CardTrader Seller's Guide

In this guide, you will learn how to pack and ship your CardTrader Zero orders. It’s important to follow our instructions carefully. This way, our staff will process orders faster and smoothly, and it won’t incur additional charges and process delays.

How to ship your CardTrade ZERO orders

Items need to be well protected. The envelope has to be resistant but easy to open. Please, avoid excess tape or envelopes that may put their content at risk while opening them.

Please read and follow every part of this guide:
WARNING: In case the steps are not properly followed, any errors made will be highlighted in the summary of your order. You will receive an email notification of the error, allowing you to learn the correct method for placing your CardTrader Zero orders.

01

Check and arrangement of sold items through CardTrader Zero

Once your order is closed, you’ll see a list of all the items you sold that week. You can rearrange it by using the following criteria:
Set Set Name Rarity Collection Number Color CMC Tag Comment Price Game Item Name
Dropdown priority goes from the left to the right.
We do not force any arrangement. You can choose the criteria that match your workflow and which you are comfortable with. 
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Orders can be prepared with a day-by-day division or considering all cards together at the end of the seventh day. You can choose to prepare a pile each day or do that at the end of the weekly period.
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Prepare the order by using the arrangement you chose. You need to check and mark eventual missing cards or wrong items by following the instructions on this link.
IMPORTANT: when preparing the order, cards need to be in the exact order you chose on the dropdowns. It may incur additional charging otherwise.
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Our staff needs twenty minutes to check an order containing 200 cards arranged correctly. However, if cards are not arranged correctly, the same process takes up to five times longer, which may expose us to mistakes.
We may charge you extra fees if this happens.Your order closes once a week. You can choose the day by accessing your profile area. (Profile → Settings → Shop Settings → CT Zero closure Day).
‍Cards need to be in the exact arrangement you chose and follow the order you see on your screen from first to last.
Please, do not flip the cards. You may put them face down, so that once finished, they’ll be first to last and not vice versa.
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If you are using the day-by-day option, be sure they are in the correct arrangement. You do not need to make multiple inner packages, the cards must be grouped all together and ordered in the correct way (from first to last as shown above).
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02

Wrong and missing items sold through CardTrader Zero

A “non-compliant” item is an item that does not fit the condition/set/language/foil or other attributes that are non-compliant with a listing.  The missing articles are repurchased from other CardTrader Zero vendors for the best price available at the moment.
• Before confirming the shipment by pressing the button, you need to mark missing and non-compliant items by choosing the quantity on the dropdown on the corresponding line. A quantity selected in red on the drop down menu means that the item is missing and you are not sending it to our warehouse.
• You are required to mark items as missing. This way, we can repurchase them immediately instead of when your order is processed. This allows the system to repurchase cards quickly and reduces customers waiting time. You don’t need to inform us or any customer or perform any extra action.

• When preparing your order, if you find an item different from your listing, or if you have any doubts, please do not send it and mark it as missing.

03

Pack the sold cards without using protective sleeves

Cards must be sent to our warehouse without protective sleeves. Single-sleeved cards waste time during the inspection phase, and many times are the cause of oversights on the actual condition of the card by the sellers themselves.
It is possible to send cards in total safety even without using protective sleeves.
• You can put 8-10 cards in a penny sleeve if you want to, but please DO NOT sleeve each card individually.
• DO NOT sleeve items individually when preparing your order (neither with regular-size sleeves nor with perfect size )
• You can use Toploaders(protettori in plastica rigida) for high-end and expensive cards.
To make sure you place them in the order of the cards sold, put a note in their place to signal their presence, keeping the toploaders at the bottom (this way the cards can all be grouped into a block of similar size).
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• This rule also applies to "Oversized" cards or products that cannot be placed neatly with the cards, so they must be reported in the same way (as shown in the image).

Be sure their placement is visible and correctly indicated.

04

How to correctly package cards

These tips will ensure safety and protection for your order.
We ask you to respect our instructions as much as possible, avoiding the use of any incorrect methods when creating the package. Orders that do not comply with the correct procedure provided by us may easily suffer damage as a result of unsuitable packaging, ending up being charged to you.

