How to tell if a PSA slab is fake starts with four physical checks that PSA lists on its Security: A Buyer’s Guide page: frosting along the holder edges, a case that has gone flexible, glue, and a label whose text can be read through the paper when held up to a light. A lookup of the cert number on PSA’s Cert Verification page is the fifth step.
PSA sets these checks out in its Buyer’s Guide (the page carries no date), its June 14, 2017 press release on the LightHouse label, its March 10, 2023 statement on counterfeiting, its Guarantee terms and its 2025 Fraud Report (the report prints no publication date). Exact PSA phrases sit in quotation marks.
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PSA’s holder is “tamper-evident”, which PSA says is “not the same thing as tamper-proof”. The physical checks come first and the cert lookup follows. As a reference point for a physical PSA 10, the PSA 10 Lacey SAR (SV7 131/102) is priced at ¥20,176 (~$131).
PSA’s deactivated-counterfeit cert notice and the Fraud Report’s buyer advice are included as of September 29, 2026.
The Four Physical Checks PSA Lists
PSA’s Security: A Buyer’s Guide describes four signs that a holder has been opened, glued or paired with a false label. None of them needs a tool. All of them work on a slab you are holding, which is why they come before any online lookup.
| # | Check | What to do | PSA’s wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frosting | Look along all four edges | “frosting” is where “the clear plastic starts to exhibit a cloudy appearance”; you may see “minor fractures or cracks” |
| 2 | Flexibility | Press gently on the case | after the sonic weld, a “very firm, virtually inflexible bond”; once broken, “the plastic becomes more flexible again” |
| 3 | Glue | Press along an edge with a fingernail | “No matter how much glue they use, the sonic weld is still broken”; the holder “may often start to make a cracking noise and pop open” |
| 4 | Label light test | Hold the slab to a light, at close range | an authentic PSA-certified item lets you “decipher the text on the other side”; a fake front added to a real label adds a paper layer, so “you will not be able to see through it” |
A slab that passes three checks and fails one still failed. PSA describes the light test as working “from the back of the label to the front or the front of the label to the back”, so try both directions.
Tamper-Evident, Not Tamper-Proof
“Since 1991, PSA has utilized a tamper-evident holder,” PSA writes, and it adds that this is “the same holder technology used by the leading coin grading service – PCGS.” Two halves of the case are sealed by a sonic weld. That weld is the reason the four checks above work.
Why the weld is the tell
PSA is careful about the claim. The holder is “tamper-evident as a result of the sonic weld”, and PSA states that this is “of course, not the same thing as tamper-proof”, because a holder has to be openable for PSA’s own re-holder service. What a weld gives you is a signature: PSA describes frosting, cracks in some cases and a softer case as possible warning signs of a broken weld, and says glue cannot restore a sonic weld.
Why the light test catches a swapped label
Counterfeiters have two routes. One is to build a fake slab around a fake card. The other is to take a real label and put a different front on it. PSA’s answer to the second route is optical: a genuine label lets light through well enough to read the text on its reverse, and an added paper layer blocks it.
Old-style label fakes
PSA also notes that “while the embedded hologram technology on the current PSA label acts as a deterrent, some forgers will try this technique by attempting to replicate an older style PSA label.”
The LightHouse Label: Front, Back and the 2017 Upgrade
PSA’s June 14, 2017 press release, “PSA Labels Get New Look, New Technology”, introduced the label used in the PSA holder. PSA says the card and LightHouse label are “sonically sealed in PSA’s tamper-evident holder for security.” The features PSA lists on its Security page and in that release are these.
| Side | Feature | What PSA says |
|---|---|---|
| Front | LightHouse logo | “on/off illumination effect”; the release says the effect appears “when rotated” |
| Front | Red trim | “Classic PSA red trim connects to LightHouse” |
| Front and back | Fugitive ink | “Fugitive ink graphic pattern to prevent label washing”; it “will dissolve and wash away when exposed to cleaning chemicals” |
| Back | UV logo | the PSA logo “will illuminate to reveal additional smaller PSA logos, when hit with a UV light” |
| Back | QR code | “QR Code for instant access to Cert Verification” |
| Holder | Stronger weld | a holder that is “more difficult to chip, holds up better to drops, and more readily reveals tampering” |
| Label | Covert features | “These features come in addition to other covert security features” |
One detail in the 2017 release is dated. It says the LightHouse effect reveals or hides a stock ticker symbol in the background pattern. The release attributes that ticker to the company that owned PSA in 2017.
PSA’s Buyer’s Guide uses the plain word “overt” for features anyone can see and “covert” for the rest. The table lists only the overt ones, because PSA does not publish the covert list.
PSA Cert Lookup: A Step-by-Step Walk-Through
PSA’s Cert Verification page describes its purpose as “Verify the validity of PSA & PSA/DNA certification numbers.” PSA’s March 10, 2023 statement adds that the online page and the PSA app “allow customers to scan the barcode on their item and verify its authenticity.”
