AI pre-grading · PSA · BGS · CGC · SGC
Measure the card
before you mail it.
GradeMate scores centering, corners, edges and surface on both faces of your card, against the criteria PSA, BGS, CGC and SGC publish — and gives you the grade to expect before you pay for a submission.
- 3 free scans a day
- Nothing to mail
- Photos deleted unless you save them
- Centering9.0
- Corners8.0
- Edges8.5
- Surface8.5
Readout
- margins read on all 4 edges
- L/R 55/45 · T/B 52/48
- 8 sub-grades · 2 faces
- PSA tolerances applied
Estimate
PSA 8
82% confidence · both faces read
Charizard · Base Set · Holo · 1999
PSA · BGS · CGC · SGC estimate
- per full analysis
- ≈ 30 s
- sub-grades — 4 criteria × 2 faces
- 8
- grading companies covered
- 13
- free scans, no credit card
- 3 / day
01 — What a grader measures
Four criteria. Both faces.
Every major grading company scores the same four things. GradeMate scores them the same way — front and back, separately, then combined — and shows you the number behind each one.
01
Centering
Left/right and top/bottom margin ratios. The most decisive criterion: a card that is perfect everywhere else caps at 8 if it is off-center.
02
Corners
All four corners, front and back. Even microscopic whitening or softness pulls the grade down.
03
Edges
Cut quality, whitening, chipping on dark borders — the weak point of modern cards.
04
Surface
Scratches, handling marks, creases, print defects, holographic wear.
02 — How it works
From photo to estimate in under a minute.
Nothing to install. Nothing to mail until you have decided.
01
Photograph both faces
Diffuse light, card flat, framed tight on the edges. Photo quality drives analysis quality.
02
Pick your company
PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC, PCA. Each applies its own tolerances, especially on centering.
03
The model reads it
Centering, corners, edges and surface are scored on each face, then the defects found are listed.
04
Decide
Estimated grade, cross-company comparison, indicative market value and pre-submission advice.
03 — The report
What comes back.
A precision score out of 1000, eight sub-grades, the defects that cost points — quantified — and what stands between the card and the next band.
Analysis result
PSA 8
823/ 1000NM-MT
Confidence
82%
Eight sub-grades
- Centering835780
- Corners805880
- Edges900915
- Surface790930
Defects that cost points
- 1Print line across the holoFront · Surface · upper third · moderate−70 pts
- 2Centering 58/42 left to rightBack · Centering · whole face · moderate−62 pts
- 3Slight whiteningFront · Corners · bottom-left corner · minor−45 pts
Every defect located on the card
Front
Back
Seen, no effect on the grade
- Front — micro-scratch visible only under raking light
- Back — edges clean, no chipping
Measured centering
- FrontL/R55/45T/B52/48
- BackL/R58/42T/B54/46
For the band above — NM-MT+ (8.5)
A back re-centred under 55/45 and a holo free of print lines would have been enough.
27 points short
Same card, other companies
- BGS8.5
- CGC8.5
- SGC8
- PCA8.5
Precision score out of 1000 on the scale published by TAG Grading; the grade follows from it, rounded to the scale each company issues. Demonstration report built from sample data.
05 — Method
How we keep the estimate honest.
GradeMate is new, and we publish no accuracy statistic we cannot back up. What we can do is tell you, card by card, how much to trust the number.
Calibrated on published criteria
The analysis follows the criteria each company publishes — not a single generic scale. Select PSA and you get PSA's centering tolerance; select BGS and you get subgrades.
It tells you when it is unsure
Every report carries a confidence level and flags the cards where glare, angle or resolution make a criterion unreadable. Low confidence is a result too.
It never invents a result
The model's output is constrained by a schema and revalidated before you see it. A non-conforming response raises an error, is not counted against your quota, and no fallback number is shown.
06 — Why pre-grade
Screening is the only reliably profitable lever in grading.
Avoid losing submissions
A card that comes back a 7 is often worth less than the same card raw. The grading fee is paid either way.
Pick the right company
The same card does not get the same grade everywhere. You get the estimate for your target company and a comparison with the others.
See what you cannot see
Micro corner whitening, a print defect, 3% off-center: those details separate a 9 from a 10.
Estimate the upside
Raw value against estimated graded value, so you know whether the submission makes sense.
Learn to grade
Every report breaks defects down by face. Over time you start spotting the problems yourself.
Keep a record
Your collection, predicted grades and grades actually received, all in one place.
