Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you ("User," "you") and Elitra Cards LLC, an Illinois limited liability company ("Elitra," "we," "us"), governing your access to and use of the Elitra website, apps, and related services (the "Platform").

Elitra operates an online marketplace and auction platform focused on individual Pokémon Trading Card Game ("Pokémon TCG") cards, raw or professionally graded ("Items"). Registered Users may list Items via timed auctions and/or fixed-price "Buy Now" listings, and other Users may bid on or purchase those Items.

Elitra may restrict access to the Platform during development or limited testing periods, including requiring a shared access code. These Terms apply in full to anyone accessing the Platform during such periods, whether or not the Platform is open to the general public at that time. During active development, features may change or be removed without notice, and Elitra doesn't guarantee any particular level of uptime. This doesn't apply to real transactions: any purchase, sale, bid, or payout you complete is real and binding regardless of development status, and Elitra won't reset or reverse completed transactions as part of ordinary development work.

By using the Platform you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, don't use the Platform. Continued use after we update these Terms (Section 16) means you accept the revised version.

2.1 Eligibility — You must be at least 18, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, and able to form a binding contract. If Elitra discovers or has reason to believe an account belongs to someone under 18, Elitra will terminate the account, delete the associated personal data (beyond what's legally required to retain), and may reverse any pending transactions on it.

2.2 Account types — Buyers browse, bid, and purchase. Sellers list Items for auction or Buy Now. One account can be both. Browsing is open to anyone; bidding, buying, and selling all require a registered account with a confirmed email address. Sellers must complete a connected Stripe payout account before creating any listing.

2.3 Account security — You're responsible for your login credentials and all activity on your account.

2.4 One account per user — Multiple accounts to dodge bidding limits, fees, suspensions, or these Terms are prohibited.

2.5 Saved payment method — Bidding and Buy Now purchases both require a valid saved payment method on file before you can act, since a winning bid or completed purchase charges that payment method directly.

2.6 Electronic communications — By creating an account, you agree to transact with Elitra electronically and to receive these Terms, receipts, notices, and other communications about your account electronically (via the Platform or email) rather than on paper. You can withdraw this consent by closing your account, though that also ends your ability to use the Platform.

3.1 Listings — Auction Listings sell to the highest bidder at close, subject to any reserve. Buy Now Listings sell at a fixed price, first-come first-served. Sellers are solely responsible for accurate descriptions, condition, grading company/cert number, photos, and pricing. If a seller sets a reserve, the reserve amount itself isn't disclosed to bidders — only whether it's been met. Neither side is obligated if the reserve isn't met by the time the auction closes: the Item doesn't sell to the highest bidder, and the seller isn't currently able to choose to sell to them afterward at that price — the seller can relist the Item instead. Relisting starts a fresh auction: earlier bids, bid history, and maximum bids are cleared and the price goes back to the starting price.

3.2 Bidding — A bid is a maximum bid: you set the most you're willing to pay, and the Platform automatically bids only what's needed to keep you in the lead, up to that maximum, without revealing it to other bidders. The first bid on an auction may be placed at the starting price. If two bidders bid the same amount, the earlier bid wins. A bid is a binding commitment up to your stated maximum and can't be retracted except at Elitra's discretion. Winning an auction automatically charges your saved payment method for the final price — no separate manual payment step required. If that automatic charge fails (an expired card, a declined bank, etc.), Elitra notifies you to complete payment manually from the listing page instead; there's currently no fixed deadline for that manual retry, and no automatic fallback to the next-highest bidder if it's never completed — a genuinely unpaid win may result in account consequences up to suspension under Section 13, reviewed manually rather than by a fixed strike count.

3.3 No shill bidding — Strictly prohibited, including through alts, family, or associates. Violations can mean suspension, forfeiture of proceeds, and referral to authorities.

3.4 Contract formation — The sale contract is between Buyer and Seller directly. Elitra isn't a party to that contract — we provide the platform, payments, and dispute process.

