Fair market value: who sets it?
The value an app shows on your card is its own figure, and the sell-back is a share of it. Here is what each app's documents say about that figure, and how to check one yourself.
By Alexander Korsager · Checked 7 October 2026 · We earn nothing from any app on this site
- Packs.com shows$366.17+9% against market
- Market price$336.78TCGplayer, 5 Oct 2026
- Sell-back$366.17100% of the app's value
Charizard ex, 151. At its published rate, the sell-back works out at 108.7% of the market price, paid in site credit.
Three numbers, two of them the app's
Worked on Charizard ex from 151, as Packs.com showed it on 6 October 2026.
The app's value
$366.17Set by the appShown on the pack page and on your pull. Apps call it FMV, estimated value or market value.The market price
$336.78Set by buyers and sellersWhat copies of the card have sold for. A marketplace records it; nobody at the app decides it.The sell-back
$366.17Set by the appIts value, times its rate, less its fee: 100% here, paid in site credit.A percentage only means something once you know what it is a percentage of. Each app's rate, fee and form of payment are on the cash-out page.
Who sets it, app by app
Where a document says who sets the value, it is the app. They differ in what they commit to about how. 23 of 27 were opened on 7 October 2026.
The classes are our reading of each document, not a rating. Tap one to see its apps.
Fanatics Instant Rips
Names source: Card Ladder“Offers are transparently based on trusted valuations from Card Ladder data”
The help page for Instant Rips did not render for our reader, so this is the launch post, not the terms.Fanatics Live launch postNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
Packs.com
Names source: TCGplayer“Card values are based on live TCGplayer market data for the exact printing and condition (Near Mint by default).”
The same article: “The Coin value shown for a card is the market value plus a small amount for taxes and handling”.Help centre: how prices are setNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
Arena Club
Describes inputs“Factors such as Card condition and grading (as applicable), and item rarity and demand, are considered in this evaluation, and the resulting Arena Club Offer amount is equal to 100% of our estimated value of the item(s), less a 10% fee.”
Terms of serviceNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
Lastpack
Describes inputs“The FMV that lastpack uses may not match published market values.”
“lastpack uses a proprietary system to generate its FMV”, from realtime sales statistics.- Says it may differ from market
Phygitals
Describes inputs“FMV is determined at the time of the pull using pricing data from industry-standard pricing providers for graded collectibles.”
The providers are not named on that page. The terms add: “FMV does not guarantee that a card will sell at the indicated price”.- Says it may differ from market
Packz
Describes inputs“The estimated market value is determined using recent comparable sales and other market data, along with grading and other proprietary factors, and may differ from prices you could obtain independently”
Set in capitals in the original. Elsewhere the terms say the value is “as determined by Packz”.- Says it may differ from market
RipRip.io
Describes inputs“Estimated values use recent market data and comparable sales.”
The answer goes on: “Actual resale value depends on market conditions, card condition, grading, rarity, demand, and other factors.”- Says it may differ from market
Rips by Triumph
Describes inputs“The FMV that Triumph uses may not match published market values.”
The section says Triumph “uses realtime sales statistics” and “a proprietary system” that weighs rarity among other factors.- Says it may differ from market
Stadium Vault
Describes inputs“Factors such as Card condition, rarity, and demand are considered in this evaluation, and the resulting Stadium Vault Instant Offer amount is equal to 100% of our estimated value of the Cards, less a 10% fee.”
A completed sell-back cannot be undone over a “dispute over the estimated value, pricing methodology, or fair market value determination”.Terms of serviceNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
Rip Rush
Describes inputs“The FMV that the Company uses may not match published market values.”
“The Company uses a proprietary system to generate its FMV”, from real-time sales statistics.- Says it may differ from market
ClutchPacks
Describes inputs“The fair market value of an Asset is determined based on observable market data including an evaluation of the latest available comparisons/transactions and is not subject to negotiation.”
- Not open to negotiation
Gemint
Describes inputs“FMV is determined by us in our sole discretion, may change at any time without notice, and may differ from prices for similar cards on other marketplaces.”
The method “may take into account recent sales data, market listings, condition, grade, and other factors we consider relevant”.- Says it may differ from market
Crown Cards
Describes inputs“Estimated Market Value may differ from prices available on third-party sales channels, grading-company tools, pricing tools, or independent sales.”
Set by CrownCards from comparable sales, grading, rarity, liquidity, “proprietary models, and other factors CrownCards considers relevant”.- Says it may differ from market
Repackz
Will not disclose“We alone determine the valuation model and do not disclose its specifics.”
