Frequently asked questions

No. Our process is specifically designed to prevent this.

Inner Circle Grading has developed its own software that registers every order and automatically distributes it across separate batches.

When several customers submit exactly the same card, our system makes sure these cards never end up together in the same batch.

Within a single batch, a specific card can only appear once, unless multiple copies of the same card come from the same customer.

This keeps every card linked to the right customer and order throughout the entire process.

Would you like extra insight? On request, we can provide a copy of the batch overview that includes your card.

For Beckett Grading Services, we use the following indicative turnaround times:

• Silver: 3 – 5 months
• Gold: 3 – 4 weeks
• Platinum: 1 working day

Important: these turnaround times start from the deadline or closing date of the relevant submission.

The timeframes given are indicative. Delays at the grading company, in transport or at customs can affect the final delivery time.

For PSA, we use the following indicative turnaround times:

• Silver: 3 – 5 months
• Gold: 2 – 3 months
• Platinum: 1 – 2 months
• Diamond: 3 – 4 weeks

These turnaround times are also indicative and may depend on PSA’s current processing time.

Yes.

You can drop off your cards in person at one of the official drop-off points of Inner Circle Grading.

You will find an up-to-date overview of our drop-off points on our website.

Once your cards are back from the grading company, you can also collect them from your chosen drop-off point if you wish.

Yes.

Besides dropping them off in person, you can send your cards directly to Inner Circle Grading.

We always recommend sending cards securely, carefully and preferably insured or with tracking.

As soon as your submission has been received, it is registered and included in our processing workflow.

Yes.

Every card is carefully cleaned before grading.

Where possible, we remove things such as:

• dust;
• fingerprints;
• light surface dirt;
• other contaminants that can be removed safely.

We use carefully selected tools and materials for this.

Naturally, cleaning cannot remove existing damage, scratches, whitening, print defects or other permanent flaws.

Yes.

We check cards before they are forwarded to the chosen grading company.

Among other things, we look at:

• centering;
• corners;
• edges;
• surface;
• visible damage;
• dirt and other irregularities.

Our check helps to prepare cards as professionally as possible before they are submitted for grading.

No.

A pre-grade is always a professional estimate and not a guarantee of the final grade.

The final assessment is carried out exclusively by PSA or Beckett.

Inner Circle Grading has no influence on the final grade that the grading company assigns to a card.

The final grade is determined exclusively by the grading company to which your card is submitted.

This means that:

• Beckett determines the BGS grade itself;
• PSA determines the PSA grade itself.

Inner Circle Grading acts as a professional intermediary and takes care of, among other things, the preparation, registration, batching, shipping and further handling of your submission.

No.

No grading service or intermediary can guarantee in advance which grade a card will receive.

Even cards that look perfect at first glance can have characteristics that lead to a lower grade during professional grading.

We make sure your card is prepared as well as possible, but the final assessment lies entirely with the grading company.

Yes.

Inner Circle Grading offers grading through both Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and PSA.

Which grader suits your card best can depend on, among other things:

• the type of card;
• the value of the card;
• your personal preference;
• the turnaround time you want;
• the slab design you prefer;
• the market where you may want to sell the card.

We work with fixed submission dates and deadlines.

All cards that have been delivered to us in full before the stated deadline are included in the relevant submission.

The expected grading time therefore starts from the stated deadline/closing date, and not necessarily from the day you dropped off your card with us.

Every submission is linked to a batch within our system.

Our software keeps track of which cards and orders are included in each batch.

If you would like this, you can request an overview of the batch in which your card was processed.

Our batch structure was developed to minimise the risk of mix-ups and to keep every submission traceable.

When the same card is submitted by different customers, these cards are automatically kept apart.

This gives us an extra layer of control on top of our regular order registration.

Yes.

You can submit a single card or multiple cards at once.

Every card is registered individually and linked to your order.

It is also possible to submit different cards or different services within one order.

Yes.

We process cards from various Trading Card Games.

Think of, for example:

• Pokémon;
• One Piece;
• Dragon Ball;
• Gundam;
• Lorcana;
• Riftbound;
• and other suitable trading cards.

If you are unsure whether a specific card can be graded, you can contact us beforehand.

Depending on the chosen service and insurance, cards can be insured during certain parts of the process.

The insured amount and any costs depend on, among other things:

• the declared raw card value;
• the grading company;
• the chosen service.

For certain services, insurance may be mandatory.

Therefore, when placing your order, please check which insurance conditions apply to your submission.

Preferably use a realistic, current market value of the card in ungraded condition: the so-called raw value.

This value can be used for insurance purposes, among other things.

We advise against declaring an artificially high or low value.

At grading companies, certain services can be tied to maximum card values or declared values.

If a grading company determines that a card falls into a higher value category, an additional surcharge, a so-called upcharge, may arise in some cases.

If this happens, we will let you know.

The final grade is determined entirely by PSA or Beckett.

A lower grade than expected therefore does not entitle you to a refund of the grading fees.

The service provided by Inner Circle Grading consists of professionally preparing, registering, processing, shipping and supporting your submission. The final assessment of the card is outside our control.

That depends on the status of your submission.

As long as your cards have not yet been finally processed or sent to the grading company, changes may still be possible in some cases.

Please contact us as soon as possible about this.

Once a submission has been finally processed or is on its way to PSA or Beckett, we may no longer be able to make changes.

As long as your card has not yet been finally included in a shipment or submission, this may be possible in certain cases.

Please contact us as soon as possible about this.

Once the card has already been sent to the grading company, the submission can normally no longer be cancelled.

Once your cards are back from the grading company, they are checked and linked to the original order.

Depending on the chosen delivery method, the cards are then:

• sent to you; or
• made available at the chosen drop-off point.

You will be notified as soon as your cards are ready for shipping or collection.

This is only possible if we can sufficiently verify that the cards are being handed over to the right person.

If in doubt, we may ask for additional verification before a submission is handed over.

The safety of your cards comes first.

We take a large part of the process off your hands.

Inner Circle Grading takes care of, among other things:

• registration of your cards;
• professional inspection;
• cleaning;
• preparation for grading;
• automated batch allocation;
• administration of the submission;
• shipping to the grading company;
• follow-up of the submission;
• processing of the return;
• shipping or collection of your graded cards.

This means you don’t have to deal with the administrative and logistical side of the international grading process.

Our goal is to make grading as safe, professional and transparent as possible.