Trading on Courtyard

What is trading? Trading is an item-for-item exchange between you and another collector. You offer one or more items from your collection in return for one or more items from someone else's. If the two sides aren't of equal value, either party can add cash to balance the trade.
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How is this different from buying or selling? Buying and selling always require cash on one side. Trading doesn't. You can swap a card you own for a card you want without selling first, waiting for the funds to settle, and hoping the item is still available. Cash, when used, is just there to even out the difference.
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Do I need cash to trade? No. A straight item-for-item swap requires no cash at all. Cash is optional and only used to balance trades where one side is worth more than the other.
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How fast do trades settle? Instantly once accepted. Both sides' items transfer at the same time, and any cash moves from the proposer's wallet in the same step. Your physical items never leave the vault during a trade. Only ownership changes.
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Is there a fee to trade? There is no fee on the item-for-item portion of a trade. A pure item-for-item swap with no cash is completely free. Fees apply only to the cash component of a trade, if one is included.

How do I propose a trade? There are a few ways to start:

In the trade builder, choose the item(s) you want, add the item(s) you're offering, optionally add cash to balance the offer, and include a short message. Then tap Propose Trade (or Send Trade Offer).
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Can I trade more than one item at a time? Yes. You can offer several items for one, one for several, or any combination. There's no strict limit, though very large trades may be harder to manage in the builder.
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How does the cash balancing work? While you build a trade, you'll see an estimated value for each side. If they're uneven, you'll see a suggestion to add cash to balance the offer. Cash is added in whole dollar amounts only (no cents). Adding cash is a suggestion, never a requirement. You're free to propose any trade you like, balanced or not.
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Where do the estimated values come from? Estimated values are based on Courtyard's pricing model and are shown to help both parties negotiate. They're a guide, not a rule. You may value an item above or below its estimate for your own reasons, and you can still propose or accept any trade regardless of the estimate.
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Can I add a message to a trade? Yes. Each trade proposal and counteroffer can include a short message (up to 200 characters) so you can add context, like "Been hunting this one for months, let me know!" Messages pass through a filter, so if a message is blocked, edit it and try again.
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Can I propose a trade for cash I don't have yet? You can build and send a trade that includes cash even if your wallet balance changes later, because cash isn't locked when you propose. But the funds do need to be available when the other person accepts (see "What if I don't have enough funds when my trade is accepted?" below).

How will I know if someone wants to trade with me? You'll get a notification (push, email, and in-app, based on your notification preferences) whenever someone proposes a trade, sends a counteroffer, or when a trade is accepted, declined, cancelled, or expires. You can adjust which notifications you receive in your settings.
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What can I do with a trade someone sends me? When you open a trade proposal, you'll see both sides laid out with item images, grades, and estimated values. You have three choices:

How do counteroffers work? A counteroffer reopens the trade builder pre-filled with the current proposal. You can add or remove items on either side and change the cash amount, then send it back. Each counter replaces the previous offer, so there's only ever one active version of a trade at a time. There's no limit on how many times a trade can go back and forth.

Where do I see all my trades? The Trade Center, accessible from the main navigation. It has two views:

You can filter active trades by sent vs. received, item name, and date.
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Can I cancel or change a trade I sent? Yes. In the Trade Center, a trade you proposed has a Cancel Trade button, and an Update Offer button that reopens the builder so you can revise it.
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Do my items get locked while a trade is pending? No. Items are not locked when you propose a trade, and the same item can appear in more than one pending trade at once. If one of those trades completes (or you sell or redeem the item), any other pending trades that include that item are automatically cancelled, and everyone affected is notified.
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Do trades expire? Yes. A trade automatically expires after a period of inactivity (7 days by default from the last action). When a trade expires, it's cancelled, any cash is returned, and both parties are notified.
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Do I earn points for trading? Yes. Completed trades earn points at the same rate as other marketplace transactions, based on the total value of the trade (items plus any cash). Both the proposer and the recipient earn points.

What if I don't have enough funds when my trade is accepted? Because cash isn't held in advance, your balance is checked at the moment the other person accepts. If you're short, the trade moves to a pending state and you'll be prompted to add the needed funds within a grace period (24 hours). If the funds aren't added in time, the trade is cancelled and the other party is notified.
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What happens if the value of an item changes while a trade is pending? Cash amounts are fixed at the time you propose. Courtyard does not auto-adjust them. When you view a pending trade, you'll see current estimated values, and if the value gap has shifted significantly since the trade was proposed, you'll see a warning so you can review carefully before accepting. You're always free to decline and re-negotiate.
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What happens to a pending trade if I redeem one of the items? Starting a physical redemption for an item that's in a pending trade will cancel that trade. You'll see a confirmation before it happens, and any affected trades and counterparties are notified.
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Why was my pending trade cancelled? The most common reasons are: an item in the trade was traded, sold, or redeemed in another transaction; the trade expired after inactivity; the other party declined or cancelled; or funds weren't available at acceptance. The notification you received should explain which applies. You can always propose a new trade with your updated collection.
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My trade said it failed during settlement. Settlement is designed to be all-or-nothing. Either every item and cash transfer goes through, or none of it does, so your collection is never left in a partial state. If a settlement issue occurs, the system retries automatically, and if it still can't complete, the trade is marked so you can try again. Nothing is lost.
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What can't be traded? Trading applies to revealed, marketplace-eligible items in your collection. Unopened vending machine packs aren't part of trading. Items pending redemption or otherwise unavailable also can't be included.

Are there limits on how many trades I can send? Yes, to keep the experience clean and prevent spam. There are limits on how many active proposals you can have open with a single person and overall. If you reach a limit, you'll see a message letting you know.
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What about unfair or suspicious trades? Trades with a large value gap between the two sides may ask both parties to confirm, and unusual patterns can be flagged for review. This protects collectors and keeps the marketplace healthy. If something about a trade or a message seems abusive, you can report it to Courtyard support.
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A trade message I tried to send was blocked. Messages pass through a content filter before they're delivered. If yours was blocked, revise the wording and send it again.

Still have a question about trading? Reach out to Courtyard support and we'll help you out.