The next sentence of the clause: “It is not negotiable nor subject to debate or dispute.”- Not open to negotiation
Courtyard
Will not disclose“Courtyard does not disclose its model for determining fair market value.”
Its help centre describes “a proprietary pricing algorithm” that reads recent sales.- Not open to negotiation
rip.fun
Will not disclose“ripdotfun does not disclose its model for determining fair market value”
“The fair market value is determined solely by ripdotfun at its discretion and is not subject to negotiation”.- Not open to negotiation
Beezie
Will not disclose“Beezie does not disclose its model for determining fair market value.”
The value “is determined solely by Beezie at its discretion and is not subject to negotiation or contestation”. Values shown on its Claw tiers “may differ from actual resale value”.- Says it may differ from market
- Not open to negotiation
Tilt Rips
No method“historical pricing, marketplace comps, estimated values, floor prices, buyback quotes, ratings, rarity indications, and similar information are informational only and may be inaccurate, incomplete, delayed, or unavailable”
The terms do not say where a card's market value comes from.- Says it may differ from market
Ripit
No method“Any estimated values provided through the Services are for informational purposes only, may be based on third-party data, and do not represent a guaranteed outcome, appraisal, or resale value.”
- Says it may differ from market
Collector Crypt
No method“keep it or sell it back to us on the spot for 85% of its insured value”
The page does not say who sets the insured value or from what.Docs: product infoNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
MNSTR
No method“Every card you win comes with a guaranteed buyback at up to 95% of its fair market value.”
The terms mention only “an FMV-based USDm offer”. Neither page says how the value is set.Homepage FAQNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
BOXED.GG
No method“Any card can be sold back to BOXED for its gem value, at any time.”
Neither this article nor the gems guide says how a card's gem value is set. The terms page did not load.Help centre: cardsNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
DOPA
No method“After ripping, you can convert any card to credits at 100% of its value and use those credits to rip more packs.”
The terms and conditions say nothing about how a card's value is set.How it worksNo commissionRead 7 October 2026
Slabz
Not confirmed“Or sell it back within 72 hours for at least 85% of its current value.”
The terms render only in a browser and were not opened on 7 October. From the dataset: the terms state no rate.Homepage, How it works tabNo commissionRead 6 October 2026
Underdog Rips
Not confirmed“the buyback offer is set at 100% of FMV — the same value determined at pack reveal”
The page refused our request on 7 October. From the dataset: a value Underdog sets itself, from Alt, CardLadder and its own pricing system.Help centre: how a card's value is determinedNo commissionRead 6 October 2026
GameStop Power Packs
Not confirmed““Marketplace Surcharge” means a transaction surcharge by PowerPacks deducted from the Display Price.”
The page refused our request on 7 October. From the dataset: the terms speak only of a “Display Price” shown on the site.Sale agreementNo commissionRead 6 October 2026
ripz.gg
Not confirmed“Turn duplicates back into gems at up to 90% of market value.”
The site renders only in a browser and was not opened on 7 October. The line is advertised, not in the terms.How this worksNo commissionRead 6 October 2026
Rips by Triumph, Rip Rush, and Lastpack use the same sentence, word for word but for the company's name. 11 apps in all warn in writing that their value may differ from market prices or be inaccurate.
The value against the market
29 ungraded cards on 3 apps: each app's value read on 6 October 2026, against TCGplayer's market price for the same card.
One dot is one card. The dark bar is the middle card, and the figure beside the name. Orange dots sit above the market price.
A sell-back is a share of the app's value, so a high value lifts it. On Tilt Rips, the middle card was valued +26% against market, and 90% of its value, the rate it advertises, is above the market price on 6 of 6 cards. These are sums from published rates: no offer was seen.
Packs.com names TCGplayer as its source and still sits above it: its help centre says the coin value is market value “plus a small amount for taxes and handling”. Every card and its source is in the offer checker's value table.
Which market price?
One card has several published prices. 26 cards, read on 6 October 2026: tap one.
Charizard
Base Set · 4/102 · ungraded95% apartthe lowest and the highest of TCGplayer's three figures- Lowest listing$475
- Middle listing$627.71
- Market price$928.32
The two documents that name a price source do not say which of its figures the value tracks, and the price feed gives no condition for the lowest listing. So a value can sit some way from the market price without contradicting the terms.
Check a comp yourself
Four checks, worked on Charizard ex from 151: the one card we hold both an app's value and a full set of listing prices for.
