# Buyee vs ZenMarket vs FromJapan vs Neokyo for Pokemon cards: fees, packing and US duties compared

URL: https://sugoicards.com/pokemon/shipping/buyee-vs-zenmarket-pokemon-cards/
Author: SugoiCards editors
Updated: Oct 25, 2026

## Summary

As of October 2026, Buyee charges ¥500 per order, ZenMarket ¥800 per Mercari item, FromJapan ¥500 per item and Neokyo ¥350 per item plus ¥500 packing. A ¥7,000 Mercari single shipped to Los Angeles costs about $67 through Buyee or ZenMarket and about $81 through Neokyo before US duty; an ¥18,000 booster box lands between $154 and $159 on all three. Buyee and ZenMarket prepay US duty (DDP); Neokyo's DHL option bills it on arrival. None of the four sleeves or toploads cards.

## Key facts

- Fee per item: Buyee ¥500/order · ZenMarket ¥800 (Mercari) · FromJapan ¥500 · Neokyo ¥350
- ¥7,000 single to LA: about $67 Buyee or ZenMarket, $81 Neokyo (quotes 26 Oct 2026)
- ¥18,000 box to LA: $154 Neokyo, $157 Buyee, $159 ZenMarket
- US duty: Buyee and ZenMarket prepay (DDP); Neokyo DHL bills on arrival

As of October 2026, **Buyee charges ¥500 per order** and **ZenMarket ¥800 per Mercari item**; FromJapan charges ¥500 per item and Neokyo ¥350 plus ¥500 packing. A ¥7,000 Mercari single shipped to Los Angeles costs about $67 before US duty on Buyee or ZenMarket, about $81 on Neokyo. An ¥18,000 booster box lands between $154 and $159 on all three. In the buyee vs zenmarket question, the real differences are packing, who prepays US duty, and how each handles Mercari.

Every figure comes from the four services' own fee pages (read 25 October 2026) and shipping calculators (run 26 October 2026); yen at ¥157 to the dollar (Wise, 25 October 2026). FromJapan's calculator sat behind a human-verification wall, so it has fees but no shipping quote here.

## Buyee vs ZenMarket vs FromJapan vs Neokyo: the fee table

Sample: one order of one Mercari JP item shipped to the US, October 2026.

| | Buyee | ZenMarket | FromJapan | Neokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service fee | ¥500 per order, flat for several items (was ¥300 until 1 April 2026) | ¥800 per Mercari item or auction bid; ¥500 at Amazon, Rakuten, most shops; ¥300 at Recommended Stores | ¥500 per item (Product Protection Plan) | ¥350 per item |
| Payment fees | None stated; charged in your card's currency | Deposit fee "from 1%" (fee page), 3.5% (payment page example); yen only | "All free"; pay in about 150 currencies | None stated; PayPal in yen |
| Inspection | Standard Plan ¥500 (inspection + transit cover); Inspection ¥300; Lite ¥0 | None; photos ¥500 per item | Check service included; photos ¥500 | None: "does not inspect or authenticate" |
| Free storage | 30 days, then ¥100 a day (under 10 kg); 90-day max | 60 days, then ¥50 an item a day; 90-day max | 60 days | 45 days, then ¥350 to ¥1,400 a week |
| Consolidation | Free since 21 December 2022 (Mercari and auction items can't mix with other warehouses) | Free | Included | In the ¥500 packing fee (up to 2 kg) |
| Protective packing | Seller's box by default; Protective Packaging ¥1,500 per box, adds 1 to 2 kg | Free by fragility; reinforcement ¥1,000 per box; won't open sealed items | "Extra care" for special items, in the plan | Box and bubble wrap in the packing fee |
| Carriers to the US (26 Oct 2026) | ECMS, Buyee Air Delivery; no Japan Post | EMS, AVIA, Surface, ECMS, FedEx, UPS, DHL | Japan Post, FedEx, UPS listed; no US quote | DHL, FedEx; no Japan Post or UPS |
| Insurance | Via Standard or Insured Delivery plan; claim within 14 days | Included under ¥5,000,000 | Included; claim within 7 days | Carrier's, inside the shipping price |
| US duty | Prepaid (DDP) on every option, plus ¥800 or ¥1,200 clearance fee | DDP mandatory except on DHL (optional) | Not stated | DHL: billed on arrival; FedEx: flat 13.4% + ¥150 + broker fee |

