Source-checked grader comparison · Australia

Compare PSA, BGS, CGC, TAG, PCG and ACE from Australia

The cheapest grading fee is rarely the cheapest completed Australian submission. Compare the Australian route, scale, published turnaround, CardRevive’s own starting cost, label, altered-card policy and collector sentiment across all six graders CardRevive tracks.

Decision matrix

Six graders, nine practical differences

Turnaround and prices below are each grader’s own published figures, in their own currency. Where an approximate AUD figure appears elsewhere on this site it uses the RBA rate noted above; CardRevive’s own starting rates are published on the grading page.

Australian comparison of PSA, BGS, CGC, TAG, PCG and ACE, checked 21 September 2026
Row	PSA	BGS	CGC	TAG	PCG	ACE
Country and Australian route	United States. CardRevive submits directly to PSA on customers’ behalf; PSA paused submissions from international customers in April 2025 and does not currently accept direct submissions from individual Australian collectors.	United States. Via CardRevive or direct international submission.	United States. Via CardRevive or direct international submission.	United States. CardRevive submits through its own arrangement; TAG’s own site takes direct submissions only from the US and Canada.	An independent grading company with an Australian submission pathway and Sydney drop-off (Good Games Parramatta); CardRevive offers an exclusive co-branded pathway.	United Kingdom. Accepts direct submissions from Australia; also available via CardRevive as middleman.
Scale and subgrades	1–10, topped by GEM-MT 10. No subgrades.	1–10 in half points. Optional four displayed subgrades (centring, corners, edges, surface); Black Label when all four reach 10.	1–10, with Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10. No subgrades on standard cards.	1–10 headline grade plus a 1000-point TAG Score on tiers that include it. Eight subgrades (front and back centring, corners, edges and surface) in the DIG report.	1–10 with 10 Flawless, 10 Pristine and 10 Gem Mint tiers. Four subgrades.	10-point scale with four subgrades included (corners, edges, surface, centring).
Published direct tiers and turnaround	Regular US$79.99 per card, 40–50 business days — PSA’s own published estimate, not a guarantee.	Base US$14.95 without subgrades or US$17.95 with subgrades, 75+ business days.	Economy US$20 (about 90 days), Standard US$55 (about 10 days), Express US$100 (about 5 days) — CGC calls these estimates, not guaranteed.	Basic US$22 (45+ business days), Standard US$39 (30), Express US$59 (15), Priority US$149 (5). Regular tiers are paused, with only Priority open as at 21 September 2026.	Standard A$35 (10–20 business days), Express A$60 (5 business days), Same Day A$80.	Basic £18 (30 business days), Standard £25 (15), Premier £32 (10), Ultra £60 (5).
Starting cost via CardRevive (ex GST)	A$172 + GST (A$189.20 inc. GST)	A$55 + GST (A$60.50 inc. GST)	A$40 + GST (A$44 inc. GST)	A$110 + GST (A$121 inc. GST)	A$30 + GST (A$33 inc. GST), CardRevive-exclusive; estimated PCG turnaround 1 to 3 weeks as at September 2026.	A$60 + GST (A$66 inc. GST)
Population report and cert lookup	Weekly pop report plus online cert verification at psacard.com.	Cert lookup plus pop report at beckett.com — not re-verified on 21 September 2026 because the site was in maintenance.	Verify Certification and Population Report tools at cgccards.com.	Cert search shows the full DIG report from an 8-digit CERT number.	QR on the rear label plus a published Population Report.	Cert lookup and population reports at acegrading.com.
Label and slab	Single overall-grade label in a tamper-evident holder; newer labels carry a QR code.	Colour-coded Black, Gold and Silver labels.	Crystal-clear holder with QR verification.	QR-linked DIG report; eight subgrades shown.	Double-sided metal label; QR on the rear; CardRevive CR mark on CardRevive submissions.	Clear case with cert lookup.
Stance on restored or altered cards	PSA lists evidence of trimming, restoration, recolouring, altered stock and cleaning among possible No Grade outcomes, and the applicable grading fee may still be charged (PSA grading standards, checked 9 August 2026).	Beckett’s submission rules say cards showing evidence of tampering, restoration or counterfeiting are still charged according to the requested service level (Beckett submission rules, checked 9 August 2026).	“Any card that CGC Cards graders determine to be altered in any form (including artist alterations), counterfeit, replica, cleaned or restored will not receive a numeric grade and will not be encapsulated.” An “Authentic Altered” designation is available instead.	“TAG will not be grading cards determined to be trimmed or altered - cards which fail our authentication process will be returned unslabbed.”	PCG identifies and labels altered cards; PCG does not publish a grading outcome for them (PCG grading standards, checked 21 September 2026).	“Altered” cards are charged in full, not added to the certification database or pop report, and are returned raw rather than encapsulated (ACE Grading scale, checked 21 September 2026).
What collectors say	Still the strongest resale recognition, but the late-2025 buyback/re-grade controversy has raised trust questions among collectors and the press.	No attributable collector-review source found; not rated.	CGC graded 18.4% of the 26.8 million cards graded in 2025 (about 4.92 million), up 121% year on year — the fastest-growing major grader.	No attributable collector-review source found; not rated.	ProductReview.com.au reviews praise turnaround and the metal labels and note strict grading; one complaint describes an account deletion.	Trustpilot reviews (4.6/5) praise turnaround and the submission platform; some reviewers criticise customer-service response speed.
Best for	Collectors prioritising a widely recognised single-grade label	Collectors who want centring, corners, edges and surface shown separately	Collectors who value CGC’s multi-hobby ecosystem and two distinct 10 levels	Eligible modern cards where a detailed digital condition report is the priority	Australian collectors who want local drop-off, a co-branded label and four subgrades	Collectors wanting included subgrades and a UK-graded slab, with direct Australian acceptance

