Shipping Replacement Cost
A Simpler Direct Fee Structure Is Coming June 18
Starting June 18, 2026, TCGplayer Direct Reimbursement Invoice (RI) and Store Your Product (SYP) fees will move from order-based Shipping Replacement Cost (SRC) tiers to a simpler item-based structure, making fees easier to understand, review, and plan for.
This page includes both the current and updated models to help you understand how fees are calculated.
TCGplayer Direct is designed to increase your orders and lower the expenses you incur from shipping an order to a customer, as well as provide resolution for any issues that come up via customer service.
TCGplayer Direct replaces your usual expenses by providing a shipping replacement cost generated on a weight basis, factoring in all the typical weights and costs per package—this includes postage, envelopes, team bags, top loaders, penny sleeves, paper for invoices, etc. In addition, the shipping replacement cost fee is charged to offset handling of Direct packages which includes labor to pick, pack, and transport orders, as well as provide customer service throughout the order process for customers. This includes lost packages and condition discrepancies being entirely resolved by TCGplayer.
Here are some examples:
An order is placed for 4 copies of Ob Nixilis, Unshackled at $3 each.
- This order is under $19.99 in value (4 cards x $3 = $12.00)
- This order is under 1 oz. in weight. (This includes the cards, top loader, packing slip, tape, and envelope.)
Your estimated costs to ship this order directly to the customer yourself would be between $1.43 and $2.05.
- $0.69 - $0.73 - Postage
- $0.07 to $0.20 - Top Loader
- $0.06 - Envelope
- $0.02 to $0.03 - Team bag
- $0.01 - Penny Sleeve
- $0.36 to $0.65 - Labor ($16.19 per hour/25 to 45 packages per hour)
- $0.02 to $0.03 - Customer Service
- $0.08 to $0.14 - Disputes (Total expenses on Lost Packages, Condition Disputes, Replacement Shipments / Total Orders Shipped)
Direct by TCGplayer replaces all of the expenses, time, and potential for disputes that go into shipping this order directly to a customer yourself by charging a shipping replacement cost of $1.26. This produces savings for you on this order between $0.17 and $0.79!
Click Here to View Shipping Replacement Costs Outline
An order is placed for 1 copy of Underground Sea at $500.
- This order is over $250 in value
- This order is under 3 oz. in weight. (This includes the card, top loader, packing slip, tape, and the envelope.)
- This order requires tracking and signature confirmation.
Your estimated costs to ship this order directly to the customer yourself would be between $10.12 and $16.82.
Direct by TCGplayer replaces all of the expenses, time, and potential for disputes that go into shipping this order directly to a customer yourself by charging a shipping replacement cost of $9.46. This produces savings for you on this order between $0.66 and $7.36!
Click Here to View Shipping Replacement Costs Outline
Fee Structure for Small Orders
For TCGplayer Direct orders under $3, TCGplayer will be removing the processing fee, the commission fee and the TCGplayer Direct shipping replacement cost, and will replace them with a simpler structure.
You will receive 50% of the total item(s) value for all orders under $3! On a $1.20 order, you keep $0.60! On a $1.98 order, you keep $0.99!
This means more profitable small orders for you, and since all of these orders will be pulled and shipped together to TCGplayer.com, you won’t lose anything on the shipping of small orders.
Please keep in mind that when participating in TCGplayer Direct, your store will still be responsible for paying any applicable TCGplayer commission /processing fees as outlined in the Fees help file.
How Fees Work Starting June 18th
Starting June 18, 2026, SRC-related fees for RI and SYP will shift from an order-based model to an item-based fee structure. This will give you a clearer, more predictable way to understand your fees so you can make pricing decisions with more confidence. These fees are designed to better align with the cost to fulfill each card, making them more predictable while benefiting the majority of sellers.
What’s changing:
- Fees are calculated per item, rather than per order
- Each item contributes individually to the total fee
- Order totals no longer determine SRC tiers
- This means that instead of applying a single fee to the entire order, each item is assessed a fee and those fees are summed to determine the total.
Updated Rate Card
| Item Price | Fee |
| $0.40 - $2.49 | 50% of the item price* |
| $2.50 and up |
$1.12 per item + 8.95% commission** |
*Commission and transaction fees are waived
**Excludes Pro Tool fees if applicable
What it Means for Sellers
Moving to a per-item fee structure delivers:
- Increased predictability so you can better estimate fees at the item level.
- Simplified fee calculations by removing complex order level components.
- Improved transparency by aligning fees more closely with how inventory is processed and fulfilled.
Sellers with high-quantity, lower-priced orders may see more impact, but small adjustments can help you benefit from this change.