• If you have a lot of cards to send, or you don't have penny sleeves to protect them, use paper sheets to make piles of 40-80 cards:
this way, you will limit their movement and possible edge damage during the shipment.

• We advise you to use some no-value cards on the top and bottom of your piles to protect the first and last card of your order.


(Here is a picture of a perfectly made inner package with a paper sheet)

05

Don't split the content into too many separate packages

• DO NOT make a lot of smaller inner packages: make a stack of at least 50 cards as our staff will have to open each package. When preparing the order "by day", DO NOT PREPARE packages divided by day but combine them consecutively to always form a consistent pile.

By creating multiple packs of a few cards you will not only slow down the order checking process, but you will waste time and materials unnecessarily. We encourage you to neatly group your cards into large stacks of at least 50 cards each.
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06

Never send loose or poorly packaged cards

• NEVER send loose cards without packaging! They end up moving and mixing in the bag, easily getting ruined. Always package your order using the method indicated by us. To wrap them in the protective package, you can use newspaper or paper towels if you don't have A4 sheets.


In addition to not being protected and being damaged during transport, loose cards end up getting mixed up with each other. Always remember to respect the selected order for you cards. Not sorted orders cause serious delays and will be processed at the end of the daily orders.
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If you want to benefit from the service, we ask you to respect each step of our guide so that your order is properly processed.
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07

Avoid making card packs that are too difficult to open

• DO NOT seal inner packages with tons of tape. Overtaped internal packages are useless regarding the protection, and they expose their content to the risk of being damaged during the opening. 

No need to use tape or excessive layers of protection. By making the package too rigid and difficult to open, you will make the cards more easily subject to damage due to transport and opening during the inspection phase.

08

Insert the order reference and your username on the envelope

Before sealing your order e proceeding with the shipping, remember these steps:
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• You must always include a reference to your order inside the package: you can print the order checklist (the first page with the reference is sufficient) or write your username / order number on a piece of paper (clearly legible).
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• Write your username outside the package: this allows our operators to promptly identify and process your order without problems.
• DO NOT send orders without your username: it will not be possible to recover your order and process it. We want to avoid delays for our buyers or charge you additional fees

09

What to choose between envelope or box to ship the order

The choice of the letter or the box you use to ship is fundamental. It is important to provide the correct protection and minimize the waste:

•If you have an order of up to 50-100 cards, pack as described above and use the classic padded envelope, making sure you create adequate protection with the inner packaging.
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• When the order exceeds 100 cards it will be at your discretion, respecting the shipping method, the choice between a padded envelope or a box.

• When the order features sealed products, always opt for a box of adequate size and pay attention to how to arrange the products so that they do not damage the cards sold.
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For packaging we recommend choosing eco-sustainable materials such as newspaper to fill the space between the box and the cards. Alternatively, solutions such as bubble wrap or other suitable packaging are also highly recommended for orders of a certain weight or with the presence of sealed items.
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10

Things to avoid doing

• If you sold a considerable amount of cards, avoid using smaller envelopes when sending a package to our warehouse.
The weight of the cards can damage the cards themselves during transport, avoid creating packages and envelopes where the objects are too compressed and in close contact with the packaging.

(You can see a sample of an envelope that is too small for its content in this picture)

• DO NOT use boxes that are too large if you have sold a few items when a large, well-protected envelope would suffice.
We ask you to respect the environment by always using bags or boxes of an appropriate size

(All oversized boxes cause a daily accumulation of waste, which is difficult to dispose of and harmful to the environment. By adjusting the size of the shipping box you will be doing the planet and us a favor.)

• When you add packing or protections in the shipping box of your order, please respect our work:
DO NOT send packages containing garbage, dirty, dusty, or smelly internal fillers to us.
Orders sent to us in this way will be returned to the sender.


(In this picture, you can see what not to do, we received packages containing garbage, smelly shoe boxes and packing material with food remains.)

