Terms and Conditions

1. Introduction

Welcome to TCGrader. These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the TCGrader website, applications, API, and services (collectively, the "Services"). The Services are operated by TCGrader Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 16804394, with its registered office at 203 West Street, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 0EN, United Kingdom (referred to in these Terms as "TCGrader," "we," "our," or "us").

By accessing or using the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Services. We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time, and your continued use of the Services constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

2. Definitions

• "User," "You," "Your": Any individual or entity accessing or using the Services
• "Content": All text, images, data, and materials uploaded or shared on the platform
• "Trading Cards": Collectible cards including Pokémon, sports cards, Magic: The Gathering, and other TCGs
• "Grading": The AI-powered assessment of card condition and authenticity
• "Marketplace": The platform feature enabling buying, selling, and trading of cards
• "Account": Your registered user profile on TCGrader

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

3.1 Age Requirements

You must be at least 13 years old to use our Services. Users between 13-18 years old must have parental or guardian consent. By using the Services, you represent that you meet these age requirements.

3.2 Account Security

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• You must provide accurate and complete registration information
• One person or entity may maintain only one account
• You are responsible for all activities conducted through your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breaches

3.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or pose security risks to the platform or other users.

4. AI Grading Services

4.1 Service Description

Our AI grading service uses machine-learning models to assess trading card condition across centering, corners, edges, surface, and (where applicable) holographic quality. Grading is offered as a single-card flow and as a bulk-grading flow (multiple cards processed in sequence). All grades are provided as an informational estimate.

4.2 Accuracy and Limitations

• AI grading is not a substitute for professional grading services such as PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC, or TAG.
• Accuracy may vary based on photo quality, lighting, the angle and sharpness of submitted images, and card type.
• We do not guarantee any specific grade outcome and grades are estimates only.
• Estimated PSA / market values shown alongside grades are indicative and based on third-party data; we do not guarantee them.

4.3 Credits and pricing

• Grading the front and back of a single card costs one (1) credit. Bulk grading costs the same per card.
• Credits may be purchased directly or included as part of a paid subscription.
• Credit prices are displayed inclusive of any applicable VAT for users in the UK and EU.
• Credits have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for money.

4.4 Final results — no refund once shown

Once a grade has been computed and displayed to you, the credit used for that grade is consumed and is non-refundable. If a grade fails to compute due to a system error and no result is displayed, we will restore the credit to your account.

4.5 Public visibility of grades

By default, completed grades are saved to your TCGrader account and may be displayed publicly on your profile and on a card-specific URL (for example as part of community feeds, leaderboards, or marketplace listings you create). The username and any avatar associated with your account may appear alongside the grade. You can manage visibility-related settings on your account settings page.

4.6 User Responsibilities

Users must provide clear, high-quality photos of cards they own or are authorised to grade. Submitting misleading images, photos of cards you do not have rights to grade, or any attempt to manipulate or game the grading system (including post-processed or composite images) is prohibited and may result in grade invalidation and account suspension.

5. Marketplace and Trading

5.1 Marketplace rules

• All listings must accurately describe the card, its condition, and (where applicable) the grading authority, grade, and certificate number — and must include clear, unedited photos of the actual item being sold.
• Sellers must honour committed sales and ship items in line with the timeframes set out below.
• Buyers must complete payment promptly when an offer is accepted or a buy-now is initiated.
• Counterfeit, stolen, fraudulent, or misrepresented listings are strictly prohibited and will be removed.
• To list cards for sale, sellers must complete identity / payout onboarding via our payment provider (see 5.2).
• You may only list cards you legally own and have the right to sell.

5.2 Payments and escrow

Marketplace payments are processed by Stripe (or Stripe Connect, where applicable). When you buy on the marketplace, your payment is collected by us and held until the transaction is confirmed as delivered:

• Funds are released to the seller automatically when delivery is confirmed by the buyer, by tracking-API confirmation, or after a 30-day fallback period from the shipping date.
• If a transaction is cancelled before shipping, funds are returned to the buyer.
• By using the marketplace as a seller, you authorise us to collect payment on your behalf and to deduct platform fees before paying out the remainder via Stripe.
• Use of Stripe is also subject to Stripe's own terms (stripe.com/legal/connect-account).