PSA

Country and Australian route: United States. CardRevive submits directly to PSA on customers’ behalf; PSA paused submissions from international customers in April 2025 and does not currently accept direct submissions from individual Australian collectors.
Scale and subgrades: 1–10, topped by GEM-MT 10. No subgrades.
Published direct tiers and turnaround: Regular US$79.99 per card, 40–50 business days — PSA’s own published estimate, not a guarantee.
Starting cost via CardRevive (ex GST): A$172 + GST (A$189.20 inc. GST)
Population report and cert lookup: Weekly pop report plus online cert verification at psacard.com.
Label and slab: Single overall-grade label in a tamper-evident holder; newer labels carry a QR code.
Stance on restored or altered cards: PSA lists evidence of trimming, restoration, recolouring, altered stock and cleaning among possible No Grade outcomes, and the applicable grading fee may still be charged (PSA grading standards, checked 9 August 2026).
What collectors say: Still the strongest resale recognition, but the late-2025 buyback/re-grade controversy has raised trust questions among collectors and the press.
Best for: Collectors prioritising a widely recognised single-grade label

BGS

Country and Australian route: United States. Via CardRevive or direct international submission.
Scale and subgrades: 1–10 in half points. Optional four displayed subgrades (centring, corners, edges, surface); Black Label when all four reach 10.
Published direct tiers and turnaround: Base US$14.95 without subgrades or US$17.95 with subgrades, 75+ business days.
Starting cost via CardRevive (ex GST): A$55 + GST (A$60.50 inc. GST)
Population report and cert lookup: Cert lookup plus pop report at beckett.com — not re-verified on 21 September 2026 because the site was in maintenance.
Label and slab: Colour-coded Black, Gold and Silver labels.
Stance on restored or altered cards: Beckett’s submission rules say cards showing evidence of tampering, restoration or counterfeiting are still charged according to the requested service level (Beckett submission rules, checked 9 August 2026).
What collectors say: No attributable collector-review source found; not rated.
Best for: Collectors who want centring, corners, edges and surface shown separately

