Walmart Launches Lottery System For Selling Pokémon Cards and Other Collectibles
Things are getting serious at Walmart when it comes to Pokémon cards. In what appear to be an effort to address ongoing complaints about scalpers snapping up all available inventory immediately after an item goes on sale, Walmart is changing the way it sells some high-demand Pokémon cards and other collectibles online, introducing a new drawing system that replaces the usual race to checkout with random selection.
The retailer’s new Collectibles Draw page allows customers to enter limited-time drawings for the chance to purchase select items. Entry is free, but shoppers need a Walmart account and must submit their entry before the drawing window closes.
Walmart describes a Draw as a way to handle products where demand may be greater than available inventory. Once the entry period ends, Walmart reviews submissions for eligibility and may remove entries it believes involve fraudulent or abusive activity. Winners are then randomly selected from the remaining eligible entries.
That means checkout speed no longer determines who gets the product. A shopper who enters near the end of the window has the same basic opportunity to be selected as someone who enters as soon as it opens, provided both entries remain eligible. Customers can enter each individual drawing only once, although Walmart allows participation in multiple drawings at the same time.
There are a few important steps to take before entering. Shoppers must select their preferred shipping address, payment method and quantity as part of the entry. Once submitted, those details cannot be changed, and the entry itself cannot be canceled. The purchase is also largely automatic if a customer wins.
By entering, shoppers authorize Walmart to place an order on their behalf if they are selected. Walmart will use the shipping address, payment method and quantity chosen when the entry was submitted. A confirmation email is sent after the order is placed. Customers who are not selected are not charged and no order is created. Even winners are only charged if the order is successfully processed and the payment method receives authorization.
The new system is currently listed as online only. Walmart has not said on the page that every Pokémon TCG release will use a drawing, so traditional listings and preorders can still exist alongside the new format.
The new format is a significant change from the way highly sought-after Pokémon TCG products are typically released online, where stock can disappear while shoppers are still attempting to add an item to their carts. Walmart’s Draw system could turn out to finally be a solution to automated bots that can snatch up inventory before real collectors have time to buy.