What does BMWT mean?
Bubble mailer with tracking.
The short answer
A padded envelope you can follow
BMWT stands for bubble mailer with tracking. The card is packed in a padded envelope and sent by a service that gives a tracking number, so the buyer and the seller can both see where it is.
You'll see it where cards are bought, sold and traded. "$5 BMWT" is the price of shipping that way. "PWE or BMWT" is the seller asking which you'd rather pay for.
Compared
PWE vs BMWT, and eBay's envelope
| Way | What it is | Tracked | Cost | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PWE | Plain white envelope and a stamp | No | A stamp | Cheap cards, when both sides accept the risk |
| eBay Standard Envelope | An envelope, for eBay sales only | Yes | $1.40 | Cards under $20, on the 3 oz label |
| BMWT | Bubble mailer, USPS Ground Advantage | Yes, with $100 of insurance | $5 to $6 | Cards from $20 to $100 |
Costs are about what we pay, and carriers change them.
When
Ask for BMWT when losing the card would hurt
- On eBay, $20 or less: an ESE, not a BMWT. The eBay Standard Envelope is tracked for $1.40, whatever the card is.
- BMWT is for over $20, or off eBay. A trade or a sale somewhere else can't use eBay's envelope, and a bubble mailer is the cheapest way to get a tracking number.
- A PWE goes through sorting machines. A bubble mailer with cardboard on both sides of the card doesn't bend.
- Over $100, BMWT isn't enough. Use a rigid mailer or a box, and insure it for what the card is worth.
More
Packing it, and the other terms
How to ship a card has what goes in the mailer with the card, and the bubble mailers and team bags we use are in Supplies. PWE has its own page. The glossary has top loader, Card Saver and the rest, a line each.