3.5 Cancellations — Sellers can't cancel after bidding starts or a Buy Now completes, except in limited cases with Elitra's approval.

3.6 Anti-sniping — Any bid placed within the final 30 seconds of an auction automatically resets that auction's remaining time to 2:00 (two minutes from the moment of the bid). This repeats for as long as bids keep arriving within the final 30 seconds, and the auction ends once its timer runs out with no new bid in that window.

3.7 Offers — On Buy Now Listings where the seller has enabled offers, a buyer may propose a price below the listed price. Sending an offer isn't a charge by itself, but if the seller accepts it, your saved payment method is charged immediately at the offer price — the same binding commitment as a Buy Now purchase. There's no minimum offer amount beyond $0.01, and no automatic expiration — an offer stays open until the seller accepts or declines it, however long that takes, and can't be withdrawn by the buyer once sent (except that open offers are withdrawn automatically if the buyer deletes their account under Section 13.1). A seller with multiple open offers on the same Listing decides each independently. If a Listing sells before a given offer is decided, every other open offer on it is automatically declined and the buyer who made it is notified. Nothing is charged for a declined offer.

4.1 — All payments run through Stripe, including Stripe Connect for seller payouts. Elitra never collects or stores your full card/bank info.

4.2 — Sellers pay about 9.9% total: a 7% Elitra commission on the item price plus card processing by Stripe of 2.9% + 30¢ on the amount credited to them (item price + shipping), both deducted from the seller's payout. Because the 30¢ is a fixed amount, the effective rate is higher on cheap items. Gold members pay about 8.9% total (6% commission + Stripe) and Platinum members about 7.9% (5% + Stripe). Shop Starter sellers pay about 7.9% total (5% commission + Stripe) and Shop Pro sellers about 6.9% (4% + Stripe) — see Section 24. Membership and shop discounts don't stack: you get the single lowest rate you qualify for. The shipping charge the buyer pays is included in the seller's payout to cover postage; Elitra covers Stripe's processing fee on any sales tax.

4.3 — Fee changes are prospective only, with 14 days' notice to sellers for material increases.

4.4 Payouts — A buyer's payment is processed by Stripe and held in Elitra's Stripe account; the seller's share isn't sent to their connected Stripe account until the buyer confirms receipt, or automatically 2 days after the carrier confirms delivery (via real third-party tracking, not something either party can set or fake), whichever comes first. While a dispute on a sale is open, that sale's payout isn't released (see Section 6.3). If a seller doesn't add tracking within 72 hours of a sale, the buyer is automatically refunded in full instead.

4.5 Refunds — Refunds are currently handled on a case-by-case basis by contacting Elitra directly — see Section 6.

4.6 Taxes — Elitra collects and remits applicable sales tax on transactions through Stripe Tax, where required by law. Sellers remain solely responsible for their own income tax obligations on proceeds from sales.

Sellers are solely responsible for packaging and shipping directly to buyers. Full details live on the Shipping Policy page — summary below.

5.1 — Add tracking within 72 hours of a sale. If tracking isn't added in time, the order is automatically flagged and the buyer is refunded in full (see Section 4.4).

5.2 — End-to-end tracking required on every paid Item. Singles need a sleeve + rigid top-loader in a bubble mailer at minimum. Under $150, insurance and signature confirmation are optional at the seller's discretion. Between $150 and $4,999, both are required. At $5,000+, standard carrier insurance isn't sufficient (USPS caps at $5,000 per package) — these shipments require USPS Registered Mail or an approved third-party high-value insurer. Unedited packing video is strongly encouraged for $150+ shipments as dispute evidence.

5.3 — Buyers are responsible for an accurate shipping address at checkout.

5.4 Lost, delayed & damaged — If there's no tracking movement for 10+ days, contact Elitra directly to look into it. Transit damage should be reported with photos within 48 hours of delivery.

5.5 International — Not currently supported.

5.6 Risk of loss & title — Passes to the buyer at confirmed delivery, subject to Sections 5.4 and 6.

6.1 — Sellers must describe every flaw, alteration, regrading, or resealing honestly.

