The Pokemon Company Implements Strict ID Verification to Combat Rampant TCG Scalping
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The Pokemon Company is restricting specific TCG 30th celebration products on its official online store to Japanese citizens using government-issued ID verification, taking a hardline stance against aggressive scalpers.
Scalping in the trading card space has reached a boiling point, prompting aggressive new measures from industry giants. According to a report by IGN South Africa, The Pokemon Company is now requiring official Japanese government-issued identification to purchase specific upcoming TCG products on its official online store. This marks the first time the company has deployed ID guarded protections for select items, targeting high demand releases like the Mega Expansion Pack 30th Celebration Box and the premium Espeon and Umbreon deck sets.
Under the new system, international fans and collectors are completely locked out of buying these specific items directly. Buyers must utilize the official Digital Identification App alongside a My Number Card, which is a physical IC chip card used for resident verification in Japan. This digital gatekeeping follows earlier initiatives announced in July, which included facial recognition technology at physical card stores in Japan to deter bots and resellers from clearing out inventory before genuine fans can grab them.
For collectors worldwide who view physical card collecting as a core part of the hobby and digital ownership ecosystem, these extreme measures highlight just how broken the secondary market has become. While the policy successfully protects local consumers from automated scalping rings, it also raises questions about accessibility for international communities who drive a massive portion of the trading card economy. As digital and physical economies continue to intersect, publishers are clearly willing to implement friction heavy solutions to keep products in the hands of actual players rather than profit driven resellers.
Tags: Pokemon TCG, Trading Card Game, Scalpers, Collectibles, Gaming News
Original article: IGN South Africa