To get the most out of this change and evaluate how it may impact your workflow, we recommend reviewing your overall business performance and recent activity.
Examples Before vs. After June 18th
Example 1: Mid-Value Single Card
Order Details
| Detail | Amount |
| Individual Card Price | $4.50 |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Package Total | $4.50 |
| Order Total (inc. 6.5% Sales Tax) | $4.79 |
Fees Before June 18th (SRC)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| SRC | $4.50 package value; 1 card | $1.26 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $4.50 | $0.40 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $4.79 | $0.12 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Flat per order | $0.30 |
| Total Fees | $2.08 |
Fees After June 18th (Item-Based)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| Item Fee | $1.12 per card; 1 card | $1.12 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $4.50 | $0.40 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $4.50 | $0.11 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Removed | $0.00 |
| Total Fees | $1.64 |
Explanation
In this example, total Direct fees decrease from $2.08 to $1.64. The updated model is lower due to the single per-item fee of $1.12 and removal of the $0.30 transaction fee. This represents a common order composition for Direct sellers.
Example 2: High Value Single Card
Order Details
| Detail | Amount |
| Individual Card Price | $25.00 |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Package Total | $25.00 |
| Order Total (inc. 6.5% Sales Tax) | $26.63 |
Fees Before June 18th (SRC)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| SRC | $25.00 package value; 1 card | $5.88 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $25.00 | $2.24 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $26.63 | $0.67 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Flat per order | $0.30 |
| Total Fees | $9.08 |
Fees After June 18th (Item-Based)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| Item Fee | $1.12 per card; 1 card | $1.12 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $25.00 | $2.24 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $25.00 | $0.63 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Removed | $0.00 |
| Total Fees | $3.98 |
Explanation
In this example, total Direct fees decrease from $9.08 to $3.98. The updated model is lower due to the single per-item fee of $1.12. This represents a common order composition for Direct sellers.
Example 3: Low Value Multi-Quantity
Order Details
| Detail | Amount |
| Individual Card Price | $0.50 |
| Quantity | 12 |
| Package Total | $6.00 |
| Order Total (inc. 6.5% Sales Tax) | $6.39 |
Fees Before June 18th (SRC)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| SRC | $6 package value; 12 cards | $1.59 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $6.00 | $0.54 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $6.39 | $0.16 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Flat per order | $0.30 |
| Total Fees | $2.59 |
Fees After June 18th (Item-Based)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| Item Fee | 50% per item; 12 cards | $3.00 |
| Marketplace Fee | Not applicable | $0.00 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | Not applicable | $0.00 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Removed | $0.00 |
| Total Fees | $3.00 |
Explanation
In this example, total Direct fees increase from $2.59 to $3.00. The updated model is higher because each low-priced card is evaluated individually at 50% of item price.
Example 4: High Value Multi-Quantity
Order Details
| Detail | Amount |
| Individual Card Price | $55.00 |
| Quantity | 3 |
| Package Total | $165.00 |
| Order Total (inc. 6.5% Sales Tax) | $175.73 |
Fees Before June 18th (SRC)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| SRC | $165 package value; 3 cards | $5.88 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $165.00 | $14.77 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $175.73 | $4.39 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Flat per order | $0.30 |
| Total Fees | $25.34 |
Fees After June 18th (Item-Based)
| Fee Type | Calculation | Amount |
| Item Fee | $1.12 per card; 3 cards | $3.36 |
| Marketplace Fee | 8.95% x $165.00 | $14.77 |
| Transaction Fee (Variable) | 2.5% x $165.00 | $4.13 |
| Transaction Fee (Fixed) | Removed | $0.00 |
| Total Fees | $22.25 |
Explanation
In this example, total Direct fees decreased from $25.34 to $22.25. The updated model is lower due to the single per-item fee of $1.12 and removal of the $0.30 transaction fee.
Additional Resources
- Read the announcement blog post
- Check out our frequently asked questions
-
How to get started with Direct
Change Log .
- 7/11/22 - Edited examples for SRC update July 2022.
- 1/23/23 - Edited examples for SRC update January 2023.
- 7/6/23 - Edited examples for SRC update July 2023.
- 1/18/24 - Edited examples for SRC update January 2024.
- 7/15/24 - Edited examples for SRC update July 2024.
- 1/24/25 - Edited examples for SRC update January 2025.
- 7/14/25 - Edited examples for SRC update July 2025.
- 8/20/25 - Updates for clarity on what SRC covers.
- 1/14/26 - Edited examples for SRC update January 2026
- 4/27/26 - Edited examples for SRC update April 2026
- 5/13/26 - Updated page to reflect transition from order-based SRC tiers to item-based fee structure for RI and SYP.