Frequently Asked Questions
How will the card be protected during shipping?
That’s up to you – send your card in a protective sleeve if you’d like. Make sure to agree on this with your trading partner. We’ll simply send you what your trading partner sends us, and we’ll send your trading partner whatever you send us. We keep the $1 from each of you, and that’s it.
Can I use this service to buy or sell a card, without doing a trade?
Yes. In that case, one person would be sending money instead of a card. Everything else works the same way.
Can I trade gift cards or gift certificates?
No – only trading cards (and, optionally, cash) are allowed, since there is often no way to verify the value or authenticity of a gift card or gift certificate.
Is there a registration form or anything? How do we track the transaction?
Nope – just send us your stuff with a code word. We’ll match it up when your trading partner sends us the same code word. You can contact us at any time to check on the transaction – just include the code word in your message. You may find it helpful to use our template to make sure you’re including all of the necessary information, but that’s optional. Feel free to hand-write the info if you don’t have a printer.
You can always contact us if you want to inquire about your trade.
Do you offer USPS delivery confirmation or other shipping methods, such as FedEx?
By default, no – this increases the cost of the transaction in both money and time, and the idea is for this to be a simple, low-cost service. The escrow service itself ensures that both of you are getting what you bargained for. USPS is extremely reliable, and our incoming mail is received in a locked mailbox, so your cards are always safe.
We are willing to consider more elaborate shipping options if you’d like. If you are interested in premium escrow services, contact us and tell us what you have in mind.
I don’t live in the US. Can I still use your service?
Yes, but you are still responsible for sending us a SASE that will get back to you if mailed from the US. For example, if you live in Germany, you must send us a SASE that will work for sending something from the US to Germany. We do not add postage or provide packaging materials. In addition, the $1 fee must be paid in US currency.
Do I need to use my real name? Will you share my contact information with my trading partner?
Nope – but we do need an address to send your stuff to. It can be a PO box or a home or business address, as long as the USPS delivers there. We won’t share any of your contact info with your trading partner. This ensures your privacy.
How can I be sure that I’m getting what I expected?
You can include a description of the trade if you’d like, and we will verify it. For example, if you’re expecting to trade a fair-condition XYZ card for a like-new ABC card, include a note about this (or a printout of your PM or email conversation) and we’ll make sure it all adds up. We recommend sending us a printout of your discussion, but if you don’t have a printer, that’s OK. Feel free to email us this information, too. If we get only a card and a SASE from each of you, and no instructions, that’s fine – we’ll simply send each of you the card we received from the other person.
What happens if the other person never sends their side of the trade?
If it’s been a few weeks and you haven’t received your cards, contact us and we can return your side of the trade in your SASE. We will include a coupon so your next trade is free.
Do I have to give you my email address?
No, but it will be much easier for us to get in touch with you if there is a problem (for example, if the item your trading partner sends doesn’t match the description you send us) if you include your email address. It’s up to you. We will NOT share your email address with your trading partner.
What can I trade with $1 escrow?
This service is only for use with commercially published trading cards, such as Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, sports cards, etc. No adult materials, stuff you’ve made yourself, or anything else. It’s fine to include cash as part of your trade; for example, you can trade a low-value card plus some money for a higher-value card, or you can just trade cash for a card.
Can I use a check or PayPal as part of the transaction?
No. All transactions must involve only cards and/or cash (US$ only; no coins, checks, money orders, wire transfers, PayPal, Google Checkout, gift certificates, or foreign currency). You are responsible for determining and paying any applicable taxes.
What if I don’t want to send that much cash through the mail?
In that case, we recommend using a more expensive service that includes payment processing, such as escrow.com ($25 minimum fee), if you’re looking for a more secure option or if you’re dealing with extremely high-value cards. Our goal is to be simple, reliable, fast, and cheap. The US mail is very trustworthy, so there isn’t usually a problem with sending cash. However, it’s smart to put a sheet of paper around your card and cash to prevent someone from seeing what’s in the envelope by holding it up to a light.
If we’re each sending you $1, doesn’t that mean the total cost is $2?
Yes. If one person wants to pay the other person’s escrow fee, that’s fine, as long as we get $2. Make sure to include your code word and a note explaining this.
How can I trust you? Aren’t some escrow services a scam?
It’s true that many escrow services are a scam, especially those involving wire transfers. Our service is simple and straightforward, and we believe our reputation will speak for itself.
If you don’t trust us, we recommend starting with a low-value trade. After you have used our service, you’ll see that we’re true to our word, and we’d appreciate it if you’d put in a good word for us so other people will know we’re trustworthy.
Do I have to be 18 to use this service?
We do not collect or require information about the age or identity of the people using our service (just your address on your SASE). One major advantage is that you don’t have to disclose your age, identity, or location to people you’re trading with, so our service is ideal for kids. Kids, please check with your parents before trading cards or money, though.
I want to see the card before I accept it for my trade. Can you scan it for me?
This is not a part of our basic service, but please contact us if you are interested in premium scanning services.
You may find it helpful to include a detailed description of the cards involved in your trade – we will verify these details as part of our normal $1 service.
My trade involves a large number of cards. Can you check them all for me?
Yes – our rate is $1 per four cards per person. If your trade involves an uneven number of cards (e.g. 1 valuable card for 10 less-valuable cards), please work out with your trading partner who will pay the fee for the extra cards.
How many cards can I include in my trade?
You are responsible for packaging your cards so they fit in a regular envelope, and for providing a SASE that will hold the cards you are to receive in the trade. We will verify a maximum of 4 cards from each person ($1 for each 1-4 additional cards). For example, if you are sending 5 to 8 cards, the fee would be $2, if you’re sending 9-12 cards, the fee would be $3, and so on.
Please contact us for rates if you have a larger or more complicated trade.
Will you contact me to confirm that you’ve received/shipped my trade?
Generally, no, but feel free to contact us if you want to confirm that we’ve received your item. Please make sure to include your code word when contacting us.
