Loading...
Get a behind-the-scenes look at CGI Vision AI, our 30-second grading workflow, and the blockchain-backed certificates collectors use to verify every CardGrade report.
In short: Every CardGrade scan produces a digital certificate with exact centering ratios, per-corner and per-edge condition notes, surface defect markers, a confidence score, and predicted grades for PSA, BGS, and CGC — all in one permanent record you can share with buyers or reference before submitting. Understanding what each score means is the key to acting on it correctly.
CardGrade exists to answer one question before you spend money on professional grading: what grade is this card likely to receive?
The process starts with a photo and ends with a digital certificate that breaks down your card's condition across every factor that grading companies evaluate. This article walks through the complete workflow, explains what the certificate includes, and covers how to use it when buying, selling, or submitting cards for professional grading.
Professional grading from PSA costs $22-$28 per card at entry-level tiers. CGC starts at $17. TAG at $15-$25. Across all companies, submission fees add up fast, and the outcome is uncertain until your card returns weeks or months later.
The industry-wide PSA 10 rate for modern cards hovers around 30-40%. That means 60-70% of submitted cards come back at PSA 9 or lower, many of them barely breaking even or losing money relative to their raw value plus fees.
CardGrade's AI pre-grading reduces that uncertainty. By analyzing your card's condition before you submit, you can make informed decisions about which cards are worth the grading fee and which should be sold raw, traded, or held.
Go to cardgrade.io and upload a high-resolution photo of your card's front. The AI works best with:
You can upload from your phone camera, desktop, or any device with a browser. Supported formats include JPG and PNG.
Once uploaded, CardGrade's AI evaluates four grading factors:
Centering The AI measures border widths on all four edges and calculates left/right and top/bottom centering ratios. These ratios are compared against grading company thresholds. For PSA, the current Gem Mint 10 standard is 55/45 front centering. The AI flags whether your card passes or fails this threshold and provides the exact measured ratio.
Corners Corner analysis looks for whitening, dings, rounding, and impact damage at all four corners. Modern cards from packs typically have sharp corners, but even slight whitening from handling or pack friction can limit a card to PSA 9. The AI identifies corner issues and their severity.
Edges Edge analysis evaluates the full perimeter of the card for chipping, whitening, rough cuts, and denting. Edge damage often occurs during pack opening or improper storage. The AI scans each edge and notes any defects.
Surface Surface analysis is the most complex factor. The AI looks for scratches, print lines, surface contamination, ink spots, roller marks, and other surface defects. Some surface issues (like factory print lines) are common on modern cards and may or may not affect the grade depending on severity and grading company standards.
After analyzing all four factors, the AI produces:
The analysis results are packaged into a digital certificate, a permanent record of your card's pre-grade assessment.
The CardGrade digital certificate is a comprehensive document that captures everything the AI found during analysis:
Card Identification
Grade Assessment
Factor Breakdown
Visual Overlays
Metadata
The certificate is designed to be useful both for your own records and for communicating card condition to potential buyers.
Digital certificates add credibility when selling raw cards. Buyers on eBay, Facebook groups, Discord servers, or any marketplace face the same problem: they can't inspect a raw card's condition from a listing photo alone. A CardGrade certificate provides objective, AI-generated condition data that goes beyond "looks mint to me."
In eBay listings: Include the certificate or its key findings in your listing description. A centering measurement of 52/48 (near-perfect) backed by AI analysis carries more weight than a seller claiming "great centering" with no data. Buyers looking for gradable raw cards will find this information valuable.
In Facebook marketplace or Discord sales: Share the certificate link or screenshot alongside your card photos. Serious buyers will appreciate the transparency, and it can justify higher asking prices for cards that show strong PSA 10 potential.
In trade negotiations: When trading raw cards, the certificate provides a shared reference point for condition. Instead of arguing about whether a card is "mint" or "near-mint," both parties can reference the AI assessment and centering measurements.
The certificate does not replace professional grading. It's a pre-grade assessment, not an authenticated grade. But in raw card transactions, it's the closest thing to objective condition data that exists outside of a grading company's slab.
The most common use of the certificate is deciding whether to submit a card for professional grading. The workflow is:
This creates a data-driven submission pipeline that replaces gut-feeling decisions. Over time, tracking your certificates against actual grading results lets you calibrate your submission criteria.
For a detailed breakdown of how pre-screening math works, see our guide on how AI pre-grading boosts PSA submission success.
CardGrade takes data handling seriously. Here's what happens with your uploads:
Your card images: Photos you upload are used for AI analysis. They're stored securely to generate and maintain your certificates. CardGrade does not sell, share, or distribute your card images to third parties.
Your certificates: Certificates are accessible to you through your account. You control whether to share them publicly (e.g., in a sale listing) or keep them private.
Account data: Standard account information (email, username) is stored with industry-standard encryption. CardGrade does not require or store financial information beyond what's necessary for payment processing.
No third-party card data sharing: CardGrade does not share information about what cards you own, what grades they received, or your submission patterns with grading companies, marketplaces, or any other parties.
AI grading and human grading serve different purposes, and understanding the distinction matters.
What AI pre-grading does well:
What human grading still does better:
CardGrade's AI is not a replacement for PSA, CGC, or any professional grading service. It's a filter that helps you decide which cards deserve the investment of professional grading. Think of it as a metal detector on the beach: it tells you where to dig, but you still need to dig.
The workflow is designed to be minimal-friction:
For centering-only checks, the free centering tool provides instant centering ratios for free, no account required.
For full condition analysis across all four grading factors with digital certificate generation, sign up for CardGrade and start screening your cards before your next submission.
The goal is simple: spend your grading budget on cards that will return value, and keep your money in your pocket for the ones that won't.
Pre-screen your cards before submitting to PSA, BGS, or CGC. Start free 3-day trial.
Start free trialAlso available as a Chrome Extension
Grade cards while you browse
Install our free Chrome Extension — right-click any card on eBay, COMC, or TCGPlayer for instant grades.
Founder, CardGrade
Jamie Budesky is the founder of CardGrade and the engineer behind its AI vision grading pipeline. An Army veteran and IT specialist (DoD, since 2017), he writes about card grading, AI/ML grading technology, and collecting strategy — grounded in CardGrade's own grading data.
Not all AI grading apps are equal. What matters: accuracy, confidence scores, PSA/BGS/CGC predictions, market value — and why CardGrade.io is our pick.
Save hundreds on grading fees by AI pre-screening your cards before submitting to PSA, BGS, or CGC. Learn the smart submission strategy.
Everything you need to know about AI card grading — how it works, accuracy, use cases, and how to get started with CardGrade.io's free AI grading tool.