PSA grades a card’s condition on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being best, and only after it has decided the card is authentic. Each slab shows a grade label and a certification number you can look up. Here is what the PSA grading scale means, how half grades work and how to verify a PSA card before you pay.
What the PSA grading scale measures
PSA’s How to Submit page separates authentication, “verifying the originality or genuineness of a trading card”, from grading, “assessing the quality and condition” of it. In PSA’s words, “Grading can only take place after a trading card has been deemed authentic.”
The scale is the same for Pokémon, One Piece Card Game and Topps Chrome cards: PSA grades cards “whether vintage, modern or TCG”. A PSA number is not a seller’s Near Mint, as our trading card condition guide explains.
The PSA grades from 1 to 10
These labels and centring limits come from PSA’s grading standards, front first, then back.
| Grade | Label | What PSA looks for | Centring |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | GEM-MT | A “virtually perfect card”: sharp corners, full original gloss, no staining | About 55/45, 75/25 |
| PSA 9 | MINT | Only one minor flaw | About 60/40, 90/10 |
| PSA 8 | NM-MT | Looks Mint 9 at first glance, slight flaws up close | About 65/35, 90/10 |
| PSA 7 | NM | Slight surface wear on close inspection | About 70/30, 90/10 |
| PSA 6 | EX-MT | Visible wear or a printing defect | 80/20, 90/10 |
| PSA 5 | EX | Very minor corner rounding | 85/15, 90/10 |
| PSA 4 | VG-EX | Slightly rounded corners; a light crease may show | 85/15, 90/10 |
| PSA 3 | VG | Some rounding; much gloss lost | 90/10, 90/10 |
| PSA 2 | GOOD | Obvious wear; may have several creases | 90/10, 90/10 |
| PSA 1.5 | FR | Extreme wear, but fully intact | About 90/10, 90/10 |
| PSA 1 | PR | Eye appeal has nearly vanished | Not stated |
PSA gives a 5% leeway on front centring for cards that grade PSA 7 or better.
Half grades: what PSA 8.5 means and why there is no 9.5
PSA introduced half grades from 1 February 2008. Its standards say cards “that exhibit high-end qualities within each particular grade, between PSA 2 and PSA 9, may achieve a half-point increase”, with a clear focus on centring. So a PSA NM-MT 8.5 is a strong PSA 8, but “the half-point does not represent the mid-point between grades”, and a card left at the whole number is not seen as “low-end”.
There is no PSA 9.5. PSA felt a third Mint grade was unnecessary because Mint 9 and Gem Mint 10 already existed. The same change split Poor and Fair, which had shared the 1 grade, so PSA 1.5 (FR) is a grade of its own.
Qualifiers, Authentic and No Grade results
A qualifier is a letter code for one specific issue. PSA lists MK (marks) and MC (miscut) as required, and OC (off centre), ST (staining), PD (print defect) and OF (out of focus) as optional. Qualified cards cannot get half grades: a PSA NM-MT 8OC “is precluded from half-point consideration”.
“Authentic” means PSA is “only certifying that the item is genuine, without a numerical grade”, while “Authentic Altered” means genuine but altered, for example by trimming. PSA will not grade cards showing trimming, restoration or other tampering, and uses No Grade codes N1 to N9 to say why.
How to do a PSA cert lookup
- Find the number: it is printed on the label with the grade.
- Look it up on PSA’s Cert Verification page, or scan the label or its QR code in the PSA app, as PSA’s FAQ explains.
- Compare everything: the card, grade and label details should match the record exactly.
- Check the images. PSA’s free SecureScan, added in 2019, puts front and back scans of graded items online. Where scans exist, compare centring, corners and marks with the slab you are holding.
A real cert number can still sit in a fake slab
PSA warns that a cert check “does not eliminate risk”, because criminals “do attempt to counterfeit PSA grading inserts using actual certification numbers”. Its buyer’s guide explains that the holder is sealed with a tamper-evident sonic weld, so check for:
- Frosting: a cloudy look along the edges where the weld has been broken.
- Flex: a welded holder is very firm, so flexing plastic or edges that pop open are warning signs.
- Light test: against a strong light, a real label lets you read the text on the other side. A fake front stuck on makes it too thick.
Current labels carry a LightHouse logo with an on/off illumination effect and a UV logo pattern, per PSA’s security page. PSA adds that “There is nothing wrong with asking a seller to make a deal contingent on PSA’s confirmation.” Our guide to buying trading cards safely on Carousell covers the photos and records to keep.
Pokémon, One Piece Card Game, sports cards and Funko Pop!
- Pokémon: PSA’s Pokémon Collecting Basics Guide says PSA “recognizes and accepts a multitude of” error cards.
- One Piece Card Game: PSA’s One Piece guide notes it prints “Errata” on holder labels for errata versions.
- Sports cards: Topps Chrome and NBA cards use the same scale.
- Funko Pop!: PSA stopped Funko Pop! grading after 1 December 2025. Signed Funko Pop! figures can still get autograph-only authentication and encapsulation, marked with PSA’s Blue Label.
FAQs
What does PSA 8.5 mean?
PSA 8.5 is a half grade within NM-MT 8. PSA may give a half-point increase to cards that show high-end qualities within their grade, with a clear focus on centring. It marks an exceptional example of that grade, not a midpoint between 8 and 9, and a plain PSA 8 is not considered low-end.
Is there a PSA 9.5?
No. When PSA introduced half grades in 2008, it added them within its 1 to 10 scale except for 9.5. PSA said a third Mint grade was unnecessary because Mint 9 and Gem Mint 10 already existed, so the top of the PSA grading scale goes straight from PSA 9 to PSA 10.
What is the difference between PSA 9 and PSA 10?
A PSA 9 Mint card may show only one minor flaw, such as a very slight wax stain on the back or slightly off-white borders. A PSA 10 Gem Mint card is virtually perfect and free of staining. Centring also tightens, from about 60/40 front and 90/10 back to about 55/45 and 75/25.
How do I check a PSA cert number?
Enter the certification number from the label on PSA’s Cert Verification page, or scan the label or QR code in the PSA app. Check that the card, grade and label details match the record. Where PSA has SecureScan front and back images, compare the centring, corners and marks with the slab in your hand.
Can a real cert number be on a fake slab?
Yes. PSA warns that a cert check does not eliminate risk, because criminals sometimes use real certification numbers on counterfeit labels. Look for frosting along the edges or flexing plastic, hold the label to a strong light to see whether you can read through it, and ask the seller to make the deal subject to PSA’s confirmation.
Does PSA grade One Piece Card Game cards and Funko Pop! figures?
PSA grades One Piece Card Game cards and prints “Errata” on labels for errata versions. Funko Pop! figures are different: PSA stopped Funko Pop! grading after 1 December 2025. Signed Funko Pop! figures can still get autograph-only authentication and encapsulation, marked with PSA’s Blue Label.