22 of 29 terms publishedHow GameStop Power Packs works and makes money
You buy a pack, one PSA-graded card is revealed, and it sits in the PSA Vault. A buyback is open for up to 7 days. Its percentage and surcharge are not in the terms.
By Alexander Korsager · Checked 7 October 2026 · We earn nothing from any app on this site
Tap the pack to walk one rip at GameStop Power Packs, with its own published term at each step. No money, no real cards; the art is illustration.
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 GameStop Power Packs' public pages.
1. Sign up and fund
5 of 5 terms published- Minimum ageFrom its own terms or store listing.
18
Read on the operator's own page
“Power Packs may only be purchased by residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age”
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - US states excludedWhere the terms say you cannot buy.
None named
Read on the operator's own page
“you are at least 18 years of age and lawfully reside in the United States of America”
US residents only. The terms name no excluded state.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Runs onWhere you can open an account and buy.
Web, iPhone, Android
Read on the operator's own page
“Rip digital packs for real PSA-graded cards.”
powerpacks.gamestop.com redirected our German connection to gamestop.com.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - From abroadThe Power Packs site turns away visitors outside the US.
- Purchase limitsThe terms let PowerPacks limit how many packs you buy.
2. Pick a pack
4 of 6 terms published- Starter$25
- Silver$50
- Gold$100
- Platinum$500
- Diamond$1,000
- Lunar$2,500
- Lowest packThe cheapest pack on a public page.
- Highest packThe dearest pack on a public page.
$5,000; its own pages disagree
Read on the operator's own page
“Pack levels starting at $25, with premium rips up to $5,000”
GameStop's own pages disagree. The App Store listing was updated 5 October 2026 and Google Play 2 October 2026; both are newer than the web page.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Odds shownGameStop says odds are shown before purchase. We could not load a pack page to see them, so whether they need a login is unknown.
Inside the app (advertised)
The operator's marketing says this; its terms do not
“Before you purchase a pack, Power Packs displays the chances that the card contained in a given pack level will fall within certain value ranges.”
GameStop says odds are shown before purchase. We could not load a pack page to see them, so whether they need a login is unknown.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Odds detailHow finely the odds are broken down.
Value bands
Read on the operator's own page
“the chances that the card contained in a given pack level will fall within certain value ranges”
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Odds change with stockWhether the odds move as cards are pulled.
Yes
Read on the operator's own page
“These card values are calculated and updated automatically every 5 minutes.”
GameStop says the card values behind the ranges refresh every 5 minutes. It does not say how the chances themselves change.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Stated average valueNot publishedNo average card value or expected return is on a public page.
3. Reveal the card
4 of 4 terms published- What a pack holds“a collaboration between GameStop and PSA”.
- Where the card goesThe site says the vault is in Delaware.
- Card valuesValues are “powered by Card Ladder”, update every 5 minutes and set the buyback offer.
- After you pay“All Power Pack sales are final”.
4. Sell back, hold or ship
4 of 8 terms published- Sell-back rateOther publishers (TheSpike, Deadspin, kokutech) report 90% of the Card Ladder value. The terms speak only of a 'Display Price' shown on the site.
Reported by others
Reported by other publishers only
Other publishers (TheSpike, Deadspin, kokutech) report 90% of the Card Ladder value. The terms speak only of a 'Display Price' shown on the site.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Selling feeA surcharge is deducted but the sale agreement gives no percentage. Other publishers report 6%.
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
““Marketplace Surcharge” means a transaction surcharge by PowerPacks deducted from the Display Price.”
A surcharge is deducted but the sale agreement gives no percentage. Other publishers report 6%.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Offer windowThe terms end the window early if you try another kind of sale or withdraw the card from the PSA Vault before the 7 days are up.
7 days
Read on the operator's own page
“a period of up to 7 days after your purchase of a Power Pack”
The terms end the window early if you try another kind of sale or withdraw the card from the PSA Vault before the 7 days are up.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Sell-back paid asThe form the offer is paid in.
