PCG vs CGC for Pokémon Cards: Which to Use From SA?

By Mitchell Taljaard · 19 Sept 2026 · Updated 19 Oct 2026

CGC is one of the graders collectors often weigh up alongside PSA. It's well known, and its cheapest tiers look affordable in dollars. But from South Africa, the dollar fee is only part of the story.

We're Cuppas Cards, a PCG submission service for South African Pokémon collectors. We don't grade cards ourselves: PCG assigns every grade. So we have a side in this, and we've used each grader's own published figures, plus the turnaround PCG has promised our batches, checked on 19 October 2026, so you can compare fairly.

PCG vs CGC at a glance

Dollar figures are converted at R16.46 to the dollar (Trading Economics, 19 October 2026). PCG's R325 is our quoted rand price for its £15 fee. CGC's fees and turnarounds come from its services and fees page for direct US submissions. PCG's come from PCG UK's pricing page.

Which is cheaper from South Africa, PCG or CGC?

With estimated customs, PCG through us is about R593 a card plus insurance, including the UK round trip. CGC's $20 Economy tier is about R444 a card before you pay to ship to the US and back.

PCG through Cuppas Cards costs R495 per card, including the £15 grading fee and the DHL trip to the UK and back. Customs, VAT and insurance are added at checkout, so a card declared at R1,000 comes to R623. Your postage to us and local delivery back are extra.

CGC's $20 Economy tier is about R329 per card. If the returned slabs face the same estimated 20% duty and 15% VAT we use, that adds about R115, so budget about R444 a card. That's our estimate, and it's before shipping your cards to the US and back, insurance and any middleman fee. CGC's $17 Bulk tier is cheaper, but it needs at least 25 cards.

So CGC's grading fee can be lower than PCG's, but the full cost from South Africa depends on how you get your cards there. Our cost breakdown shows every rand of the PCG route.

Which is faster, PCG or CGC?

At the £15 and $20 price level, PCG is faster. PCG UK quotes 4 to 6 weeks to grade on its £15 Standard tier for direct submissions (PCG UK pricing). As a PCG partner, our batches are promised about 30 days at PCG. From South Africa, we expect slabs back about 40 days after a batch ships, though our first batch is still out.

CGC's cheapest tiers quote 150 working days for Bulk and 90 for Economy, which is roughly seven months and four months (CGC services and fees). Its Standard tier quotes 10 working days, about two weeks, but at $55 a card plus shipping to the US and back. CGC says its turnaround times are estimates only and not guaranteed.

How do PCG and CGC top grades compare?

Both graders use a 1 to 10 scale and split the top grade, but in different ways.

CGC's Pristine 10 is "a virtually flawless card to the naked eye" with 50/50 centering. Its Gem Mint 10 allows centering up to about 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back (CGC grading scale).

PCG goes one step further, with three levels of 10. Flawless 10 needs a perfect 10 on all four subgrades. Pristine 10 allows one minor imperfection, and Gem Mint 10 allows minor imperfections in two subgrades (PCG grading standards). Our guide to PCG grades explains each one.

Does PCG or CGC give subgrades?

PCG prints four subgrades on every Standard-tier label: centering, corners, edges and surface. That's one of the two reasons we chose PCG, along with turnaround.

CGC's current services and fees page doesn't list a subgrade service. If subgrades matter to you, check CGC's site before you submit.

Do PCG or CGC slabs sell for more?

Collector price guides put PSA 10s above CGC 10s, with estimates from 5% to 30% depending on the card (PokemonPriceTracker, April 2026; PreGradeCards, September 2026). Neither source explains its method in detail, and neither covers PCG. There's little public sales data for PCG slabs yet, so we can't say how PCG and CGC compare on price.

If you're grading a valuable card mainly to sell it, check recent sold prices for that card in CGC and PCG slabs before you choose. Our PCG vs PSA guide covers resale value in more detail.

Should you choose PCG or CGC?

Choose PCG through Cuppas Cards if:

• You want one rand price that covers the grading fee and the trip to the grader and back
• You want your slabs back in weeks, not months, without paying $55 a card
• You want printed subgrades on every card
• You're sending one card or a few, rather than 25 or more

Choose CGC if:

• You're sending 25 or more cards and can arrange shipping yourself
• Your buyers ask for CGC slabs
• You have a near-perfect card and want a shot at CGC's Pristine 10

Not sure your card is near-perfect? Our pre-grading checklist shows how to check it at home. Weighing up other graders as well? Read our PCG vs TAG and PCG vs Beckett comparisons. For all five graders side by side, see our guide to choosing a card grading company from South Africa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CGC cheaper than PCG?

On the grading fee alone, sometimes. CGC's $17 Bulk fee (about R280) is lower than PCG's £15 Standard fee (R325), but it needs 25 cards and quotes 150 working days. PCG through Cuppas Cards is R495 per card with the UK round trip included, plus customs, VAT and insurance at checkout (R623 for a card declared at R1,000), plus your postage to us and local delivery back.

Can I get faster grading, or CGC, through Cuppas Cards?

No. We send cards only to PCG in the UK, on its £15 Standard tier. PCG's faster £25 Express tier is a UK drop-off service, so it isn't available through us, and we don't send cards to CGC.

Which is faster, PCG or CGC?

At similar prices, PCG. Our partner batches are promised about 30 days at PCG (4 to 6 weeks if you submit direct), while CGC's $17 and $20 tiers quote 150 and 90 working days. CGC's $55 Standard tier quotes 10 working days.

Before you send your cards

Read our step-by-step grading guide and our shipping and packing guide. Pack every card in a semi-rigid holder, then add your cards on our submission page. One card per order is fine.

CGC and PCG figures as published on 19 October 2026.