Pokémon TCG Pocket's in-game trading system fuels a thriving black market on eBay, where players buy and sell digital cards for prices ranging from $5 to $10. This circumvents the game's intended mechanics; sellers exchange friend codes with buyers, transferring cards without directly exchanging in-game currency.
A typical listing might offer a Starmie ex for $5.99, requiring the buyer to possess 500 Trade Tokens, Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" for the exchange. This exploits a loophole: the game's trading restrictions (same rarity cards only) allow sellers to repeatedly acquire and sell rare cards like Pokémon ex without losing any personal stock. This practice directly violates Pokémon TCG Pocket's terms of service, which prohibit the buying and selling of virtual items.
Numerous eBay listings feature high-demand cards like ex Pokémon and 1-Star alternate art cards, alongside entire accounts containing valuable resources like Pack Hourglasses and rare cards. While account selling is common in online games, it still constitutes a breach of service.
The trading mechanic itself sparked controversy upon its release. In addition to restrictions on pack openings and Wonder Picking, the introduction of Trade Tokens, which require deleting five cards to trade one of the same rarity, further fueled player frustration due to their high acquisition cost.
However, the black market's existence isn't solely due to these restrictions. The trading system's limitations, specifically the requirement for players to be friends before trading, contribute significantly. Reddit user siraquakip, among others, advocated for a more user-friendly system allowing public card trading within the app, eliminating the need for external platforms like eBay, Reddit, and Discord.
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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned players against real-money transactions and other forms of cheating, threatening account suspension for violations. Ironically, the Trade Token system, implemented to curb exploitation, has inadvertently fueled this black market and alienated the community.
While Creatures Inc. is investigating improvements to the trading feature, concrete solutions remain elusive despite complaints dating back three weeks. Many believe the trading system's design is geared towards increasing revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature launched. The inability to trade 2-Star or higher rarity cards further supports this theory, as readily trading for missing cards would reduce the need for players to spend significant sums on random card packs. One player reportedly spent $1,500 to complete the first set.
