A trade should not become a chain of sticky notes, direct messages, and half-finished conversations. A consistent intake process keeps the customer informed and gives the shop a record it can review later.

Start the record while the items are at the counter

Record the trade before the cards move to a review pile. At minimum, capture:

  • the customer;
  • the employee receiving the items;
  • the date and time;
  • a useful description of the lots;
  • condition notes that could affect the offer;
  • the expected next step.

For a large trade, group items in a way the team can understand later. “Four binders of modern singles and one box of bulk” is more useful than “cards.”

Separate the offer from the review

The employee receiving the trade may not be the person who prices or approves it. The record should show who completed each step.

A simple flow is:

  1. Intake is recorded.
  2. Items are reviewed and priced.
  3. The payout is checked against shop policy.
  4. A manager approves the offer when required.
  5. The customer accepts or declines.
  6. Cash or store credit is issued once.

Do not mark a trade finished just because pricing is complete. The customer decision and the payout still matter.

Show how the payout was decided

If the shop uses a percentage of expected resale value, record the value and the rule used. Staff should also have a clear way to explain exceptions.

For example:

  • expected resale value: $200;
  • normal cash offer: 60%, or $120;
  • normal store-credit offer: 70%, or $140;
  • approved exception: $130 cash because the lot contains high-demand singles.

Exceptions are fine when the record makes the decision understandable.

Tie the payout to the trade

Cash leaving the register or safe should point back to the accepted trade. Store credit added to the customer should do the same.

This prevents two common problems:

  • the trade is paid twice after two employees both think it is still open;
  • the money record exists, but nobody can tell which trade caused it.

The system should treat payout as one step that can be safely retried without creating another payment.

Keep declined and cancelled trades

A declined offer still explains why the items were returned and who handled them. A cancelled trade may also explain a reversed payout or store-credit entry.

Keep the status and useful history even when the shop does not buy the items.

Decide what happens after acceptance

Accepted items may go to inventory, a pricing queue, bulk processing, or another store process. That handoff should be deliberate.

Not every trade needs to become an inventory record. If the shop tracks inventory in Cardstead, staff should choose whether to send the accepted lots into receiving instead of having the system assume.

A trade-intake checklist

  • Customer and receiving employee are recorded.
  • Lots are described well enough to identify them.
  • Condition notes are attached to the trade.
  • Pricing and approval are recorded separately.
  • The offer shows cash and store-credit choices when both are available.
  • Acceptance or cancellation is explicit.
  • Payout happens once and points back to the trade.
  • The next employee can see what still needs attention.

A good intake process does not slow down the counter. It prevents the team from having to reconstruct the trade later.