TAG grading explained: scores, reports and prices
How TAG Grading scores a card out of 1,000, what its DIG report and slab show, which cards it takes, and its prices and waits.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 9 min read
TAG Grading gives every card a grade from 1 to 10, with a Pristine 10 at the top, and can add a TAG Score out of 1,000 with a rank among other TAG-graded copies of the card. Its system images each card and flags defects, people review the results, and the card goes into a sealed slab with a QR code that opens a digital report of what was found. Listed prices run from $59.95 a card at STANDARD to $299.95 at PREMIER, with estimated waits from about 60 business days at BASE down to 3 to 5 at PREMIER.
How does TAG’s grading scale work?
Grades run from 1 to 10, and there are two 10s: Gem Mint 10 and, above it, Pristine 10. TAG gives no 9.5, because a card that beats TAG’s standard for a Mint 9 card is a Gem Mint card, and one that beats the Gem Mint criteria is Pristine.
TAG’s own score runs from 100 to 1,000, and TAG shows that score on a 1 to 10 scale so collectors can compare its results with the scale used across the hobby.
What does a Pristine 10 need?
TAG calls Pristine its highest level and sets these limits:
| Area | TAG Pristine 10 |
|---|---|
| Front centering | Generally no single measurement past 51/49 |
| Back centering | Generally no wider than 54.5/45.5 for sports and other non-TCG cards, or 52/48 for TCG cards |
| Surface, corners, edges | Virtually flawless, with any issue seen only lightly under high-resolution images and magnification |
TAG Gem Mint 10 allows generally no single front-centering measurement past 55/45, for a bordered card.
TAG’s report summary rounds centering figures: a card measured at 55.05/44.95, which may miss Gem Mint 10, can show as 55/45. The precise figure is on the report’s DINGS map. Every card that reaches Pristine 10 gets TAG Score, the scoring out of 1,000, even from a level that does not include it. Our guide to CGC’s Pristine and Perfect grades sets these limits beside CGC’s and SGC’s.
Who decides the grade?
TAG prefers the term machine learning to AI. Its imaging uses a photometric stereo technique to measure the card and map its surface, corners and edges, and the software scores each defect it finds. Then comes Verification, which TAG calls the longest stage: its team checks the system’s findings for errors and false positives.
What does the DIG report show?
DIG stands for Digital Imaging and Grading. Every TAG slab carries a QR code that opens the card’s report online. There are two kinds of report, and what you get depends on the level you pay for.
| Report | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Full report with TAG Score | The score out of 1,000, the 1 to 10 grade, the card’s count in TAG’s population report, its rank among TAG-graded copies and its rank by date graded, eight subgrades (front and back centering, corners, edges and surface), defect annotations, a stereoscopic view of the defects, and high-resolution images to download |
| Regular grading report (once called TAG X) | The 1 to 10 grade, plus a section TAG calls DINGS (Defects Identified of Notable Grade Significance) that marks the main causes of the grade |
The Regular report shows a few scores out of 1,000, but only for three annotation types TAG calls Fill, Fray and Angle. Since July 2025, a Regular card that reaches Pristine is moved up to the full score automatically.
TAG gives conflicting answers on which levels get what: eight subgrades in the full report, but subscores out of 1,000 and the enhanced DIG+ report with PREMIER alone, and a 360-degree slab video that is either an add-on at any level or included from PRIORITY up. Check which report and extras a level includes before you pay.
What does a TAG slab look like?
TAG’s standard slab, for cards up to 50 pt, measures 5.25 by 3.125 inches. TAG says that is closest in height and width to CSG’s slabs among the major graders. It is made of optical-grade acrylic with UV protection, has rounded edges, and fits most standard sleeves made for graded cards. Its text is UV-cured inside the slab, beside the QR code and TAG’s Proof Authentication features.
The slab is sealed by ultrasonic welding at set spots around its edge. Because the plastic is so clear, those weld spots can look like cracks, but they are not damage. The slab is not hermetically sealed, though it guards against dust, handling and weather. To check a TAG slab, open its report through the QR code or online and compare the card with TAG’s images; our guide to spotting a fake slab covers the same habit for other graders, using the cert number.
What does TAG cost, and how long does it take?
TAG listed these levels as of September 30, 2026. Every level includes raw card images, slab images, UV protection and a QR-linked report.
| Level | Price a card | Estimated wait | Insurance a card | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STANDARD | $59.95 | About 45 business days | Up to $1,000 | TAG Score and card rank, premium slab images |
| PRIORITY | $79.95 | About 30 business days | Up to $1,500 | Adds a 360-degree slab video |
| EXPRESS | $149.95 | About 10 business days | Up to $2,500 | The same as PRIORITY |
| PREMIER | $299.95 | About 3 to 5 business days | Up to $5,000 | Adds the DIG+ report with subscores out of 1,000 |
The BASE level takes about 60 business days and insures a card up to $500; it adds the 1 to 10 grade with a Pristine 10, and standard slab images.