6.2 Reporting a problem — If you believe an Item is counterfeit, materially misrepresented, or otherwise not as described, contact Elitra directly as soon as possible with clear photos (video for high-value Items). Elitra reviews these on a case-by-case basis.

6.2a What counts as a valid dispute — A dispute is valid when the Item you received doesn't match how it was actually listed — an undisclosed crease, whitening, alteration, or damage that was already there and wasn't described. A dispute is not valid just because a raw card you sent out for grading came back a lower grade than you hoped for. Grading outcomes are inherently uncertain and not something a seller can guarantee — buying a raw card is buying it as-described at time of listing, not a guaranteed future grade.

6.3 — Buyers can file a dispute directly from a completed purchase, and Elitra reviews every filing. While a dispute is open, the seller's payout for that sale is paused (neither the buyer's confirmation nor the automatic release in Section 4.4 sends it) until Elitra resolves the dispute. A more structured process — such as mandatory physical inspection and a formal appeals step — is still being built out; until then, disputes are handled manually on a case-by-case basis. This section will be updated as that goes live.

6.4 No returns outside this process — All sales are otherwise final.

6.5 Seller accountability — Sellers with a pattern of confirmed issues face escalating consequences.

6.6 Chargebacks — Contact Elitra directly before filing a chargeback.

The Platform itself belongs to Elitra or its licensors. Pokémon, Pokémon TCG, and all associated names/logos/artwork are trademarks and/or copyrighted works of Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., and The Pokémon Company. Elitra is an independent, unaffiliated marketplace, not sponsored or endorsed by them.

7.1 Elitra's use of listing photos and sale info — By posting a listing or completing a sale on Elitra, you grant Elitra a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and share your listing photos and general sale details (the item, price, and similar public info — not your personal identity or contact information) for Elitra's own promotional and marketing purposes, including social media. Elitra does not identify the specific buyer or seller behind a sale in anything it posts publicly. Deleting a listing that never sold removes its photos entirely, including from storage. A listing that sold keeps its photos as part of the permanent sale record (needed for the receipt, order history, and dispute evidence) and Elitra's promotional license continues for that Item's photos even after the listing itself is gone — if you'd like a specific past listing's photos removed from Elitra's own marketing use, contact support@elitracards.com. By posting a listing on the Platform, you agree to this.

7.2 Copyright complaints (DMCA) — If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, send a written notice to support@elitracards.com with: (a) a physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or someone authorized to act for them; (b) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed; (c) identification of the specific material you want removed, and information reasonably sufficient for Elitra to locate it (e.g. a listing URL); (d) your contact information; (e) a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use isn't authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and (f) a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you're authorized to act on the copyright owner's behalf. Elitra will remove or disable access to material identified in a valid notice, and will make a reasonable effort to notify the affected seller, who may submit a counter-notice under the same DMCA framework. Elitra intends to register a designated DMCA agent with the U.S. Copyright Office; until then, the contact above is the official channel.

7.3 Counterfeit and trademark reports — Rights holders (including Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., The Pokémon Company, or an authorized representative) can report a listing they believe infringes their trademark or involves counterfeit goods the same way — support@elitracards.com, with the listing and the basis for the complaint. Sellers found to have repeatedly listed counterfeit, infringing, or otherwise rights-violating Items will have those listings removed and, for repeat violations, their account suspended or terminated under Section 13.

8.1 What you can list — Elitra is for genuine Pokémon Trading Card Game singles: individual cards, raw or professionally graded (PSA, BGS, CGC, or another recognized third-party grading company only — "graded by" an unknown or self-appointed grader isn't accepted). Sealed product (booster packs, boxes, ETBs) is allowed if genuinely sealed and unaltered. Not allowed: proxies, customs, or fan-made cards represented as real; cards that have been trimmed, re-colored, or otherwise materially altered without clear disclosure; repacks or mystery packs; and non-card Pokémon TCG-adjacent items (coins, pins, playmats, sleeves, and similar accessories) — Elitra is cards only, full stop.