## Buyee vs ZenMarket fees: what do you actually pay?

Buyee's headline number is a **flat ¥500 purchase fee per order**, the same for one auction lot or five Mercari items from one seller. It rose from ¥300 on 1 April 2026 (Buyee notice, 13 March 2026). On top you choose a plan: the Standard Plan (¥500) is the only one that both inspects the item and covers loss or damage in transit; the Lite Plan is free and covers nothing, not even a wrong item.

ZenMarket charges **per item, and Mercari is its most expensive tier at ¥800** (fee page, 25 October 2026); Amazon and Rakuten are ¥500, Recommended Stores ¥300. The fee includes consolidation and transit insurance but not inspection: any check taking "a non-specialist over 3 minutes" costs extra, and photos are ¥500 per item.

ZenMarket also runs on deposits, and the deposit fee is where its pages disagree: the fee summary says "from 1%", the payment page's worked example says 3.5% of the transaction. We use 3.5% below, the figure ZenMarket shows for card and PayPal deposits.

FromJapan splits every order into Charge 1 (the item) and Charge 2 (shipping and the ¥500 plan), with no payment fees. Neokyo is the cheapest per item at ¥350 but adds ¥500 packing per parcel.

**Domestic shipping is a hidden line:** Most Mercari JP listings include shipping inside Japan, but not all. Buyee says seller-to-warehouse shipping "generally range from 150 ~ 1,500 yen" and may make a seller use a tracked method even when the listing says free. The samples below assume the seller pays.

## What does a ¥7,000 Mercari single cost with each proxy?

Sample: one sleeved single bought on Mercari JP for ¥7,000, packed at 300 g (20 x 15 x 5 cm), declared at ¥7,000, shipped to Los Angeles (ZIP 90012); quotes taken 26 October 2026. US import duty is left out: Buyee and ZenMarket show it only at checkout, Neokyo's DHL bills it on arrival, and it is the same tariff whichever proxy you use (see our [tariff guide](/pokemon/shipping/shipping-from-japan-to-the-us-tariffs/)).

| | Buyee | ZenMarket | FromJapan | Neokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | ¥7,000 | ¥7,000 | ¥7,000 | ¥7,000 |
| Service fee | ¥500 + ¥500 Standard Plan | ¥800 | ¥500 | ¥350 + ¥500 packing |
| Shipping we'd pick | ECMS ¥1,788 + ¥800 clearance fee (7 to 14 days) | ECMS Express ¥2,411 (5 to 13 days, DDP mandatory) | not quoted | DHL Express Worldwide ¥4,796 (2 to 6 days, duty unpaid) |
| Payment fee | none | 3.5% deposit fee, about ¥370 | none | none |
| Total before duty | **¥10,588 (about $67)** | **about ¥10,580 (about $67)** | ¥7,500 + shipping | **¥12,646 (about $81)** |

Buyee and ZenMarket tie on the single. The budget pick on both is ECMS, a courier both use for the US; Buyee's ECMS rules out items priced under ¥500 and PO boxes and ships Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Faster options: Buyee Air Delivery (¥3,860 plus ¥1,200 fee, 2 to 7 days) takes the Buyee total to ¥13,060 ($83); ZenMarket's EMS (¥3,900, about a week) takes its total to about ¥12,120 ($77).

Neokyo's DHL quote looks worse because DHL is a premium courier on a light parcel, and the total still owes US duty. Its FedEx option (¥5,233) prepays duty at a flat 13.4% plus ¥150 and a broker fee of at least $15, about ¥16,500 ($105) all-in; on a ¥7,000 card the $15 floor is most of that.

