9 min read · 14 April 2026
ACE vs PSA grading: which UK collectors should choose in 2026
UK collectors finally have a serious domestic option. ACE Grading launched out of the UK and has rapidly become a viable alternative to shipping cards across the Atlantic to PSA. Which one wins depends on your goals.
Side-by-side
| Metric | PSA | ACE |
|---|---|---|
| HQ | USA | UK |
| Submission cost (UK collector, lowest tier) | ~$25 + return shipping | ~$20 + return shipping |
| Turnaround | 4–8 weeks at standard tier | 2–4 weeks |
| Resale uplift on PSA 10 / ACE 10 | Highest (gold standard) | Improving rapidly, still trails PSA on chase cards |
| Centring strictness | 55/45 for 10 | Comparable; some say slightly stricter on holo scratches |
| Slab aesthetic | Familiar red label | Modern minimal slab |
Which to choose
Choose PSA when resale value matters most and you have a chase card that deserves the gold standard. Most modern collectors still pay a premium for PSA 10 over ACE 10 on the same card.
Choose ACE when speed and cost matter, when you're grading bulk, or when the card is mid-tier and the resale spread doesn't justify PSA fees.
The hybrid strategy
Many UK resellers grade everything below $130 raw at ACE and reserve PSA for chase cards over $250 raw where the brand premium pays back the $25 fee differential.
How CPG fits
CPG's centring thresholds map to PSA's published scale by default. For ACE submissions, the same measurement is portable - ACE uses the same numerical thresholds, just with their own slabs and pop reports. We'll add native ACE / CGC / BGS scale support in a future release.