Holdr SafeTrade
Middleman Service
Trade with confidence — we hold the card until everyone's happy.
Send your card to Holdr. We verify it. The buyer pays the seller directly. Once funds are confirmed received, we ship to the buyer. Simple, low-cost protection for any meaningful trade.
$9 base fee
Up to 10 cards per trade
~5–8 days end-to-end
Why use SafeTrade
Card trades in NZ are a leap of faith. They shouldn't be.
Whether it's a Facebook Marketplace listing, a TradeMe deal, or a cross-island swap, the buyer and seller are both taking on real risk. SafeTrade removes that risk for the cost of a coffee.
No more send-first roulette
Whoever ships first carries all the risk. With Holdr in the middle, neither party is exposed — the card is in safe hands while funds clear.
Verified condition
We photograph and visually inspect every card against the seller's listing photos. Condition disputes get caught before money changes hands.
Independent record
Every step is timestamped and photographed. If anything goes wrong later, both parties have a neutral, documented record of exactly what was traded.
How it works
Seven steps. No surprises.
We've stripped this down to the simplest workflow that protects both sides without complicated payment infrastructure.
1
Both parties book the SafeTrade
Either buyer or seller fills in the form below with the agreed sale price and the other party's contact details. We confirm with both parties before anyone ships.
2
Seller ships card to Holdr
We email shipping instructions and our Auckland address. Seller sends the card via NZ Post tracked at their cost. Use a rigid mailer, sleeve, and toploader.
3
We receive and verify
Within 48 hours of receipt we visually inspect the card against the seller's listing photos, photograph it from all angles, and email both parties a verification report.
4
Buyer transfers funds directly to seller
Once both parties approve the verification report, the buyer transfers the agreed funds directly to the seller — bank transfer, Wise, whatever they prefer. Holdr never touches the money.
5
Seller confirms funds received
Seller emails us to confirm the funds have cleared. This is the trigger for us to release the card.
6
We ship to buyer
We ship the card to the buyer via NZ Post tracked. Shipping cost is calculated based on package size and destination, paid by the buyer at this point.
7
Buyer confirms receipt — done
Buyer confirms safe delivery. Trade closed. Both parties have a complete, timestamped record in their Holdr account.
Pricing
Honest pricing. No surprises.
We don't take a cut of your trade value. One flat fee covers our handling time, plus actual shipping cost at dispatch.
SafeTrade Service
$9 base fee per trade
Up to 10 cards per trade
Base fee (paid by buyer)
NZ$9
Seller → Holdr shipping
Seller's cost
Holdr → Buyer shipping
At dispatch
Want full assessment too? Add a Holdr Verified Report for any card in the trade at the bundled rate of $6/card (instead of $8). Recommended for trades over $200.
No hidden cuts
Holdr never takes a percentage of the trade value. The base fee covers our handling time. Shipping costs are pass-through at NZ Post rates.
Pay on completion
The buyer pays the base fee plus return shipping when we dispatch the card. No money up front.
Set expectations
Be clear about what you're buying.
What SafeTrade DOES
- Receive and securely hold your card
- Photograph it from all angles on arrival
- Visually verify it against the seller's listing photos
- Coordinate the timing of payment and delivery
- Provide a complete, timestamped record
What SafeTrade DOES NOT do
- Hold or transfer money — buyer pays seller directly
- Resolve payment disputes between buyer and seller
- Provide PSA-grade authentication (add an assessment for that)
- Insure against shipping loss outside our possession
Book your SafeTrade
Either buyer or seller can initiate. We'll email both parties to confirm the trade and share shipping instructions.
SafeTrade booking
We email both parties within 24 hours with shipping instructions.
SafeTrade booked!
We've emailed both parties with shipping instructions and your Trade reference. The seller can now ship to Auckland.
ST-····
Keep this reference handy. Both parties will receive it via email shortly.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
What if the buyer transfers funds and the seller claims they didn't receive them?
Holdr's protection is over the card, not the funds. Buyers should always use a payment method with their own dispute mechanism (bank transfer with reference, Wise, etc). Once the seller confirms funds received, we ship — they can't unilaterally claim non-receipt without giving up the card. The system relies on the seller's incentive: they want their money, so they confirm receipt promptly.
What if the card I receive doesn't match what was sold to me?
We verify against the seller's listing photos before any money changes hands. If there's a meaningful discrepancy, we flag it in the verification report and the trade can be cancelled before funds are transferred. The card goes back to the seller (at the seller's shipping cost). For full PSA-grade authentication, add an assessment to your booking.
How is shipping calculated?
Return shipping (Holdr to buyer) is charged at NZ Post's tracked rate based on package size and destination. Typical cost: $7–15 NZD for a single rigid mailer within NZ. We invoice the buyer at dispatch with the exact figure. The seller pays their own cost to send the card to us in the first place.
How long does the whole process take?
Once the seller ships, the typical timeline is: 1–3 days for the card to reach us, 24–48 hours for verification, and 1–3 days for return shipping. Most SafeTrades complete within 5–8 business days end to end.
Should I use SafeTrade or just the free Trade Check?
Trade Check (free) compares photos to detect obvious swaps — good for casual trades where you trust the other party but want a sanity check. SafeTrade ($9) physically removes the trust requirement entirely — Holdr holds the card. Rule of thumb: if you'd be upset losing the value of the card, use SafeTrade.
Can I cancel a SafeTrade?
Yes — anytime before funds are transferred between buyer and seller. The card goes back to the seller at the seller's shipping cost. The $9 service fee is non-refundable once we've received and verified the card, as the verification work has already been done.