PSA
CGC
PCA
CCC
SFG
CollectAuraCCC vs PCA in 2026: which one to pick for your Pokémon card
The two main French graders do not play the same game. PCA is the 2015 pioneer, volume leader, with a 4×4 matrix (tier × declared value). CCC is the 2022 challenger, built around a simple value-based pricing (€17 to €28) and a €17 flat crossover. Which one fits your card? Numbered decision, no fluff.
The gist
- CCC = pricing simplicity (4 tiers, €17 → €28), public Pop Report, Arcueil drop-off (min. €501), 14 TCGs supported.
- PCA = historic volume, peak FR resale premium, 4 tiers × 4 brackets matrix (€12.90 → €590), unique Collector 10+ grade.
- Below €100 of declared value: PCA Classic wins on raw price (€12.90 vs €17), but CCC is 6× faster.
- Between €100 and €1,000: CCC stays competitive (€24) vs PCA Classic 250-999 € (€24.90), with much better turnaround.
- Above €1,000: PCA wins on resale premium, but CCC stays sane at €28.
- For a crossover from another grader: CCC at €17 flat is unbeatable.
Synthetic comparison table
| Criterion | CCC Grading | PCA |
|---|---|---|
| Launch year | 2022 (Nanterre RCS) | 2015 (first slab 2016) |
| Pricing (1-50 €) | €17 | €12.90 (Classic) |
| Pricing (51-100 €) | €20 | €12.90 (Classic) or €19.90 (Fast) |
| Pricing (101-500 €) | €24 | €24.90 (Classic 250-999 €) |
| Pricing (501-1500 €) | €28 | €24.90 (Classic 250-999 €) → €79.90 (Classic 1000-9999 €) |
| Pricing (> €1500) | €28 flat | €79.90 to €590 by value and speed |
| Crossover | €17 flat, any value | Not publicly documented |
| Standard turnaround | 30 d | 180 d (Classic) or 30 d (Fast €19.90) |
| Express upgrades | +€5 (Express), +€20 (Super-Express), +€40 (Ultra-Express) | Fast+ €49.90 (7 d), Excelsior €149 (1 d) |
| Grading scale | 1-10 + half grades, Gem Mint 10 / Pristine 10 (Gold) / Black Label 10 | 1-10 + half grades, Gem Mint 10 / Collector 10+ |
| Displayed sub-grades | 4 sub-grades (centering, corners, edges, surface) | 4 sub-axes assessed internally, only final grade on slab |
| Population Report | Public, queryable per card | Not officially published |
| Paris drop-off | Arcueil 94110 (RER B Laplace), min. €501 | Workshop 2 rue Raffet 75016 (Excelsior, by appointment) |
| Supported TCGs | 14 (Pokémon, YGO, MTG, OP, DBS, Lorcana, Digimon…) | 3 (Pokémon, Magic, Dragon Ball Super) |
| Headcount | Small, single drop-off office | 10-19 employees (INSEE bracket) |
| Slab (material) | PMMA, ultrasonic welded, UV-resistant | Proprietary slab, non-PSA format |
Sources: cccgrading.com/en/prices, pcagrade.com/fr/prices (via Wayback Machine 2025-09),
data/graders.json. Tariffs verified May 2026.
Pricing: value-based vs 4×4 matrix
CCC: radical simplicity
CCC runs 4 value-based tiers, end of story. Card between €1 and €50? €17. Between €51 and €100? €20. Between €101 and €500? €24. Above? €28, whether you declare €600 or €60,000. By far the simplest grid on the French market.
Optional add-ons:
- HD scans front + back: +€3 per card.
- Monochrome label (alternative B&W aesthetic): +€1 per card.
- Insurance during processing: 2 % of declared value.
- Express: +€5. Super-Express: +€20. Ultra-Express: +€40.
PCA: the 4-tier × 4-bracket matrix
PCA runs on two axes: speed (Classic 6 months, Fast 1 month, Fast+ 1 week, Excelsior 1 day) and declared value (1-249 €, 250-999 €, 1,000-9,999 €, ≥ 10,000 €). 16 cells in total. Classic starts at €12.90 (1-249 €) and climbs to €390 for a Classic on a ≥ €10,000 card. Excelsior caps at €590 on the same bracket.
