To get a Pokémon card graded in the UK, check its condition and value, pick a grader and send it in: ACE and CGC take UK submissions directly, priced in pounds. PSA paused direct mail-ins from outside the US in April 2025, so UK collectors go through a PSA-listed dealer, such as the store at 54 Regent Street, London.
Prices below were checked on 4 November 2026. Grading prices and tiers change often, so confirm on the grader's site before you send anything.
How card grading works
A grading company checks that your card is genuine, scores its condition (usually on a 1–10 scale) and seals it in a tamper-evident plastic case called a slab. The slab has a label and a certificate number you can look up online. Graded cards are easier to sell at a fair price, because the buyer doesn't have to judge condition from photos.
Step 1: Decide whether the card is worth grading
Grading costs money and time, and not every card comes back a 10. Compare the card's raw sold price with its sold prices at each grade, then take off the full cost: the fee, postage both ways and any import VAT. Our guide is it worth grading Pokémon cards? has a cost checklist.
Step 2: Check the condition
Graders look at four things: centring, corners, edges and surface. Under a bright light (and a loupe if you have one), check:
- Centring: are the borders even left to right and top to bottom?
- Corners: any whitening or rounding?
- Edges: any chipping or white flecks, especially on the back?
- Surface: scratches, print lines, dents or fingerprints on the holo?
Step 3: Work out the card's value
Look up recent sold prices for the card at the grade you expect. See how much your Pokémon cards are worth. This is your declared value. It decides which service tier you need, because each tier has a maximum value per card.
Step 4: Choose a grader and a UK route
- PSA: no direct UK mail-in. Use a PSA-listed dealer, such as the store at 54 Regent Street, London.
- ACE: UK company, direct UK submissions, from £18 a card (Basic, about 30 business days).
- CGC: direct to CGC's UK company in London, or in person at its Regent Street drop-off, from £14 + VAT a card (Bulk, 25-card minimum).
- Beckett: online UK submissions are unavailable, so contact Beckett EU directly.
- TAG: US company, priced in US dollars.
How to submit to PSA from the UK
PSA is the grader most UK collectors ask about, and its UK routes have changed since 2025.
- Direct mail-in: in April 2025, PSA paused direct submissions to its US facilities from customers outside the US because of US tariffs.
- Regent Street drop-off: the Fanatics Collectibles store at 54 Regent Street is listed by PSA for group submissions. You hand cards in at the store, and they're graded in the US. Ask about the price, turnaround and return postage first.
- Group-submission dealers: UK dealers combine many customers' cards into one PSA order. PSA lists registered dealers in its directory, and each dealer sets its own price in pounds.
- UK receiving centre: PSA has announced a receiving centre in the Greater London area, planned for the second half of 2026. It hadn't opened by early November 2026.
PSA prices each card in US dollars. On its price list, Value is $39.99 a card, Standard $59.99 and Priority $79.99 for submissions from 29 October 2026. Through a dealer or the Regent Street store, the price can also include shipping, customs and the dealer's fee.
ACE Grading
ACE is a UK grading company (Ace Grading Ltd, registered in England and Wales) that takes direct UK submissions. Each ACE grade comes with a report scoring centring, corners, edges and surface. Its public tiers:
- Basic: £18 a card, about 30 business days.
- Standard: £22 a card, about 15 business days.
- Premier: £28 a card, about 10 business days.
- Ultra: £50 a card, about 5 business days.
- Luxury: £100 a card, about 2 business days.
Cheaper Core and Value tiers are for paying AceSelect members only. See ACE's price list for current tiers before you submit.
CGC Cards (UK)
CGC has a UK site with prices in pounds, and submissions go to CGC's UK company in London. Since April 2026 you can also hand cards in at its drop-off centre in the Fanatics Collectibles store at 54 Regent Street. Its UK price list:
- Bulk: £14 + VAT (£16.80) a card, 25-card minimum, cards worth up to £400.
- Economy: £17 + VAT a card, cards worth up to £800.
- Standard: £45 + VAT (£54) a card, cards worth up to £2,500.
- Express: £80 + VAT (£96) a card, cards worth up to £8,000.
CGC's UK services and fees page listed a turnaround of 50 working days.
Beckett (BGS)
Beckett prints four subgrades on its label. It's the hardest of the five to use from the UK right now: Beckett's European site says online submissions from the UK are unavailable and asks UK submitters to contact it directly. Check Beckett EU for current services.
TAG Grading
TAG is a US company that grades using imaging technology. Its Standard tier and above include a 1,000-point TAG Score. Prices are in US dollars. Check taggrading.com for open services before you submit.
Step 5: Prepare your cards
- Put each card in a new penny sleeve, then a semi-rigid card holder, unless your grader's packing guide says otherwise. Don't use screw-down cases, and never put tape on the card.
- Fill in the submission form with the exact card name, set and number. List cards in the same order you pack them.
- Photograph the front and back of every card. If anything goes missing, these photos are your evidence.
Step 6: Pack and post safely
- Sandwich the holders between two pieces of stiff card, then use a padded mailer or a small box so nothing moves.
- Use a tracked, signed-for service such as Royal Mail Special Delivery, and check the cover matches the cards' value.
- Keep your proof of postage.
Step 7: Wait, pay and check your slab
- Track the order in the grader's online portal. Turnaround times are estimates in working days and start once your order is logged.
- If your slabs come back from outside the UK (for example from PSA in the US), the courier may ask you to pay import VAT, and possibly duty, before delivery. See GOV.UK on tax and duty for goods sent from abroad, and ask your dealer how returns are declared.
- When the slab arrives, look up the cert number on the grader's website and check the label matches your card.
Want graded cards without the wait?
You can also buy cards that are already graded. On Tilt, sellers stream live and you bid in live auctions, with buyer protection. Ask the seller to show the slab and cert number on camera, and look it up before you bid. If you've just had a batch back, you can sell your slabs on Tilt too. See how to sell Pokémon cards in the UK.
FAQs
Can you send cards to PSA from the UK?
Not directly by post: PSA paused direct submissions from outside the US in April 2025. UK collectors use a PSA-listed dealer, such as the store at 54 Regent Street, London. PSA's announced Greater London receiving centre hadn't opened by early November 2026.
What is the cheapest way to grade Pokémon cards in the UK?
For bulk, CGC UK's Bulk tier is £14 + VAT a card with a 25-card minimum. For single cards, ACE's Basic tier is £18 a card. Add postage both ways.
How long does Pokémon card grading take?
It depends on the grader and tier: ACE quotes about 2 to 30 business days on its public tiers, and CGC UK listed 50 working days. Add postage time both ways, and expect delays in busy periods.
Is ACE grading UK-based?
Yes. Ace Grading Ltd is registered in England and Wales and takes direct UK submissions.
Can you grade Japanese Pokémon cards?
Usually, yes. Check your grader's accepted-cards list first, and write the Japanese set name and card number on the form. See Japanese vs English Pokémon cards.
How do I check a graded card is real?
Look up the cert number on the grader's website. Check that the photo, card and grade match the slab in your hand, and that the case is tight and undamaged.
Cover photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0