Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has sparked an illicit online market where players trade digital cards through its contentious trading system.

Numerous eBay listings for Pokémon TCG Pocket cards have emerged, with prices ranging from $5 to $10 per card. This trade hinges on the game’s new trading feature, where sellers exchange friend codes with buyers to transfer cards.

For instance, a $5.99 Starmie ex listing requires buyers to have 500 Trade Tokens, one Trade Stamina, and an unwanted Pokémon ex card to swap for the desired card.

This setup raises concerns. Trading for profit violates Pokémon TCG Pocket’s terms of service, which prohibit buying or selling virtual items. Yet, sellers lose nothing, as they trade cards of equal rarity, allowing them to replenish stock and resell.

eBay is flooded with listings for ex Pokémon and 1 Star alternate art cards, the rarest tradable items, each carrying different price tags. Entire accounts, including Pack Hourglasses and rare cards, are also for sale, a common practice in online gaming despite violating terms.

The trading feature in Pokémon TCG Pocket stirred controversy upon its debut last week, though this online market operates independently of those criticisms.

Besides the standard mechanic limiting pack openings, Wonder Picking, or excessive trading without real-world spending, the trading system introduced Trade Tokens. Players criticized their high cost, requiring the deletion of five cards of the same rarity to trade one.

This underground market would likely exist even without trading restrictions. The core issue, as players like siraquakip on Reddit noted, is the lack of a safe, in-app public trading system, forcing reliance on external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and eBay.

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Creatures Inc., the developer, has warned against trading cards for real money or cheating, stating that violators face warnings, suspensions, or other penalties.

Ironically, the Trade Tokens system, meant to curb system exploitation, has failed to deter eBay sellers, alienating much of the player base.

The developer is “actively exploring improvements” to the trading system but has shared no details despite three weeks of player complaints since the feature’s reveal.

Some fans argue the trading system drives revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly earned half a billion dollars in under three months, before trading launched.

Restrictions on trading 2 Star rarity cards or higher fuel this, as players unable to trade for desired cards must spend heavily—sometimes $10, $100, or more—for a chance at them. One player reportedly spent $1,500 to complete the first set, with the third set arriving last week.