## What does an ¥18,000 booster box cost?

Sample: one sealed booster box bought for ¥18,000, packed at 1,000 g (20 x 15 x 10 cm), declared at ¥18,000, to Los Angeles; same date and rules.

| | Buyee | ZenMarket | FromJapan | Neokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | ¥18,000 | ¥18,000 | ¥18,000 | ¥18,000 |
| Service fee | ¥500 + ¥500 Standard Plan | ¥800 | ¥500 | ¥350 + ¥500 packing |
| Shipping we'd pick | Buyee Air Delivery ¥4,526 + ¥1,200 clearance fee (2 to 7 days, tracked, DDP) | EMS ¥5,300 (about a week, DDP mandatory) | not quoted | DHL Express Worldwide ¥5,312 (2 to 6 days, duty unpaid) |
| Payment fee | none | 3.5% deposit fee, about ¥870 | none | none |
| Total before duty | **¥24,726 (about $157)** | **about ¥24,970 (about $159)** | ¥18,500 + shipping | **¥24,162 (about $154)** |

At box weight the gap closes to $5 across three services. For a sealed box we'd pay for a tracked courier or EMS, with duty settled up front on Buyee and ZenMarket so the box isn't held for payment at the US end. ECMS is the cheaper route again if you can wait: ¥2,288 plus ¥800 on Buyee (¥22,088, $141), ¥3,714 on ZenMarket (about ¥23,300, $148). ZenMarket's EMS is the exact Japan Post counter rate (¥5,300 for 1 kg to the US), plus its DDP prepayment at checkout.

One warning from ZenMarket's own Pokemon guide: some Japanese card shops ship booster boxes with the outer box removed to save weight. If you want the box intact, tell the seller before buying.

## Do proxies sleeve or toploader Pokemon cards?

No. None of the four offers sleeves, toploaders or team bags, and FromJapan's plan excludes exactly what card buyers fear: for trading cards from private sellers on JDirectItems Auction, Rakuma or Mercari, "items that have been switched, re-shrunk or removed are not covered under our plan". The condition your card arrives in is mostly the seller's doing, so ask for a sleeve and toploader before you pay.

What the proxies do offer:

- **Buyee** ships items in the box they arrived in. Protective Packaging is ¥1,500 per box and Buyee warns it adds 1 to 2 kg, which can push a light parcel into a higher shipping band.
- **ZenMarket** packs by fragility for free, with a ¥1,000 per box reinforcement option (corner guards, double boxing), and will not open a sealed item without permission.
- **FromJapan** bundles "extra care in packing items that require special handling" into its ¥500 plan, with transit insurance.
- **Neokyo**'s ¥500 packing fee buys a right-sized box and bubble wrap. It does not inspect anything.

The proxy is not your fake filter either: Buyee's Inspection Plan lists "branded product authenticity" as not covered and FromJapan's check excludes authenticity. Read our [fake-spotting guide](/pokemon/authenticity/how-to-tell-if-japanese-pokemon-cards-are-fake/) before you bid.

## Who pays US customs duties: DDP or DDU?

Since the US ended de minimis on 29 August 2025, every parcel of cards from Japan owes duty. How the proxy handles that is the biggest practical difference between them.

- **Buyee** moved all US courier options (Buyee Air Delivery, DHL, FedEx, UPS, ECMS) to Delivered Duty Paid on 28 August 2025. It charged a flat 20%, then 15.5%, and since 21 April 2026 a rate by item category on each item's invoice value, shown as an estimate when you order and confirmed by email. A clearance fee comes with shipping: ¥800 on ECMS, ¥1,200 on Buyee Air Delivery. Nothing more is due on delivery.
- **ZenMarket** shows DDP on the shipping payment screen; in our US quotes it was mandatory on everything except DHL. The amount is based on the item's HS code, and ZenMarket warns the final figure "is determined by the local customs authority and may differ".
- **Neokyo** leaves the choice to you. DHL is Delivered Duty Unpaid: CBP or DHL bills you around delivery at the normal tariff. FedEx is DDP at a flat 13.4% plus ¥150 per package and a broker fee of 2% of the duty or $15, whichever is higher, and Neokyo cannot amend it.
- **FromJapan** says members "are fully responsible for customs clearance procedures and payment of customs fees". We could not confirm a DDP option.