PCA quirk: a volume discount kicks in from 10 cards in Classic. On the 1-249 € bracket, you drop from €12.90 to €10.90 per card. On the 250-999 € bracket, from €24.90 to €22.90. This is PCA’s main weapon for batch submissions.
Three numbered scenarios
Scenario 1: 1 Pokémon card at €60 (Pikachu Promo SWSH).
- CCC: €20 (51-100 € tier), 30-day turnaround.
- PCA Classic: €12.90 (1-249 € tier), 6-month turnaround.
- PCA Fast: €19.90, 30-day turnaround.
- Verdict: PCA Fast beats CCC by 10 cents for the same turnaround. CCC beats PCA Classic on speed but costs €7 more.
Scenario 2: 5 Pokémon cards (1 at €250, 4 at €150).
- CCC: 1×€24 + 4×€24 = €120, 30-day turnaround.
- PCA Classic: 5×€12.90 = €64.50 (under 10 cards), 6-month turnaround.
- PCA Fast: 5×€19.90 = €99.50, 30-day turnaround.
- Verdict: PCA Classic wins on price (€64.50 vs €120), but locks you for 6 months. PCA Fast beats CCC by ~€20.
Scenario 3: 15 modern Pokémon cards (all €30-80), family batch.
- CCC: 15×€17 or €20 = ~€270 to ~€300 by tier, 30-day turnaround.
- PCA Classic 10+ cards: 15×€10.90 = €163.50, 6-month turnaround.
- PCA Fast: 15×€19.90 = €298.50, 30-day turnaround.
- Verdict: PCA Classic 10+ cards is unbeatable if you can wait 6 months. For 30 days, CCC ≈ PCA Fast.
Reputation and trust
CCC: transparency-first
CCC bets everything on transparency. Official tagline: « the most transparent and qualified card grading service ». Concretely:
- Public Pop Report: query the database, see how many cards got each grade. No other FR grader publishes this.
- Displayed sub-grades: centering (8-10), corners (1-10), edges (1-10), surface (1-10). Rule: final grade equals the lowest sub-grade.
- Arcueil drop-off: 5 min from Paris, by appointment, Monday-Friday.
- Customer support:
support@cccgrading.com, broadly positive community feedback on Pokégourou and MaxiCartes.
PCA: the pioneer that sometimes drifts
PCA enjoys historic trust capital: pioneer since 2015, recognisable slabs, present at Cartomania and every major fair. But the FR community regularly flags two weaknesses:
- Drifting turnaround. The 6-month Classic regularly slips to 7-9 months during peak season (major Pokémon set releases). Source: r/pokemonfr community feedback.
- No Pop Report. You do not know how many Charizard PCA 10 are in circulation. This opacity is increasingly criticised by investors.
On the flip side: the PCA scale includes the Collector 10+, with no real CCC equivalent in market visibility. CCC has a Black Label 10 (10/10/10/10), stricter than the Pristine Gold (10/10/10/9.5), but those levels are less readable for the French market than a simple « 10+ » etched onto a slab.
Real turnaround (not marketing)
| Level | CCC (announced) | CCC (observed) | PCA (announced) | PCA (observed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 30 d+ | 25-40 d | 180 d (Classic) | 180-270 d at peak |
| Express | +€5: ~25 d | 20-30 d | 20 d (Fast €19.90) | 20-30 d |
| Super-Express | +€20: ~15 d | 10-15 d | 5 d (Fast+ €49.90) | 5-10 d |
| Ultra-Express | +€40: ~7 d | 5-10 d | 1 d (Excelsior €149) | 1-2 d (by appointment) |
Turnaround observed via the FR community (Pokécardex, r/pokemonfr, TrustPilot). PCA Classic drifts regularly during set-release peaks; CCC holds the line better but processes lower volumes.
