TCG Seller Glossary

Jump to: Shipping · Supplies · TCGplayer terms · Card condition and grading

Shipping

PWE (plain white envelope)

A standard #10 letter envelope with a stamp. The cheapest way to ship a few cards. On its own it has no tracking. TCGplayer recommends tracking for orders over $20. More

BMWT (bubble mailer with tracking)

A padded mailer sent as a package with a tracking number, usually USPS Ground Advantage. TCGplayer requires tracking for orders over $49.99. More

Tracked packing slip

TCGplayer's free tracked envelope option: the packing slip carries a USPS barcode that shows through a window envelope. For orders of $49.99 and below to a verified U.S. address, rolling out to all sellers by November 6, 2026. It shows USPS scans, not delivery confirmation. More

IMb (Intelligent Mail barcode)

The USPS barcode printed on letters. USPS scans it as the letter moves through its machines, which is what makes envelope tracking possible. More

USPS Ground Advantage

The USPS service for light tracked packages. It replaced First-Class Package Service in July 2023, so older guides that use the old name mean this. More

Nonmachinable surcharge

An extra USPS charge on letters that are rigid, lumpy or the wrong shape to run through sorting machines. A toploader in an envelope can trigger it. More

Media Mail

A cheap USPS rate for books and recorded media. Trading cards don't qualify. More

eBay Standard Envelope

eBay's low-cost envelope service for cards and other flat items under $20, up to 3 oz, with limited tracking. More

APO / FPO

Military addresses served by USPS. They ship at domestic prices but need a customs form and more time. More

Signature confirmation

Proof that someone signed for the package. TCGplayer requires it on orders over $250. More

Supplies

Penny sleeve

A thin, soft plastic sleeve, the first layer of protection for any single card. More

Toploader

A rigid plastic holder a sleeved card slides into. It keeps the card from bending in the mail. More

Team bag

A resealable plastic bag that holds a toploader (or a small stack) closed so cards can't slide out. More

Card saver

A semi-rigid plastic holder, a bit softer than a toploader. Common for cards sent in for grading. More

Thermal printer (4×6)

A label printer that prints with heat instead of ink, onto 4×6 shipping labels. Rollo, MUNBYN, Dymo and Zebra are the common ones. More

TCGplayer terms

Packing slip and pull sheet

The packing slip goes in the envelope and lists what the buyer ordered. The pull sheet is your list of cards to pull from stock for a batch of orders. More

Shipping export (CSV)

The order file you download from the TCGplayer Seller Portal (Orders, tick orders, Export Shipping). TCG Speed Shipper turns it into labels. More

TCGplayer Direct

A program for Level 4 sellers where TCGplayer ships the order from its own stock and handles the buyer. You keep your cards until they sell, then send your copies back on a Reimbursement Invoice. Fees are per item. More

RI (Reimbursement Invoice)

In TCGplayer Direct, the list of your sold cards that TCGplayer asks you to ship to it, after it has already filled those orders from its own stock. More

Seller levels (1 to 4)

TCGplayer's seller tiers. Each level raises your listing limits; you move up with completed orders and good feedback. More

Gold Star Seller

A badge for sellers with 99.5% positive feedback and 100 transactions in 90 days. More

TCGplayer Pro

TCGplayer's store software for card shops. No monthly charge; it adds a 2.5% Pro fee on marketplace sales. More

Safeguard

TCGplayer's seller protection for some untracked orders that a buyer says never arrived. It has eligibility rules. More

Mass Entry

TCGplayer's tool for pasting a whole card list (like a deck list) into the cart at once. More

Market Price

TCGplayer's price for a card based on recent sales. Sellers use it as a reference when pricing. More

Shipping not confirmed

The order status shown until the seller marks the order shipped. More

Vacation mode

A switch that hides your inventory so no new orders come in while you're away. More

Card condition and grading

NM, LP, MP, HP, DMG

TCGplayer's five conditions: Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged. Wear, scratches and bends decide which one a card gets. More

Slab

A card sealed in a hard plastic case by a grading company such as PSA, BGS or CGC, with the grade on the label. More

Singles, sealed and bulk

Singles are individual cards. Sealed means unopened product like booster boxes. Bulk is lower-value cards sold in large lots. More