A parent's guide to buying trading cards

A booster pack is a sealed pack of random cards. It is the cheapest way to start, and opening it is half the fun.

A booster bundle is several booster packs sold together in one box. It suits a smaller budget, or a child who mainly wants cards to open.

An Elite Trainer Box is a larger gift box with booster packs inside. The What is in the box card below shows exactly what else comes with it.

• If they want to play, choose a box made for playing, so they have more than cards to open on the day.
• If they collect, packs and bundles suit them, because opening packs is what collectors enjoy most.
• Pick a set that is out now, so it arrives in time. A set is a new series of cards, and a pre-order means you pay now and the shop sends it when the set is released.

Compare delivered prices, not the price on its own, because a low price with high postage can cost more in the end.

A price far above the usual price often comes from a scalper. A scalper is someone who buys up boxes to sell them on at a higher price.

If a shop takes pre-orders for a new set, you can order it before it sells out and pay the shop's own price.

See which sets are coming soon on our Drops page.

• Set an alert on the product page, so you hear as soon as a UK shop has it again.
• Check the release date before you pre-order a present, so it arrives before the day.
• If you cannot wait, choose a different set that is in stock, so you pay a fair price today.

Japanese cards are printed in Japanese. Collectors like them, but a child who plays or swaps cards at school will usually want English.

Every price card shows the language at the top, so you can check it before you pay.

A single is one card sold on its own, rather than in a sealed pack. Card shops sell singles, and the price depends on the card.

• Get the card's name and the set it comes from, so you buy the right one.
• Keep packs for the fun of opening them, so you are not paying to chase one card.

Trading Standards advises checking reviews on several websites, not just one. It also advises checking that the seller has a UK contact address, not just a website name.

Trading Standards also warns that a deal which looks too good to be true probably is, and that you should never pay by money transfer.

Paying by card or PayPal normally gives you a way to ask for your money back if the order never arrives.

This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Credit card: for an item costing over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act normally makes your card company responsible along with the seller, so you can claim from your card company.

Debit card: if something goes wrong, ask your bank for a chargeback. Citizens Advice says you can use chargeback however much you paid.

PayPal: choose Goods and Services. PayPal's Buyer Protection does not cover payments sent to friends and family. If something goes wrong, open a dispute with the seller.

Bank transfer: since 7 October 2024, your bank must normally refund you up to £85,000 if you were tricked into sending money to a UK account. It may take off a £100 fee, and it can refuse if it shows you were not careful enough. It is safer to pay by card or PayPal in the first place.

Money transfer services and gift cards: you are unlikely to get that money back.

This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Buying online from a shop, you normally have at least 14 days to change your mind. The time starts the day after your order arrives. Once you tell the shop, you have another 14 days to send it back.

The shop must normally refund you within 14 days of getting the item back, or proof you posted it, whichever comes first. The refund includes standard delivery.

A private seller is someone selling as an individual rather than as a business, for example on an online marketplace. There is no cooling-off period when you buy from a private seller.

Trading Standards says that from a private seller, the item only has to be as described.

Check whether a marketplace seller is a business or a private seller before you pay, so you know which rights you have.

This is general guidance, not legal advice.