Pokémon TCG Pocket's controversial trading system fuels a thriving black market for digital cards. Numerous eBay listings offer Pokémon TCG Pocket cards for $5-$10 each, exploiting a loophole in the game's trading mechanics. Sellers exchange friend codes with buyers, transferring cards in exchange for other cards and Trade Tokens, circumventing the game's rules against buying and selling virtual items.
One listing, for example, offers a Starmie ex for $5.99, requesting 500 Trade Tokens, Trade Stamina, and an "unwanted Pokémon ex" in return. This tactic allows sellers to essentially profit without losing valuable cards, as only cards of the same rarity can be traded. They receive an ex Pokémon, then immediately resell it.
This blatant violation of the Pokémon TCG Pocket terms of service is further evidenced by the sale of entire accounts containing Pack Hourglasses and rare cards, a common occurrence in online games despite the breach of service.
The trading mechanic itself sparked controversy upon its release. Beyond the existing restrictions on pack openings and Wonder Picking, the introduction of Trade Tokens—requiring the deletion of five cards to trade one of equal rarity—drew significant criticism due to their high acquisition cost.
However, this black market wouldn't necessarily be eradicated even without the restrictions. The core issue is the trading mechanic's limitations; players can only trade with friends, necessitating the use of external platforms like Reddit, Discord, and now eBay to facilitate trades. Many players, such as Reddit user siraquakip, advocated for a more integrated, in-app trading system.
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Developer Creatures Inc. has warned against real-world money transactions and cheating, threatening account suspensions for violations. Ironically, the Trade Tokens mechanic, intended to prevent such exploitation, has backfired, alienating a significant portion of the community.
Creatures Inc. is investigating improvements to the trading system but hasn't provided specifics, despite complaints surfacing three weeks ago. Many believe the trading system is designed to boost revenue for Pokémon TCG Pocket, which reportedly generated half a billion dollars in under three months before the trading feature launched. This is further suggested by the inability to trade 2-Star or higher rarity cards, forcing players to spend considerable sums for a chance to obtain them. One player reported spending approximately $1,500 to complete the first set.
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