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Courtyard logo21 of 25 terms published

How Courtyard works and makes money

You buy a mystery pack, one graded item is revealed, and it stays in a vault. From there you take a buyback in USDC, list it on the marketplace, or have it shipped.

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By Alexander Korsager · Checked 6 October 2026 · We earn nothing from any app on this site

A free rip at Courtyard's real published odds. No money, no real cards.

A rip, step by step

Tap a step. Each figure opens the page it was read on. A dashed tile is a term not found on Courtyard's public pages.

1. Sign up and fund

3 of 3 terms published
  • Minimum age
    18

    Read on the operator's own page

    “You must be eighteen (18) years old or otherwise capable of forming a binding contract in your jurisdiction”

    The App Store page rates the app 18+.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    From its own terms or store listing.
  • US states excluded
    None named

    Read on the operator's own page

    “a national or resident of any jurisdiction subject to a U.S. trade embargo”

    The terms exclude only US-embargoed places and name no US state.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    Where the terms say you cannot buy.
  • Runs on
    Web, iPhone, Android

    Read on the operator's own page

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    Where you can open an account and buy.

2 terms this guide does not cover: how you pay in and who runs the vault.

This guide covers the mechanics only. Whether it suits you is in the Courtyard review, and the basics of the format are in what card ripping is.

Where the money goes

One pack, followed from your payment to what arrives. Only terms read on Courtyard's own pages enter the sum.

Pack price
The card is valued at
Dashed choices are assumptions, not published figures.
  1. You pay$69
    The price of one Pokémon PSA 10 pack.
  2. Average card value−$2.76$66.24
    Courtyard's own figure:
    $66.24 on a $69 pack

    Read on the operator's own page

    “Average item value is $66.24.”

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    Scaled from the stated average of the Pokémon PSA 10 pack.
  3. The sum stops here: no sell-back rate is publishedWithout the rate, the offer and what arrives as USDC cannot be worked out for Courtyard.
  4. Selling fee
    Not published

    We looked and the operator does not publish it

    No selling fee is stated.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Paid as
    Stablecoin

    Read on the operator's own page

    “in USDC on their Courtyard wallet/account”

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    Can be withdrawn
    Yes

    Read on the operator's own page

    “When you have a balance in your Courtyard wallet, you can withdraw your funds.”

    An identity check comes before a first withdrawal. The help article is dated 29 August 2026.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source

Run the same sum for every app in the cash-back calculator, weigh the three exits in keep, sell or ship, or see every app's exit terms on the cash-out page.

How Courtyard makes money

Only lines its own documents state, or that follow from its published numbers. Nothing here is an estimate.

Stated on its own pages2
Follows from its published numbers1
Not published2
  • Stated on its own pages

    Shipping or retrieval fee

    At cost, plus $2 a card handling in busy periods

    Read on the operator's own page

    “We ship packages at-cost based on FedEx's pricing.”

    The $2 is in Courtyard's docs: “During periods of high demand, a $2 fee per card is applied to cover handling costs for your redemption.” A shipment has to be paid by card, not from the wallet balance.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    The $2 is in Courtyard's docs: “During periods of high demand, a $2 fee per card is applied to cover handling costs for your redemption.” A shipment has to be paid by card, not from the wallet balance.
  • Stated on its own pages

    Marketplace fee

    0%Its help centre says: “We are proud to offer 0% marketplace fees on all peer-to-peer transactions.” The older Terms of Service still say secondary sales are subject to a Courtyard fee. Auctions carry a 10% buyer's premium.Read the source
  • Follows from its published numbers

    Pack price above average card value

    $2.76 a packThe Pokémon PSA 10 pack costs $69 and Courtyard's own stated average value is $66.24. What Courtyard pays for the cards is not published.Read the source
  • Not published

    2 lines its own pages do not state

    • Sell-back discount
      Not published

      We looked and the operator does not publish it

      The terms say the offer is a percentage of fair market value 'as advertised on the product's page'. The public pack page shows no percentage.

      Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    • Fee on a sell-back
      Not published

      We looked and the operator does not publish it

      No selling fee is stated.

      Checked 6 Oct 2026.

What Courtyard pays for its cards, its margins and how the business is doing are not published, and we do not guess. Whether the numbers can favour a buyer at all is the subject of is card ripping worth it.

The clock after the reveal

How long each choice stays open, from Courtyard's own pages.

  1. The revealThe card is revealed and the clocks start.
  2. 7 days

    Read on the operator's own page

    “You have 7 days to accept the offer before it expires.”

    The help article, dated 23 March 2026, says a buyback offer lasts 7 days.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    The sell-back offer lapses
  3. About 10 business days in the US

    Read on the operator's own page

    “Packages in the United States will generally arrive within ~10 business days of invoice processing”

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    Open the source
    Shipping, once you ask for the card
  • No limit stated

    We looked and the operator does not publish it

    No automatic sale is stated. An unaccepted buyback offer lapses after 7 days.

    Checked 6 Oct 2026.

    No automatic sale is stated.

Vault, marketplace, stablecoin

A vault, a marketplace between users and a stablecoin wallet, each from Courtyard's own pages.

Marketplace fee0%On a sale between users. Auctions carry a 10% buyer's premium.✓ Read at sourceSource
Buyback paid inUSDC“in USDC on their Courtyard wallet/account”.✓ Read at sourceSource
USDC to a bankACH, debit card, PayPal, VenmoInterac in Canada. Where bank payouts are not supported, the only route is USDC to a crypto wallet. No fee or minimum is stated.✓ Read at sourceSource
Buyback rateNot publishedA percentage of fair market value “as advertised on the product's page”. The public pack page shows none.✕ Not confirmedSource
RedemptionMost countriesA few unlisted exceptions. After an identity check. About 10 business days in the US.✓ Read at sourceSource

Who is behind Courtyard

The names on its terms, its store listings and its partner pages. Sourced facts only.

Legal entityCourtyard, Inc.Named in its own terms.✓ Read at sourceSource
App Store developerCourtyard, Inc.The name on the App Store listing.✓ Read at sourceSource
Google Play developerCourtyard.ioThe name on the Google Play listing.✓ Read at sourceSource
Who values the itemCourtyard itself“determined solely by Courtyard”.✓ Read at sourceSource
GraderPSAThe pack is named “Pokémon PSA 10”. The grader on other packs was not checked.✓ Read at sourceSource

How the other apps work

The same walk-through for each of the others, then every review and the pages that set two apps side by side.

Reviews and head-to-heads

Questions about how Courtyard works

How does Courtyard work?

You buy a mystery pack on the web or in the app and one graded item is revealed. It stays in a vault. You can take Courtyard's buyback offer within 7 days, paid in USDC to your Courtyard wallet, list the item on the marketplace, or have it shipped after an identity check.

How does Courtyard make money?

Its own pages state: shipping or retrieval fee and marketplace fee. From its published numbers: pack price above average card value. Not published: sell-back discount and fee on a sell-back. We do not estimate margins or what Courtyard pays for cards.

Is Courtyard's buyback paid in cash?

No. The terms say it is paid “in USDC on their Courtyard wallet/account”. USDC is a dollar-pegged stablecoin. A help article says the balance can then be withdrawn to a bank account, debit card, PayPal or Venmo, or by Interac in Canada; it states no fee.

Can you sell a Courtyard card to someone else?

Yes. Courtyard runs a marketplace where you can list an item to other users instead of taking the buyback. Its help centre states 0% marketplace fees on sales between users; auctions carry a 10% buyer's premium.

Alexander Korsager

Alexander Korsager

Every figure was read on public pages on 6 October 2026. Nothing here has been tested with money yet. cardrip earns nothing from Courtyard.