Name the exact card
151 · 199/165Holo, ungradedSet, number, printing and grade. A different printing or grade is a different price.Read sold prices, not asking prices
Listings from $299.99, middle $367.20$336.78TCGplayer's market price comes from its own recent sales. A listing is what a seller hopes for.Set the app's value against it
$366.17 ÷ $336.78+9%Packs.com's value for the same card, read on 6 October 2026.Then judge the offer
Sell-back: $366.17 in site credit$298.10What selling it yourself at market leaves, in cash, after a 10% fee and $5 postage. Compare like with like: site credit is not cash.Where this stops
What was read for this page, and what was not.
Documents
23 of 27 appsTerms, help pages or launch posts opened on 7 October 2026. The other 4 refused the request or render only in a browser, and are marked not confirmed.Values against market
29 cards, 3 appsUngraded Pokémon cards of $5 and up, on one day. Too few to say how an app values cards in general.Not checked
Graded slabsMany apps deal in graded slabs, and the price feed used here carries none. No value was read inside an app, no sell-back offer was seen, and no card was bought.Questions people ask
What does fair market value mean on a card rip app?
It is the app's own dollar figure for a card, and the number its sell-back offer is a share of. It is not a quoted market price: 11 of the 27 apps say in writing that their figure may differ from market prices or be inaccurate.
Who decides the value of my card?
Where a document says who, it is the app. 2 name the outside price data they start from, 11 describe their inputs, 4 say they will not disclose the model and 6 say nothing about how it is set.
Can I dispute the value an app puts on a card?
ClutchPacks, Courtyard, rip.fun, Beezie, and Repackz say in their terms that the value is not open to negotiation. What you can do is turn the offer down and have the card shipped, where the app ships: keep, sell or ship prices that choice.
Is a value above the market price bad for me?
Not on the sell-back, which grows with the value. It matters before you buy: a pack's stated contents are added up in the app's own values, so they read richer than a sale would return. The pull checklist shows a pack's contents card by card.
Sources37
- Fanatics Instant Rips: Fanatics Live launch post about.fanatics.live
- Packs.com: Help centre: how prices are set help.packs.com
- Arena Club: Terms of service info.arenaclub.com
- Lastpack: Terms of service, section 4.4 support.lastpack.com
- Phygitals: Docs: pack opening and buyback docs.phygitals.com
- Packz: Terms packz.io
- RipRip.io: How it works: FAQ riprip.io
- Rips by Triumph: Terms of use, section 5.4 docs.triumpharcade.com
- Stadium Vault: Terms of service stadium-vault.gitbook.io
- Rip Rush: Terms of service, section 5.4 riprush.net
- ClutchPacks: Terms of service, section 6.3 clutchpacks.io
- Gemint: Terms of service, section 6.2 help.gemint.io
- Crown Cards: Terms, section 5.4 crowncards.io
- Repackz: Collectibles.com terms and conditions collectibles.com
- Courtyard: Terms of service docs.courtyard.io
- rip.fun: Terms of service docs.rip.fun
- Beezie: Terms of use docs.beezie.com
- Tilt Rips: Terms and conditions tiltrips.com
- Ripit: Terms of service docs.ripit.co
- Collector Crypt: Docs: product info docs.collectorcrypt.com
- MNSTR: Homepage FAQ mnstr.xyz
- BOXED.GG: Help centre: cards helpdesk.boxed.gg
- DOPA: How it works dopa-global.com
- Slabz: Homepage, How it works tab slabz.com
- Underdog Rips: Help centre: how a card's value is determined help.underdogsports.com
- GameStop Power Packs: Sale agreement powerpacks.gamestop.com
- ripz.gg: How this works ripz.gg
- Packs.com: card values it shows api.packs.com
- Packs.com: card values it shows api.packs.com
- Tilt Rips: card values it shows tiltrips.com
- Tilt Rips: card values it shows tiltrips.com
- RipRip.io: card values it shows api.riprip.io
- Tilt Rips: sell-back rate tiltrips.com
- Packs.com: sell-back rate packs.com
- RipRip.io: sell-back rate riprip.io
- TCGdex card API: TCGplayer and Cardmarket prices, one record per card api.tcgdex.net
- TCGplayer: Charizard ex, 151 tcgplayer.com
Every figure was read on public pages between 6 October 2026 and 7 October 2026. Nothing here has been tested with money yet. Clauses are quoted as each app published them on the date shown on its card. The classes are our reading and do not feed a rating: how apps are scored is on the rating method page.