- Find the cert number. PSA’s service description says the grade and certification number are displayed on the PSA LightHouse label.
- Open the lookup. Enter the number at psacard.com/cert, or scan the QR code on the reverse of the label with the PSA Cert Verification app.
- Read the header. A valid lookup opens with “According to the PSA database, the requested certification number is defined as the following:” followed by the item name.
- Compare every field with the slab. The name, year, card number and grade printed on the label must match the record. Japanese cards are titled “POKEMON JAPANESE” followed by the set.
- Compare the images. PSA says its security features include “images available publicly via certificate verification”, so a record with images gives you something to hold the slab against.
The layout is easiest to see on a real record. PSA’s cert page for a Japanese Tulip card from SV4M showed these fields.
| Field | Value on the example record | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Item Grade | GEM MT 10 | The grade on the label |
| Year | 2023 | The year on the label |
| Brand/Title | POKEMON JAPANESE SV4M-FUTURE FLASH | The set line on the label |
| Subject | TULIP | The card name |
| Card Number | 087 | The number on the label and on the card |
| Variety/Pedigree | SUPER RARE | The rarity wording |
| Category | TCG CARDS | The type of item |
| Label Type | W/ FUGITIVE INK TECHNOLOGY | The label design on the slab |
| Reverse Cert/Barcode | YES | Whether the reverse of the label carries the cert and barcode |
The same page also lists sales of similar items and a set registry. If the label or the record looks wrong, PSA’s cert page directs you to file a Label Correction Request through the Customer Request Center.
PSA’s own note on the Cert Verification page reads: “Though uncommon, criminals do attempt to counterfeit PSA grading inserts using actual certification numbers derived from public sources.” A real number on a fake insert will return a real record. That is why the physical checks and the image comparison come first.
What PSA’s Deactivated-Counterfeit Cert Page Shows
PSA’s public cert page for certification number 109310063 is one official example of what a counterfeit-linked record looks like. In late September 2026 it carried this notice: “Certification number 109310063 has been temporarily deactivated as a precautionary measure due to its association with a known counterfeit in the market. To resolve this issue, please submit a Brand Protection Request through our Customer Request Center, including clear images of the item in question.”
| Field | Deactivated record | Normal record (Tulip example) |
|---|---|---|
| Item | 2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV4A-SHINY TREASURE EX 349 CHARIZARD EX SPECIAL ART RARE | 2023 POKEMON JAPANESE SV4M-FUTURE FLASH #087 TULIP SUPER RARE |
| Item Grade | UNAVAILABLE | GEM MT 10 |
| Reverse Cert/Barcode | NO | YES |
| Notice | “Important Notice” with the Brand Protection Request instruction | Standard header and item information |
Three points follow from the page. The item named is a Japanese Charizard ex SAR, and Charizard is the number 1 counterfeited subject in the PSA 2025 Fraud Report (page 6). The record shows the grade as “UNAVAILABLE” and the reverse cert/barcode as “NO”. And the page describes the deactivation as “temporary” and “precautionary”: the route to resolve it runs through PSA, with clear images of the item.
PSA does not say how many cert numbers are deactivated. The card named on the record, the Charizard ex SAR from SV4a, is separate from that cert number: a different, sourced-to-order PSA 10 of the same card and number, SV4a 349/190, is offered as a back order at ¥50,996 (~$331). That listing is not the slab behind certification number 109310063.
What the PSA Guarantee Does and Does Not Cover
Buyers often assume that the PSA Guarantee makes a fake slab PSA’s problem. The terms say otherwise for tampered or counterfeit holders. PSA’s Guarantee page states this in its own words.
| Topic | PSA’s wording |
|---|---|
| The problem PSA describes | “some unscrupulous people occasionally try to defraud collectors by removing Items from PSA holders, replacing them with lower grade, altered, and/or counterfeit Items, and then resealing the holders” |
| Label tampering | “they may also tamper with a genuine label and/or replace it with a fraudulent label altogether” |
| The exclusion | “The PSA Guarantee does not apply to Items that arrive with tampered or counterfeit holders and/or labels (regardless of certification status).” |
| Cap per card | $250,000 |
| Lifetime cap | $500,000 per person |
| Review fee | $25 if the item is found authentic or correct |
PSA also states that the Guarantee is not usable by the original submitter. Read the Guarantee page itself before relying on it in a purchase decision.
Buying Slabs Safely: PSA’s Advice Before You Pay
PSA’s Buyer’s Guide and Fraud Report give consistent advice on the decision to pay, and none of it needs a lab.
- Ask PSA before you buy. “If you have any concern about an alleged PSA-certified item prior to purchase, you are welcome to contact us and arrange for that item to be reviewed. … There is nothing wrong with asking a seller to make a deal contingent on PSA’s confirmation.”
- Treat a too-good deal as a warning. PSA says to “approach the offer with caution, particularly if such an offer is coupled with a deal that seems too good to be true.” The 2025 Fraud Report repeats it on page 31: a deal priced “significantly below” the going price “may indicate an issue with authenticity.”
