Marketplace Terms of Service

Version 2. By opting in as a seller or buying on the marketplace you agree to these terms.

1. What the marketplace is

TCG Archivist provides a venue where users buy and sell trading cards from each other. Each sale is a contract between the buyer and the seller. We are not a party to it: we list the cards, run checkout, and move the money.

2. Payments

Payments are processed by Stripe. Sellers receive payouts through a Stripe account they connect during setup; identity checks and bank details are Stripe's, and we never see your card number. A checkout reserves the cards in it for 30 minutes; if payment does not complete in that window, the reservation is released.

Completing checkout places a hold on the buyer's card; the card is only charged when the seller accepts the order. If the seller declines, or does not accept in time, the hold is released and the buyer pays nothing. Sellers are paid when an order completes (the buyer marks it received, or the receive window closes): we hold the funds until then, and the payout is transferred to the seller's Stripe account at completion.

3. Fees and pricing

• Sellers list every card they have marked tradable, priced at their chosen percentage of market price — except copies in a deck, which stay off the marketplace unless the seller turns on "List cards in my decks". Delisting is one switch (opt out), per card (mark it not tradable), per storage location or group of locations (mark the whole location not tradable in the app), or per deck placement.
• We deduct a 5% marketplace fee from the card price before seller payout.
• Buyers pay a service fee at checkout that covers payment processing (currently 2.9% + $0.30 per order).
• Each order is specific to one seller and carries one shipping charge: $1.49 for an untracked envelope, or $5.99 tracked. Untracked is available only for orders of 14 cards or fewer and under $50.00; larger or higher-value orders ship tracked.

4. Shipping

Sellers must accept the order and ship it within 4 business days of it being placed. For tracked orders we buy the label; the seller prints it and we keep the shipping fee. For untracked orders the shipping fee is paid out to the seller, who pays the postage themselves. A seller who lets the deadline lapse has the order cancelled automatically and the buyer's hold released or payment refunded.

5. Condition of cards

There is no card grading on the marketplace. Near mint, lightly played, and moderately played cards all sell at the same price. Damaged cards may not be sold, and listing them is a violation of these terms. A card is damaged if it could not be played in a sanctioned tournament: it has a crease, tear, water damage, ink or other alteration, or is so worn, warped, or discolored that it could be picked out of a sleeved deck. For reference, this is the standard behind "Marked Cards" in the official Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules. If a card arrives damaged or materially not as described, open a dispute (section 7) within the receive window.

6. Receiving an order

Buyers have 30 days from shipment to mark an order received. We send a reminder at day 28. An order that is neither marked received nor disputed by day 30 is treated as delivered and completed. After completion, buyer and seller may rate each other; ratings are revealed once both sides have rated or after 14 days.

7. Problems and refunds

If an order does not arrive, or arrives materially not as described, report it from the order page within the 30-day window. This marks the order disputed and pauses auto-completion. Disputes are reviewed and refunded manually by us; there is no automatic refund on dispute. Refunds for cancelled unshipped orders (seller cancellation or missed deadline) are automatic and return the full amount paid.

8. Addresses and privacy

Buyers provide a shipping address at checkout; it is shared with the seller solely to fulfil that order. Sellers provide a return address and phone number, printed on shipping labels as USPS requires, and shown to no one otherwise. Buyers and sellers see each other's display names, never email addresses.

9. Prohibited items and conduct

Only genuine trading cards may be sold. Counterfeit or proxy cards, stolen goods, and anything other than the listed cards in the envelope are prohibited. Buying from yourself, manipulating ratings, and using the marketplace to move money rather than cards are prohibited. We may suspend accounts that break these rules; suspension delists a seller immediately, states the reason, and does not touch funds from completed sales.

10. Sales tax

We do not currently calculate or collect sales tax at checkout. Sellers are responsible for any tax obligations arising from their own sales. If and when marketplace facilitator laws require us to collect and remit sales tax, we will do so and it will be shown on the buyer's total at checkout.

11. Our liability

The marketplace is provided as is. We do not guarantee that a listed card is available, that a seller ships, or that a buyer marks received; the remedies in these terms (cancellation, refund, dispute) are the remedies. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for any loss arising from an order or from use of the marketplace, whether direct, indirect, or consequential.

12. Changes and termination

We may update these terms; the version you accept is recorded, and material changes require re-acceptance before the next sale. You can stop selling at any time by opting out, and stop using the marketplace at any time by simply not buying or selling — your TCG Archivist account and collection are unaffected. Orders already paid still have to be fulfilled or refunded under the terms they were placed under.