07 — Companies
Thirteen grading companies, thirteen sets of tolerances.
The analysis is calibrated on the criteria the company you select publishes. Centering tolerances in particular are not the same everywhere.
| Company | Scale | Subgrades | Region | Where it is strongest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSAProfessional Sports Authenticator | 1 – 10 | No | International | The market reference. Best resale liquidity, 1-to-10 scale with no subgrades. |
| BGSBeckett Grading Services | 1 – 10 (par 0,5) | Yes | International | Four subgrades on top of the overall grade. The Black Label 10 requires all four subgrades at 10. |
| CGCCertified Guaranty Company | 1 – 10 | Yes | International | Strong on TCG, particularly Japanese. Well-liked slabs and often short turnaround. |
| SGCSportscard Guaranty Company | 1 – 10 | No | United States | Solid reputation on vintage sports, with a black slab collectors like for display. |
| PCAProfessional Card Authentication | 1 – 10 | No | France / Europe | French company: lower shipping, shorter turnaround and no customs risk from within the EU. |
| TAGTechnical Authentication & Grading | 1 – 10 (score sur 1000) | Yes | United States | Grades measured by imaging rather than by eye: a 1000-point score with an auditable detailed report. |
| HGAHybrid Grading Approach | 1 – 10 | Yes | International | Customisable labels and slabs, designed for display more than for flipping. |
Also supported: MNT, ACE Grading, Ludkins Collectibles, GRAAD, CollectAura, SFG Grading. Missing one? Write to us and we will add it.
08 — Pricing
Start free. Pay only if you scan a lot.
The free tier is fully functional — three analyses a day, every criterion, every company. Paid plans add volume, unlimited history, batch processing and API access.
Send to a grading company
$15–$80
per card plus shipping, weeks of waiting — PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC and PCA rates verified July 29, 2026
Pre-screen with GradeMate
$0
1 detailed analysis a day, results in ~30 seconds, nothing to mail
Free
1 detailed scan / day, then unlimited basic reports
1
detailed analysis / day
$0
- Overall grade + score
- Recommendations
- Every grading company
- 5-card history
- Unlimited basic reports
No credit card, no commitment.
1 credit
Unlock one detailed analysis
1
detailed analysis
$1.99
- Subgrades per criterion
- Defects and centering measured
- Estimated market value
- Cross-company comparison
- No expiration date
One-time payment, no subscription.
5-Pack
Best value per analysis
5
detailed analyses
$3.99$0.80 per analysis
- Full report with subgrades
- Defects and centering measured
- Estimated market value
- Cross-company comparison
- No expiration date
One-time payment, no subscription.
15-Pack
For regular collectors
15
detailed analyses
$9.99$0.67 per analysis
- Everything in the 5-Pack
- $6 savings vs. the 5-Pack
- No expiration date
One-time payment, no subscription.
Pro
Unlimited analyses, API, batches
Unlimited
analyses / month
$19.99/month
- Unlimited analyses
- Batch processing
- PDF reports
- API access
- Priority support
Everything free, plus automation.
Tax included. Credit packs never expire. The Pro plan can be cancelled in one click from your account.
09 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does GradeMate replace real grading?
No. GradeMate gives a pre-estimate to help you decide whether a submission is worth it. Only an accredited grading company issues an official grade and a sealed slab, and that is what the market pays for.
How accurate is the estimate?
It depends directly on your photos. A sharp, flat, diffusely lit shot framed on the edges supports an estimate accurate to roughly half a point. Glare on a holo or a tilted camera angle can distort centering and surface assessment. Every report shows a confidence level and flags when human review is advised.
Why do I need to photograph the back?
Because grading companies grade both faces. The back carries a large share of centering and wear defects, particularly on vintage Pokémon cards whose blue back shows whitening easily.
Which grading companies are covered?
PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC, PCA, HGA, TAG, MNT, ACE Grading, Ludkins, GRAAD, CollectAura and SFG Grading. The analysis is calibrated on the published criteria of the company you select.
Which card types are supported?
Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece and other manga TCGs, sports cards (soccer, basketball, F1) and any other standard-size cardboard collectible card.
What happens to my photos?
They are sent to the vision model for analysis, then kept only if you choose to save the card to your collection. You can delete a card, and therefore its image, at any time.
Free — 3 analyses a day
Screen the box before you
screen your wallet.
Create an account and run your first analysis. No cards to mail, no commitment.
