Every card we list is sourced to order, and the dispatch window is the single thing buyers ask about most. Here is what the 30 days actually covers, when most orders really leave, and the one rule that decides whether your order arrives in one parcel or two.
The short version: the 30-day window is a ceiling, not a schedule. Most pre-orders ship in 7 to 14 days. The window exists because a sourcing pre-order works differently from a stock order — we do not hold a specific slab when you order, so there is a step in your order that a stock order does not have.
What follows is the whole process, including the part that catches people out: an order can leave in two parcels, and there is one situation where you should place a second order instead of waiting.
Two different clocks
Before anything else, work out which clock applies to what you bought. They are not the same and they do not run at the same speed.
| Order type | Dispatch commitment | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| In-stock | Within 2 business days | The slab is already in our hands. The 30-day window does not apply. |
| Pre-order (sourcing) | Within 30 days of order confirmation | We source the card first. Most orders ship in 7 to 14 days. |
Business days excludes weekends and holidays. The two-business-day clock starts when payment is confirmed, not when you place the order, so a payment that clears on a Friday evening begins its count on Monday.
Why a pre-order has a window at all
A pre-order is a sourcing request. You are buying a specific graded card that we do not currently hold, and the reason we can offer it at a listed price is that we buy it after you order rather than before.
That changes one thing that matters to you. The certification number on the label is issued to us only once we have sourced your card, which is why a listing cannot show you the exact slab in advance. We never publish a certification number we do not yet hold — so a listing shows a PSA 10 example of the card, not a photograph of the slab you will receive.
Once the card is sourced, it is graded and verified, and the certification number is confirmed to you before dispatch. Our grading guide covers how to check that number yourself the moment it reaches you.
What actually happens, day by day
Day 0 — you order. You pay the listed price at checkout. Sourcing starts immediately; there is no separate confirmation step you need to complete.
Day 1 — first update. We email you to confirm the order is in the sourcing queue.
Day 7 — second update. By this point most cards have been located. If yours has, the message tells you so.
Day 14 — third update. This is the point by which the majority of orders have already shipped or are about to. Most pre-orders leave in this window, which is why the 30-day figure surprises people who only read the maximum.
Day 30 — the ceiling. If we have not dispatched by this date, we contact you before it arrives rather than after. You get a full refund, or — only with your explicit consent — an extension. You will never be left past the deadline without being asked.
Any time — we cannot source it. You are refunded in full automatically. You do not need to request it and you do not need to chase it.
You can also cancel at any point before dispatch, for any reason, without giving one. Refunds go back to your original payment method within 1 business day. The full terms are in the Pre-Order & Sourcing Terms, and the process is summarised on the pre-order page.
The rule that decides one parcel or two
This is the part worth reading twice, because it is the most common source of surprise.
We do not always put everything in one box. Orders are split on a single line: $50.
- Items priced $50 or more ship separately, and first — in their own parcel, as soon as they are ready. They are never mixed with the rest of your order.
- Items priced under $50 ship together with your in-stock items, in a single parcel.
That second line has a consequence that is easy to miss. If your order combines a pre-order item priced under $50 with in-stock items, the whole parcel waits until the pre-ordered card arrives. The in-stock items are ready now; the parcel is not.
If you need the in-stock items sooner, place a separate order for them. Splitting a shipment never adds an extra charge, so there is no penalty for doing this — but placing a second order is the only way to get the ready items moving before the sourced card lands.
Two examples make it concrete. A rigid toploader or a pack of penny sleeves added to a pre-ordered slab is a single-parcel order, and it waits with the slab. A pre-ordered PSA 10 such as the Gem Pack Vol. 2 Umbreon is above the line, so it ships in its own parcel as soon as it is sourced and never holds anything else up.
The point of the split is the cards, not the admin. A high-value slab travelling alone is handled fewer times and is not repacked alongside rigid holders, which is where edge damage tends to happen.
What shipping costs, in numbers
Shipping is calculated at checkout from your destination, the weight of your parcel and the method you choose. The published rates are:
| Destination | Standard rate | Free shipping |
|---|---|---|
| United States — 48 states | $9.99 | Free on orders of $50 or more |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands | $24.99 flat | Does not apply |
| China | $7.99 | Free on orders of $50 or more |
| Everywhere else | $12.99 | — |
Two details sit under that table. The exact shipping figure is always shown at checkout before you pay. And free shipping does not apply to the non-contiguous US addresses listed above, which are priced at a flat rate regardless of order value.