No listing counterfeit/stolen/misrepresented Items; no shill bidding or bid manipulation; no going off-platform to dodge fees; no unlawful use; no harassment; no bots/scraping/unauthorized automated bidding; no false info during registration, listing, or disputes.

Elitra may run limited-time promotions. Promotions have no cash value, are limited to one per person/account, and Elitra may modify or end a promotion at any time without notice. Ending a promotion does not affect perks already granted to existing participants unless stated otherwise.

9.1 Founding Member promotion — Anyone who signs up for email updates before Elitra launches publicly qualifies for the Founding Member offer when they later create an account, with no cap on how many people can claim it. The email-signup offer closes on public launch day: people who joined the updates list before launch still qualify when they create an account afterward; new list signups on or after launch day do not. Qualifying grants free Gold-tier membership for 31 days and a permanent Founding Member badge. When the 31 days end, the free Gold membership reverts automatically (you can resubscribe normally to keep Gold-tier perks); the badge itself stays on your account permanently either way.

9.2 Hidden game reward — The Platform includes a hidden game. Finishing it qualifies your account for one free month of Platinum membership plus a profile emblem, once per account. If you already pay for a membership, the reward is applied by skipping your next renewal charge, and you get Platinum for that billing period before returning to your own tier and normal billing; otherwise, Platinum is active for 30 days right away. The reward has no cash value, can't be transferred or exchanged, and Elitra may change or end it at any time. Elitra may withhold or remove the reward if it was obtained in a way that isn't a genuine play of the game.

The Platform is provided "as is." Elitra is a marketplace only — not the seller of any Item, and doesn't independently verify authenticity, grading, or condition before listing.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Elitra isn't liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from Platform use or any User's acts/omissions. Elitra's total liability to you is capped at the greater of your fees paid in the prior 6 months, or $100.

You agree to indemnify and hold Elitra harmless from claims arising from your Platform use, your listings/transactions, or your violation of these Terms.

Elitra may suspend or terminate your account at its discretion for violations, suspected fraud, shill bidding, repeated disputes, or chargebacks. Elitra may also record strikes against an account for violations; strikes expire over time. While an account is suspended or banned it can't list, relist, bid, make or accept offers, buy, leave ratings, or send messages (other than to Elitra support); it can still sign in, read existing messages, and ship and get paid for sales already made. Elitra will generally attempt to notify you of the reason, except where doing so could compromise a fraud or safety investigation. If you believe an action was taken in error, contact support@elitracards.com — appeals are currently reviewed manually on a case-by-case basis, same as disputes under Section 6.3, until a more formal process is built.

Suspension or termination doesn't cancel an auction or Buy Now sale that's already in progress at the time — a live auction you're selling continues to its scheduled close, and any payout you're owed for a completed, already-shipped sale is still released under the normal Section 4.4 timeline. Elitra may withhold a pending payout specifically tied to the violation under investigation.

13.1 Deleting your account — You can delete your account yourself from Account Settings (“Delete account”), confirming with your current password. You can't delete it while you have an open order as a buyer or seller (not yet shipped, in transit, or not yet confirmed or paid out), an open dispute, an active auction with bids, or an auction win you haven't paid for (including being the high bidder on a live auction); finish or cancel those first. When you delete your account, any membership or shop plan is cancelled immediately (no refund for the rest of the current period), your active listings are taken down, and your open offers and bids are withdrawn. Staff accounts (owner, admin, support) can't be deleted this way. What is deleted and what is kept is described in the Privacy Policy, Section 6. You can also ask for deletion by emailing support@elitracards.com.

Governed by Illinois law. Disputes not resolved through Elitra's internal process go to state/federal courts in Illinois.

See our Privacy Policy. Payment info is collected and processed directly by Stripe, not Elitra.

Elitra may update these Terms; material changes are communicated via the Platform or email where practicable. Continued use after changes take effect means you accept them. Elitra keeps an archive of prior versions of these Terms — contact support@elitracards.com for a copy of what was in force on a given date.