11

Ship cards and products sealed in the same package

If you have sold sealed products together with the cards, we advise you to always choose a rigid box for sending. Here are the simple steps to follow when preparing a pack of cards with sealed products:

1) Always prepare the cards following the method previously indicated here.
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2) Divide the sealed products based on volume/size and weight.
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3) If you have sold small objects (dice, pins, score cards...) try to report them and if possible keep them together in a bag or sachet, so that they do not get lost in the packaging of the box and are easily visible to the operators who will open the package.
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4) Position all items so that they are well protected and do not move, taking great care that heavier items do not crush or damage more delicate and lighter ones.
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• If you want to use empty fatpacks, trainerkits, deckboxes to better arrange the cards and products inside the package, make sure that they are suitable in shape/size. The cards/products should not move too much or be too tight.
• If you use an empty fatpack, trainerkit, deckbox, you will have to carefully protect it from impacts. The best choice is to place it in a box suitable for shipping.

• If you want to save material and ship it without further packaging, make sure that the cards inside are adequately protected in case the external packaging is important not to suffer damage during transport.

12

Always keep sealed products and cards separate from each other

Avoid placing sold cards among sealed products. Always choose a box to contain them correctly, so that they do not move or bump into each other. Never combine sealed products with cards.

1) Always separate cards from sealed products. Find a box that allows you to arrange items without them moving and damaging the cards. Do not keep them in direct contact, use protective packaging to keep them separate and protected.
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2) Do not put cards or small items inside sealed boxes such as deckboxes, tins, binders that you have sold. Each product must be kept separate and protected individually. To make the presence of small products (such as dice, life counters, dividers...) evident so that they do not get lost in the packaging, you can use sachets or boxes to contain them separately from the rest of the order.
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3) Place sealed cards and products in the shipping box, add bubble wrap or packing paper to keep contents in place and protected.
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• Do not combine sealed cards with cards. Keep them separated with packaging and place them so that they do not damage each other.

• Keep the cards from moving and banging against the sealed items. Don't choose boxes that are too large where items could move without proper packaging.

• Avoid mess, arrange the products carefully so that they do not get damaged and that the cards are not damaged by the items in the same shipment.

13

Cards and products should not be too close together

Orders with cards packed tightly in boxes without any protection often arrive damaged. Cards pressed too tightly into a single block are sensitive to impacts.

Always follow our guide when preparing the packages, dividing the cards into large groups but always well wrapped in protective paper or bubble wrap.
If you have sold a large quantity of cards, you can choose to send them in special boxes, making sure not to overfill them. Remember to put a protective layer between cards and the packaging that contains them to avoid damage from impacts.
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• Choose an appropriate box to contain all the items, remembering to dedicate space to their protection too.
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• Keep cards and fragile/small items well protected and separate from larger items. The cards must always be kept separate from the sealed ones within the same shipment.
ATTENTION: by choosing to place your order in a package that is too small you risk easily damaging the objects contained inside. The size of the package must be suitable and proportionate to the quantity of cards and objects contained so that they are not damaged during the journey or when opening it.

• Cards that completely fill the shipping box will be over-pressed and subject to direct impacts from the box. Without adequate space, especially in the presence of sealed products, they end up being damaged and not accepted.

• Make sure you have a box that all items can fit in with some packaging. Avoid keeping close objects in direct contact with the cards sold without an adequate protective measure.

14

Always add adequate protection

Couriers do not always handle parcels correctly. We invite you to consider every eventuality and always adequately protect the package from possible impacts, falls, rain, crushing.

• Do not allow cards to lie loose inside a box. During the journey they will move, causing dents by banging against the box that contains them. To best protect them, follow the step on how to prepare your cards here.

• Remember that saving on protection will not bring you any profit if the items get damaged! You can always use recycled or cheap material as long as it is clean and hygienic, such as old newspapers, polystyrene, paper towels.
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•  ATTENTION: you will be charged for cards and sealed products that arrive damaged that do not comply with the conditions of sale. The customer deserves to always receive the product in the state of purchase he paid for.

15

Don't make it impossible to open the package

•  ATTENTION: if a package is hard to open, you expose it to potential damages during the opening. Consider this advice for direct orders as well.

An example of bad packaging is a deck of cards completely wrapped in packing tape, which requires the use of a cutter to be opened, without giving instructions on where to cut: the operator opening it could damage the cards.

Adequate protection can easily be obtained without excesses of this kind.
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