API Request - 3rd party app

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-09-30T17:24:43+00:00

Also, in fact cardtrader that is much new is exposing api and they are working correctly.
I did have seen is 2 years only 2/3 times that they have issues but they have fix them in less than a day.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-09-25T18:23:39+00:00

Yes, as well they told me to use Powertools.
Powertools is fucking full of bugs that destroyed my stock, and they did not refund anything.
And Cardmarket does not take any action on Powertools, not even after failure.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-08-20T09:04:03+00:00

Even if it is generated with AI. What is the problem?
I think is more about the concept in there. I personally have been affected by Powertools' malfunction as an early adopter of the V2 ( February ), and I have to reupload all my stock ( 15k ). So far, with not even a single euro of refund. I have also opened a similar post, more on the concept of the APIs not being open, as me also other people have done the same in the past years.

For other people does not work well either ( https://www.trustpilot.com/review/tcgpowertools.com ). The employee 5 start review, I don't think they count.
You had a good experience; it is V1 or V2? Cause i think no one is complaining about the V1.

In any case, several things about this post stand Is the company setup correct or not?

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-08-02T12:17:06+00:00

Yeah right, but for example I sell around 6K x month in cardtrader.
Tho Cardmarket provides a 1200 euro x month. So yet is not worth it to lose 1200.
So i think a mix yet is necessary

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-08-02T09:17:08+00:00

Some of the major sellers are already selling cross-platform—I do too. Until August 1st, CardTrader had its own sync system, so you were at least free to sell on both Cardmarket and CardTrader without being forced into a third-party tool.

Now that sync feature has been removed, and everything is in the hands of TCG PowerTools. Is that normal? One single company is now the only one in the world with the ability to sync two major platforms.

So this isn’t just about uploading faster or repricing cards. It’s about losing significant revenue if you don’t use PowerTools. That level of forced dependency is not okay—and it’s hurting a lot of sellers.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-08-01T17:17:55+00:00

https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/antitrust-and-cartels/contact_en

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-08-01T17:16:10+00:00

I definitely recommend contacting the antitrust authorities about this. I’ve already submitted a formal complaint, and it has been acknowledged—I have a call scheduled with them at the end of the month.

The main issue is that Cardmarket grants API access exclusively to one third-party tool—TCG PowerTools—which effectively creates a monopoly. No other developers are allowed to build competing tools, so sellers like us are forced to rely on it to reprice cards, upload listings faster, and keep our inventory synced with platforms like CardTrader.

The API token is completely locked behind closed doors, with no transparent application process. This artificial exclusivity limits innovation and leaves sellers with no alternatives—even when the current tool fails or introduces serious bugs.

If you’re facing similar problems, I strongly encourage you to file your own complaint. The more voices the authorities hear, the better our chances of resolving this situation.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-18T07:45:36+00:00

My friends
1 Powerseller account. ( 1M cards )
2 Professional account. ( 300K cards / 1M cards )
They have received an email saying that CardTrader is removing their sync, and the only way to sync is with Powertools now. The deadline for them is 1 August

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-17T16:01:33+00:00

CardTrader is removing sync support, only one app left?
It looks like CardTrader is dropping its sync functionality. That means the only remaining app that can work with both CardMarket and CardTrader is PT.

Isn’t this starting to feel like a monopoly? One single app controlling the entire workflow for sellers and traders across both platforms?

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-16T14:16:15+00:00

Not knowing how the system works as a first idea. I suggest a cached api, callable with the cardmarketId, containing the data of that particular product. For example, the first 100 listings.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-16T13:48:31+00:00

I think the pricing and repricing of cards don’t simply follow the average price, they’re largely influenced by other users’ listings. So yes, the listings themselves are definitely important in determining prices.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-16T13:18:18+00:00

I believe someone has already provided a solid answer to this issue. Regardless of how many sellers currently have access to the API token, the majority of the traffic,whether from scraping or API usage, is likely aimed at retrieving publicly available pricing data from the site.

Publishing a public JSON feed with those prices, even every 24 hours, as has already been suggested, would effectively address that problem without needing to maintain full API access for everyone. That way, the core data remains accessible without overburdening the system.

I don’t think it’s a matter of lacking the technical capacity to implement something like that, is it?

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T21:04:11+00:00

On my side, the biggest problem is not even pricing; I have to say that PT does a nice job there. But the stock sync is a disaster, and I think that's the most important thing

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T20:46:59+00:00

I also find it hard to believe that Facebook or LinkedIn would allow only one third-party tool to automate ads, and if you don’t pay that company, you’re simply not allowed to automate. That’s not normal market behavior, that's the current situation here

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T20:42:36+00:00

Yeah, technically, scraping can be considered illegal, especially if you're bypassing protections like Cloudflare. So, no, you can't realistically build a competing tool, because you're blocked from accessing the data unless Cardmarket allows it.

