I generally like the Idea, but this complete ignorance t how the world works is not ok.
Just think on what you are saying there, everyone has to invest the same amount of TIME, to achieve the same thing, right? (same skill level as a prerequisite) Sounds fair?
Well, it is not, since not everyone has the same amount of time at their disposal, which is not fair either. The world is not a fair place and havin the possibility to trade some money, for a quicker progress in order to keep up with your friends is not a bad thing.
But I generally agree, that there has to be an additional reward system which gives cards. Boosters would be a lot better IMO, since they incentivize replayability. But also a "bost" system like the old bf, with more-gold, exp, etc. would definately be a good thing for many people.