For a standard seller-fulfilled TCGplayer Marketplace order, the official pages I reviewed do not say that every package must contain a printed packing slip. The Seller Portal explains how to print one, but that is not the same as requiring it as an insert. Including a slip is still useful seller practice: it gives the buyer an order reference and can make order questions easier to sort out. There are two important distinctions: TCGplayer recommends a slip or printed listing for international shipments, and Direct Reimbursement Invoice (RI) shipments have an explicit packing-slip requirement.
What TCGplayer’s Marketplace guidance says
Navigating Your Orders Tab describes batch tools for printing pull sheets or packing slips and exporting shipping information. TCGplayer’s Marketplace shipping article explains card protection and shipping practices, but the pages reviewed do not tell Marketplace sellers to put a slip inside every buyer package. In other words, the existence of a printable slip is not itself an insert requirement.
Keep any optional insert focused on the order. The Marketplace Seller Agreement prohibits marketing materials or custom packing slips that try to divert Marketplace buyers to an outside site or transaction. An informational order reference is different from an off-platform promotion.
International shipping has a specific recommendation: TCGplayer’s International Shipping Best Practices says to include a packing slip or printed listing as proof of the item’s price. The page presents this as a recommendation for international shipments, not a rule that every Marketplace package must contain a slip.
Where to print a slip—and what it shows
In the Seller Portal, open Orders, check the orders you want to process, then choose the option to print their packing slips. For one order, click its order number or Manage to open Order Details, where TCGplayer lists a printable packing-slip option. The Orders Tab guide also says that page shows the shipping address and shipping speed, but it does not enumerate every field printed on the Marketplace slip.
One field is called out by TCGplayer’s Seller Guide to Refunds and Returns: it recommends asking for the order number from the packing slip when investigating a swapped order. That makes the order number a useful reference. Beyond fields explicitly listed by TCGplayer, check the PDF you generate rather than assuming that every seller’s slip has the same layout.
Why include one if it is not a general Marketplace rule?
A slip is a small bit of context inside an envelope that otherwise may contain only a protected card. It can help the buyer match the contents to the order, and it gives you a quick identifier if a buyer contacts you about a missing or mixed-up item. TCGplayer’s swapped-order guidance uses the order number on the slip as a way to locate the affected order. Those are workflow benefits, not a claim that a packing slip is required for every Marketplace shipment. For steps on handling a wrong card, swapped order, or damaged package, see our TCGplayer seller returns guide.
How to fold a packing slip for a PWE
There is no special policy fold. This is a practical way to keep the paper flat and separate from the card:
Set the slip aside first. Keep each printed slip with its matching order while you pick and pack, so two buyers’ papers do not get mixed together.
Protect the card independently. Sleeve it and use a toploader or other rigid protection suited to the order. The slip is not a stiffener, sleeve, or substitute for protecting the card.
Fold the paper into a flat panel. Fold it to fit the envelope without crumpling it or hiding the order number in a tight crease. If the slip is larger than the envelope, make a neat fold rather than wrapping the paper around the card.
Place it beside the protected card. Slide the folded slip next to or on top of the card-protection sandwich, with no exposed card surface rubbing against the paper. Do not tape the slip to the card or sleeve.
Check the envelope before sealing. Confirm that the slip belongs to that order, lies flat, and does not bunch up at the opening. Keep the card protected even if the buyer discards the paper.
Direct RI shipments are different
Do not mix up an order going to a TCGplayer buyer with an RI shipment sent to TCGplayer Direct. Under the Direct Seller Agreement, sellers must include the top portion of the RI packing slip in the RI package. TCGplayer identifies the information on that portion as the seller’s name, RI number, created date, and scannable barcode. That is an explicit requirement for Direct RI replenishment shipments, not a rule for every seller-fulfilled Marketplace envelope.
Print matching slips with your labels
If you are already exporting orders to make address labels, TCG Speed Shipper can generate matching packing slips alongside those labels from the TCGplayer CSV. The app’s slip shows the ship-to address, return address, order number when available, and the order’s item list, as described on the app’s main page. Upload the CSV, choose your label format, turn on packing slips, and download the print-ready PDF. That is a convenience for your own workflow; it does not change TCGplayer’s Marketplace policy or replace postage.
Common slip mistakes
- Treating an optional Marketplace slip like the required Direct RI slip.
- Putting two different orders’ slips in the same envelope.
- Letting loose paper rub against an unprotected card or relying on it to keep a PWE rigid.
- Adding promotional links or messages that direct Marketplace buyers off-platform.
- Assuming a print option in the Seller Portal means a slip must be inserted in every package.
FAQ
Does TCGplayer require a packing slip in every Marketplace order?
The official Marketplace pages reviewed explain how to print a packing slip but do not state that every seller-fulfilled package must include one. TCGplayer's international guidance recommends a packing slip or printed listing as proof of price. Direct RI shipments have a separate explicit requirement.
Where do I print a TCGplayer packing slip?
In the Seller Portal, open Orders, select orders, and print their packing slips. For one order, open its Order Details page using the order number or Manage button and choose the printable packing slip option.
What information is on a TCGplayer Marketplace packing slip?
TCGplayer's Seller Guide to Refunds and Returns refers to the order number on the packing slip. The Orders Tab guide does not list every field in the Marketplace slip, so check the generated copy rather than assuming a particular layout.
How do I fold a packing slip for a PWE?
Fold the paper into a flat panel that fits beside the protected card, keeping the order number readable and the paper away from any unprotected card surface. A packing slip is an insert, not card protection.
Does TCGplayer Direct require a packing slip?
For Direct Reimbursement Invoice shipments, sellers must include the top portion of the RI packing slip. TCGplayer says it contains the seller name, RI number, created date, and scannable barcode.
Should I include a packing slip with an international order?
TCGplayer's international shipping best-practices page recommends including a packing slip or printed copy of the listing as proof of the price. That is an international-shipping recommendation, not a universal Marketplace insert rule.