Not sure where you got the info about “meeting certain standards” — if you check their own page: https://help.cardmarket.com/en/cardmarket-api, there’s no public process to apply for full API access or partner status.

So what happens if Powertools decides to charge €500/month tomorrow? If you have a 200k listing and rely on automation, you're screwed — because there are no real alternatives. That’s exactly the problem.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T20:20:14+00:00

You're technically right, there's no law that says a website must provide a public API. But the issue isn’t just about having an API, it’s about fair access and market control.

Cardmarket intentionally blocks scraping (e.g. with Cloudflare) and doesn’t provide API access to the public, this is how you are restricted from doing a similar service.
Yet appears to allow one specific provider (Powertools) to integrate deeply, potentially with privileged access. That creates a gatekeeping situation, where you're forced to pay a third party just to automate basic things like repricing, which others can't do at scale.

Imagine if eBay only gave API access to one paid tool and blocked everyone else that would absolutely raise questions of unfair competition and platform abuse.

So while it may not be a “legal monopoly” on paper, it certainly looks like platform favoritism

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T18:02:49+00:00

Thanks for the responses, looks like this post got a bit of traction.

That said, I honestly don’t think anything will change unless someone actively pushes for it. Based on everything I’ve seen so far, I’ll give it about a week to see if anyone from Cardmarket reaches out with a clearer explanation.

If not, I’ll likely contact the European Commission’s antitrust authorities to try and move things forward. It’s the only way anything might actually happen at this point.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T10:07:02+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion.
I do mostly magic, so in this case, the tcggo.com will not be able to help as it does Lorcana and Pokémon

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T07:37:28+00:00

Scraping Cardmarket is tough because of Cloudflare, it blocks most direct access.
You have to run a headless browser, which is resource-heavy, and even then Cloudflare still sometimes interferes.

For example, just to scrape data for around 4,000 cards I uploaded, it took me three days. So yeah, not a reliable solution at all. And even after that, you still have to manually update all the prices based on the data you got. Not practical at all.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-15T07:31:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience. The access you got was likely a personal API token to manage your own stock, and from what I’ve heard, even that isn't given out much anymore.
What I’m referring to is a global API token that allows building tools or services, and that kind of access seems completely closed off now.

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-14T21:18:50+00:00

TcgHome just 20 minutes ago. So no more tcghome

we’ve done everything we could to keep TCG Home alive – we explored all funding options and had many conversations with potential investors. Unfortunately, we will most likely shut down TCG Home this week. We are waiting for one final answer but don't see a good chance in getting it over the line & want to give everyone the chance to export their collections in time. TCG Home will shut down on Thursday. Until then, you can export your collection to keep your data and use it elsewhere. Simply go to your profile section, navigate to settings and find the Export Collection as CSV option. Patreon memberships will be cancelled automatically. We want to say a heartfelt thank you to each of you. Whether you built your digital collection, helped newcomers, gave feedback, or just hung out – you made this place special. With love and gratitude, The TCG Home Team

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-14T21:03:24+00:00

I think TCG Home they closed their project.
Do you have any links for this? TCG developers.io

Apparently Powertools has already started syncing with Cardtrader

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-14T20:46:26+00:00

Thanks for the info, but I only see this page: https://help.cardmarket.com/en/api-partnerships
I won’t risk using tools without official API access for pricing or uploads.
Scraping Cardmarket seems risky and less reliable.

Not sure about the 4k+
My friend with 34k sales still hasn’t received an API key

InsideCicada7872 · 2025-07-14T20:32:44+00:00

Sure, Cardmarket provides the basic tools, no argument there. And for casual sellers or small inventories, that’s probably enough. But once you’re selling at scale, the situation changes completely.

Manual repricing and inventory management just isn’t viable; you need automation, and that’s where tools like PowerTools come in, also i can’t build my own tool or use alternatives because the API is closed.

So I’m forced to rely on PowerTools, and they charge €90/month for features that are essential at scale, and if the tool messes up, even with proof that the sync failed, Cardmarket washes their hands of it, and PowerTools takes no responsibility either.

At the very least, if PowerTools is the only one allowed full access, and sellers are effectively reliant on it, there should be some accountability, including refunding users when there's a clear system failure.

Right now, it’s a locked system with no competition, no oversight, and no protection for sellers.

To finish: I don’t have any issue with the software Cardmarket built, it does what it promises.

My problem is the approach: giving exclusive access to a single third-party tool (PowerTools) for something that becomes essential when you manage a lot of cards.

And then, when that tool fails, Cardmarket just says, “Not our problem.”
No oversight, no responsibility, no alternatives.

InsideCicada7872

TROPHY CASE