5.3 Fees

We charge a platform fee on completed marketplace sales. Current rates:

• Standard sellers: 5% of the sale price.
• Pro and Dealer subscribers: 2.5% of the sale price.
• There are no listing fees and no monthly fees for standard sellers — fees are only deducted when a sale completes.
• Stripe processing fees are deducted separately by Stripe in accordance with Stripe's pricing.
• Fee rates may change with reasonable notice; the rate in force at the time of sale applies.

5.4 Shipping and delivery

• Sellers must ship items within seven (7) days of payment unless otherwise agreed in writing with the buyer.
• Sellers must ship using a tracked service and provide a valid tracking number through the marketplace transaction page.
• Sellers are responsible for adequate packaging to protect graded slabs and raw cards in transit.
• Buyers should confirm delivery on the platform once an item arrives. If not confirmed, delivery may be auto-confirmed via the tracking API or after the 30-day fallback period (see 5.2).
• Customs duties, import VAT, and similar charges on cross-border shipments are the buyer's responsibility unless otherwise agreed.

5.5 Disputes and consumer rights

If an item arrives not-as-described, damaged, or never arrives:

• The buyer should contact the seller via the in-platform messaging first, and (if unresolved) raise the issue with us via support@tcgrader.com.
• While we are not the seller of marketplace items, we hold buyer funds in escrow and may withhold release, refund, or reverse a transaction where, in our reasonable opinion, the seller has materially breached these Terms.
• Where you buy from a private (non-business) seller, your statutory consumer protections under UK / EU law may differ from purchases from a business seller. Nothing in these Terms removes statutory rights you may have against a business seller.
• Chargebacks initiated through Stripe / your card issuer follow Stripe's dispute process. We may freeze, withhold, or recover funds from a seller account in connection with a chargeback.

5.6 Counterfeit and prohibited items

Listing counterfeit, replica, or "proxy" cards is strictly forbidden. We reserve the right to remove listings, void transactions, suspend accounts, and report suspected criminal activity to the appropriate authorities. Sellers are solely responsible for ensuring listings comply with applicable intellectual property and consumer law.

6. User Content and Conduct

6.1 Content Ownership

You retain ownership of content you upload. By posting content, you grant TCGrader a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content in connection with the Services.

6.2 Prohibited Content

You may not post content that:

• Violates laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Contains hate speech, harassment, or discriminatory material
• Promotes violence, illegal activities, or self-harm
• Infringes intellectual property rights
• Contains malware, spam, or phishing attempts
• Includes sexually explicit or inappropriate material

6.3 Content Moderation

All content is monitored by AI moderation systems and subject to review by our moderation team. We reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

TCGrader and its licensors own all rights to the Services, including software, algorithms, trademarks, logos, and design elements. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without explicit permission.

Trading card images, logos, and trademarks are property of their respective owners (The Pokémon Company, Wizards of the Coast, Konami, etc.). TCGrader does not claim ownership of these materials.

8. Privacy and Data Collection

Your use of the Services is subject to our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using the Services, you consent to our data practices as described in the Privacy Policy.

9. Subscriptions, Credits and Billing

9.1 Plans

TCGrader offers a free tier and several paid subscription plans. Current plans typically include:

• Free: limited grading and platform access.
• Starter / Collector / Pro / Dealer / Mastermind: paid plans with increasing monthly grading credit allowances and additional features (such as reduced marketplace fees and dealer tooling).

The full, current list of plans, features, and prices is shown on the Pricing page, which is incorporated into these Terms. Prices for consumers in the UK and EU are shown inclusive of any applicable VAT.

9.2 Auto-renewal

Paid subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period (typically monthly or annually as selected at checkout) using your stored payment method, until you cancel. Your billing period start date and renewal date are shown in your account settings. We will attempt to notify you ahead of any annual renewal as required by applicable law.

9.3 Cancellation

• You may cancel any paid subscription at any time through your account settings.
• Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; you retain access to paid features until that period ends.
• We do not provide pro-rata refunds for the unused portion of a billing period (subject to clauses 9.5 and 9.6 below and your statutory rights).

