatnot keeps the most, because its commission ignores shipping and tax. TCGplayer comes second.
• A card around $1,000: TCGplayer’s $75 cap makes it cheaper than Whatnot, but only once you’ve reached Level 2.
• A new TCGplayer account and a card above $500: Level 1 won’t let you list it, so look at eBay or Whatnot instead.
• A card over $200 on eBay: Allow for the authentication step and the postage to the facility.
• A card sitting in a rip site’s vault: Selling it on the platform may skip shipping altogether. Our guide to selling a card from a vault compares those fees.
• Money today: A local shop pays on the spot, at a lower figure. See selling cards to a local shop.

Fees change. Whatnot moved to tiered rates on September 21, 2026, and TCGplayer’s fees were updated in June 2026, so check each site’s fee page on the day you list.

How do you price and list the card?

1. Price from sales. Use recent sold prices for the same printing and condition, or the same grader and grade. Our guide on how to find what a card sold for sets out the method, and our guide to market, listed and sold prices explains each site’s figures. For English Pokémon cards, the card price lookup gives a dated NM market price.
2. Work back from the fee. Use the table above to see what a price leaves you after fees. Our seller fee calculator does the same sums for any price, shipping charge and tax rate.
3. Photograph both sides. Show the front and back, and on a slab, the label.
4. Describe the condition honestly. Our guide to card condition explains the steps from Near Mint to Damaged.
5. Set shipping to match the value. Use tracking and add a signature at each site’s threshold.

Frequently asked questions

What does eBay charge to sell a trading card?

On October 27, 2026, eBay took 13.25% of the total sale on trading cards, shipping and tax included, up to $7,500 per item, and 2.35% above that, plus $0.40 an order over $10 or $0.30 at $10 or less. The first 250 listings each month carry no insertion fee.

How fast does eBay pay a seller?

Sale money usually shows as available 1 to 2 days after eBay confirms the buyer's payment, then takes another 1 to 3 business days to clear at the bank. On a daily schedule eBay starts the transfer about 2 days after payment, and on a weekly one each Tuesday for the previous week's sales.

What does it take to reach TCGplayer Level 4?

At least 51 orders past their expected delivery date, with feedback of 90% or more. Level 4 removes the cap on how many items you can list and adds custom shipping options.

Can you sell a card you opened on a rip site without shipping it?

At Phygitals, yes: every card comes with an instant offer to buy it back as soon as its pack opens, set pack by pack, from 85% to 100% of the card's listed value on October 14, 2026. A card you keep stays in its vault and can be shipped later.