Over the coming weeks, we’re expanding the coverage of eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee to include eligible single trading cards $200 and above. This expansion is designed to create more trust, protection, and confidence across more trading card transactions on eBay.
Why this matters
Authenticity Guarantee helps reinforce buyer confidence before purchase and adds protection for sellers after the sale. Our partners at Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) verify authenticity and listing accuracy through a multi-point inspection, then ship the cards safely and securely to the buyer. No regrading is performed. Both buyer and seller can be confident in the transaction and, best of all, eBay covers the cost of authentication.
What’s changing
Over the coming weeks, eligible raw and graded trading cards $200 and above will qualify for Authenticity Guarantee (down from $250):
- CCG = 183454
- Toys & Hobbies > Collectible Card Games > CCG Individual Cards
- NSTC = 183050
- Collectibles > Non-Sport Trading Cards > Trading Card Singles
- STC = 261328
- Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop > Sports Trading Cards > Trading Card Singles
Eligible listings will automatically display the blue Authenticity Guarantee badge when they qualify. Note: Sets, lots, kits, decks, boxes, packs, art cards, and redemption cards are not eligible at this time.
What this means for you
Though the eligibility is expanding, the process will remain the same:
- When an eligible card sells, you’ll ship it to the authentication facility.
- Once the card arrives, PSA will inspect the item via a multi-point inspection and review the listing details for accuracy.
- Once authenticated, the item is packaged securely and shipped to the buyer with tracked delivery.
Some helpful reminders:
- Ship each Authenticity Guarantee order individually. Combined shipping is not currently supported for Authenticity Guarantee orders.
- Upload tracking information promptly through My eBay or Seller Hub so the item can be tracked through the process and seller protections can apply.
- Review your listings for accurate titles, photos, descriptions, and condition details to help reduce inspection issues or returns.
- Check Seller Hub order details to confirm whether a sold item qualified for Authenticity Guarantee.
How to prepare
Confirm that eligible single-card listings are in the correct category and that listing details accurately reflect the card being sold. For raw cards, ensure photos, condition, and description are clear and complete. For graded cards, verify that the grading company, case, label, certification details, and listing photos are accurate.
If you use listing tools, integrations, or bulk workflows, please plan for more orders to route through the authentication facility once the expansion takes effect.
– The eBay Team
Does Authentication only apply to listings shipped from certain regions? I’m curious to why something like this doesn’t have authentication:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204668557724
I think authenticity guarantee is primarily for US based listings for now. It may cover some from Canada and a select few other countries but only the US is covered for all eligible listings afaik.
I’d rather them expand internationally rather than this, but it’s still a welcomed improvement. I’m honestly surprised Authenticity Guarantee is still free. Been waiting for eBay to make it like 1% of the sale or something. Hopefully that never happens.
By far the best thing ebay has done in this hobby is this guarantee. Glad its down to 200 threshold.
This has literally saved me thousands by informing me of hidden dents, altered cards on cards listed as lp/nm.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the service pays for itself if lift on listings and prevention of leakage from constant INADs. Not to mention the market dominance it affords.
Ofc the card has to ship twice under the guarantee (most of the time) so they are spending money, but eBay certainly profits from the sale of shipping labels, and cards are cheap to ship, so it’s likely not the logistics costing too much.
Lastly the integration with PSA for the authentication has a ton of synergy. eBay doesn’t have to stand up the service itself, and integrates with PSA. PSA gets a ton out of the deal from a market share perspective and even gets to sell grading / vaulting at POS, which in turn lets them capture the sale again down the line most of the time.
I think for this specific item it may also be because the listing has the word “deck” in the title. In the past I have reached out to ebay support about the authenticity guarantee not appearing on some of my own listings that qualify, and I learned that certain words can trigger taking the guarantee away. “Deck” was one of those specific words; I had Trainer Deck A and B cards for sale that qualified for the guarantee but it didn’t show until “deck” was removed. Same thing for some of the Chinese exclusive gem “pack” cards; once the word “pack” was removed the listing showed the authenticity guarantee.
Ahh gotcha. That makes sense a bit. I wish they would change the terms to apply to all slabs over $200. Would make things a lot easier lol
I learned this the hard way a couple months ago. I accidentally sold a five figure card outside of authenticity guarantee because of “deck” in the title. I was stressssssed. Luckily no issues at all but it wasn’t fun. Authenticity guarantee is amazing.
Personally not a huge fan of the Guarantee, at least as it is now ie mandatory. I wish buyers could opt out, there have been many times where something gets sent to Authenticity Guarantee that absolutely does not need to (a graded slab!) and it just slows down my ability to get the card in my hand and included in a grading submission, etc.
I bet they were tired of having to ‘guarentee’ PSA 9 base set Pikachus all day lol
Agree.
The logic of a PSA slabbed card going back to PSA to be “authenticated” is completely backwards. And then if you sell, it goes back through PSA. How many times do they have to review their plastic? Is it that easy to counterfeit?
eBay also already always sides with the buyer on disputes, so what is the point even for raw cards?
Total waste of resources and reeks of collusion.
Seems some are missing the point of authenticity guarantee. “Ebay always sides with the buyer” is the whole darn point of this program. Sellers actually have protection for once.
its mostly for seller protection and so buyers cant do returns
i wouldnt sell any pokeman not thru auth there are way too many pokescammers around
and also everyone will just return the item within 30 days when the price falls by 20% or more 
They already take 15% of everyone’s stuff up to 7500 which is basically 99.9% of things listed on ebay, which is also the biggest website for 3rd party selling in the world. They have more money than god, they don’t need any more
I always viewed this as buyer protection as well. Wins all around