Cardtonic vs Tbay: Which Should You Trade With?
Score by dimension
| Dimension | Cardtonic | Tbay |
|---|---|---|
| Gift card rates | 9.5 / 10Cardtonic wins | 7.5 / 10 |
| Payout speed | 9.5 / 10Cardtonic wins | 7.5 / 10 |
| Trade experience | 9.0 / 10Cardtonic wins | 7.5 / 10 |
| Support & disputes | 8.9 / 10Cardtonic wins | 8.0 / 10 |
| KYC & onboarding | 9.0 / 10Cardtonic wins | N/A |
| Product quality | 9.4 / 10Cardtonic wins | 7.5 / 10 |
| Other features | 9.0 / 10Cardtonic wins | 7.5 / 10 |
| Security & trust | 9.5 / 10Cardtonic wins | 8.0 / 10 |
| Reputation | 9.5 / 10Cardtonic wins | 8.0 / 10 |
| App reviews | 8.7 / 10 | 9.1 / 10Tbay wins |
| Overall | 9.2 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
Side-by-side facts
| Detail | Cardtonic | Tbay |
|---|---|---|
| Rate received (latest test) | Cardtonic processed our $5 US Razer Gold e-code at ₦1,175 per dollar and paid ₦5,875. The displayed and received amounts matched, and no selling or bank-payment deduction was recorded. | We tested a $20 US Razer Gold e-code. The rate was 88.37%, or approximately 0.8837 points (₦1,077.63) per $1. |
| Tested payout time (latest test) | 1 minute | 10 minutes |
| Bank withdrawal time (latest test) | 1 minute | 3 minutes |
| Support first response | 3 minutes | 1 minute |
| KYC time | 4 minutes | Not tested |
| Payout methods | Bank transfer, Wallet balance | Bank Transfer |
| Gift card types | Amazon, AMEX, Apple / iTunes, eBay, Footlocker, GameStop, Nike, PlayStation, Razer Gold, Roblox, Sephora, Steam, Xbox | Amazon, AMEX, Apple / iTunes, eBay, Footlocker, Google Play, Nike, PlayStation, Razer Gold, Roblox, Sephora, Steam, Vanilla, Xbox |
| KYC requirements | Cardtonic has basic and advanced KYC levels. Basic KYC required a date of birth, BVN and a clear selfie. Advanced KYC required a valid government-issued ID and proof of address. Both levels took six minutes to complete. Advanced KYC was approved in four minutes. | Tbay did not request identity verification during our test. The account was created using an email address, username and password. |
| Fee structure | No selling or bank-withdrawal fee was recorded during the tested transaction. Cardtonic displayed an expected payout of ₦5,875 for the $5 Razer Gold e-code, and the researcher received ₦5,875. | For this trade, Tbay showed an order amount of approximately ₦23,540.23 (18.6989097 points) and a settled amount of approximately ₦21,552.53 (17.12 points). That leaves a difference of approximately ₦1,987.70 (1.5789097 points). The order page did not clearly label this total difference as a fee, so we calculated it by comparing the order amount with the settled amount. It should not be treated as a standard Tbay charge. The transaction breakdown also showed a dispute deduction of approximately ₦697.13 (0.55376 points). Tbay gave the reason as “incorrect balance or local currency.” This was specific to the tested transaction and is not presented as a regular Tbay fee. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cardtonic or Tbay better overall?
Cardtonic is better overall. It scores 9.2 out of 10 against 7.8 for Tbay, based on our own trades on both platforms.
Which gives a better gift card rate, Cardtonic or Tbay?
Cardtonic rated better on the card we traded. Our gift card rates score is 9.5 for Cardtonic and 7.5 for Tbay. Rates move daily and vary by card type and denomination, so compare rates per dollar before you sell.
Which pays out faster, Cardtonic or Tbay?
Cardtonic paid out faster in our test: 1 minute to complete the trade against 10 minutes on Tbay. That is the tested payout time, measured from card submission to the trade value being credited; a later bank withdrawal is recorded separately.
Which has faster customer support, Cardtonic or Tbay?
Tbay replied first. Support took 1 minute to answer at Tbay and 3 minutes at Cardtonic when we contacted them during testing.