Short answer: If an order has not arrived by its Estimated Delivery Date (EDD), the seller may need to refund the buyer in full, including original shipping. The refund step depends on when the buyer reported the problem, while seller protection depends on the shipping method and eligibility rules. Untracked orders still require a refund, but some U.S. and U.S.-territory sellers can claim limited TCGplayer Safeguard credit for qualifying orders placed on or after August 17, 2026. Start with TCGplayer’s missing-orders instructions and its refunds and returns guide.
Missing-package decision table
| Order status | What you do | Coverage notes |
|---|---|---|
| Untracked / PWE | Use the EDD + 2 business-day timing rule; if it is still missing after any permitted wait, issue a full refund, including original shipping. See the refund rules. | Temporary Safeguard coverage is limited to eligible U.S. and U.S.-territory sellers with at least 1,000 lifetime orders and qualifying order dates. Source |
| Tracked, still en route | Refund when the order has not arrived by the EDD, following the report-timing rules below. See the refund rules. | U.S. seller coverage applies to tracked U.S. and U.S.-to-Canada orders. Orders over $49.99 have additional carrier and scan requirements. Source |
| Tracked, marked delivered | Wait two business days after delivery status; if it is still missing, refund in full and contact TCGplayer. | The stated coverage for a buyer-versus-USPS delivery discrepancy is specifically for domestic and international sealed orders with tracking. Source |
| Signature confirms delivery | Contact TCGplayer to investigate the signature-confirmed delivery. | Claims with a freight-forwarder or buyer-agent signature are denied. Source |
Start with the EDD, the report date, and the address
A buyer must contact you after the EDD and within 30 calendar days after that date to be eligible for a missing-order refund. Respond within two business days—Monday through Friday, excluding holidays—or the buyer may escalate the conversation. A missing item calls for a full refund, including the original shipping charge. These timing and refund rules are in TCGplayer’s Seller Guide to Refunds and Returns.
If the buyer reports the missing order on the EDD or within the next two business days, you may ask them to wait until the end of EDD + 2 business days. If they first report it more than two business days after the EDD, resolve it with an immediate refund. Expedited orders follow the same timing. TCGplayer may step in if you do not respond within two business days, do not ship within 48 hours, or use delaying tactics. For broader response habits, see our guide to avoiding a TCGplayer seller suspension.
Check the order’s shipping address before you send it. Under the address policy updated June 30, 2026, a buyer who needs a different address before shipment must request cancellation and, if approved, place a new order with the correct address. Do not send an order to an alternate address. If the buyer entered an incorrect address and did not flag it before shipment, the order does not qualify for a refund. The current address steps are in the refunds guide.
If an untracked PWE does not arrive
For an untracked order—often a plain white envelope (PWE)—the seller still must issue a full refund if it does not arrive after any permitted EDD + 2 business-day wait. There is no tracking scan to investigate, so do not treat a missing tracking number as a reason to delay the buyer’s refund. See our PWE packing guide for the shipping workflow.
- Check the EDD and the buyer’s report date.
- If the buyer reports on the EDD or within the next two business days, you may request a wait until EDD + 2 business days; if the report comes later, refund immediately if the order is still missing.
- After any permitted wait, issue the required full refund, including original shipping, if the order has not arrived.
- If you meet the temporary coverage criteria, refund first, then escalate the thread or submit a support ticket for credit through TCGplayer Safeguard.
The current missing-orders article adds a limited coverage path for untracked orders. It applies to sellers in the U.S. or U.S. territories who have at least 1,000 lifetime orders, and only to orders placed on or after August 17, 2026. This coverage lasts until TCGplayer ships an improved tracking solution. Those eligibility limits do not change the seller’s obligation to refund the missing order.
If a tracked order is still en route
- Apply the EDD + 2 business-day timing rule above; expedited orders follow the same treatment.
- If the buyer reported late, refund immediately. Otherwise, if the package remains missing after any permitted wait, issue the full refund, including original shipping.
- Check the destination, order value, carrier, and tracking scans against the current protection criteria before relying on coverage.
- For a qualifying Canadian-seller order, share the tracking number through the Seller Portal message center as required.
The missing-orders article says it covers U.S. sellers on tracked orders shipped within the U.S. and from the U.S. to Canada. For orders over $49.99, TCGplayer says tracking is required for seller protection; coverage also requires USPS, UPS, or FedEx and tracking movement beyond “Acceptance” or “Label Created.” A tracking number without a qualifying scan does not meet those stated conditions for an order over that value.