On top of the grading fee, checkout adds return shipping at a flat rate; check the checkout total. Each level ships back on its own, so an order that mixes two levels pays for two shipments. Since April 2, 2026, that shipment includes insurance with signature confirmation. Extra coverage, which TAG calls Premium Protection, comes in $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 levels. TAG offers no bulk discount to the public.
How long from arrival to dispatch?
The estimates above do not cover the whole trip. TAG’s waits are business days, Monday to Friday without federal holidays, and the count starts on the first full business day after its Receiving Team processes the order, not when the box arrives. A package shows as Received within 5 to 10 business days of arrival, and a finished order usually ships within 5 to 10 business days. TAG calls all of these figures estimates.
| Level | Estimate | With both handling windows at their longest |
|---|---|---|
| BASE | About 60 | Up to about 80 business days |
| STANDARD | About 45 | Up to about 65 |
| PRIORITY | About 30 | Up to about 50 |
| EXPRESS | About 10 | Up to about 30 |
| PREMIER | 3 to 5 | Up to about 25 |
The right-hand column is Rip.fan’s arithmetic: 10 business days to log the package, plus the level’s estimate, plus 10 days to ship. Transit each way comes on top. TAG prioritizes orders by due date, and smaller or simpler orders may finish ahead of schedule. Our guide to how long grading takes compares other graders’ waits.
Which cards does TAG take?
TAG grades licensed trading cards of the standard 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch size, made from 1989 to now, up to 50 pt thick, on glossy, matte, chrome or embossed stock. For TCG cards it names Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Disney Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited among others. TCG cards must be in English, except Japanese Pokémon, One Piece and some Dragon Ball cards, and Chinese Pokémon cards since September 25, 2025.
| Outcome | Cards |
|---|---|
| Not accepted | Yu-Gi-Oh! and other narrower 2.25 by 3.5 inch cards; die-cut and perforated cards; memorabilia and relic cards; metal cards; miscut or misprinted TCG cards; test prints; in-person autographs |
| Sealed without a grade (TAG V) | Acetate and lenticular cards, licensed sketch cards and printing plates |
| Returned unslabbed | Cards TAG finds trimmed or altered, or below its minimum size |
Autographs need to be certified by the card’s maker. A card that shows evidence of trimming gets no refund, because those cards need extra checks. Our guide to spotting an altered card covers what graders look for.
How do you send cards to TAG?
Buy the grading level on TAG’s site, then enter each card in its customer portal. In the continental US, a Submission Kit add-on sends supplies and a prepaid FedEx label. Without one, TAG suggests:
- A soft sleeve, then a semi-rigid holder of 3 5/16 by 4 7/8 inches, such as a Card Saver I. This size is required.
- No screw-down holders, Card Preservers, one-touch magnetic cases or toploaders; no clear tape or stickers sealing the holders; and no single cards in team bags.
- The cards between slightly larger pieces of cardboard, held with painter’s tape or rubber bands, then wrapped and boxed with the packing list, in the order you entered them.
TAG recommends UPS, FedEx or DHL, because those carriers take a signature at its door; it says it cannot confirm receipt of USPS packages. It also suggests filming each card and the packing, since it generally won’t accept raw photos taken before grading in a dispute. Our guide to card sleeves and holders explains the semi-rigid holder, and our checklist before grading covers the card itself.
What doesn’t TAG offer?
- Crossover. It will not grade a card in another company’s slab.
- A minimum grade. You cannot ask for a card to stay raw below a grade you set.
- A registry. Cards bought from others cannot be added to your account.
- Grade disputes, as a rule. TAG generally won’t take a card back for a dispute, but asks you to email with the cert number if you think a grade is wrong. A card graded 9 or lower with no DINGS entry may be a data issue.
Moving a card between TAG’s own levels means buying the new service and sending the card in its original slab, because TAG may not honor a grade on a card removed from its case.
To weigh TAG against other graders, our guide to whether a card is worth grading works through the fee against the price gap, and the grading cost calculator shows CGC’s and SGC’s levels with the day each price was read. The glossary covers TAG Grading, the grading scale and subgrades.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a refund on a TAG order?
Only for an unused order. An order whose cards have not been sent can be refunded for up to 60 days after purchase, but not once the cards reach TAG, and never because it missed its estimated wait.
Can you send cards to TAG from outside the US?
Directly, only from the US and Canada. Collectors elsewhere, such as in the UK, Australia or Hong Kong, submit through TAG's authorized affiliate partners.
Does TAG have a level below BASE?
Yes. TAG's VALUE level, as listed on October 21, 2026, has an estimated wait of 90 business days, built-in cover capped at $250 a card and a 10-card minimum order, where BASE requires 5.
What does TAG Assure cover?
It refunds 100% of the fee for a card turned away as ineligible, within 60 days of purchase. It pays nothing on a card rejected as altered, recolored or of questionable authenticity.
Can you add cards to a TAG order after paying?
No. TAG cannot change the card count once an order is placed, so buy a second order. Several orders can share one box if each is packed apart with its own packing list.