9.4 Credits

• Credits are virtual units used to access grading and certain other paid features. They are not money or e-money and have no cash value.
• Subscription-included credits and one-time-purchased credits are functionally equivalent for grading purposes.
• Once a credit has been spent on a grade and a result has been displayed, the credit is consumed and is non-refundable (see also section 4.4).
• Unused credits may expire after 12 months of account inactivity in line with our rewards programme rules (see section 10).
• Credits are non-transferable between accounts and cannot be exchanged for money.

9.5 UK / EU consumer cancellation right (cooling-off)

If you are a consumer in the UK or EU, you have a statutory right to cancel a contract for paid digital services within 14 days without giving a reason (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 / equivalent EU law).

Important: by purchasing credits or starting a paid subscription and using any credit (i.e. completing a grade) within the 14-day period, you expressly request that the digital service is supplied to you immediately, and you acknowledge that you lose your right to cancel in respect of credits already used. You retain the cancellation right in respect of unused credits / unused subscription periods within the 14 days.

To exercise the right to cancel, contact us at support@tcgrader.com within 14 days of your purchase, telling us the order you want to cancel.

9.6 Refunds outside the cooling-off period

Outside the statutory cooling-off period, refunds are at our discretion and only granted in accordance with applicable consumer law (for example where the Service is materially defective and we are unable to remedy the defect). Nothing in this section limits any non-excludable statutory rights you may have.

9.7 Price changes

We may change subscription prices with at least 30 days' advance notice to existing subscribers, given by email and/or in-app notice. The new price applies to renewals after that date. Continued use after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing; if you do not accept it, you can cancel before the renewal takes effect.

10. Referral & Rewards Program

10.1 Referral Program

Users may earn grading credits by referring new users to TCGrader. Credits are awarded when a referred user signs up using a valid referral link and subsequently purchases an eligible paid subscription.

• Referral codes are unique to each user and may not be shared on coupon or deal websites
• Self-referrals or creating multiple accounts to abuse the referral program is prohibited
• Credits are awarded only when the referred user maintains their subscription for at least 30 days
• TCGrader reserves the right to revoke credits obtained through fraudulent or abusive behavior
• The number of credits awarded per referral may change at any time without notice

10.2 Authentication Rewards

Users may earn grading credits by participating in the community authentication process, where users vote on whether submitted cards are authentic or potentially counterfeit.

• Credits are awarded after reaching a specified milestone of authentication votes
• A daily limit applies to the number of votes that count toward rewards to prevent abuse
• Votes submitted beyond the daily limit will still be recorded but will not count toward credit rewards until the following day
• The daily limit resets at midnight UTC each day
• Submitting random, spam, or low-quality votes to farm credits is prohibited and may result in account suspension
• TCGrader reserves the right to adjust reward rates, milestone requirements, and daily limits at any time

10.3 Credit Terms

• Earned credits have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for money
• Credits are non-transferable between accounts
• Credits may expire if an account is inactive for 12 months or more
• TCGrader may modify or discontinue reward programs at any time with reasonable notice
• Abuse of any rewards program may result in forfeiture of credits and account termination

11. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

11.1 Service availability

The Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from defects, or that grading or other AI outputs will be accurate, complete or reliable.

11.2 Things we do not exclude

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• any matter for which it would be unlawful for us to exclude or restrict liability — including, where you are a UK or EU consumer, any rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or your local equivalent.

11.3 What we are not liable for

Subject to clause 11.2, to the maximum extent permitted by law TCGrader will not be liable for:

• any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss;
• loss of profits, revenue, business, anticipated savings, goodwill, opportunity, or data;
• any loss arising from your reliance on AI grading estimates, estimated values, or any other automated output of the Services;
• any loss arising from disputes between users, marketplace counterparty conduct, or third-party content.

11.4 Cap on liability

Subject to clause 11.2, our total aggregate liability to you in connection with the Services in any 12-month period is capped at the greater of (a) the total fees you paid to us in that 12-month period, or (b) £100. Liability in connection with a specific marketplace transaction is additionally capped at the value of that transaction.

