eBay Drops Trading Card Authentication Threshold To $200, Updates Packaging

eBay is lowering the price threshold for trading card authentication in the US and preparing new packaging aimed at fixing one of the program’s most persistent complaints.

Over the coming weeks, eligible single cards priced at $200 or more will qualify for Authenticity Guarantee, down from the current $250 threshold, according to an announcement posted in the eBay community forum.

Authenticity Guarantee is expanding to more trading cards | eBay Community Announcements

Over the coming weeks, we’re expanding eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee to include eligible single trading cards priced at $200 and above (down from $250). This means more high-value trading card transactions on eBay will include authentication at no ad

eBay Community Announcementsseller_news_team

The change applies to raw and graded cards across sports, collectible card game and non-sport categories. Sellers will continue shipping qualifying orders to PSA, where the card is checked for authenticity and compared against the listing before being sent on to the buyer.

The lower threshold will bring more midrange cards into the program, but as we’ve seen in the past, increased volume can also mean longer processing times at the authentication facility.

PSA operations are already strained by a massive increase in direct grading volume, forcing them to limit some submissions earlier this year while they work through the backlog.

eBay told The Athletic in June that neither the authentication service nor the optional grading add-on offered on the platform was affected by PSA’s partial shutdown. It remains to be seen whether the lower threshold will put additional pressure on turnaround times.

But delays at the authentication center aren't the only problems users have reported with the program, which launched in the US in 2021 and has since expanded to other markets.

CEO Jamie Iannone raised eyebrows last year with repeated claims to media outlets that "no counterfeit has ever passed through eBay authentication" despite several high-profile examples to the contrary.

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Value Added ResourceLiz Morton

Collectors have also complained for years about raw cards shifting around inside the holders used after authentication, raising concerns that a card could arrive with new edge or corner damage even after passing inspection.

eBay is finally working to address those concerns. Prototypes shown at the National Sports Collectors Convention feature a snugger interior and a magnetic side closure, with the new packaging expected to launch this fall.

Reactions to the prototypes have been mixed. Some collectors believe the tighter packaging will solve problems they have experienced, while others say the real issue is the inner sleeve rather than the exterior box.

Have you had cards go through eBay authentication, and do you think the lower threshold and redesigned packaging will improve the experience or put more pressure on the system? Let us know in the comments below!