Direct Fee

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.

Direct fees are calculated on an item basis.

Under an item-based fee structure, each item in an order is assessed individually, and the resulting fees are combined to determine the total fee for the order. This approach aligns fees more closely with the individual items being processed and fulfilled, providing greater transparency and predictability when estimating costs.

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**

2.5% transaction fees

*Commission and transaction fees are waived
**Excludes Pro Tool fees if applicable
 

How Fees are Calculated:

For each eligible item:

  1. The item's sale price is used to determine the applicable fee tier.
  2. The appropriate fee is calculated based on that item's price.
  3. Fees for all eligible items are added together to determine the total fee for the order.

Because Direct fees are assessed at the item level, the fee associated with one item does not affect the fee calculation for another item in the same order.

Understanding Item-Based Pricing

Item-based pricing is designed to provide:

  • Simplicity: Fees are based on the value of each item rather than the composition of the overall order.
  • Predictability: Fees can be estimated at the individual item level before a sale occurs.
  • Transparency: Each item contributes independently to the total fee, making it easier to understand how charges are calculated.
  • Alignment with fulfillment costs: Fees are more closely associated with the fulfillment cost of individual items being sold.

Below are a variety of different examples which detail how fees vary based on individual item and order types. 

  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.

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 Details

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

 

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 Details

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

 

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 Details

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

 

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 Details

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

 

Additional Resources

 

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.
  • 6/18/26 - Edited content and examples for item-based fee update June 2026.
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