Some Pokémon fans will need a government-issued ID to buy cards now
The Pokémon Company has announced a new requirement for fans to present government-issued identification when purchasing Pokémon cards at official Pokémon Centers in Japan. This measure, aimed at combating scalpers, will take effect in August and will also apply to event participation. While there are no current plans to implement similar requirements outside Japan, the decision may influence future policies regarding card sales.
- ▪The Pokémon Company will require a My Number Card for card purchases at Pokémon Centers in Japan starting in August.
- ▪ID will also be necessary for fans to participate in events and tournaments.
- ▪The company assures that it will not store any personal information from customers.
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Follow Followed Like Thread Link copied to clipboard Add us on By Patricia Hernandez Published May 21, 2026, 11:52 AM EDT News ID verification has come for Pikachu { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": "1", "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.polygon.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position":"2", "name": "News", "item": "https://www.polygon.com/news/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position":"3", "name": "Pok\u00e9mon Company announces new measures to fight scalpers", "item": "https://www.polygon.com/pokemon-cards-scalping-id-verification-japan-requirement-tcg/" } ] } Related Man sues Nintendo after his Pokémon Professor application was denied Man sues Nintendo after his Pokémon Professor application was denied…
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