Pokemon card grading with four published subgrades.

Every service level includes the same grading: authentication review, four subgrades, encapsulation and a public certification record. The difference is the estimated turnaround and how much coverage is included per card. A 10 card Bulk submission is $80 in grading fees; a single card on Standard is $10.

Coverage is included up to $100 per card on Bulk and $250 per card on Standard. If the total declared value of your order is higher than the included amount, the extra coverage costs 5% of the difference. Shipping to CCA is yours to arrange, and return shipping is calculated at checkout. A card that cannot be graded is not charged the grading fee. For a full cost breakdown across graders, see how much it costs to grade a card, or estimate a larger order with the bulk grading calculator.

Start by searching the Pokemon card database, part of a free catalog of over 430,000 cards. Picking the exact printing (holo, reverse holo, 1st Edition, Shadowless, stamped promos) is what puts the right designation on the label. If a card is not in the database yet, you can add it manually when you build the submission, and you can mix Pokemon, other TCG and sports cards in one order.

If a card is unusually thick or oversized, ask us before you send it.

Surface carries the most weight, because the face of a Pokemon card is where holo scratches, print lines, indentations and loss of gloss show up first. The overall grade is also capped relative to the weakest subgrade, so one clear flaw cannot be hidden by three strong scores. A flawless surface never lifts a card beyond what its centering, corners and edges support.

The full method, with worked examples and an estimator that runs the same formula, is on the CCA grading standards page. Every subgrade appears on the public cert, so a buyer can see why a card earned its grade.

The worse of the two axes is the one that counts. A front earns a 10 for centering at 55/45 or better, and the back at 60/40 or better; the centering subgrade is the average of the two scores. A technology-assisted measurement places the lines and a grader reviews every one before the grade is saved.

Two Pokemon examples from the public record: cert #216, a 1999 Jungle 1st Edition Pikachu, measured 51/49 by 53/47 on the front for a 10 in centering, while cert #144, a 30th Celebration Pikachu, measured 58/42 left to right and dropped to a 9 on the front. Check your own card with the card centering calculator, or read what we learned measuring 200+ graded cards.

Designations such as Holo Rare, Reverse Holo, Illustration Rare, 1st Edition or a stamp print on the label. Tags that say nothing about the print, like Common, Uncommon, a bare Rare or Promo, are left off so the label stays readable. The full convention is in the CCA slab label standard for Pokemon, and the back label links to the certification record.

1. Choose a service level. Bulk for 10 or more cards, Standard for any number, Express or Walk-Through when you need it sooner.
2. Add your cards. Search the catalog, pick the exact printing and enter what each card is worth raw.
3. Review and submit. Your itemized total, coverage and return shipping are shown before you submit.
4. Pack and ship. Sleeve each card, place it in a semi rigid holder and include the printed packing slip.
5. Track, reveal and verify. Follow each stage in your dashboard, reveal grades card by card, and look up any cert on the certificate lookup.

The full walkthrough is on how CCA grading works.

What CCA adds is visibility: the four subgrades, the measured centering and both slab scans are public on every cert, so you can judge the card for yourself. If you are deciding between the larger graders, the PSA vs CGC comparison sets out price, turnaround and grading differences with dated figures.

Before sending a card, check its centering, look at the holo surface under a bright light and compare recent sold prices for raw and graded copies. The Pokemon Population Report lists the Pokemon cards CCA has graded and is free to view.