PSA, short for Professional Sports Authenticator, is an American grading company founded in 1991. It began with sports cards and is today also the most widely used company for Pokémon cards. A PSA slab carries a red and white label with the card's name, its grade and a certification number.
The scale
PSA uses a scale from 1 to 10, where 10 is called Gem Mint. Half grades are given only in the range 1.5–8.5. Cards that are genuine but cannot receive a standard grade because they have been altered or damaged may be labelled Authentic. Some cards receive a qualifier that notes a specific flaw, such as poor centering, even if the card otherwise merits a higher grade. Details are set out in the company's own guidelines; see also the grading scale.
Certification number and verification
Every slab has a unique number that can be looked up in PSA's public database, where you see the grade, the card and often an image. This is an important step in checking that a slab is genuine; see fake slabs. The label alone is not enough.
Why PSA is strong in the market
Many collectors regard PSA slabs as the easiest to trade, because they are widespread and familiar to buyers. That often gives good liquidity compared with less familiar companies. At the same time, market preferences are not fixed, and other companies have established themselves; see Beckett and CGC.
Population report
PSA publishes an open overview of how many cards of each kind have been graded at each grade. The report shows how scarce a high grade is for a given card; see population reports. The figures change continuously, so take them from the source.
PSA grades other collectible cards besides Pokémon, including sports cards, and so has long experience of assessing cards in large volumes. That is one reason the company is so well known. At the same time every grade is a human judgement, and two cards that look alike to the eye can receive different grades. Collectors therefore sometimes talk about a particular card having narrowly hit or missed a higher grade, and such differences are part of the reality of grading.
Prices and turnaround
The company offers different services with different prices, turnaround times and limits on a card's value. These change and must be read from PSA's website. For a broader look at whether grading is worth the cost, see is grading worth it? and the PSA calculator.
Last reviewed October 25, 2026. This article explains how the market works. It is not advice to buy or sell anything in particular.