There is no single test that catches every fake trading card. A good starting point is to find the card in the official card list for its game and edition, then use the advice each company gives for its own cards: The Pokémon Company’s light test, Bandai’s tip to check product contents on its official site, and the security foil Konami describes on Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.
Each company’s advice only applies to its own cards, so this guide keeps them separate and flags tips that come from collectors rather than the companies.
Start with where the card is sold
Two of the companies, and one fan wiki, point to similar places. The Pokémon Company’s support page on counterfeit cards says most reports of counterfeit sales it receives come from flea markets. Bandai’s warning about fraudulent ONE PIECE CARD GAME products (19 July 2024) says unauthorised products are sold mainly through flea market sites, auction sites and internet stores. Yugipedia, a fan-run wiki, says fake Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are commonly found at flea markets and on online marketplaces.
Pokémon: what The Pokémon Company says
The Pokémon Company’s support page gives this advice for Pokémon TCG products:
- The light test. Counterfeit cards are often easy to see through if you hold them up to a bright light.
- Know the packaging. Product images are on its website, and knowing what official decks look like helps you avoid knockoffs.
- Be careful with sealed packs. Fake booster packs are often very difficult to tell apart from real ones, and a pack priced dramatically below the suggested retail price is a near certain warning sign.
- Ask a specialist. Shops in your area that specialise in trading cards may be able to evaluate a card for you.
For English cards released in Asia, the card search on The Pokémon Company’s Singapore Trainers Website lets you filter by product and rarity, so you can check the card exists in the set it claims. Our guide to Pokémon card rarity symbols explains how to read the rarity mark you are comparing.
One Piece Card Game: what Bandai says
Bandai’s English notice advises customers to check the contents of products on the official ONE PIECE CARD GAME website before buying, and says it will not replace or support products that are not its own, even if you got them without knowing.
The Japanese version of the notice gives two examples reported to Bandai’s user support: people who tried to buy high-rarity cards and were sold cards that were not genuine, and people sold unofficial supplies such as playmats and sleeves.
Bandai’s practical tool is the official card list for the English (Asia) edition. Each entry shows the card number (for example OP17-001), rarity, colour, effect text and the set it comes from, with an image of the card. Separate official sites cover the Japanese and other English editions, so use the one that matches your card.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: the security foil and collector checks
We didn’t find a counterfeit guide from Konami, but its New to Yu-Gi-Oh! page for the TCG describes two markings. Many Yu-Gi-Oh! cards have a numerical password in the bottom left corner and a security foil in the bottom right. The foil shows the “Millennium Eye” and the text YU-GI-OH!. It is gold on 1st Edition and Limited Edition cards, and silver on Unlimited Edition cards (reprints).
Yugipedia’s page on counterfeits lists common errors on fakes. These are fan guidance, not Konami’s:
- A reversed, misspelled or missing Konami logo.
- Wrong fonts, mistranslated text, or the wrong name, effect, Level, artwork or ATK/DEF.
- A hologram that is missing, does not reflect, or peels off like a sticker.
- A card marked 1st Edition with a silver hologram.
Yugipedia notes that some genuine cards, such as “Labyrinth Wall”, have no password, so one odd detail is a reason to look closer rather than a final answer. Its security foil page says the real foil is printed into the card and should be too thin to feel with a fingertip, which is often not the case on fakes.
Asian-English cards and Creation Pack 13
Konami’s official database, Yu-Gi-Oh! Neuron, has an English (Asia) OCG view as well as the TCG. A card’s details page lists its prints with card number, set and rarity. The Asian-English Creation Pack 13 came out on 10 October 2026, per Konami Asia’s product page, and Neuron now lists Red-Eyes Black Dragon in it as CR13-AE001 at Super Rare. There is more in our Creation Pack 13 post.
Yugipedia’s Asian-English page adds that these cards carry “AE” in the card number and that sets revived from 2023 use the Japanese card back. It also says all Japanese and Chinese OCG cards have a silver foil.
The checks side by side
Each check stays with its own source.
| Pokémon | One Piece Card Game | Yu-Gi-Oh! | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official card lookup | Card search, Singapore Trainers Website | Bandai card list, English (Asia) and other editions | Konami Yu-Gi-Oh! Neuron, TCG and English (Asia) |
| Official advice on fakes | Light test, packaging, price, specialist shops | Check product contents on the official site | No Konami guide found; the password and foil are described on its beginner page |
| Where fakes are reported | Flea markets | Flea market sites, auction sites, internet stores | Flea markets and online marketplaces (Yugipedia) |
If you’re still not sure
Ask the seller for clear photos of the front and back, and compare them with the official card list for that edition. No single check is a guarantee, so treat a card that fails several with extra caution.
FAQs
How can you tell if a trading card is fake?
There is no single test for every game. Start by finding the exact card in its official database for that edition and comparing the number, rarity, set and text. Then use each company’s own advice, such as The Pokémon Company’s light test for Pokémon cards, and for Yu-Gi-Oh!, check the security foil Konami describes.
Does the Pokémon light test work for One Piece or Yu-Gi-Oh! cards?
The Pokémon Company suggests the light test for Pokémon cards only, saying counterfeits are often easy to see through under a bright light. Konami’s and Bandai’s pages that we checked do not mention a light test, so we would not rely on it for their cards. Use their official card lists instead.
How do I check a card against an official database?
Use the database for your card’s game and edition: The Pokémon Company’s card search on its Singapore Trainers Website, Bandai’s One Piece Card Game card list for English (Asia), or Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Neuron in its TCG or English (Asia) view. Match the card number, rarity, set, name and text.
Can booster packs be fake?
Yes. The Pokémon Company says fake booster packs are often very difficult to tell apart from real ones, and suggests getting to know its official packaging from the product images on its website. Bandai advises checking One Piece Card Game product contents on its official site before buying.
Are very cheap packs or cards online a warning sign?
They can be. The Pokémon Company says a pack priced dramatically below the suggested retail price is a near certain warning sign of counterfeit merchandise, and that most reports it receives come from flea markets. Bandai says unauthorised One Piece Card Game products are sold mainly through flea market sites, auction sites and internet stores.
Where can I get a card checked?
For Pokémon cards, The Pokémon Company suggests looking for shops in your area that specialise in trading cards, which may be able to evaluate a card you are unsure about. Bandai says it will not replace One Piece Card Game products that are not its own, so check a card against the official card list before you pay.