Cash
Read on the operator's own page
“Your Wallet balance may be used to purchase other PowerPacks products or, where applicable, to request a cash payout to a bank account linked with Stripe”
Proceeds are credited to a Power Packs wallet within three business days, then withdrawn.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Auto-sold afterNo automatic sale. After 7 days the buyback lapses and the card stays in the PSA Vault.
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
No automatic sale. After 7 days the buyback lapses and the card stays in the PSA Vault.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Ships cardsWhether the physical card can be sent to you.
Yes
Read on the operator's own page
“you can choose to have the physical card shipped to you within the U.S.”
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Shipping feeWhat you pay to have a card posted.
$5.99 per shipment plus $1.99 per card, plus $4.99 per card inside 90 days
Read on the operator's own page
“U.S. withdrawals: $5.99 per shipment (covers up to 50 items per shipment). Withdrawal Fees $1.99 per item”
$5.99 per shipment plus $1.99 per card, plus $4.99 per card inside 90 days; charged by PSA Vault. PSA's fee, not GameStop's: GameStop's own page says only “a small shipping fee”. Read in the Internet Archive's copy of PSA's vault page dated 27 August 2026, because psacard.com refused our requests on 7 October 2026, so the figures may have changed since. PSA's page says the early fee “will be waived for all items purchased through Power Packs early access” and does not say so for packs bought later. The PSA Vault terms add that fees may depend on value, shipping method and insurance.
Checked 7 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Shipping timeNo delivery time is stated on the pages read.
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
No delivery time is stated on the pages read.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
5. Withdraw
5 of 6 terms published- WithdrawalsWhether the balance can leave the platform.
Yes
Read on the operator's own page
“Funds can be used to buy more packs from Power Packs or withdrawn to your connected bank account.”
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Withdrawal methodsWhere a withdrawal can be sent.
Bank account
Read on the operator's own page
“Funds will take 2-5 days to transfer to your bank account.”
A Stripe account is required.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Withdrawal minimumNo minimum is stated in the terms or the FAQ.
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
No minimum is stated in the terms or the FAQ.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Into the wallet“PowerPacks will credit the Net Sale Proceeds to your Wallet.”
- To your bankThrough Stripe. A Stripe account is required.
- Wallet source“Proceeds come from Power Packs Buyback offers only.”
1 term this guide does not cover: how you pay in.
This guide covers the mechanics only. Whether it suits you is in the GameStop Power Packs 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 GameStop Power Packs' own pages enter the sum.
- You pay$100The price of one Gold pack.
- Card value (assumed)$100An assumption, not a published figure. GameStop Power Packs sets the value its offer is based on.
- The sum stops here: no sell-back rate is publishedWithout the rate, the offer and what arrives as cash cannot be worked out for GameStop Power Packs.
- Selling fee
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
““Marketplace Surcharge” means a transaction surcharge by PowerPacks deducted from the Display Price.”
A surcharge is deducted but the sale agreement gives no percentage. Other publishers report 6%.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source- Paid as
Cash
Read on the operator's own page
“Your Wallet balance may be used to purchase other PowerPacks products or, where applicable, to request a cash payout to a bank account linked with Stripe”
Proceeds are credited to a Power Packs wallet within three business days, then withdrawn.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source- Can be withdrawn
Yes
Read on the operator's own page
“Funds can be used to buy more packs from Power Packs or withdrawn to your connected bank account.”
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 GameStop Power Packs makes money
Only lines its own documents state, or that follow from its published numbers. Nothing here is an estimate.