Elitra Cards LLC · Email: support@elitracards.com · Aurora, Illinois, United States

Elitra isn't liable for outages, downtime, or failures caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control (force majeure) — internet/hosting/payment-provider outages, natural disasters, and similar events. If a genuine technical failure or pricing error (a listing created at an obviously wrong price due to a bug, for example) affects a transaction, Elitra may cancel or extend the affected auction and void the affected transaction, and will attempt to notify anyone directly affected.

Elitra doesn't currently auto-close or delete accounts purely for inactivity. If a seller payout can't be delivered (a closed or invalid connected Stripe account, for example) after reasonable attempts to reach the seller, Elitra will hold the funds and continue trying to resolve it directly with the seller. Unclaimed funds are handled according to applicable unclaimed-property law if a resolution genuinely can't be reached.

If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. You can't assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without Elitra's consent; Elitra may assign these Terms as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of its business. Elitra not enforcing a provision on one occasion doesn't waive its right to enforce it later. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Shipping Policy, are the entire agreement between you and Elitra on this subject. If Elitra is acquired or the Platform shuts down, user data and open transactions will be handled consistent with these Terms and the Privacy Policy then in effect, and Elitra will make a reasonable effort to notify users of any material change to how their data or pending transactions are handled as a result.

Direct messages between buyers and sellers are for coordinating a real transaction — condition questions, shipping details, and similar. The same harassment and off-platform-payment-solicitation rules in Section 8 apply to messages. Elitra may review message content in connection with a fraud investigation, dispute, or report. You can block another user (see your account or their profile). A block works in both directions: neither of you can message the other, bid on the other's auctions, make offers to the other, or buy the other's Buy Now listings. Messages are retained for as long as the account exists — see Privacy Policy Section 6.5.

Ratings are meant to reflect a genuine transaction experience. Retaliatory or extortionate ratings (using or threatening a bad rating to pressure a refund or concession outside the normal dispute process) violate these Terms and may result in the rating being removed and, for repeated violations, account action under Section 13. If you believe a rating you received is false, retaliatory, or otherwise improper, contact support@elitracards.com — Elitra reviews these on a case-by-case basis and may remove a rating found to violate this policy.

Boosts and Featured placement are paid visibility products — a boosted or Featured listing is placed and labeled ("BOOSTED" or "★ FEATURED") ahead of where it would otherwise rank, in exchange for a boost credit. This is paid placement, not an endorsement or reflection of item quality. If a purchased boost genuinely fails to display due to a platform error, contact support@elitracards.com for a replacement credit, reviewed case-by-case.

24.1 Shop plans — Sellers can subscribe to Shop Starter or Shop Pro for higher listing limits, monthly boost credits, and a lower commission (Section 4.2). Plans are billed through Stripe to your saved card. New shop subscribers get a 60-day free trial (once per customer). Founding annual pricing is $437.50 (Starter) or $625 (Pro) for the first 12 months, then $700 or $1,000 a year; monthly billing is $91 or $130 a month after the trial. A plan renews automatically until you cancel; cancelling stops it at the end of the current period (or the end of the trial, with nothing charged). About 7 days before a free trial ends, Elitra emails you the date the trial ends, the amount that will be charged, and how to cancel. Current details are on the Shops page.

24.2 Verified Shop — A Verified Shop badge doesn't require a shop plan. Sellers can apply with a storefront or show-vendor request, which Elitra staff review (usually within a week), or earn it automatically: at least 10 completed sales, an average rating of 4.5 or higher from at least 5 ratings, an account at least 30 days old, refunds or lost disputes on no more than 2% of orders in the last 90 days, and no staff actions in the last 90 days. Earned badges are rechecked daily and removed after 30 straight days below these thresholds. Elitra staff may also remove a Verified Shop badge at their discretion. If you think a badge was removed in error, you can appeal through support as described in Section 13. The badge reflects these criteria; it isn't a guarantee of any individual Item.