Fees and money
5 answersWhat's the total cost to sell on RareLink?+
1% platform fee + Stripe processing (~2.9% + $0.30). On a $500 card with $5 shipping, you keep $475.84 vs eBay's $432.13.
Is there a listing fee?+
No. Free to list, free to publish, free to expire. We only make money when you sell.
When do I actually receive funds?+
After the 72-hour inspection window clears (or sooner if the buyer accepts), we call
stripe.transfers.create to move money to your Stripe Connect balance. Your standard Stripe payout schedule then takes over — usually 2 business days for new accounts.Can I get paid faster?+
Phase 1.5 ships Instant Payout for verified sellers (1% fee, money in minutes). Until then, standard Stripe timing applies.
Who pays the buyer protection fee?+
The buyer, line-itemed at checkout. It's 2.5% of (item + shipping). Sellers don't see it on their statement — they get the item price minus the 1% platform fee minus Stripe processing.
Trust, fraud, and disputes
5 answersWho holds the money during inspection?+
Stripe. RareLink uses protected checkout with Stripe Connect's separate charges and transfers pattern. Buyer funds stay on Stripe rails during the inspection window, not in a RareLink bank account.
What happens if I receive a fake card?+
Open a dispute within 72 hours of delivery. Funds freeze immediately. Admin reviews photos, tracking, and packing proof. Outcomes: full refund, partial refund, or release to seller depending on evidence.
What if the seller never ships?+
Sellers must upload tracking within 3 business days. Past that, the order is flagged in admin. If a seller habitually fails to ship, their trust score drops fast and their account can be suspended.
How is the Trust Score calculated?+
Verified sellers start at 50/100. Positive events: ID verified (+10), first sale (+5), no disputes after 10 sales (+10). Negative: dispute lost (-15), chargeback (-30), wrong item confirmed (-25). Score clamps to 0–100.
Can sellers fake their trust score?+
Phase 1 trust is mostly admin-managed. Phase 2 adds automatic deltas + self-deal detection (same IP, same payment method, related accounts). New sellers also have hard dollar limits regardless of score.
Sellers
5 answersDo I need a business to sell on RareLink?+
No. Stripe Connect Express accepts individuals with a US bank account and a tax ID (SSN or EIN). Stripe handles 1099-K generation for you above $600/year.
What about international sellers?+
US-only at launch. International support depends on Stripe Connect availability + per-state money transmission law review. Phase 4 target.
Can I link RareLink to my eBay/TCGplayer inventory?+
Phase 3 ships cross-posting. For now, every listing is created manually in RareLink.
Do I need to authenticate cards before listing?+
No. But for graded slabs we recommend including the cert number — buyers can verify with PSA/CGC/BGS directly.
What about high-value cards (over $1,000)?+
P1 caps unverified first sales at $100, then scales up. For grails and sealed vintage, contact support before listing so we can apply a higher-touch review path.
Buyers
4 answersDo I need an account to buy?+
You need an account to pay. Browsing checkout links is open to anyone — auth gate is at the "Pay" button.
What payment methods do you accept?+
Anything Stripe Elements accepts — credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, Klarna for installments where available.
What if my package never arrives?+
Open a dispute. The tracking history is part of the evidence packet. Sellers without a delivery scan can't get paid in the first place.
Can I make an offer instead of paying the listed price?+
Phase 3. Right now sellers set a fixed price.
Privacy and security
3 answersWhere is my card data stored?+
Nowhere in RareLink. Stripe Elements tokenizes your card on Stripe's infrastructure. RareLink only stores the resulting Payment Intent ID.
Do you have my bank account?+
No. Stripe Connect Express has it. RareLink can initiate transfers but cannot withdraw from it.
Is two-factor authentication available?+
Phase 2. Email + password only at launch.
Still have a question?
We answer support emails within 24 hours on business days.
