FAQ
What is card grading?
Card grading is the professional assessment and encapsulation of a trading card's condition. A grading company evaluates the card across four metrics - surface, corners, centering and edges - assigns a numerical grade, and seals the card in a protective, tamper-evident slab with a certificate number. Collectors grade cards to verify condition, protect them permanently, and establish value when buying or selling. ACG grades cards for collectors across Australia.
How much does card grading cost in Australia?
ACG grading starts at $32 AUD per card for standard service with a 10 business day turnaround. Express grading is $50 AUD. Authentication without a condition grade is $26 AUD. Bulk pricing is available at $300 AUD for 10 cards, $1,450 AUD for 50 cards, and $2,700 AUD for 100 cards.
There are no surcharges for subgrades and no premiums based on card value. Every card receives the same imaging, the same centering measurement and the same two-grader review, whatever service level you choose.
What types of cards do you grade?
With our new API integration, we are now able to accept all standard sized Trading cards for grading including:
Pokémon
One Piece Card Game
Magic: The Gathering
Dragon Ball Super
Disney Lorcana
Flesh and Blood
Riftbound
Digimon
Weiss Schwarz
Final Fantasy TCG
Star Wars: Unlimited
Union Arena
Shadowverse: Evolve
MetaZoo
Sorcery: Contested Realm
Battle Spirits Saga
KeyForge
World of Warcraft TCG
Transformers TCG
My Little Pony Collectible CG
Bakugan TCG
When does my turnaround time start for my submission?
Your turnaround begins the day we receive your cards, not the day you place your order.
Standard turnaround is currently 10 business days.
Does ACG use AI to grade cards?
Yes. ACG was the first card grader in Australia to adopt AI, and we build and train our models in-house.
AI currently handles centering. Our V2 centering model measures border ratios at sub-pixel resolution and reports the result to two decimal places. Every measurement is then shown to a grader who verifies or amends it before the grade is approved - no centering grade is published without human sign-off.
Surface, corners and edges are assessed by our graders, not by AI.
The centering measurement appears on every card entry in our database from the date the feature launched. You can search the ACG database here
Do you grade autographed or metal cards?
Not currently. ACG does not grade or authenticate autographed cards or metal cards. We grade standard-sized trading cards only.
Do you grade miscut cards?
Yes, we do grade miscut cards.
The process is slightly different, please reach out to our team if you need further clarification.
If either one front or rear border is printed off the card OR print dots are visible, we will award an 'M' Miscut grade for centering, under the cards overall grade it will also be labelled 'MISCUT'.
The card will still be graded on the other 3 subgrades (Corners, Edges & Surface). However, the centering grade will not be taken into consideration when calculating your grade.
Is it normal to have a white dot on the top and bottom of the slab?
Yes. Those are injection points from the moulding process used to manufacture the slab, and they appear on every ACG case. They're a normal part of production, not a defect, and they don't affect the seal or the security of the slab.
Can i grade with you if i live outside of Australia?
ACG currently grades for collectors within Australia, with all orders returned to Australian addresses. Select international markets are planned.
Do you have insurance for sending cards?
ACG has several insurance options available when we return your cards ranging from $1000 to $5000. These options will be offered to you at checkout when choosing your shipping method.
Remember, purchasing insurance on our site only insures packages we are returning to you one way and are based on the provable value.
Please contact Australia Post if you need further clarification.
Please reach out if you have any questions regarding insurance and we'll do our best to assist you.
Do you grade sealed cards?
No. ACG accepts raw, unsealed cards only. Cards should be sent in a penny sleeve inside a top loader. We don't accept sealed product or cards already slabbed by another grading company.
Where are my cards kept while grading?
Your cards are held at a secure private facility under 24/7 surveillance, or in safes accessible only by company directors.
Every card is also photographed front and back at over 1500 dpi and archived against its certificate number before encapsulation, which means there is a permanent visual record of your card's condition from the moment it begins processing.
Can i drop off my cards in person?
In-person drop-off is currently available through our partner network. Direct drop-off at ACG will be available when our public-facing location opens in 2026.
Until then, submissions are posted to us from anywhere in Australia.
How long does card grading take in Australia?
ACG standard turnaround is 10 business days from the day we receive your cards. Express grading is faster. Many graders quote turnarounds in months; we don't hold submissions in queues.
Who graded my card?
Every ACG certificate names the grader who assigned the grade.
Each card is independently reviewed by a second grader before encapsulation, and we run live analytics across our grading floor to keep standards consistent between graders over time.
Anonymous grading is the industry norm - we don't think it should be.
How do I look up an ACG certificate number?
Every ACG slab carries a unique certificate number and a QR code.
Scan the code or enter the number into the ACG database to see the full record: front and back imagery, the grade, subgrades and centering measurements.
ACG certificate numbers are issued sequentially.
What do subgrades mean?
Subgrades are the individual scores for each of the four metrics — surface, corners, centering and edges.
They appear on the rear of every ACG slab and on your database entry. Surface carries the heaviest weighting: a card's final grade cannot exceed its surface grade by more than one point.
There's no additional charge for subgrades. Every ACG card receives them.