Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about trading Magic: The Gathering cards on HiMarket
📋 Quick Navigation
🚀 Getting Started
🏪 What is HiMarket?
We're a Hong Kong-based Magic: The Gathering trading platform that connects local players for safe card trading, buying, and selling. Think of us as a local marketplace specifically designed for the MTG community.
Centralized Platform
A centralized marketplace designed for the MTG community.
Flexible Pricing
Set your own buying and selling prices with complete flexibility.
Secure Trades
Safe and verified trading system for peace of mind.
👤 Creating Your Account
How do I create an account?
Click "My Account" in the top navigation and sign in with your Google or Apple ID. Account creation is free.
What information is required?
We only collect basic profile information. If you sign in with Google or Apple ID, we access only your email and display name.
See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Can I link my Google and Apple accounts?
Yes! If you have two separate HiMarket accounts (one Google, one Apple), you can merge them into one. Go to your Profile page and scroll to the bottom to find the Merge Accounts section.
Is my information secure?
Yes! We use Firebase authentication and secure database storage with industry-standard security measures.
🔍 Finding Cards
How do I search for cards?
- Quick search: Use the search bar for instant suggestions as you type
- Browse all: Visit the "Marketplace" page
- Browse by format: Click on any format link on the "Marketplace" page
- Card details: Click on any card name to see all available versions
What are card versions?
Many cards have multiple printings. Each version may have different artwork, borders, or special treatments (foil, showcase, etc.).
💱 Trading Basics
💳 Store Credits Overview
You don't need to hold store credits to buy. You can top up with a credit card directly at checkout in one step — see "How to Buy Cards" below.
What are store credits?
Store credits are HKD funds in your account used to purchase cards. You earn them by selling cards through our platform.
All buying and selling of cards are done in store credits in our system.
How do I get store credits?
- Sell cards through our sell list system
- Purchase credits directly with credit card
💰 Cash Out Store Credits
Withdraw to your Hong Kong bank account or e-wallet.
💳 Payment Methods
- FPS (Faster Payment System)
- PayMe
⚡ Processing
- 1-3 business days
- WhatsApp confirmation
💸 Fees & Limits
- Minimum: HK$50 per withdrawal
- Fee: 6% of withdrawal amount
- Fee payment: Gift credits first, then store credits
🛒 How to Buy Cards
Purchasing Options
You can purchase cards in two ways:
🛒 Add to Cart
Collect cards from different sellers first, then check out together. When you press Checkout, we hold your items for 10 minutes while you finish payment.
⚡ Buy Now
One-click shortcut: adds the card(s) to your cart, reserves them for 10 minutes, and takes you straight to checkout. Supports buying multiple copies of the same listing in one go.
Both buttons land on the same checkout screen — pick whichever fits your shopping style.
🌱 First time buying on HiMarket? You don't need to pre-load credits.
- Press Buy Now or Add to Cart. We hold the card(s) for 10 minutes.
- On checkout, if your store-credit balance is low, top up with a credit card in the same payment — one click, no extra steps.
- Choose store pickup or shipping, then confirm.
🏪 Inventory Card Purchase (card already at HiMarket)
No waiting — the card is already physically at our store.
- Browse & Find: Find the in-stock card you want
- Purchase: Click Buy Now or Add to Cart. Items are reserved for 10 minutes during checkout
- Choose Pickup: Select in-person pickup, SF Express, or worldwide shipping during checkout
- Pay: Complete payment with store credits (or buy credits via credit card if needed)
📋 Listing Card Purchase (sell-first, seller delivers)
The seller still has the physical card and must deliver it within 7 days of purchase.
