Trading is a new feature in Pokemon TCG Pocket that lets players exchange cards with friends. It was introduced in the Space-Time Smackdown update, which also brought 207 new cards to the game. However, these new cards are not available for trade yet, as the feature is limited to the past two expansions.
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Pokemon TCG Pocket Trade Requests
Players can find other people to trade with in this Pokemon TCG Pocket trade request thread.
Pokemon Pocket’s trading has sparked controversy among fans. Many are frustrated with its limitations and see it as a way to push players toward spending more on in-game transactions—especially since trading was seen as a last hope for free-to-play players looking to complete their collections without spending money.
On top of these frustrations, Pocket’s trading system is also quite complex, with numerous rules and restrictions. It seems the developers have gone out of their way to prevent even the smallest exploits, making the feature feel more like a burden than a benefit. Despite these issues, we’ve put together a complete trading guide for Pokemon Pocket fans who still believe in the feature and want to make the most of it.
How to Trade in Pokemon TCG Pocket
- Go to the Social Hub.
- Select Trade.
- Choose a partner from the friends list.
- Select the card you want to offer.
- Wait for your friend’s response.
- Accept their offer to complete the trade. (Decline to terminate the exchange.)
If you haven’t initiated the trade, you’ll need to review the other party’s offer in the Social Hub’s Trade section. If you don’t like their suggestion, just select “Decline” to cancel the trade.
To stop receiving random trade offers from your friends, tap the gear icon on the Trading page (bottom-right corner). This will prevent others from starting trades with you, giving you full control. You can re-enable this option later by going to the main menu: Other > Settings > Trade > Suspend Trade Offers.
There’s no way to request a specific card from the other party in a trade. If you want to target a particular Pokemon, you’ll need to talk to your friend outside of the game and agree on the trade before starting it in-game.
List of Cards You Can Trade in Pokemon TCG Pocket
- One-diamond
- Two-diamond
- Three-diamond
- Four-diamond
- One-star
Currently, players can only trade cards from the Mythical Island and Genetic Apex expansions. Trades are also limited to diamond-rarity and full-art variants from these packs, meaning two-star, immersive, and crown-rarity cards cannot be traded.
Don’t worry about checking which cards are available for trading. When you start a trade, you’ll be taken to your Pokedex, where all unavailable cards are already greyed out with a large “forbidden” sign on them.
Trading Rules in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Pokemon Pocket’s trading can be confusing due to the many rules and restrictions. Below is a summary of the key points you must remember before, during, and after each card exchange.
Trading Prerequisites
- Both traders must be at least level three.
- Both players need enough trade currencies (Stamina and Token).
- Trade is only available between friends, so both players must be connected in the app.
- The cards offered by both players must be of the same rarity.
- If a card has a Flair, the other player must offer a card of the same rarity that also has a flair.
- Players can trade a card as long as they have at least one copy of it. Unlike Flairs, trading doesn’t require extra copies.
Trading Process Rules
- Stamina and Token are consumed at the start of the trade.
- Offered cards cannot be changed once the trade begins.
- The trade parties (initiator and receiver) cannot be changed until the trade is completed.
- Offered cards will be unavailable for battles during the trading process.
- Players can only have one active trade at a time, whether they are the initiator or the receiver.
Trade Cancelation Rules
- If a trade is terminated or declined, the used currencies will be returned to the parties’ accounts.
- Trades will automatically terminate after 72 hours of inactivity.
- The initiator can cancel the offer before the other party responds.
Trading Currencies in Pokemon TCG Pocket
To submit a trade request, Pokemon Pocket players need two currencies: Trade Stamina and Trade Tokens. Stamina is required for every trade, regardless of the card rarity. However, Trade Tokens are only needed when the trade initiator is exchanging a card with a three-diamond rarity or higher.
How to Get Trade Tokens
To obtain Trade Tokens, you need to consume cards with three-diamond rarity or higher. Go to your Pokedex, select the card you want to consume, tap the “Obtain Items” button (the same one used for getting Flairs), then choose the “Trade Token” option and select Exchange.
The following table shows the exchange rate of Trade Tokens in Pokemon Pocket.
|
Rarity |
Exchange Rate |
Token Required for Trade |
|---|---|---|
|
1- and 2-diamond |
0 |
0 |
|
3-diamond |
25 |
120 |
|
4-diamond |
125 |
500 |
|
1-star |
100 |
400 |
|
2-star |
300 |
Cannot be traded |
|
3-star |
300 |
Cannot be traded |
|
crown-rarity |
1,500 |
Cannot be traded |
You will also be able to earn Trade Tokens as event rewards in the future.
How to Recover Trade Stamina Faster
You will consume one Trade Stamina per successful card exchange, and you can hold up to five stamina tokens at once. To replenish your Trade Stamina, you must consume Trade Hourglasses. To recover one stamina token, you need to spend 24 Trade Hourglasses. These Hourglasses can be obtained by completing solo missions or as rewards for various tasks in the game.
You receive one free Trade Stamina token per day. To fully recover your stamina without using Hourglasses, you’ll need to wait five days.
