# How to start selling on Cardmarket from the UK > Opening an account, pricing against the trend line, grading condition, posting letters to the EU and getting paid through the Trustee Service. Updated 9 October 2026 Cardmarket is where European players buy single cards for Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh and other games. Every card has one product page, and your copy competes on price, condition and seller rating in the list below it. Your first month comes down to three jobs: pricing a first batch, packing letters that arrive flat, and building ratings with careful grading. ## Setting up the account Register as a private seller, verify your address and add a bank account for payouts. Choose which countries you ship to and the postage methods you offer from Cardmarket's list for the UK. Start with the UK only if customs forms put you off. Opening the EU later multiplies your buyers, because most Cardmarket traffic is on the continent. ## Pricing a first batch Each product page shows the price trend and the cheapest offers by condition and language. Price your first 50 cards a little under the cheapest comparable copy until you have ratings. Cheap commons rarely cover the postage and sleeve. Bundle them into playsets or leave them in bulk. ## Grading condition and language Cardmarket uses its own scale from Mint to Poor, with examples in the help centre. Check every card under a bright lamp, tilted, before you choose a grade. Pick the lower grade whenever you hesitate. New sellers lose ratings to optimistic grading more than to slow posting. ## Posting letters to buyers Sleeve each card, add a toploader for anything of value, close the stack in a team bag and send it in a rigid mailer. Most small orders go as a Royal Mail Large Letter; weigh each one and check the current price guide. EU orders need a customs declaration. Read Cardmarket's help on shipping from the UK, and fill the form in before the post office trip. ## Trustee Service and getting paid On covered orders, Cardmarket holds the buyer's payment until they confirm the parcel arrived. It covers tracked shipments, and only a tracking status showing delivery to the buyer's address counts. A buyer can report non-arrival only after 14 days. You then have 14 days to send Cardmarket the tracking number, so keep every receipt. ## When it becomes a business Buying boosters or collections to sell singles is trading. Register with HMRC for Self Assessment and switch to a professional seller account, which adds invoices and the EU right of withdrawal. Cardmarket reports seller figures under the platform reporting rules, so keep your own record of what each collection cost. ## Checklist - [ ] Choose shipping countries and methods before your first listing - [ ] Price the first 50 cards a little under the cheapest comparable copy - [ ] Grade under a bright lamp and pick the lower grade when unsure - [ ] Sleeve, toploader and rigid mailer for every order - [ ] Weigh each letter before you buy postage - [ ] Send anything valuable tracked and keep the receipt ## Kit for this - **[Penny sleeves, 1,000 pack](https://sellersetups.com/product/penny-sleeves)** (£6 to £10): Stops surface scratches before the card goes into a toploader. At this pack size each sleeve costs well under a penny. - **[35pt toploaders, 100 pack](https://sellersetups.com/product/toploaders)** (£11 to £18): Buyers on Whatnot and eBay expect any card worth more than a few pounds to arrive sleeved and top-loaded. A bent card means a refund. - **[Resealable team bags, 100 pack](https://sellersetups.com/product/team-bags)** (£4 to £7): A team bag over the toploader holds the card in place and keeps moisture out, for a few pence a card. - **[Board-backed card mailers, C6, 100 pack](https://sellersetups.com/product/rigid-card-mailers)** (£10 to £18): A sleeved and top-loaded card in a rigid mailer stays flat through sorting machines and usually ships as a Large Letter, which costs far less than a parcel. - **[3,200-count card storage boxes](https://sellersetups.com/product/card-storage-boxes)** (£10 to £18): Sort singles by set and number with dividers, and you can pull a sold card without flicking through binders. - **[500 g precision pocket scale](https://sellersetups.com/product/pocket-scale-500g)** (£8 to £14): Card orders often sit within a few grams of a Royal Mail weight limit. A precise small scale tells you whether a mailer goes as a Large Letter or a parcel. ## Setups - [Cardmarket singles desk: posting card orders from a corner](https://sellersetups.com/setups/cardmarket-singles-desk): A sorted card box, sleeves, toploaders and a pocket scale for sending 10 to 60 Cardmarket orders a week as letters, for about £150. - [Whatnot card setup: £300 starter kit](https://sellersetups.com/setups/whatnot-card-starter): Camera, lights and packing kit for running your first Whatnot card shows from a desk and shipping the orders next morning, for about £300. ## Questions ### Is Cardmarket worth it for a UK seller? For singles, yes: buyers across Europe search card by card, which suits a deep binder of mid-value cards. Customs paperwork on EU letters is the extra work to plan for. ### What does Cardmarket charge? A commission on each card sold, plus a Trustee fee on covered orders that depends on the order value. Rates change, so check Cardmarket's fee table before you price. ### Do I need my own photos? Not for most cards: the shared product image is enough. Add front and back photos for expensive cards where centring and edges matter. ### How fast must I post? Post within a couple of working days and mark the order as sent the same day. Buyers rate dispatch speed, and quick posting builds a new account. ### Can I also sell the same cards elsewhere? Yes, but update Cardmarket the moment a card sells at a shop, on eBay or on Whatnot. Cancelling a paid order costs you a rating.