- Browse & Find: Find the listing card you want
- Purchase: Click Buy Now or Add to Cart. Items are reserved for 10 minutes during checkout
- Choose Pickup: Select in-person pickup, SF Express, or worldwide shipping during checkout
- Pay: Complete payment with store credits (or buy credits via credit card if needed)
- Seller Delivers: Seller delivers the card to us within 7 days
- Card Ready: Card is verified and your pickup request is processed
📱 WhatsApp Required
A WhatsApp number is required to complete checkout. You will be asked to confirm or enter it during the checkout process — we use it to contact you about your order and pickup status.
System fees:
HiMarket does not charge buyers any fees for purchasing cards.
Buylist System beta
Create "want-to-buy" entries. When someone lists a matching card at or below your price, the system automatically completes the purchase.
System fees:
- Free to create. Free to cancel.
- When a sell listing matches yours, you pay only the listed buying price — sellers cover the standard transaction fee on fulfillment.
- Each account can have up to 50 active buylist items at a time.
📦 How to Sell Cards
📋 Sell Lists
List cards you own at home, deliver only after they sell
How it works:
- Find the card and version you want to sell
- Click "Add this version to sell list" — listing is free
- Set your selling price and list it for sale
- When someone buys it, deliver the card within 7 days at HiMarket (Wanchai) or Basic Land (Mong Kok)
- Receive payment after staff verification
System fees:
- Free to create. Free to cancel.
- Transaction Fee: HK$3 + 4% of sale price, deducted from your sale proceeds when the card sells
- Each account can have up to 100 active sell listings at a time.
*6% fee when cashing out store credits
🏪 My Cards
Resell cards in your collection
How it works:
- Go to My Cards page
- Find cards you want to resell
- Set selling prices for those cards
- When someone buys, ownership transfers immediately
- You don't need to deliver — cards in My Cards are already kept by HiMarket
- Receive payment instantly
System Fees:
- Transaction Fee: HK$3 + 4% of sale price, deducted when the card sells (same as Sell Lists)
*6% fee when cashing out store credits
⚠️ Credit Requirements & Inactive Listings
Important: Sell list and buylist items become inactive if you don't have enough credits to cover potential transaction fees or purchases. Inactive items are not publicly visible.
Why do listings become inactive?
The system hides items when you don't have sufficient credits to complete potential transactions. This prevents scam transactions.
📋 Inactive Sell Lists
When: You don't have enough combined credits (store + gift) to pay the HK$3 + 4% transaction fee.
- Selling price: HK$1,000 → Transaction fee (HK$3 + 4%): HK$43
- You have: HK$20 store + HK$10 gift = HK$30 total
- Result: Listing becomes INACTIVE (need HK$43, have HK$30)
🛒 Inactive Buylist Items
When: You don't have enough store credits (gift credits don't count) to purchase the card.
- Buying price: HK$500 — You have: HK$200 store + HK$100 gift credits
- Result: Buylist becomes INACTIVE (need HK$500 store credits, have HK$200)
✅ How to reactivate?
- For sell lists: Add more store or gift credits to cover the transaction fee
- For buylist items: Add more store credits to cover the buying price
- Alternatively, lower your selling/buying price
💡 Pro Tips
- Keep enough credits to maintain active listings
- Gift credits can help cover transaction fees for sell lists
- You'll see a warning before creating an inactive listing
🚚 Collection & Delivery
🏪 Store Pickup
- Locations: HiMarket (Wanchai) or Basic Land (Mong Kok)
- Cost: Free
📦 Local Delivery (SF Express)
- Coverage: Hong Kong wide
- Cost: HK$20-25 (collected by courier)
- Time: 1-2 business days
🌐 Worldwide Shipping
- Coverage: Available worldwide
- Cost: HK$50 (Asia) / HK$100 (Europe & Oceania) / HK$150 (Rest of World) — prepaid at checkout
- Carrier: HK Post
- Time: 7-14 working days
⚡ Advanced Features
📱 Mobile App
Install our mobile app for instant notifications
Get real-time updates when important events happen on your account.
