TCGplayer Direct Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product fee update FAQ
Overview
Starting June 18, 2026, Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product fees will move from Shipping Replacement Cost order tiers to an item-based structure.
This FAQ is designed to help you understand what is changing, what is staying the same, and how to review the change based on the types of cards you sell.
What’s changing
What’s changing with the TCGplayer Direct fee structure?
Starting June 18, the TCGplayer Direct fee structure is changing from an order-based model to an item-based model. In addition, the $0.30 fixed fee will be removed on Direct orders where commission-based fees apply.
What is staying the same with the TCGplayer Direct fee structure?
Marketplace and variable transaction fees are not changing as part of this update. This update only changes the Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product portion of the fee structure, which is currently tied to Shipping Replacement Cost order tier in Direct.
Is the $0.30 fixed fee changing?
Yes. The $0.30 fixed fee will be removed on Direct orders where commission-based fees apply. This helps eliminate an order-level fee component from the previous structure and simplifies how fees are applied.
Why is TCGplayer changing to an item-based fee model?
We’re making this update to better support sellers with a simpler, more transparent Direct fee structure.
We know sellers make important decisions at the card level, from pricing and inventory management to understanding profitability. Under the current structure, part of the fee depends on package value and the number of cards in an order, which can make it difficult to estimate the impact on a single card. In some cases, that can create pricing cliffs where a small change in order value results in a much larger fee difference.
The updated item-based model is an investment in making Direct fees easier to understand, easier to predict, and easier to evaluate. By giving sellers a clearer view of how fees apply to the cards they sell, we’re helping them make more confident decisions and better plan for their business.
How the new structure works
How does the new fee structure work compared to the old Shipping Replacement Cost model?
The new structure replaces the Shipping Replacement Cost order tiers with a per-item model.
For cards priced at $2.49 and below, sellers pay a flat 50% fee with no marketplace or transaction fees applied.
For cards priced at $2.50 and above, sellers pay a flat $1.12 Reimbursement Invoice fee plus standard marketplace and transaction fees.
This change removes the old order-based grouping logic and makes the Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product portion of the fee easier to review at the card level.
What does Shipping Replacement Cost mean?
TCGplayer Direct Shipping Replacement Cost (SRC) is the fee charged to sellers in the Direct program, replacing their own shipping, packing, and labor costs. Shipping Replacement Cost is the order-tier structure used in the previous fee model that we are moving away from.
Under that model, part of the fee depended on the package value and the number of cards included, rather than being calculated on a per-card basis.
Why is TCGplayer moving to an item-based structure?
An item-based structure makes it easier for Direct sellers to understand how the Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product portion of the fee applies to each card.
This can make fee impact easier to review, especially when orders include cards across different price points.
Why does the structure look different for lower-value and higher-value cards?
The updated Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product structure applies differently depending on item price.
That is why it is helpful to review examples across lower-value cards, higher-value cards, and mixed orders.
The impact may look different depending on what you sell most often.
Marketplace fees and fee terminology
Are marketplace fees still applied to TCGplayer Direct orders?
Marketplace fees will still be applied for cards priced at $2.50 and above.
For those items, your total fees will include the $1.12 Reimbursement Invoice fee plus standard marketplace fees, such as:
- The 8.95% commission fee
- The 2.5% transaction fee
- The Pro fee (2.5%), if applicable
Cards priced at $2.49 and below do not have marketplace or transaction fees applied under this structure.
What are standard commission fees?
Standard commission fees are the percentage-based marketplace fees that apply to eligible sales. In this context, that includes the standard 8.95% commission fee, along with other applicable marketplace charges.
What is the difference between the commission fee and the transaction fee?
The commission fee is the marketplace percentage charged on a sale.
The transaction fee is a separate fee that also applies to eligible sales. Under the updated structure, sellers should continue to expect standard marketplace fees to apply on cards priced at $2.50 and above.
What is a fixed fee?
In this update, the fixed fee refers to the $0.30 fixed fee that previously applied in certain Direct fee scenarios.
That fee is being removed where commission-based fees apply.
Are the standard marketplace fees changing too?
No. Marketplace fees and variable transaction fees are not changing as part of this update.
