Fanatics Instant Rips shows you every card before the rip, then pays in Instant Credit
A 2003 Skyridge Charizard PSA 8 valued at $29,750 tops the Pokémon Apex Pack, one of two $5,000 packs.
Every Fanatics Instant Rips pack page lays out the whole checklist before you pay: every card with its grade and value, plus the odds of landing in each value range. On The Apex Pack, one of its two $5,000 packs, that means reading through 214 cards, a 2017 Contenders Optic Red Patrick Mahomes rookie auto BGS 9 included, before you spend a dollar. On Fanatics' own packs, a card you don't want can go back to Fanatics for Instant Credit you spend on your next purchase there.
Fanatics pays that offer in Instant Credit rather than cash, at around 90% of the card's value minus a 6% marketplace fee. When you want cash instead, you keep the card, sell it on the Fanatics Collect secondary market and take the free weekly bank transfer.
Packs run from a $50 Power pack to two $5,000 Apex packs, on Fanatics Collect and inside Fanatics Live streams. Each pack page also shows two averages: "All cards" is what a pull averages, while the bigger "Expected value (hits)" number beside it counts only the Grail and Chase cards.
Quick hits
What it is | One graded card per pack, "sold directly by Fanatics Collect" |
|---|---|
Price range | $50 Power pack to two $5,000 Apex packs |
Buyback | Typically about 90% of the value, less a 6% fee, paid in Instant Credit for future purchases on Fanatics; accept within 48 hours |
Getting cash out | Sell the card on Fanatics Collect, then take the free weekly bank transfer |
Shipping | Ship from your Vault for a small fee; no storage fee on Instant Rips cards |
Age and states | 18 and up, in select countries; some packs may be limited by location |
Our take | Every card and its odds show before you pay; read the "All cards" average, not the hits number |
How does Fanatics Instant Rips work?
You pick a pack, read its checklist and rip. The card lands in your Vault on Fanatics Collect.
- Pick a pack. 32 packs were on sale when we checked on Nov. 12, across Pokémon, football, basketball, baseball, Collector Packs and Limited Release drops, from $50 to $5,000.
- Read the checklist. "What's inside?" lists every card in the pack by tier, Grail, Chase and Base, with its grade and value.
- Buy it. One card a pack. Purchases are final.
- Rip it. The card is revealed on screen and goes straight to your Vault.
- Decide. Take the Instant Credit offer before it expires, keep the card, list it or ship it home.
What are the odds in a Fanatics Instant Rips pack?
Most pulls come back under the price. In the $5,000 Pokémon Apex Pack, more than half land between $2,500 and $3,700.
- Every card, not just ranges: Fanatics sets the odds by dividing the cards in each value range by the cards in the pack. With the checklist you can work out any card's odds. They move as cards are pulled.
- Two averages: "Expected value (hits)" averages only the Grail and Chase cards. "All cards" is what a pull averages. On The Apex Pack that's $9,530 for hits and $4,208 for all cards.
- The average pull: the all-cards average was under the price on all 32 live packs, from 74% on the $200 Zard Pack to 96% on the $2,500 Legendary Pack.
- The top card: a 2003 Skyridge Charizard PSA 8, valued at $29,750, one of 65 cards in the Pokémon Apex Pack when we checked on Nov. 12.
How does Fanatics Instant Rips' buyback work?
The offer is set when the pack is sealed, not when you rip it.
- Who sets the value: Fanatics, from "guide pricing at the time of sealing." Card Ladder sets each card's floor value. The offer doesn't move with the market after that.
- The rate: "typically about 90%" of that value, minus a 6% fee. In Fanatics' own example, a $100 card pays about $85 in Instant Credit.
- Paid in: Instant Credit, a promotional credit with no cash value that can't cover shipping, fees or taxes.
- The window: accept within 48 hours. The help article also says offers "typically stay open for 24 to 48 hours," with a countdown on each card.
- No take-backs: taking the credit gives up the card for good.
Is Fanatics' value close to what the card sells for?
Close or higher. All eight Grail and Chase cards we checked carry a value at or above their latest sale on eBay, Fanatics Collect or Alt.
- Three match: the Skyridge Charizard, the Mahomes Optic Red auto and the 2006 Dragon Frontiers Gold Star Charizard PSA 4 carry values equal to their latest sales. The Gold Star was valued at $8,600 on Nov. 9 and $5,700 on Nov. 12, the price of its Nov. 10 sale.
- Five sit higher: the 2018 Tag Bolt Gengar & Mimikyu GX BGS 10 is valued at $10,537 against a $3,550 last sale on Oct. 6. The 2003 Ultimate Collection LeBron James auto BGS 9 is valued at $22,500 against a $16,500 last sale in July.
- Priced when packed: your offer is based on what the card was worth when Fanatics packed it, not what it's worth today. The Skyridge Charizard is listed at $26,400 in its pack's odds, but it sold for $29,750 on Nov. 9.
How do you check a Fanatics Instant Rips offer before you take it?
Look up the card's recent sales in the same grade before the countdown ends.
- Find the sales. Search the exact card, set and grade on eBay's sold listings and Fanatics Collect's sold items.
- Compare. Line the newest sales up against the value Fanatics lists for the card.
- Decide. If the sales sit well above the value, keep the card and list it.
A card with few sales won't give you a clean number. Then the value Fanatics set at sealing is all you have.
Is an Instant Credit buyback good?
It's built for the collector who's ripping again: the credit goes straight toward the next pack.
- Against eBay: a $100 sale leaves about $86 after eBay's fees, before shipping, in cash. Fanatics' example pays about $85, in credit.
- Cash instead: Instant Credit stays on Fanatics as credit. Cash comes from selling the card on the Fanatics Collect secondary market, paying the standard seller fee and taking the Wednesday payout.
Fanatics Instant Rips promo codes and deals
Fanatics shows no sign-up offer on its Instant Rips page or homepage.
- Referrals: Fanatics Live gives a $25 credit to the person who refers a new user, after that user's first purchase. The new user gets nothing.
- Selling your pull: list a card for a FanCash payout and the seller fee drops to 0%. FanCash can't go to a bank either.
Fanatics Instant Rips FAQ
Is Fanatics Instant Rips legit?
Fanatics, the company behind Topps and Fanatics Sportsbook, runs it through Fanatics Collect and stores the graded cards in its Vault in Oregon. Its app is sold by Fanatics Collectibles AD, Inc. and rates 4.7 from about 9,500 ratings on the App Store. Fanatics Collect scores 3.1 from 675 reviews on Trustpilot.
Is Instant Credit the same as FanCash?
No. Fanatics' terms call Instant Credit a promotional credit "separate and distinct from FanCash," the Fanatics ONE loyalty currency.
How long do I have to accept an Instant Credit offer?
Up to 48 hours. Each eligible card shows a countdown on your Collections page.
How fast can I withdraw money from Fanatics Instant Rips?
Money comes out once you sell the card on Fanatics Collect. Fanatics Collect pays out every Wednesday by free bank transfer in the U.S., or next business day for $50.
Can I get the physical card?
Yes. You can ship it from your Vault for a fee.
How old do you have to be to use Fanatics Instant Rips?
18. Fanatics says Instant Rips is available in select countries. Some packs may be limited by location.
