Guide · updated 19 October 2026
Pokémon card grading in Europe: prices and turnaround compared
The price per card is only half the story. Between an entry tier that takes six months and an express tier at €150, most of the difference is time. Here is what the main services open to European collectors cost and how long they take, ours included.
The table
Price per card for a card with a low declared value, before shipping both ways. Other companies' prices come from the guides listed at the bottom of the page; check their own site before you send anything.
| Service | Entry tier | Stated turnaround | Faster option | Subgrades | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLGGrade | €12.49 €10.49 from 10 cards |
5 to 7 days | Express €14.49, 1 to 2 days | 4 subgrades and a public report with the surface scan | Saint-Cannat, France |
| PSA Europe | €49.99 Standard, launch price (€59.99 list) |
80 to 90 business days | Priority €69.99 (70 to 80 business days), Express €199 | None on Standard | Frankfurt, Germany |
| CGC Cards | $17 Bulk, value up to $500 |
about 150 days | Express $100 (5 days) | 4 subgrades | USA, office in Munich |
| PCA | €10.90 to €12.90 Classic, value €1 to €249 |
6 months | Fast €19.90 (1 month), Fast+ €49.90 (1 week), Excelsior €149 (1 day) | Available | Paris, France |
| CCC Grading | €17 value €1 to €50, Economy tier paused |
7 to 10 business days on Express (+€5) | Super-Express +€20 (1 to 3 days), Ultra-Express +€40 (same day) | 4 subgrades and a GradeReport | Paris, France |
What 10 cards cost
Ten modern cards of average value, on each service's cheapest tier, before shipping them to the grader.
- FLGGrade, Regular Bulk
- €104.90 + Mondial Relay return €8 in France, graded 5 to 7 days after arrival
- PSA Europe, Standard
- €499.90, 80 to 90 business days
- PCA, Classic
- €109 to €129, about 6 months
- PCA, Fast+
- €499, about 1 week
Returns from FLGGrade start at €16 to the rest of Europe with Colissimo. Insured delivery with signature is available too; the calculator has the price for your country.
Which service for which card
PSA
For a card worth several hundred euros that you plan to sell worldwide. PSA slabs carry the strongest resale premium, and the Frankfurt centre avoids customs for EU collectors. The trade-off is three to four months of waiting and no subgrades on Standard.
PCA and CCC
The two established French graders, well known to French buyers. PCA is the cheapest to start with but its Classic tier takes six months. CCC is quicker with its Express options and costs more per card.
FLGGrade
For a grade within a week without paying for an express tier, and for knowing why the card got it. Every defect is located on a photometric scan published with the cert, which buyers can check before they bid.
How we grade
Every card is photographed under light from several angles. From those photos we compute a map of the surface relief, which shows scratches and dents even on holo foil.
Each defect is logged by type and size, from XXS to XL, and each size takes a fixed number of points off its subgrade: a light scratch costs 1.2 points, a deep one 4.5. Centering counts for 10% of the grade, and corners, edges and surface for 30% each.
The final grade is the lower of the weighted average, rounded up to the half point, and the lowest subgrade plus one. The whole scale is public: grading scale.