Help Center
Step-by-step guides for everything on Card-Star.
Getting Started with Card-Star
Create Your Account
Click "Sign Up Free" in the top right corner. Enter a username, email, and password. Your account is free and gives you access to buying, watching, and collection tracking.
Set Up Your Profile
Go to Settings from your Dashboard. Upload a profile photo and configure your payout method (PayPal or Interac e-Transfer). This is required before you can receive payments from sales.
Browse the Marketplace
Use the category navigation (Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Pokémon) to browse listings. Use the search bar to find specific players, sets, or cards.
Become a Seller
To list cards for sale, click "+ Sell" in the header. If you haven't set up a seller profile yet, you'll be prompted to create a store name and URL. This is free — no monthly fees.
Explore Features
Check out the Trending page for market movers, the Collection Tracker to manage your cards, and the Price Analytics on each card page to see market data.
How to Buy Cards
Find a Card
Use the search bar, browse by category, or filter by sport, year, set, player, condition, grade, and price range. The Browse page has a full filter sidebar.
Review the Listing
Click on a listing to see the full details: photos, condition, grading info, seller rating, shipping cost, and price history for that card. Check the seller's feedback and shipping speed.
Buy Now or Make an Offer
For fixed-price listings, click "Buy Now" to purchase immediately. If the listing accepts offers, click "Make Offer" to submit your price. Sellers can accept, counter, or decline.
Complete Payment
After your purchase or accepted offer, you'll be directed to payment. Card-Star uses Stripe and PayPal for secure payments. Your payment information is never stored on our servers.
Receive and Confirm
The seller ships your card with tracking. Once delivered, confirm receipt in your Dashboard. You have 7 days to confirm or open a dispute. After 7 days, the order auto-completes.
Leave Feedback
After confirming receipt, rate the seller on shipping speed, item accuracy, communication, and grading accuracy. Your feedback helps build trust in the community.
How to Sell Cards
Set Up Your Seller Profile
Click "+ Sell" and follow the prompt to create your store. Choose a store name and URL. Then go to Settings and configure your payout method (PayPal or e-Transfer) so you can receive payments.
Create a Listing — Find Your Card
On the Create Listing page, start typing the player name, set, or year in the auto-fill search box. Our card database will suggest matches and auto-fill the details (sport, set, card number, team). Select the correct match.
Set Condition and Grading
Select the card's condition from the dropdown (Gem Mint, Mint, Near Mint, etc.). If graded, select the grading company, grade, and enter the cert number. Be accurate — your grading accuracy score depends on it.
Upload Photos
Upload clear photos of the front, back, and any notable details (corners, edges, centering). Good photos sell cards faster. Use natural lighting and a clean background.
Set Your Price
Choose Fixed Price or Auction. For fixed price, you can also enable "Accept Offers" and set a minimum offer amount. The fee preview shows exactly what you'll keep after Card-Star's 10% fee (8.5% for verified sellers).
Publish and Wait
Click "Publish Listing" and your card is live. You'll receive notifications when someone buys, bids, or makes an offer. Listings are active for 30 days and can be renewed.
Ship the Card
When a sale is confirmed, ship the card within 3 business days. Package securely in a penny sleeve + top loader + bubble mailer (or rigid mailer for high-value cards). Add tracking in your Dashboard.
Get Paid
Payment is released to your configured payout method after the buyer confirms receipt or after the 7-day auto-completion period. Card-Star's fee is automatically deducted.
How Auctions Work
For Sellers: Create an Auction
When creating a listing, select "Auction" as the listing type. Set a starting bid, optional reserve price, optional Buy Now price, bid increment, and duration (3-14 days).
For Buyers: Place a Bid
Click "Place Bid" on an auction listing. Enter your bid amount (must meet the minimum next bid). All bids are binding — you're committing to buy at that price if you win.
Anti-Snipe Protection
If a bid is placed in the last 5 minutes, the auction extends by 5 minutes. This prevents last-second sniping and gives all bidders a fair chance.
Winning the Auction
When the auction ends, the highest bidder wins. If a reserve price was set and not met, the seller is not obligated to sell. The winner must complete payment within 48 hours.
Buy Now Option
If the seller set a Buy Now price, you can skip the auction and purchase immediately at that price. The Buy Now option disappears once bids are placed (depending on seller settings).
Payments and Fees
Buyer Payments
Card-Star accepts payments through Stripe (credit/debit cards) and PayPal. Your payment information is processed securely by these providers — Card-Star never stores your card details.
Seller Payouts
Go to Settings and configure your payout method. Choose PayPal (enter your PayPal email) or Interac e-Transfer (enter your email). When a sale completes, payment is sent to your configured method.
Fee Structure
Standard sellers pay 10% of the sale price. Verified sellers pay 8.5%. There are no listing fees, no monthly subscription required, and no insertion fees. The Escrow service costs an additional 1.8.5% for cards over $500.
Payment Split
When a buyer pays, the payment is automatically split: Card-Star's platform fee is deducted, and the remainder is queued for the seller's payout. This happens automatically — no manual action required.
Payout Timing
Seller payouts are initiated after the buyer confirms receipt or after the 7-day auto-completion period. Processing times depend on your payout method (PayPal is typically 1-2 business days).
Shipping Guide
Packaging Standards
For raw (ungraded) cards: Place in a penny sleeve, then a top loader, then wrap in painter's tape (not directly on the top loader). Ship in a bubble mailer or rigid mailer between pieces of cardboard.
For graded cards: Wrap the slab in bubble wrap. Ship in a small box with padding. Never ship graded cards in just a bubble mailer.
Ship Within 3 Days
After payment is confirmed, ship within 3 business days. Faster shipping improves your seller metrics and rating.
Add Tracking
Go to your Dashboard, find the order, and add the tracking number and carrier. The buyer will be notified and can track the package.
Insurance
For cards valued over $100, we strongly recommend purchasing shipping insurance. Card-Star is not responsible for items lost or damaged in transit.
International Shipping
If you ship internationally, you're responsible for customs declarations. Buyers may be responsible for customs duties and import taxes in their country.
Collection Tracker
Access Your Collection
Click "Collection" in your Dashboard sidebar or header. Your collection acts like a stock portfolio for your cards — track what you own and watch the value change.
Add Cards
Click "+ Add Card" and search for the card using the auto-fill system. Enter the quantity, what you paid, and when you bought it. You can also import cards via CSV for bulk entry.
Track Value
Your collection page shows total estimated value, 30-day change, and your most valuable card. As more sales happen on Card-Star, the price data becomes more accurate.
Sell from Collection
When you're ready to sell a card from your collection, you can create a listing directly from the collection page — the card details auto-fill from your collection data.
Account Management
Profile Photo
Go to Settings and click "Upload Photo" in the Profile Photo section. Upload a JPG, PNG, or WebP image. It will be automatically cropped to a square and resized to 256x256 pixels.
Change Password
In Settings, scroll to Change Password. Enter your current password, then your new password twice to confirm. Passwords must be at least 8 characters.
Payout Settings
In Settings, choose your payout method (PayPal or e-Transfer) and enter the associated email. This is required to receive money from sales. You can change it at any time.
Become a Verified Seller
Verified sellers get the lower 8.5% fee rate. To become verified, you need to complete identity verification and maintain strong selling metrics. Contact us or use a verification code if you have one.
Close Account
To close your account, contact us at support@card-star.com. All pending transactions must be completed first. Your personal data will be deleted per our Privacy Policy, but Card Identity records (sale history) may persist.