How it works
Swap, buy, or sell — with a card on file behind every deal
Browsing is open to everyone. The moment you want to transact, you add one payment card — that’s the gate, and it’s what makes the 100% Ironclad Delivery Guarantee enforceable. Here is every step, for each way to use $wapSlabs.
Buying a card
Browsing is open to everyone. You add a payment card once, then every purchase is backed by the 100% Guarantee.
Search by player, set, year, grade, or game across every sport and TCG. Each listing shows an estimated market value pulled from real sold comps, next to the asking price.
One card, entered directly into Stripe — $wapSlabs never sees the number. This unlocks buying, selling, swapping, messaging sellers, and seeing what cards actually sold for.
The price you see already includes $wapSlabs's 8% commission. Payment processing (about 2.9% + $0.30) is itemized on top. Your card is charged when the order is placed.
Seller ships with a $wapSlabs label
The seller buys card-safe packaging, gets a QR code, and drops the package at a partner store for in-store label printing. Tracking updates on the order automatically.
Protection · Orders over $750 declared value ship signature-required. Both parties on a transaction over $1,000 must pass identity verification and have a verified phone number first.
When the card arrives as described, confirm receipt to close the transaction. Then leave a rating — one per completed transaction, tied to a real deal.
If something's wrong, open a dispute
Wrong card, not as described, empty package, or never delivered — open a dispute with photos and tracking. $wapSlabs reviews the evidence and, if the seller defaulted, charges their card on file to make you whole.
Protection · Counterfeit or knowingly misrepresented cards: the seller is charged the full value plus an authentication premium, suspended, and referred to law enforcement.
Selling a card
List in minutes with an automatic value estimate. You keep 92% of the displayed price; the 8% commission is baked in, not bolted on.
Required before you can list. It's what stands behind your side of every deal under the 100% Guarantee.
Add photos of the actual card plus category, player or game, set, year, grading company and grade (PSA, BGS, SGC, CGC, TAG, or raw), and condition. $wapSlabs auto-values it from sold comps, adjusted for grade.
Verify the cert (graded cards)
Scan the slab's barcode with your phone or type the certification number. $wapSlabs checks it against the grading company's database, auto-fills the card details and grade, and adds a "Cert-verified" badge. PSA now, more graders soon; raw cards skip this step.
Protection · The check runs at the point of listing — $wapSlabs never takes custody of your card — and the server re-verifies the number before the badge is granted.
Price it
To net a given amount, list at that amount divided by 0.92 — the tool does the math. Or accept the estimated value. Set the listing to sell, swap, or both.
Verify your identity for high-value or high-volume listing
A government photo ID plus a live selfie (handled by Stripe Identity) is required for any card over $1,000, and once you reach 10 active listings or $5,000 of active inventory — including cards added in bulk. Cards over $1,000 also need a verified phone number, so whoever you trade with can reach you if something goes wrong. $wapSlabs stores only the result and a reference — never the ID image or face data.
A buyer purchases at your price, or a swap partner proposes a trade. On acceptance, the commission and values are snapshotted and a transaction opens.
Ship it protected
Buy card-safe packaging through $wapSlabs, get a QR code, drop off at a UPS or FedEx Store. No home printer needed.
After the buyer confirms receipt, your proceeds move from held to available on a short hold, then pay out to your connected account. Track it all on your payouts page.
Swapping cards
The reason $wapSlabs exists. Trade any card for any other card — across sports and games — with cash added by either side to balance the value.
Filter browse to cards open to swapping. Every listing carries an estimated value, which is the common currency across categories.
Put one or more of your cards against theirs. Each side totals up live. If the values don't match, the builder shows the cash top-up that balances it.
Send the proposal. Either side can counter — a counter replaces the previous offer. Both parties see the same value comparison before anyone accepts.
Both sides accept with a card on file
A swap becomes binding when both parties accept. The commission — 8% of the larger side's value — and the agreed values are snapshotted, and a transaction opens.
Ship both directions
A swap is two shipments, each with its own $wapSlabs QR label and tracking. Local pickup is an option unless a card is over $1,000 declared value.
Each party confirms receipt, then rates the other. The same 100% Guarantee and dispute process covers both sides of the trade.
Trust thresholds
What each action requires, and what happens when a deal goes wrong. The full rules are in the Terms and the Guarantee.
| When you… | $wapSlabs requires |
|---|---|
| Sell, swap, message a member, or see realized prices | Valid payment card on file with Stripe |
| List a card valued over $1,000 | Identity verification — government photo ID + live selfie |
| Complete any sale or swap valued over $1,000 | Both parties verified before the transaction can close |
| Ship a card with declared value over $1,000 | Signature-required label + signature fee; no local pickup |
| Item not delivered or not as described | At-fault party's card on file charged the item value to make the other party whole |
| Counterfeit or knowingly misrepresented card | Full value + authentication premium charged, account suspended, referred to law enforcement |
How we compare
Published fee structures across the marketplaces card collectors already use, described in general terms (Aug 2026 benchmark research).$wapSlabs is the only one where cross-category swapping is a first-class feature.
| Platform | Seller take rate | Swapping | Delivery protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| $wapSlabs | 8% commission, baked into the price + itemized processing → ~8% net | Core feature — any card for any card, cash to equalize | 100% Guarantee: at-fault party's card on file is charged |
| eBay | 13.25% for trading cards (to $7,500) + $0.30/order → ~13.25–13.6% | Not supported — buy/sell only | Money Back Guarantee, refunded from the seller |
| Whatnot | 8% commission + 2.9% + $0.30 processing on top → ~11% | Not supported — live-auction buy/sell | Buyer protection on not-as-described / not-received |
| TCGplayer | 10.75% (Level 1–4) + 2.5% + $0.30 → ~13.5% | Not supported — buy/sell only | Marketplace protection on not-as-described / not-received |
| StockX | 9% base (new sellers 10%, high-volume to ~7%) + 3% → ~12–13% | Not supported — bid/ask marketplace | Central authentication of graded slabs before delivery |
| Mercari | 10% flat, no seller processing fee since 2025 → ~10% | Not supported — fixed-price buy/sell | Buyer protection on not-as-described / not-received |
| GOAT | ~20–25% commission mix, processing included → ~20%+ | Not supported — P2P + consignment buy/sell | Central authentication before delivery |
| COMC | Consignment — cash-out + listing + storage/scan fees (varies) | Not supported — consignment buy/sell | In-house intake and grading before a card is listed |
| Veriswap | Per-trade fee (has risen sharply with added authentication) | Supported — but sports + Pokémon only, no cross-category value math | Middleman hub inspects both packages before forwarding |
Figures describe each marketplace’s publicly documented fee structure and are not quotations from those companies. Rates change; check each platform for current terms.
Ready to trade?
Create an account and browse for free. Add a card when you’re ready to buy, sell, or swap.
Questions? See the FAQ or the legal documents.