Cardstead

Cardstead is daily operations software designed specifically for independent card shops to manage trades, store credit, cash handling, calendars, employees, and business settings in one system. It runs alongside a store's existing POS rather than replacing it, keeping a record of every balance change and approval so the next employee can pick up where the last left off. The platform helps teams handle intake, pricing, payouts, and inventory without needing to replace their checkout tools.

Pricing for the core product starts at $39.99 per month for the first store location, and the system includes unlimited employee accounts with no per-user fees. Cardstead does not charge transaction fees or take a share of sales, and Square integration is included with the core plan to handle checkout and payments. Each store includes 50,000 inventory records by default, with the option to add another 50,000 records for $9.99 per month.

Stores can currently join the platform through an invitation-only onboarding process that includes a 30-day free trial. During setup, owners can confirm their subscription capacity and price before it changes, and the system provides access to desktop and mobile web interfaces. The trial allows new stores to test the trade desk, money accounts, and calendar features before committing to a paid plan.

The software includes a Trade Desk feature that manages intake, pricing, approval, and payouts for customer balances, as well as a Money module for tracking register sessions and safe activity. Calendars and reminders allow shops to plan product release events and preorder dates, while the People and access tools manage employee roles and permissions across multiple locations. Inventory Management and Storefront features are also included to handle buy lists and order requests.

Cardstead integrates directly with Square to continue handling checkout and payments while the software manages operational records like trades and cash movement. The system also includes a built-in guide on how to transfer singles between stores without losing custody, covering steps from creating a transfer request to confirming receipt during transport. These tools help teams coordinate product release events and employee reminders alongside their daily sales workflow.

The platform is built to keep trades, store credit, and money records connected without requiring a shop to replace its existing checkout and payment tools. It provides a single system for managing calendars, employees, and business settings, ensuring that every balance change and approval stays in the record. This approach allows teams to run the work behind the counter efficiently across different locations or even across town.

The system includes guides for practical shop work, such as how to handle a card-condition disagreement at the trade counter and how to close an event-night drawer. These guides cover processes like inspection notes, pricing math, and escalation triggers to ensure both buyers and customers can follow a clear record. Another guide explains how to reconstruct a disputed store-credit balance using a ledger timeline to fix errors without erasing the history.

The platform allows owners to add another 50,000 inventory records to a specific store for $9.99 per month, giving them control over their capacity before the price changes. Each store location can have its own business profile, and the system supports unlimited staff accounts so the whole counter team can access the same records. This flexibility helps shops scale their inventory management as they grow.

Cardstead includes a detailed process for transferring singles between stores, which covers source count, packing, in-transit state, and placement to preserve custody. The system uses states like requested, approved, packed, in transit, and partially received to track items from the moment they leave the source store until they reach their destination. This prevents double-counting or losing track of cards during transport.

The software provides a way to track register sessions, budgets, and reports to monitor cash movement and safe activity in real time. It also includes a feature to manage employee reminders and follow-ups for customer calls, ensuring no important tasks fall through the cracks. By keeping all these operational details in one place, teams can maintain clear accountability for every action taken.

The platform includes a feature to manage store credit, allowing teams to track intake, pricing, and payouts while maintaining a clear ledger behind each customer balance. It also supports a storefront for events, inventory, and order requests, giving shops a centralized way to handle both digital and physical product interactions. These tools are designed to work alongside the POS to cover the full scope of daily operations.

The system includes a guide on how to build card-shop buylist rules that buyers can actually use, covering demand, condition, stock ceilings, and market reference. It also provides a method for handling a condition-review process with inspection notes and pricing math to resolve disagreements at the trade counter. These features help shops maintain consistency and clarity in their buying and selling decisions.

The platform includes a guide on how to close an event-night drawer with trades, entries, and safe drops, separating cash sales, entry fees, trade payouts, and paid-outs. It also covers how to reconstruct a disputed store-credit balance by checking hidden history and fixing the ledger without erasing the record. These step-by-step workflows ensure that every financial action is documented and auditable.

You can reach Cardstead by e-mail at support@cardstead.com.

The official website of Cardstead is cardstead.com.