Pokémon TCG Pocket's in-game trading system fuels a thriving black market for digital cards on platforms like eBay. Sellers are circumventing the game's rules by exchanging friend codes and cards, listing rare Pokémon for prices ranging from $5 to $10.
One example shows a Starmie ex listed for $5.99, requiring buyers to possess 500 Trade Tokens, Trade Stamina, and an unwanted Pokémon ex for the exchange. This exploits a loophole: the seller essentially loses nothing, gaining a card of equal rarity in return, which can then be resold. This directly violates Pokémon TCG Pocket's terms of service, prohibiting the buying and selling of virtual content.
Numerous listings for high-rarity cards (ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards) and even entire accounts with valuable assets are readily available. While account sales are common in online games, this activity still breaches the game's terms.
The trading mechanic itself sparked controversy upon its release. Beyond the existing restrictions on pack openings and Wonder Picking (limiting actions without in-app purchases), the introduction of Trade Tokens further fueled player frustration. The high cost of acquiring these tokens—requiring the deletion of five cards to trade one of the same rarity—was heavily criticized.
Even without the Trade Token system, a black market likely would have emerged due to the trading system's limitations. The inability to publicly list cards within the app forces players to use external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay. Many players, like Reddit user siraquakip, advocated for a more integrated, community-focused trading system within the app itself.
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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned players against real-money transactions and other exploitative behaviors, threatening account suspensions for violations. Ironically, the Trade Token system, implemented to prevent such exploitation, has instead fueled the black market and alienated the community.
While Creatures Inc. is investigating improvements to the trading feature, concrete solutions remain elusive despite complaints surfacing three weeks ago. Speculation abounds that the trading system's limitations are designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature's release. The inability to trade 2-Star or higher rarity cards further supports this theory, as readily available trading would diminish the need for players to spend significant sums on packs for a chance at obtaining rare cards. One player reportedly spent $1,500 to complete the first set.
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