CGC

Country and Australian route: United States. Via CardRevive or direct international submission.
Scale and subgrades: 1–10, with Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10. No subgrades on standard cards.
Published direct tiers and turnaround: Economy US$20 (about 90 days), Standard US$55 (about 10 days), Express US$100 (about 5 days) — CGC calls these estimates, not guaranteed.
Starting cost via CardRevive (ex GST): A$40 + GST (A$44 inc. GST)
Population report and cert lookup: Verify Certification and Population Report tools at cgccards.com.
Label and slab: Crystal-clear holder with QR verification.
Stance on restored or altered cards: “Any card that CGC Cards graders determine to be altered in any form (including artist alterations), counterfeit, replica, cleaned or restored will not receive a numeric grade and will not be encapsulated.” An “Authentic Altered” designation is available instead.
What collectors say: CGC graded 18.4% of the 26.8 million cards graded in 2025 (about 4.92 million), up 121% year on year — the fastest-growing major grader.
Best for: Collectors who value CGC’s multi-hobby ecosystem and two distinct 10 levels

PCG

Country and Australian route: An independent grading company with an Australian submission pathway and Sydney drop-off (Good Games Parramatta); CardRevive offers an exclusive co-branded pathway.
Scale and subgrades: 1–10 with 10 Flawless, 10 Pristine and 10 Gem Mint tiers. Four subgrades.
Published direct tiers and turnaround: Standard A$35 (10–20 business days), Express A$60 (5 business days), Same Day A$80.
Starting cost via CardRevive (ex GST): A$30 + GST (A$33 inc. GST), CardRevive-exclusive; estimated PCG turnaround 1 to 3 weeks as at September 2026.
Population report and cert lookup: QR on the rear label plus a published Population Report.
Label and slab: Double-sided metal label; QR on the rear; CardRevive CR mark on CardRevive submissions.
Stance on restored or altered cards: PCG identifies and labels altered cards; PCG does not publish a grading outcome for them (PCG grading standards, checked 21 September 2026).
What collectors say: ProductReview.com.au reviews praise turnaround and the metal labels and note strict grading; one complaint describes an account deletion.
Best for: Australian collectors who want local drop-off, a co-branded label and four subgrades

ACE

Country and Australian route: United Kingdom. Accepts direct submissions from Australia; also available via CardRevive as middleman.
Scale and subgrades: 10-point scale with four subgrades included (corners, edges, surface, centring).
Published direct tiers and turnaround: Basic £18 (30 business days), Standard £25 (15), Premier £32 (10), Ultra £60 (5).
Starting cost via CardRevive (ex GST): A$60 + GST (A$66 inc. GST)
Population report and cert lookup: Cert lookup and population reports at acegrading.com.
Label and slab: Clear case with cert lookup.
Stance on restored or altered cards: “Altered” cards are charged in full, not added to the certification database or pop report, and are returned raw rather than encapsulated (ACE Grading scale, checked 21 September 2026).
What collectors say: Trustpilot reviews (4.6/5) praise turnaround and the submission platform; some reviewers criticise customer-service response speed.
Best for: Collectors wanting included subgrades and a UK-graded slab, with direct Australian acceptance

Published tiers and policies checked on 21 September 2026; BGS last verified 9 August 2026, beckett.com was in maintenance on 21 September 2026.

CardRevive never guarantees a grade; every grader decides for itself.

Match the report to the card

A better way to shortlist the grader

Start with the selling audience

Choose the label and verification style your likely buyer understands. Recognition, displayed subgrades and digital detail solve different problems.

Check the actual card

Confirm year, size, language, material, declared value and condition eligibility before comparing price. TAG in particular publishes narrower current eligibility.

Add every leg

Grading-company working days exclude restoration and international transit. Add shipping, possible customs charges, insurance choices and the return path.

Keep the grade independent

Assessment can reduce wasted submissions, but no restorer or middleman controls authentication, alteration findings or the final number.

