Collector guide

How to verify a graded card's cert number

Jewelry Bonney OP13-100
Back of a PSA slab from this shop (real photo).

Every major grader prints a certification number on the slab label. Looking it up on the grader's own website is the fastest way to catch a fake or swapped slab.

Steps

  1. Find the cert number on the label (and, for some graders, a barcode or QR code).
  2. Go to the grader's official site yourself: PSA at psacard.com, Beckett at beckett.com, CGC at cgccards.com, SGC at gosgc.com. Don't rely only on a link from the seller.
  3. Enter the number in the site's cert lookup.
  4. Check that the card name, year, set, card number and grade all match the label.
  5. If the grader's record has photos, compare them with the card in the slab.

Red flags

  • The cert number doesn't exist, or shows a different card or grade.
  • The label font, logo or hologram looks different from other slabs by the same grader.
  • The case is cracked, scuffed at the seams or looks like it was opened.

Every graded card in this shop links to its cert on the grader's site, right next to the photos.

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