Verify any PSA slab — free

Why verifying a PSA slab matters in 2026

Counterfeit graded slabs have quietly become one of the most expensive mistakes a collector can make. A fake PSA slab can look convincing from ten feet away — the font is close, the flip card looks right, even the holographic label has been cloned in some cases. Holding it in your hand, you might not catch it. But the cert number never matches, because PSA's database is the one thing a forger can't copy. That's why verifying a PSA slab starts with one step: looking up the cert number. Everything else — the label, the holographic foil, the card inside — is defense in depth.

The good news: PSA cert lookup is free, it takes about two seconds, and it catches the overwhelming majority of counterfeit slabs before money changes hands. You can do it from your phone at a card show, from the checkout page of an eBay listing, or right here at MasterGrade's free verifier. If you're buying a slabbed card worth more than lunch, there's no excuse to skip this step.

What is a PSA cert number?

Every card PSA grades gets assigned a unique certification number, usually 8 to 10 digits long. It's printed on the PSA label inside the slab, below the barcode near the bottom. On newer labels it also appears as a QR code on the back. That number is the primary key PSA uses to track the card in its database — grade, card name, set, year, label type, and grading date are all tied to it.

A valid PSA cert number will always return a record on PSA's public API. Crucially, the record includes what card was graded— so if a forger slides a fake card into a real-looking holder and reuses someone else's cert number, the database lookup will show the wrong card. That's usually the tell.

How to verify a PSA slab (step by step)

1. Find the cert number.Flip the slab over or look at the front label. The 8–10 digit number is printed below the barcode. On modern PSA labels it's also a QR code.
2. Enter it in the lookup tool above. We send the number to PSA's official API — no middleman, no scraping, no guessing.
3. Match the returned data to the physical slab. The card name, set, year, and number should match exactly what's on the label and what's inside the case. The returned grade should match the grade on the label.
4. Compare the returned images to the card you can see. PSA scans the card at the time of grading. Those scans are what come back from the lookup. If the scan shows a different card — different centering, different holo pattern, different flaws — you're looking at a tampered slab.
5. Note the population data.PSA returns how many copies of the card exist at that grade and above. Pop data won't tell you if a slab is fake, but it's useful for pricing and rarity context.

How to spot a fake PSA slab

Cert lookup catches most fakes, but there's a whole layered defense worth knowing. In rough order of how often they catch counterfeits:

1. Cert number doesn't exist in PSA's database. Game over — it's a fake. Real PSA cert numbers always resolve.
2. Cert exists, but returns a different card. The slab holder is real (or a close copy), but the card inside has been swapped. This is the most common high-dollar scam.
3. Label print quality is off. Fonts slightly wrong, colors muted or too saturated, bar code looks pixelated, alignment inconsistent with legitimate PSA labels of the same era.
4. Slab case seams and dimensions are wrong. PSA cases have a consistent weight and thickness. Counterfeit cases often feel lighter, have visible seams, or don't match PSA's measurements.
5. Holographic label is missing or poorly cloned. Modern PSA labels have holographic elements that are hard to reproduce. Check under direct light.
6. Card details don't match the label. Wrong set, wrong year, wrong variety. Every piece of text on the label should match the card you can see inside.

If you're buying in person at a card show, run the cert lookup before you hand over money. Most sellers won't mind, and the ones who object are exactly the ones you should be skeptical of.

What PSA population data tells you

When you run a cert lookup, PSA returns the population — how many copies of that specific card exist at that grade and higher. Pop data is powerful context:

• Low pop at grade, nothing higher. The card is a top-pop example. All else equal, it should command a premium.
• Large pop, large pop higher. The card is common in that grade and there are plenty of better examples. Expect steeper price drops versus higher grades.
• Pop of 1 or 2 at the grade level. Rare, but worth double-checking — sometimes pop scarcity reflects a niche variety or a recent submission wave rather than genuine rarity.

Pop data is useful for valuation. It's not a substitute for authentication, but a card with real pop data and a legitimate cert is almost certainly the real thing.

What about BGS and CGC slabs?

MasterGrade's verifier currently supports PSA only because PSA provides a public API that returns full grading records including scanned images. Beckett (BGS) and CGC don't offer the same level of API access — you can look up their certs on their own websites, but the programmatic integration isn't available today.

If you have a BGS slab, go to Beckett's cert lookup page and enter the number from the label. For CGC, use the cgccards.com lookup. We're actively working on adding BGS and CGC support and will bring them into this tool as soon as the data access allows. In the meantime, read our comparison of PSA vs BGS vs CGC to decide which service is right for your submission.

Verifying graded vs grading raw

Verification and grading are different workflows. Verification tells you whether an already-graded card is real and what grade it received. Grading — or pre-grading — tells you what grade a raw card would likely receive if you submitted it. If you're holding a raw card and wondering whether it's worth sending to PSA, you're in pre-grading territory.

MasterGrade does both. Use /verify for slabs you're buying or selling. Use MasterGrade AI grading to pre-grade raw cards from phone photos before you pay for shipping, insurance, and PSA fees. Pre-grading a card at home that's likely to come back a PSA 7 can save you real money. See our guide on whether your card is worth grading for the decision framework.

Privacy: what we store when you verify

Nothing personal. Our verification tool caches PSA responses by cert number for a short period — purely to avoid hammering PSA with duplicate requests and to keep the tool fast. We don't associate cert numbers with your account, we don't sell the data, and we don't use it for anything other than returning the result. No signup is required to verify a cert.

Frequently asked questions about PSA slab verification

How do I verify my PSA slab?

Enter your cert number from the PSA slab label. Our tool queries PSA's official API and returns the grade, card info, and images.

Is PSA slab verification free?

Yes. MasterGrade's PSA cert lookup is free with no signup required.

What information does PSA verification show?

Card name, set, year, PSA grade, cert number, grading date, and official PSA-scanned images.

Can I verify BGS or CGC slabs?

Currently we only support PSA. BGS and CGC support is planned.

How do I spot a fake PSA slab?

Fake slabs often have mismatched cert numbers, low-quality label printing, or card details that don't match PSA's record. Running a cert lookup here will catch all three.

Does MasterGrade store my cert numbers?

No. Lookups are passed through to PSA and cached briefly for performance. We don't track or sell the cert numbers you check.

Related reading: PSA cert lookup guide, PSA label guide, Pokémon authenticity red flags, PSA vs BGS vs CGC.