See supported submission routes Read the editorial guide

Questions collectors ask

Straight answers before you commit

Which card grading company is best in Australia?

There is no universal best grader. PSA suits collectors prioritising a widely recognised single grade, BGS suits cards where displayed subgrades matter, CGC suits collectors who prefer its holder and multi-hobby ecosystem, TAG suits eligible modern cards where a digital condition report is the priority, PCG suits Australian collectors who want local drop-off and a co-branded label, and ACE suits collectors who want included subgrades on a UK-graded slab with direct Australian acceptance.

How much does card grading cost in Australia?

The full cost combines the grading tier, international shipping, possible duties or taxes, insurance choices and any middleman fee. Each grader’s published price in the comparison matrix is quoted in its own currency (USD, GBP or AUD); CardRevive’s own AUD starting rate for each grader sits in the same row, separate from the grader’s direct fee.

What is the fastest card grader for Australians?

Published turnaround estimates change and exclude transit. As at 21 September 2026, the fastest published direct tiers were TAG Priority, CGC Express and ACE Ultra, each around 5 business days at a premium price. The slower headline tiers were BGS Base at 75+ business days (last verified 9 August 2026) and PSA Regular at 40–50 business days. Always check the grader’s live source before you submit.

Can restoration guarantee a higher grading result?

No. A condition assessment can identify grade-limiting defects and prevent a wasteful submission, but only the grading company decides eligibility and grade. Treatment can create alteration risk, and no restorer or middleman can guarantee acceptance or a number.

Source ledger · checked 9 August 2026

Open the live source before submitting

Prices, queues, eligibility rules and policies change. These links are the evidence behind the dated snapshot above.

01PSA card grading services and pricing Live direct tiers, prices, insured-value limits and estimated turnaround.
02PSA grading standards Grade definitions and No Grade treatment of cleaning, restoration, altered stock, recolouring and trimming.
03PSA international submission FAQ International shipping, duty/tax responsibility and grading-policy answers.
04PSA pauses international grading submissions Checked 2026-09-21.
05Reserve Bank of Australia exchange rates AUD estimates use A$1 = US$0.7029, the RBA rate published 7 August 2026, rounded to the nearest dollar.
06CGC Cards services and fees Checked 2026-09-21.
07How to submit to CGC Cards Official direct-submission steps.
08CGC Cards grading scale Checked 2026-09-21.
09CGC international submission FAQ International shipping, customs and importer-of-record guidance.
10Beckett grading services and pricing Checked 2026-08-09.
11Beckett grading submission rules Checked 2026-08-09.
12TAG international submission guidance Checked 2026-09-21.
13TAG current pricing status Checked 2026-09-21.
14TAG eligible-card guidance Current year, size, thickness, language, material and card-type restrictions.
15TAG treatment of trimmed or altered cards Checked 2026-09-21.
16TAG DIG report Checked 2026-09-21.
17The PSA grading scandal: fraud allegations and trust Checked 2026-09-21.
18PSA’s buyback scandal is testing collector trust Checked 2026-09-21.
19CGC Cards: cards we grade (altered-card policy) Checked 2026-09-21.
20Over 26 million cards graded in 2025 Checked 2026-09-21.
21TAG grading tiers and turnaround Checked 2026-09-21.
22TAG certificate search Checked 2026-09-21.
23PCG FAQs (submission pathway and drop-off) Checked 2026-09-21.
24PCG grading standards Checked 2026-09-21.
25PCG pricing and services Checked 2026-09-21.
26Premier Card Grading reviews Checked 2026-09-21.
27ACE Grading — international submissions Checked 2026-09-21.
28ACE Grading pricing Checked 2026-09-21.
29ACE Grading scale (altered-card policy) Checked 2026-09-21.
30ACE Grading reviews Checked 2026-09-21.

Intake · Sydney

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A$10 inspection per card on mail-in and online submissions. If restoration is unnecessary, you skip the tier fee and can grade where requested or have the card returned untreated. If our service has a problem, contact us so we can put it right.

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