11.5 User interactions

Subject to clauses 5.5 and 11.2, we are not a party to user-to-user transactions on the marketplace and are not responsible for the conduct of buyers, sellers, community members, or any third party using the Services.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless TCGrader, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Services, violation of these Terms, or infringement of third-party rights.

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Informal Resolution

Before initiating formal proceedings, you agree to contact us at legal@tcgrader.com so that we can attempt to resolve any dispute informally and in good faith.

13.2 Mediation

If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, the parties may agree in writing to attempt mediation through the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) or another mutually agreed mediator before proceeding to court.

13.3 Courts

Subject to clauses 13.1 and 13.2, any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Nothing in these Terms restricts your statutory rights as a consumer.

13.4 Consumer rights

If you are a consumer in the United Kingdom or the European Union, nothing in these Terms removes or affects your statutory consumer-protection rights, including (where applicable) your rights under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 or your local equivalent. Where any provision of these Terms is found to be inconsistent with such mandatory consumer rights, the inconsistent provision will not apply to you.

14. General Provisions

• Governing Law: These Terms and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with them are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
• Jurisdiction: Subject to clause 13, the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in respect of any dispute or claim arising in connection with these Terms.
• Severability: If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.
• Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms to any successor or affiliate without your consent, on notice to you.
• Entire Agreement: These Terms (together with any policies they incorporate by reference, including the Privacy Policy) constitute the entire agreement between you and TCGrader Ltd in respect of the Services.
• No waiver: Our failure to enforce any right under these Terms is not a waiver of that right.
• Force Majeure: We are not liable for failure or delay in performing our obligations caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
• Third-party rights: A person who is not a party to these Terms has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any of their provisions.

14a. Special Features

Some features of TCGrader are subject to additional terms or product-specific rules. By using a feature, you agree to the linked terms in addition to these main Terms.

14a.1 Monthly Grading Competition

The TCGrader Monthly Grading Competition is an activity-based monthly contest in which the three users who grade the most unique cards in the competition window each month win a prize. Winners are determined solely by grading activity, with no chance element. It is governed by separate, version-pinned Competition Terms & Conditions which supplement these main Terms (including the eligibility country allow-list). Where the Competition Terms conflict with these main Terms specifically in relation to the competition, the Competition Terms prevail.

14a.2 Browser extension

We publish a Chrome browser extension that surfaces TCGrader grading on third-party listing pages (such as eBay). The extension is subject to these Terms and to the policies of the relevant browser store. We are not affiliated with eBay or any other third-party listing platform.

14a.3 Communities, profiles and messaging

• Posts, comments, votes, public profiles, and messages exchanged via the platform are User Content (section 6) and must comply with our Community Guidelines.
• Direct messaging is intended for transaction- and community-related communication. We may review messages where required to investigate suspected breaches of these Terms, fraud, or applicable law.
• Reporting tools are available for inappropriate content. We may remove content and suspend accounts in line with section 6.3.

14a.4 Dealer / API access

Access to bulk listing tools, CSV import, webhooks, and the public API is reserved for accounts on eligible plans. API use is subject to per-account rate limits and to fair-use rules described in the relevant API documentation. We may revoke API access for excessive load, abuse, or breach of these Terms.

14a.5 Authentication / community voting rewards

Community-based authentication voting and the resulting rewards are governed by section 10.2 of these Terms. Authentication outcomes shown on the platform are community / AI-assisted opinions and are not legal certifications of authenticity.

15. Third-Party Services and Integrations

The Services rely on and integrate with third-party providers, including but not limited to:

• Stripe — payment processing, including marketplace escrow via Stripe Connect.
• SendGrid — transactional and marketing email delivery.
• AWS / cloud hosting — application hosting and image storage.
• AI / model providers — used to compute grades and other AI-assisted outputs.
• Tracking / shipping APIs — used to verify delivery of marketplace items.
• NextAuth / Google sign-in — used for authentication.

Use of these third-party services is subject to their own terms and policies. TCGrader is not responsible for the availability, security or content of third-party services.

16. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us:

17. Additional Terms for Specific Features

Certain features or services may have additional terms and conditions. You will be notified of and must agree to these additional terms before using those features.