Delivery times once a parcel is moving: standard shipping is 10–20 business days.
Duties and taxes are already in the price
We ship on a Delivered Duty Paid basis. Any customs duty, import tax or clearance fee charged by the destination country is covered by us and included in what you pay at checkout. You will not be asked for an additional payment on arrival.
If a carrier or customs authority ever does ask you for one, do not pay it — contact us at [email protected] first and we will resolve it. That single instruction prevents almost every customs complaint we see.
If something goes wrong in transit
If a parcel is lost, damaged, or arrives with the wrong items, contact us within 7 days of delivery. Every slab is packed in a protective case with bubble wrap and rigid board backing before it leaves Hong Kong, China, and we work with the carrier to resolve the issue from there.
Where a card is damaged in transit, the case matters as much as the card — our slab care guide covers what to inspect and in what order, including the record worth taking before you unpack anything else.
What to do while you wait
A pre-order is a gap between paying and receiving, and the useful thing to do in it is decide how the card will be stored. Two habits cover most of it.
First, keep the card out of the sleeve-and-box problem: a slab does not fit a standard nine-pocket binder page, and forcing one is how pages tear. The measurements guide has the dimensions and the alternatives.
Second, plan the display position before the slab arrives. A shelf that gets direct sunlight is the one placement that damages the case and the card at the same time, and it is much easier to decide before the slab is in your hands than after.
Everything we source is in the Chinese Exclusive catalogue and the Protectors range. If you want a card that is not listed, the sourcing request route is on the pre-order page — the card, the set, the language and the grade are enough, and asking costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a pre-order take to ship?
Pre-order items are dispatched within 30 days of order confirmation, and most orders ship in 7 to 14 days. The 30-day window is our maximum commitment rather than our usual timeline. In-stock items ship faster — within 2 business days — and the 30-day window does not apply to them. You receive progress updates on day 1, day 7 and day 14 after your order.
What happens if you cannot find the card I ordered?
You are refunded in full automatically, and you do not need to request it. Refunds are issued to your original payment method within 1 business day. The same 1-business-day refund applies if you cancel the order yourself, which you may do at any time before dispatch, for any reason and without giving one.
Why is my order arriving in two parcels?
Because it contains items above and below the $50 line. Items priced $50 or more ship separately and first, in their own parcel, and are never mixed with the rest of the order. Items priced under $50 ship together with your in-stock items in a single parcel. Splitting a shipment never adds an extra shipping charge.
Can I get the in-stock items in my order sooner?
Yes, by placing a separate order for them. If your order combines a pre-order item priced under $50 with in-stock items, the parcel leaves only once the pre-ordered card arrives — the in-stock items are ready but the parcel is not. Placing a second order for the in-stock items is the only way to get them moving sooner, and there is no extra shipping charge for it.
Do I have to pay customs or import tax on delivery?
No. We ship on a Delivered Duty Paid basis, so any customs duty, import tax or clearance fee charged by the destination country is covered by us and already included in the price and shipping shown at checkout. If a carrier or customs authority asks you for an additional payment, do not pay it — contact [email protected] first and we will resolve it.
Sources
Policy pages these figures come from
- CardSpicy — Policy: Shipping Policy. Processing times, shipping methods and delivery windows, the split-shipment rule at the $50 line, destinations and rates, and Delivered Duty Paid terms. cardspicy.com/policies/#shipping
- CardSpicy — Policy: Pre-Order & Sourcing Terms. The 30-day dispatch commitment, the day 1, day 7 and day 14 progress updates, automatic refunds where a card cannot be sourced, and cancellation before dispatch. cardspicy.com/policies/#pre-order
- CardSpicy — Policy: Refund Policy. Refunds issued to the original payment method within 1 business day. cardspicy.com/policies/#refunds
- CardSpicy — Pre-Order a Card We Don’t Have in Stock. The sourcing process, what to include in a card request, and the one-order-two-parcels explanation in plain language. cardspicy.com/pre-order/
- CardSpicy — Grading Guide: How to Read a PSA, BGS or CGC Card. How to verify the certification number on the label once your slab arrives. cardspicy.com/grading-guide/
Dispatch windows, rates and the split-shipment threshold are quoted from our own published policies as they stand at the date below. No price in this guide is a forecast.