📢 You'll receive notifications for:
- 🎉 Card Sold: When someone purchases your card or listing
- ✅ Delivery Verified: When staff verifies your card delivery
- 📦 Pickup Ready: When your cards are ready for pickup or shipped
- 📢 System Announcements: Important platform updates
📷 Card Scanner
Quickly find cards using your camera
Use our built-in card scanner to instantly identify and search for Magic cards without typing.
📸 How to use the card scanner:
- Click the camera icon in the search bar
- Point your camera at the Magic card
- Wait for automatic recognition
- Review search results for that card
💡 Pro Tip: Make sure the card name is clearly visible and well-lit.
📚 Reference Information
💰 Understanding Pricing & Market Data
What is "Market Price"?
The "Market Price (USD)" shows what cards are actually selling for in the US market.
- Compare prices: See if HKD prices are good deals
- Stay updated: Prices refresh daily
- Make informed decisions: Based on real sales
🃏 Card Information & Data
Where does card data come from?
All card information comes from Scryfall, the most trusted Magic card database.
Supported Languages
We support cards in multiple languages. English (EN) is most common; others include Japanese (JP), Chinese (CN), and European languages.
What cards are not supported?
Serialized cards: Cards with unique serial numbers require special handling and are currently not supported on HiMarket.
🔍 Card Condition Guide
Accurate and consistent card conditioning is essential for a smooth trading experience. When you list a card on HiMarket, the buyer expects to receive a card that matches the stated condition. Below are our condition standards, aligned with TCGplayer's Card Conditioning Standards.
⚠️ Seller Responsibility: It is the seller's responsibility to accurately grade every card before listing. Cards that arrive at our store in a condition worse than stated may be flagged and/or rejected, and repeated mis-grading may result in account restrictions. When in doubt, always grade down.
✅ NM — Near Mint
Cards showing minimal to no wear from shuffling, play, or handling. May have a nearly unmarked surface, crisp corners, and unblemished edges outside of a few slight flaws. A NM card may have slight edge wear or a couple of minor scratches, but overall appears nearly unplayed with no major defects. This is the default and most common condition for recently opened cards.
- Crisp corners with no whitening
- Clean surface with no scratches or scuffs
- Back is clean and unmarked
- Appears as though freshly pulled from a pack
⚡ SP — Slightly Played (Lightly Played)
Cards with minor but noticeable wear. May have minor edge wear, scuffs, or scratches. There are no significant imperfections or issues with the structural integrity of the card. Noticeable imperfections are acceptable, but none should be too severe or at too high a volume. Still excellent for tournament play.
- May have light edge whitening
- May have small scratches or slight scuffs on the surface
- May have very minor corner wear
- No major issues visible at a glance without sleeves
⚠️ MP — Moderately Played
Cards with moderate wear that is clearly visible. May have edge wear, surface wear, scratching or scuffing, or bends with creases that do not impact the structural integrity. The card is still structurally intact and playable in sleeves. This is the lowest accepted condition on HiMarket.
- Noticeable edge whitening
- Multiple scratches or scuffs visible on surface
- Corner wear clearly visible
- May have minor creasing that does not break the surface
- Still playable in sleeves at tournaments
About Mint / Gem Mint: Like TCGplayer, HiMarket does not use Mint or Gem Mint as grading tiers. Pack-fresh cards in perfect condition should be listed as Near Mint (NM). NM is the highest condition grade available on the platform.
Not Accepted: Heavily Played (HP) and Damaged (DMG) cards are not accepted on HiMarket. Cards with major creases, tears, water damage, writing, or other significant defects cannot be listed. If such cards are delivered to our store, they will be rejected.
🆘 Support & Contact
⚠️ Common Issues & Troubleshooting
🐛 Found a bug or incorrect card data? Report issues using the contact methods below.
📞 Contact Information
We're here to help with any questions, issues, or feedback. You can contact us through:
📍 Note: Our complete address will be provided when you schedule a drop-off or pick-up appointment.