Observed FR resale premium
On Cardmarket FR and eBay.fr, at equal grade (Gem Mint 10):
- WOTC Pokémon vintage (Base, Jungle, Fossil): clear PCA premium (+10 to +25 % vs CCC on the same cards). PCA is more recognised, older, more heavily referenced on marketplaces.
- Modern Pokémon (SWSH, SV): small gap (~+5 %), CCC catches up fast thanks to its Pop Report and perceived seriousness.
- Japanese cards: balanced. CCC handles JP names better (Snow Hazard, Wild Force), but PCA keeps the prestige on alt-arts.
- Other TCGs (One Piece, Lorcana, MTG): CCC wins outright, PCA only grades Pokémon + Magic + DBS.
Decision table
| Your profile | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| One Pokémon card < €100, no rush | PCA Classic (€12.90, 6 months) |
| One Pokémon card < €100, urgent (30 d) | CCC value-low (€17) or PCA Fast (€19.90) |
| One Pokémon card €100-500 | CCC value-high (€24), 15-25 d turnaround, queryable Pop Report |
| One Pokémon card €500-2,000 | PCA Fast (€39.90) or CCC value-top (€28), depending on target resale market |
| One Pokémon card > €2,000 | PCA Fast+ or Excelsior, peak FR resale premium |
| Batch of 10+ modern Pokémon cards | PCA Classic 10+ cards (€10.90/card, 6 months) |
| Crossover from PSA, CGC, SFG or CollectAura | CCC Crossover (€17 flat, any value) |
| Non-Pokémon card (One Piece, Lorcana, MTG) | CCC (PCA only grades Pokémon + Magic + DBS) |
| You want displayed sub-grades on the slab | CCC (centering, corners, edges, surface visible) |
| You aim for Collector 10+ | PCA (unique market grade) |
Concrete profiles: who would pick what?
The display collector, 30s, modern only
Profile: 5 to 10 cards submitted per year, all modern (SWSH, SV), unit value €30-80, display objective in a wall frame or binder. No short-term resale intent.
Recommendation: PCA Classic (batched 10+ cards if possible). Price drops to €10.90/card, 6-month wait is not a problem, and the PCA slab integrates better into custom wall frame aesthetics (partner formats are more common).
The investor, regular submissions, resale-premium-first
Profile: 20 to 50 cards per year, mix of vintage (WOTC FR/EN Base) and modern (SV alt-art), unit value €200-2,000, resale on Cardmarket and eBay over 6-18 months.
Recommendation: split CCC + PCA. CCC for modern and crossovers (Pop Report transparency + €17 flat), PCA for WOTC vintage (peak resale premium) and Collector 10+ attempts on alt-art.
The casual with a single card found in an attic
Profile: 1 card only, 1999 FR Base Set Charizard valued at €500, no grading experience.
Recommendation: PCA Fast (€39.90 on 250-999 € bracket) or CCC value-high (€24). If quick resale to FR audience, PCA. If 5+ year hold, CCC for Pop Report transparency and UV-resistant PMMA slab.
The multi-TCG One Piece + Lorcana collector
PCA does not grade those. CCC is the only French option. Standard pricing €17 to €28 by declared value. 30-day turnaround.
What to know before submitting
- CCC requires a €501 minimum declared value threshold for the Arcueil drop-off. Below that, postal shipping only.
- PCA requires the paper receipt inside the package (downloaded from your account). Without it, submission rejected.
- Both accept perfect-fit sleeves + card saver. Neither demands BCW vs CBG (unlike PSA).
- Neither grades sealed boosters. For that, see CollectAura (€30 booster slab).
- CCC pricing = TTC (incl. tax). PCA pricing = TTC. No additional VAT, unlike an imported US slab.
Short comparison page: CCC vs PCA, short table. This article is the sourced long-form, the short table stays useful as a quick reference.
Conclusion: there is no absolute winner
CCC and PCA are not in head-on competition. They serve two complementary profiles: CCC for transparency, pricing simplicity, multi-TCG and crossovers; PCA for volume, FR resale premium, Collector 10+ and discounted Classic batches. The right reflex is to not pick « one grader forever » but to pick the right grader for each card, based on value, urgency, target market and slab characteristics.