This change only affects the Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product portion of the Direct fee structure.
Does removal of the $0.30 fixed fee apply to all orders?
It applies to Direct orders where commission-based fees apply.
What this may mean for your business
Will every seller save money under the new structure?
Not necessarily. Impact can vary depending on your inventory mix, the cards you sell most often, and how orders are composed. Some sellers may see lower fees in many scenarios, while others may want to review certain price bands more closely.
How do I know whether this change is significant for my store?
The best place to start is by reviewing the examples that most closely match your inventory mix.
Depending on whether you sell mostly lower-value cards, higher-value cards, or a mix of both, your impact may look different.
What types of sellers may want to review this more closely?
Sellers with lower-priced or threshold-sensitive inventory may want to review the change more closely.
If a large share of your inventory sits near the pricing threshold or in lower price bands, the examples can help you understand where the change may matter most.
How will this affect multi-card orders?
Because the fee is now calculated per card rather than per order, a buyer purchasing multiple items will trigger a fee for each card.
This may increase fees in some low-priced, multi-card scenarios, but it also removes the order-level pricing cliffs and unpredictability created by the old Shipping Replacement Cost model.
Is there still a separate tier for very high-value cards, such as $250 and above?
No. The $1.12 Reimbursement Invoice fee applies to cards priced at $2.50 and above regardless of card value.
Standard marketplace commission caps still apply where applicable.
Do I need to change my prices because of this update?
Not necessarily. Some sellers may decide to review pricing, especially for lower-priced or threshold-sensitive cards. Others may not need to make changes. The right response depends on your inventory mix and how closely you manage pricing today.
What should I review first?
Start by reviewing:
- The old vs. new comparison
- The worked examples
- The price ranges that make up most of your inventory
If a large share of your inventory is concentrated in one value band, that is usually the best place to begin.
Examples, reporting, and estimating impact
How can I compare the old structure to the new one?
The best place to start is with the old vs. new comparison and the worked examples.
These are designed to help you review how the fee structure changes across different card prices and order types.
Why are before-and-after examples included?
The examples are included to help sellers understand how the fee structure changes across different scenarios.
Because impact can vary by inventory mix, examples are one of the clearest ways to show how the structure may apply in practice.
Why might one example show lower fees while another looks more neutral or higher?
Impact can vary based on item price, order composition, and inventory mix.
That is why it is helpful to review more than one example and focus on the examples that most closely match the kinds of cards you sell.
Why do some examples focus on lower-value cards while others focus on higher-value cards?
Different sellers have different inventory mixes. Showing examples across multiple price ranges helps explain how the new item-based structure works in a broader set of selling scenarios.
Will I be able to estimate fees more easily before a sale?
Yes, because the Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product portion of the fee is tied to each item, the new structure makes it easier to model and review when a sale happens.
How do I calculate my actual net profit per card?
To understand net profit, you will want to review the sale price of the card against all applicable fees, including but not limited to:
- The Reimbursement Invoice fee, if applicable
- Marketplace fees, if applicable
- Variable transaction fees
- Your own cost basis for the card
The worked examples are a good starting point for understanding how fee impact may affect margin at different price points.
“Big” questions
Why would TCGplayer make a change that may reduce fee revenue in some cases?
This update is intended to create a simpler and more understandable fee structure for sellers.
The goal is to make Direct fees easier to evaluate at the item level and reduce confusion created by order-based fee tiers.
Should sellers expect fee increases soon?
This update is being communicated as a structural simplification of Reimbursement Invoice and Store Your Product fees.
As with any platform fee structure, sellers should review official updates as they are announced, but this change is intended to create a clearer and more durable model rather than preserve the unpredictability of the current one.
Is this fee structure sustainable long term?
The intent of this update is to create a simpler and easier-to-understand model for Direct sellers.
The most important thing for sellers today is to review how the change affects their own inventory mix using the examples and guidance provided.
Support
Where can I get more help?
In addition to this FAQ, we recommend reviewing:
- The old vs. new rate comparison
- The worked examples
- Any additional guidance linked from the announcement
- If you want to understand the impact more closely, start with the example that most closely matches your inventory mix.