Packaging and shipment standards (sellers)

Last updated September 2026

Pack so cards survive normal USPS handling. Inadequate packing that causes damage can support a refund against you and a poor review. These standards line up with the platform letter, bubble, and box shipping bands (see shipping rates).

At checkout, buyers pay a platform packaging fee with postage when shipping is not free. That amount is included in your Connect payout to help cover supplies. On free-shipping orders, packaging is waived and not paid to you. Pick lists show batch codes from your inventory. See Box and batch tracking and Using My Binder.

Binder to Market is not the carrier. USPS may deny claims when packing was not enough for ordinary transit. See the shipping policy.

Payout and label reminder

Funds for your portion are not released until you buy an in-app USPS label. You must buy that label within three business days (Monday–Friday) after checkout. Pack first, weigh the sealed package on a scale, measure outer L×W×H, then create the label. See labels and tracking.

Packing standards (baseline)

Penny sleeve every card before rigid protection.
Up to five sleeved cards per standard toploader, stacked neatly. Don't overstuff.
Cards over $20 (individual card value) each get their own toploader, no matter how many cards are in the order.
Tracking on every shipment is required. The in-app label covers this.

Orders under about $5 (tracked plain white envelope)

Use a tracked letter via the in-app label when the packed envelope stays machinable: typically no thicker than about 1/4 inch, not overly rigid, and not a plastic mailer. Structure: penny sleeve → toploader → tape the toploader closed → cardboard sandwich → standard envelope. Do not use a letter label for a bubble mailer, a box, a slab, or a thick stack. If it will not stay a flat letter, pack as bubble or box and enter those dimensions when you buy the label.

About one to five cards, order value about $5+

Penny sleeve each card. Stack into one toploader where the five-card rule allows (respect individual toploaders for $20+ cards). Tape the toploader shut, slip into a team bag, and ship in a #000 bubble mailer. Rough supplies-only cost about $0.50–$0.55 (excluding postage).

Six to twelve cards

Use two or three toploaders (up to five sleeved cards each per stack rule). Team bag each rigid stack. Add stiffeners as needed. Outer container: #0 bubble mailer. Rough supplies budget about $1.00–$1.50 plus postage.

Thirteen to twenty cards

Plan on three or four toploaders. Outer: #1 bubble mailer or a small box (~6×4×4 in). Rough range about $1.50–$3.00 for materials plus postage.

Twenty to fifty cards

Use a small box. $20+ cards: individual toploaders. Mid-value bulk: five-per-toploader stacks. Lower-value bulk can ride in a deck box inside the carton with padding. Budget roughly $3–$5 for supplies plus postage depending on weight.

Fifty-plus cards

Use a medium box (~8×6×4 in) with tiered protection. For example, a BCW-style card storage box nested inside the shipping carton with void fill. Rough materials about $4–$7 plus postage.

Sealed products (booster boxes, packs, accessories)

Use a sturdy outer carton with firm void fill. Do not tape onto shrink-wrap. Wrap the product. Avoid packing peanuts in oversized boxes. On the seller order page, enter the packed box weight and dimensions (L×W×H) from a scale and ruler. Defaults are a guess. The outer carton is often larger than the retail product. In-app labels cap packages at 70 lb, 48 in on a side, and 130 in length plus girth. Checkout always rates sealed slices as box (tracked). See shipping rates. Higher-value sealed (for example booster boxes) benefit from corner protection or double-boxing. Photograph the packed carton.

Graded cards

Graded slabs always use Standard (tracked) postage, never a letter. Bag the slab, wrap it in bubble wrap, and keep it from shifting. Do not ship a slab in a mailer with no box and no wrap. Pressure in transit can crack cases. One slab with up to about 20 raw singles may use a padded bubble mailer if the slab is fully wrapped. Two or more slabs (or one slab with more raws) use a box with void fill. Photograph packing on higher-value slabs.

Do and don't

Do pack first, weigh ounces on a scale, measure outside L×W×H, then buy the in-app label.
Do photograph packed high-value orders before they leave.
Don't tape onto card faces, slabs, or shrink-wrap.
Don't buy a letter label for a bubble, box, or slab.
Don't assume extra USPS insurance can be added at the post office onto an EasyPost label. See the shipping policy.