Japan Post is the odd one out. It resumed US-bound parcels on 14 April 2026 on condition that the sender prepays US duty through a CBP-certified app, and from 15 October 2026 at nearly all post offices. Even so, Buyee's and Neokyo's calculators listed every Japan Post method as unavailable to the US on 26 October 2026, while ZenMarket quoted EMS, AVIA and Surface with DDP. If you want EMS, ZenMarket is the one offering it.

**Don't ask for a 'gift' declaration:** ZenMarket refuses to mark parcels as gifts or used or to change HS codes; everything is "merchandise". Buyee will not refund duty under any plan. Budget for it; our [tariff guide](/pokemon/shipping/shipping-from-japan-to-the-us-tariffs/) has the current rate for cards.

## Which proxy can buy where: Mercari, auctions, Rakuten, Amazon JP, Pokemon Center?

| Marketplace | Buyee | ZenMarket | FromJapan | Neokyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercari JP | Yes, direct | Yes, direct (¥800 fee) | Yes, by request form, 1 to 2 business days | Yes, direct |
| JDirectItems Auction | Yes | Yes (¥800 per bid) | Yes | Yes |
| Rakuten, Rakuma, Amazon JP | Yes | Yes (¥500) | Yes (Amazon by URL) | Yes |
| Pokemon Center Online | Yes, by URL; ¥540 domestic shipping under ¥6,000, free above (Buyee blog) | Yes, by URL (ZenMarket blog) | By URL (its guide was unreachable) | Yes (its Pokemon cards page) |
| Card shops (Yuyu-tei, Magi, Surugaya) | By URL | By URL | By URL | Magi and Surugaya built in |

Two details decide "buyee or zenmarket for mercari". ZenMarket says a paid Mercari item "cannot be canceled for any reason" and used Mercari items get no compensation "in most cases" if the seller sent the wrong thing, unless the ¥500 photos caught it first; Buyee's Standard Plan refunds a wrong or damaged item claimed within 14 days of arrival. And FromJapan's Mercari flow is manual, with staff replying in 1 to 2 business days, a long time on a hot listing.

Pokemon Center Online does not ship to the US, so all four proxy it the same way: you paste the URL and they buy as a Japanese customer. Lottery and one-per-account items are where this breaks down; see [does Pokemon Center Japan ship to the US](/pokemon/pokemon-center/does-pokemon-center-japan-ship-to-the-us/).

## Best for

- **Best for a single Mercari card: Buyee.** ¥500 flat plus the ¥500 Standard Plan buys an inspection and transit cover that ZenMarket sells separately as photos, at the same ¥10,600 total on our sample single (26 October 2026), and a wrong card is refundable within 14 days.
- **Best for a sealed booster box or several items: ZenMarket.** Free consolidation, 60 free storage days, insurance included, no opening of sealed boxes, and the only one of the three we could quote that offers EMS to the US right now. The ¥800 Mercari fee and the deposit fee are the price.
- **Best for a bundle of cheap items in one parcel: Neokyo.** ¥350 per item is the lowest fee and the ¥500 packing fee covers the whole box under 2 kg. Pick DHL and expect a duty bill on arrival, or FedEx to prepay a flat 13.4%.
- **Best for a high-value card from a shop: FromJapan.** The ¥500 plan bundles a check service, consolidation, 60 days storage and insurance with no payment fees. Not for Mercari in a hurry, and get its shipping quote yourself since we couldn't.
- **Not a fit for cards:** Buyee's Lite Plan (no cover at all) and any untracked small packet (Buyee and FromJapan exclude untracked parcels from compensation).

These fees and the US duty rules change often. Check the service's own fee page on the day you order, and see [how we research](/about/).

More guides: [how to buy Pokemon cards from Japan](/pokemon/buying/how-to-buy-pokemon-cards-from-japan/) · [where to buy Japanese Pokemon cards](/pokemon/buying/where-to-buy-japanese-pokemon-cards/) · [are Pokemon cards cheaper in Japan?](/pokemon/buying/are-pokemon-cards-cheaper-in-japan/) · [all Pokemon guides](/pokemon/)

## Questions people ask

### Is Buyee or ZenMarket cheaper for Mercari?

For one Mercari item, Buyee charges ¥500 per order plus a ¥0 to ¥500 plan, ZenMarket ¥800 per item plus a deposit fee (3.5% in its worked example). With each service's cheapest tracked US courier on 26 October 2026, the two tied at about ¥10,600 ($67) on a ¥7,000 single and were within $2 of each other on an ¥18,000 booster box.