- Stated on its own pages
Shipping or retrieval fee
PSA's fee, not GameStop's: GameStop's own page says only “a small shipping fee”. Read in the Internet Archive's copy of PSA's vault page dated 27 August 2026, because psacard.com refused our requests on 7 October 2026, so the figures may have changed since. PSA's page says the early fee “will be waived for all items purchased through Power Packs early access” and does not say so for packs bought later. The PSA Vault terms add that fees may depend on value, shipping method and insurance.$5.99 per shipment plus $1.99 per card, plus $4.99 per card inside 90 days; charged by PSA Vault
Read on the operator's own page
“U.S. withdrawals: $5.99 per shipment (covers up to 50 items per shipment). Withdrawal Fees $1.99 per item”
$5.99 per shipment plus $1.99 per card, plus $4.99 per card inside 90 days; charged by PSA Vault. PSA's fee, not GameStop's: GameStop's own page says only “a small shipping fee”. Read in the Internet Archive's copy of PSA's vault page dated 27 August 2026, because psacard.com refused our requests on 7 October 2026, so the figures may have changed since. PSA's page says the early fee “will be waived for all items purchased through Power Packs early access” and does not say so for packs bought later. The PSA Vault terms add that fees may depend on value, shipping method and insurance.
Checked 7 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Stated on its own pages
Marketplace Surcharge
No percentage statedTaken from the buyback. The sale agreement says: “Marketplace Surcharge” means a transaction surcharge by PowerPacks deducted from the Display Price. It gives no amount.Read the source - Not published
3 lines its own pages do not state
- Pack price above average card valueCannot be worked out
- Sell-back discount
Reported by others
Reported by other publishers only
Other publishers (TheSpike, Deadspin, kokutech) report 90% of the Card Ladder value. The terms speak only of a 'Display Price' shown on the site.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Fee on a sell-back
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
““Marketplace Surcharge” means a transaction surcharge by PowerPacks deducted from the Display Price.”
A surcharge is deducted but the sale agreement gives no percentage. Other publishers report 6%.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source
What GameStop Power Packs 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 GameStop Power Packs' own pages.
- The revealThe card is revealed and the clocks start.
- The sell-back offer lapses
7 days
Read on the operator's own page
“a period of up to 7 days after your purchase of a Power Pack”
The terms end the window early if you try another kind of sale or withdraw the card from the PSA Vault before the 7 days are up.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Open the source - Within 3 business daysBuyback proceeds are credited to the Power Packs walletRead the source
- 2 to 5 daysA transfer from the wallet to a bank accountRead the source
- No automatic sale is stated.
No limit stated
We looked and the operator does not publish it
No automatic sale. After 7 days the buyback lapses and the card stays in the PSA Vault.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
- Shipping, once you ask for the card
Not published
We looked and the operator does not publish it
No delivery time is stated on the pages read.
Checked 6 Oct 2026.
The PSA Vault: where the card sits
Power Packs is “a collaboration between GameStop and PSA”. PSA grades the card and holds it.
Who is behind GameStop Power Packs
The names on its terms, its store listings and its partner pages. Sourced facts only.
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 GameStop Power Packs works
How does GameStop Power Packs work?
You buy a digital pack and one PSA-graded card is revealed. It is kept in the PSA Vault. For up to 7 days you can take a buyback, credited to a Power Packs wallet and withdrawn to a bank through Stripe. Otherwise the card stays in the vault or is shipped within the US.
How does GameStop Power Packs make money?
Its own pages state: shipping or retrieval fee and marketplace Surcharge. Not published: pack price above average card value, sell-back discount and fee on a sell-back. We do not estimate margins or what GameStop Power Packs pays for cards.
Where is a Power Packs card kept?
In the PSA Vault, which GameStop's page says is in Delaware. You can leave it there, take the buyback within 7 days, or have it shipped within the US for a fee whose amount is not published.
What is the Marketplace Surcharge?
The sale agreement defines it as “a transaction surcharge by PowerPacks deducted from the Display Price”. It gives no percentage. Other publishers report a figure; no GameStop page we read states one.
Sources6
- GameStop Power Packs page and FAQ gamestop.com
- Terms of purchase (25 Sep 2026) powerpacks.gamestop.com
- Sale agreement (15 Apr 2026) powerpacks.gamestop.com
- powerpacks.gamestop.com feature page powerpacks.gamestop.com
- Investor release (14 Apr 2026) investor.gamestop.com
- PSA Vault terms app.collectors.com
Every figure was read on public pages between 6 October 2026 and 7 October 2026. Nothing here has been tested with money yet. cardrip earns nothing from GameStop Power Packs.