Last week, we let the community know the exciting shipping updates we announced in February will go into effect today. These changes will help with the USPS shipping increase and stay true to our goals:

  • Make It Easier for Buyers to Shop in the Marketplace
  • Increase Orders for Our Sellers

Starting today, the following changes are in effect to improve our community:

Replacing $2 Order Minimum

Both buyers and sellers expressed that the $2 order minimum on TCGplayer.com wasn’t working. Buyers asked us to remove the order minimum because they were blocked from buying the cards they want. Sellers asked us to increase it to offset growing shipping costs. In response to our community, we looked for a solution that works for buyers and sellers: something that better protects sellers when they ship low-cost orders while making it easier for buyers to get the cards they want.

That’s why today, we’re replacing the $2 order minimum with a new shipping and handling minimum fee of $0.78 on orders under $5. If buyers have a seller order of less than $5, we’ll collect a minimum of $0.78 for shipping and handling on behalf of the seller. Sellers can always choose to collect more than $0.78 if they prefer. This helps cover the increased shipping costs for sellers while giving buyers the flexibility to purchase the cards they want, even if they total less than $2. This $5 minimum for free shipping will apply to both TCGplayer.com and Pro websites.

EXAMPLE: A buyer adds a $0.25 card to their seller order. The seller offers free shipping, but the order is less than $5. The buyer will see that they need to add $4.75 in products from that seller to their order if they want to get free shipping. If they prefer, they can choose to purchase just that card and pay the $0.78. If the seller were to charge $0.99 for shipping, then the buyer would pay $0.25 for the card and $0.99 for shipping.

Why is this great for buyers?

  • Check out even with less than $2 in your seller order. If you’re only looking for a few commons, you won’t need to add extra items to your seller order just to check out.
  • See lower prices. Previously, many sellers offering free shipping needed to increase their prices to cover the high cost of shipping low-value cards. Now sellers won’t need to account for this in their listing price and as sellers become used to the new system, you’ll see better deals on the marketplace.
  • Cart Optimizer improvement. Based on your feedback, we know that removing the $2 minimum makes it easier for you to find better deals and allows the Cart Optimizer to make better choices for you.
  • More free shipping options. As this change protects sellers on low orders, sellers are much more likely to offer free shipping on orders over $5.

Why is this great for sellers?

  • Earn more money on all your sales. Collecting this minimum shipping and handling of $0.78 on your behalf gives you a huge buffer against losing money on shipping low-value orders.
  • Get a higher order volume. While the $2 order minimum rule helped cover shipping expenses, it ultimately led to abandoned carts. Now more buyers will complete their checkout and purchase more of your products.
  • Choose a shipping rate that works for your business. Want to offer free shipping on orders over $5? Now you can without worrying about what that will mean for your low-value orders.
  • Price like you do in your store. You’re now better protected on low-cost orders and can more comfortably adjust your pricing without having to include additional costs to each card to help offset shipping and labor.

If you’re a seller, you may want to reexamine your pricing strategy and tactics, as there may be widespread price changes on low-value items. With TCGplayer Pro, our suite of tools for brick and mortar retailers, you can always use MassPrice to update your prices with the push of a button to stay competitive in an ever-changing market.

If you’re looking for more info on the order minimum changes, check out our FAQ.

Thank you for all the feedback you shared that contributed to these changes. We welcome your continued feedback as we’re always evaluating our shipping policies to ensure TCGplayer is the best marketplace for trading cards and gaming collectibles in the known universe. Please reach out to us and let us know how we can make your experience even better in the future.