PSA vs BGS vs CGC: Which Grader for Pokémon Cards?
Updated 20 September 2026 · 7 min read
Grading turns a raw card into a sealed, authenticated slab with a number on it. For Pokémon, three companies do most of that work: PSA, BGS and CGC. They grade to different philosophies, their slabs sell for different money, and if you're sending from Australia, they cost different amounts of time and postage to reach. Which one suits you depends on what you plan to do with the card afterwards.
None of this is grading advice on a specific card; condition is a judgement call best made with the card in hand. If you'd rather skip the wait and buy something already slabbed, every slab in our graded range is a real PSA, BGS or CGC holder, photographed individually.
The three graders at a glance
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is the most recognised name in the hobby. It grades on a 1 to 10 scale in whole numbers and seals cards in its familiar red-labelled slab. For Pokémon specifically, it also has the deepest resale market of the three.
BGS (Beckett Grading Services) prints four subgrades on the label: centring, corners, edges and surface. It also awards the Black Label, a 10 with four perfect 10 subgrades, which is the hardest modern slab to earn and is priced accordingly.
CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) came out of comic-book grading and is newer to trading cards, though its Pokémon presence has grown quickly. It uses half-point grades such as 9.5, in a slab a lot of collectors prefer the look of.
Subgrades: numbers on the label
BGS prints four subgrades, so a buyer can see exactly why a card landed where it did. Two BGS 9.5s aren't equal. One with strong centring and corners reads very differently from one that scraped in. On expensive cards, that breakdown is part of what you're paying for.
PSA gives a single overall grade with no subgrades on its standard tier. That's simpler, and because decades of Pokémon cards have been graded the same way, comparable sales are easy to find when you want to price something.
CGC sits in between, with a single grade in half-point steps and subgrades available on some tiers if you want them.
Resale liquidity: who buys it back
For Pokémon, PSA has the deepest and most liquid resale market. Most buyers recognise the label, price guides are built around it, and a PSA 10 usually sells fastest. At the very top end, a BGS Black Label or Pristine 10 still commands a strong premium. CGC demand is narrower, though it has been rising.
- If you want to sell quickly and to the widest audience, PSA tends to move fastest.
- If you're chasing a top-end trophy card where perfect subgrades matter, that's BGS Black Label territory.
- If you're value-conscious, or you just like the slab, CGC is worth a look.
Doing it from Australia
All three graders are US-based, so grading from Australia means international shipping both ways. Build in turnaround time, return postage, insurance and customs paperwork. Prices and turnaround change often enough that we won't quote numbers here, so check each company's current tiers before you commit.
- Insure the parcel both ways. A card worth grading is worth more than standard postage cover.
- Factor in return shipping and any import handling on the way back into Australia.
- A group submission can cut the per-card cost and paperwork if you're grading several.
So which one?
PSA is the safest choice for resale and the most widely recognised holder. BGS makes sense on a near-perfect card where you want the subgrade breakdown and a shot at the Black Label. CGC gets you a clean slab, half-point grades and often a gentler price. All three are legitimate graders; they just suit different priorities.
If you'd rather buy the grade than gamble on it, browse our graded slabs. And if you've got cards you're thinking of sending in, we buy collections too.
Grading standards and pricing shift over time, so check each grader's current tiers before you submit anything.
MORE GUIDES