Mercari Bans Listings of Unopened 30th Anniversary Pokémon Card Packs with No End Date

Japan's secondhand trading app Mercari has blocked the listing of unopened expansion packs and card sets for the Pokémon Trading Card Game 30th anniversary commemorative product '30th CELEBRATION'. Japanese media outlets ITmedia and gamebiz reported that Mercari announced this policy on September 15, the day before the release. The ban took effect at midnight on September 16, and no end date has been established.

What Has Been Banned

| Category | Details | |---|---| | Target Services | Mercari, Mercari Shops | | Prohibited Items | Unopened expansion pack '30th CELEBRATION', '30th CELEBRATION Card Sets' (9 types, regardless of whether they are opened), and bundle sales containing them | | Permitted | Opened single cards | | Period | From midnight on September 16, 2026, until Mercari determines that a safe trading environment has been secured | | Violations | Strict responses including removal of listings and suspension of accounts with repeated listings |

Mercari stated that it monitors listings using detection systems leveraging AI and visual checks by a specialized team. It also provides notices to raise user awareness. The posting date on Mercari's official press release page is listed as September 16.

This ban blocks 'listings' rather than 'sales'. Because opened single cards can still be traded, selling cards pulled from opened packs one by one is not restricted. On the other hand, the nine card sets cannot be listed regardless of whether they have been opened.

Reason for the Ban

In its official announcement, Mercari explained that it determined disputes arising from a surge in transactions immediately after sales begin and slander against trading partners could harm the marketplace's safety. Mercari stated that this action follows the 'Marketplace Basic Principles' established in 2021 and new policies including listing prohibitions enacted in 2025. Mercari and The Pokémon Company signed a 'Memorandum on Marketplace Co-Creation' in 2023 to jointly build a safe trading environment for Pokémon-related products. Mercari's announcement explained that this measure is an extension of that cooperation.

As of October 13, this publication has not found any announcement from Mercari lifting the ban.

Contrast with Korean Platforms

This measure applies to Japanese-edition products and Japanese Mercari. A different picture emerged in South Korea, where the Korean-edition '30th CELEBRATION' was released on the same day. According to data from Bungaejangter reported by Yonhap News on September 21, Bungaejangter held an event offering up to a 100% refund on sales fees from September 16 to 29 to coincide with the expansion pack release, and Pokémon card trading volume immediately after the release (September 16–17) was 2.8 times the daily average from September 1 to 15. On the resale platform KREAM, cumulative transactions for a 1-box product of the Korean-edition 30th CELEBRATION reached 3,926 cases as of October 13.

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Sources

• Mercari · Prohibition of Listings Related to 'Pokémon Trading Card Game 30th CELEBRATION' Products Starting September 16 (2026-09-16)
• ITmedia Mobile · Mercari Temporarily Bans Listings Related to Pokémon Card '30th' Products from Midnight on September 16 (2026-09-15)
• gamebiz · Mercari Prohibits Listings of Products Related to Pokémon Card Game 30th Anniversary '30th CELEBRATION' (2026-09-15)
• Yonhap News (Supple Reprint) · People in Their 30s and 40s Immersed in Pokémon Cards: Surging Listings and Searches (2026-09-21)
• KREAM · Pokémon TCG Mega Expansion 30th Anniversary Pack 1 Box (20 Packs/Korean Edition) (Verified on 2026-10-13)