### Does Buyee charge US customs duties?

Yes. Since 28 August 2025 Buyee ships to the US duty-prepaid (DDP) on Buyee Air Delivery, DHL, FedEx, UPS and ECMS. Since 21 April 2026 the prepaid duty is calculated per item category and shown when you order, and a customs clearance fee (¥800 for ECMS, ¥1,200 for Buyee Air Delivery in the estimator) is charged with shipping.

### Which proxy packs Pokemon cards best?

None of the four sleeves or toploads cards. Buyee's Protective Packaging is ¥1,500 per box and can add 1 to 2 kg; ZenMarket's reinforcement is ¥1,000 per box and it will not open sealed items; FromJapan includes careful packing and insurance in its ¥500 plan; Neokyo's ¥500 packing fee buys a box and bubble wrap. Ask the Mercari seller to ship in a sleeve and toploader.

### Can proxies buy from Pokemon Center Online Japan?

Buyee, ZenMarket and Neokyo say they can, by pasting the item URL. Buyee lists Pokemon Center domestic shipping to its warehouse at ¥540 for orders under ¥6,000 and free above. Lottery and one-per-account items are a separate problem no fee page addresses.

### Neokyo vs Buyee: who handles tariffs?

Buyee prepays US duty on every courier option. Neokyo gives you a choice: DHL is delivered duty unpaid, so DHL or CBP bills you after shipping, while Neokyo's FedEx option prepays a flat 13.4% of the declared value plus ¥150 and a broker fee of at least $15.

## Sources

- [Usage Fees](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/fees?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [About Plans](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/plans?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Protective Packaging Service](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/packing?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [About Package Storage](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/storage?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Package Consolidation Service](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/consolidate?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Shipping Methods](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/shipping-method?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [International Shipping Fee Estimation](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/shipping-fees?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [Payment Methods](https://buyee.jp/helpcenter/guide/payment?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Notices (purchase fee revision, DDP for the United States)](https://buyee.jp/information/public/list?lang=en), Buyee (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [How to Shop at the Pokémon Center Online Japan](https://blog.buyee.com/how-to-shop-at-the-pokemon-center-online-japan/), Buyee blog (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Fees](https://zenmarket.jp/en/fees.aspx), ZenMarket (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Payments](https://zenmarket.jp/en/payment.aspx), ZenMarket (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Shipping](https://zenmarket.jp/en/shipping.aspx), ZenMarket (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Shipping Calculator](https://zenmarket.jp/en/calc.aspx), ZenMarket (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [How To Buy Pokemon Cards From Japan](https://zenmarket.jp/en/blog/post/10209/how-to-buy-pokemon-cards-from-japan), ZenMarket blog (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [Service Fees](https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/japan/en/help/fee/), FROM JAPAN (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [How to Order from Mercari](https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/lp/japan/mercari_howto/en/), FROM JAPAN (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Fees](https://neokyo.com/en/fees), Neokyo (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Shipping process](https://neokyo.com/en/shipping), Neokyo (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Shipping cost estimator](https://neokyo.com/en/shipping-rates-estimate), Neokyo (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [Storage](https://neokyo.com/en/storage), Neokyo (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Complete your Japanese Pokémon card collection](https://neokyo.com/en/anime-goodies/pokemon-cards), Neokyo (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [(Follow-up Notice) Resumption of Acceptance of Mail to the United States](https://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/send/oversea/information/2026/0413_01_en.html), Japan Post (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [Rate schedule (EMS: All Zones)](https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/charge/list/ems_all_en.html), Japan Post (accessed Oct 25, 2026)
- [US dollar to Japanese yen Exchange Rate History](https://wise.com/us/currency-converter/usd-to-jpy-rate/history), Wise (accessed Oct 25, 2026)