Canada-based sellers have a separate expanded coverage rule. It applies to qualifying domestic and U.S.-bound orders over $49.99 USD, uses TCGplayer’s listed carrier partners, and requires the tracking number to be shared through the Seller Portal message center. The tracking must advance beyond “Acceptance,” “Label Created,” or “Scanned In.” The April 15, 2026 eligibility date applies to this expanded Canadian seller coverage; it is separate from the U.S.-seller coverage described above. Read the missing-orders article for the complete carrier and claim instructions. For help interpreting statuses, see TCGplayer order tracking explained.
If tracking says delivered but the buyer says it is missing
- Wait two business days after the package is marked delivered.
- Ask the buyer to check with family or roommates, neighbors, and the local USPS facility.
- If the package is still missing, issue a full refund.
- Contact TCGplayer through the Help Center chatbot and include “Missing Delivered Package” and the order number.
Keep the coverage statement narrow: TCGplayer’s missing-orders article says it fully covers sellers for discrepancies between buyer claims and USPS tracking claims on domestic and international sealed orders with tracking. The article does not extend that specific statement to every type of order; do not treat a delivery scan alone as a guarantee of coverage.
If signature confirmation shows delivery
- When the buyer disputes signature-confirmed delivery, contact TCGplayer and let its support team investigate.
- Note that a signature by a freight forwarder or buyer’s agent is denied under the stated policy.
How to issue a missing-order refund
In the order’s refund flow, choose Full Refund, select Buyer Initiated as the origin and Package - Missing as the reason, add a short explanation, and click Refund Order. Use a full refund when the order qualifies, including the original shipping charge. The exact options are documented in TCGplayer’s refund guide.
If a refunded order later arrives, the buyer can repay through TCGplayer or return the order.
For buyer’s-remorse returns, wrong cards, swapped orders, and shipping damage, see our TCGplayer seller returns guide.
Reduce avoidable lost-package losses
- Use tracking when the value calls for it. TCGplayer’s current missing-orders guidance says orders over $49.99 must include tracking for seller protection. For broader shipping guidance, see TCGplayer Shipping Guidelines; use the current official missing-orders article for the coverage conditions discussed here.
- Keep the address from being retyped. TCG Speed Shipper prints the shipping address from the TCGplayer CSV onto labels and envelopes, so there is no manual re-entry between export and print. Always review the Seller Portal address before you ship.
- Use the app’s order tools as workflow aids. TCG Speed Shipper’s value-tier badges flag orders at its $20, $49.99, and $250 breakpoints. These are the app’s own tiers, not a separate promise of TCGplayer coverage. For envelope orders, the Shipping Plan can show a per-order stamp estimate after you enter packaging weight. For tracked orders, it can export a Pirate Ship CSV.
TCG Speed Shipper turns a TCGplayer CSV into printed labels, envelopes, or packing slips. It helps prepare the paperwork, but the seller still needs to follow the order’s current tracking, delivery, address, and refund instructions.
FAQ
How long does a buyer have to report a missing TCGplayer order?
The buyer must contact the seller after the Estimated Delivery Date and within 30 calendar days after that date to be eligible for a missing-order refund. The seller has two business days to respond.
Do I have to refund an untracked TCGplayer order?
Yes. If an untracked order has not arrived by its Estimated Delivery Date, the seller must issue a full refund. TCGplayer's temporary coverage is limited to U.S. and U.S.-territory sellers with at least 1,000 lifetime orders for orders placed on or after August 17, 2026; the seller refunds first, then escalates the thread or submits a ticket for credit through TCGplayer Safeguard.
Does TCGplayer cover a tracked package that is still in transit?
TCGplayer covers U.S. sellers on tracked U.S. domestic and U.S.-to-Canada orders. For orders over $49.99, seller protection requires tracking, and coverage requires USPS, UPS, or FedEx with tracking movement beyond Acceptance or Label Created. Expanded coverage for Canada-based sellers has separate order-value, carrier, tracking-submission, scan, and April 15, 2026 eligibility requirements.
What should I do if tracking says delivered but the buyer says the order is missing?
Wait two business days after the delivered scan while the buyer checks family or roommates, neighbors, and the local USPS facility. If the order is still missing, issue a full refund and contact TCGplayer through the Help Center chatbot with “Missing Delivered Package” and the order number. The stated coverage for delivery discrepancies is specifically for domestic and international sealed orders with tracking.
What if signature confirmation shows delivery but the buyer disputes it?
Contact TCGplayer so it can investigate the signature-confirmed delivery. Claims with a freight-forwarder or buyer-agent signature are denied.
Can a buyer get a refund if they entered the wrong shipping address?
An incorrect buyer address that was not flagged before shipment does not qualify for a refund. Before shipment, the buyer must request cancellation and, if approved, place a new order with the correct address; sellers may not ship to an alternate address.