- Check the number in the app. Fraud Report, page 31: “Always check certification numbers on the PSA app to confirm authenticity of graded collectibles.”
- Choose the marketplace with care. PSA “encourages the purchase of PSA verified collectibles from trustworthy sources” and says marketplaces such as Craigslist, Mercari and Offer Up “are not recommended.”
- Note the eBay inspection. The Fraud Report says that on eBay, “eligible items $250+ are inspected by PSA before delivery.”
The Fraud Report also explains why cheap slabs are not safe by default. A PSA brand-protection head says counterfeiters “target the $10 or $20 bill instead of the $100”. Our companion article on PSA’s 2025 Fraud Report sets out the report’s tables, page by page.
If You Think You Bought a Fake Slab
PSA’s March 10, 2023 notice on counterfeiting sets out the route for a suspected fake. The steps below follow it, with the later ones taken from the Fraud Report and the cert page.
- File a Quality Assurance Request in PSA’s Customer Request Center. PSA says “a CRC representative will provide instructions on how to submit your card for Item Verification free of charge.”
- Wait for the inspection result. PSA states: “If after inspection your item is determined to be a counterfeit, PSA will connect you to the authorities directly.”
- Contact the seller or marketplace. The Fraud Report, page 13, says PSA “does not retain or confiscate submitted counterfeits” and that items are returned to the original submitter, so PSA “encourage[s] collectors to follow up with the original seller or marketplace where the item was purchased.”
- If the cert page shows the counterfeit notice, follow the instruction printed on it: a Brand Protection Request with clear images of the item.
Fake Slabs and Fake Cards Are Different Problems
The checks above are about the holder and the label. The PSA 2025 Fraud Report is about the cards submitted to PSA: counterfeit cards and altered cards. The 2025 Fraud Report gives no fake-holder statistic.
That split shapes what you do. A tampered holder is a physical problem you can see on the slab. A counterfeit or altered card inside a real holder is a grading problem, and PSA says it identifies counterfeits through print clarity, foil patterns, fonts and paper stock (Fraud Report, page 17). For raw Japanese cards, our article on how to spot fake Japanese Pokemon cards covers the checks you can make yourself, and our explainer on PSA Japan labels and service explains what the label wording means. For the grade itself, see what PSA 10 means on a Pokemon card.
Buying PSA 10s from Japan: Physical Slabs and Back Orders
We list two kinds of PSA 10 Japanese cards. Physical PSA 10s are listed as slabs; prices are as of September 29, 2026. Back orders are sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms, and the PSA 10 back order explainer describes how they work. For either kind, read the cert number off the label of the slab you receive and look it up.
Physical PSA 10 listings
The PSA 10 Lacey SAR is currently listed at ¥20,176 (~$131); a back order for the same card is listed at ¥19,788 (~$128).
The PSA 10 Charizard ex SAR from Ruler of the Black Flame is currently listed at ¥63,565 (~$413).
The PSA 10 Ditto P from Pokemon Town 2025 with Lotte, a Korean promo, is currently listed at ¥40,493 (~$263).
The PSA 10 Mewtwo & Mew GX is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥19,517 (~$127) — sourced to order; the product page shows the current terms.
The PSA 10 Mega Tokyo Pikachu promo is currently listed at ¥344,638 (~$2,238).
PSA 10 back orders
The PSA 10 Charizard ex SAR from Pokemon Card 151 is offered as a back order at ¥77,846 (~$505).
The PSA 10 Briar SAR from Stellar Miracle is offered as a back order at ¥9,690 (~$63).
| Card | Set and number | Type | Listing (as of September 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey SAR | SV7 131/102 | Physical PSA 10 | ¥20,176 (~$131) |
| Charizard ex SAR | SV3 134/108 | Physical PSA 10 | ¥63,565 (~$413) |
| Ditto P (KR) | SV-P 173 | Physical PSA 10 | ¥40,493 (~$263) |
| Mega Tokyo Pikachu | XY-P 098 | Physical PSA 10 | ¥344,638 (~$2,238) |
| Charizard ex SAR | SV3 134/108 | Back order | ¥62,342 (~$405) |
| Mewtwo & Mew GX RR | SM11 029/094 | Back order | ¥19,517 (~$127) |
| Charizard ex SAR | SV2a 201/165 | Back order | ¥77,846 (~$505) |
| Briar SAR | SV7 132/102 | Back order | ¥9,690 (~$63) |
Where to Buy PSA 10 Cards from Japan
Browse the PSA 10 collection or the PSA 10 card list for physical slabs and back orders. Sourcing requests for a specific card go through Quick Order. The step-by-step buying route from Japan is in our article on how to buy Japanese Pokemon cards from Japan.
Two listings to use as examples are the PSA 10 Lacey SAR at ¥20,176 (~$131) and the Charizard ex SAR back order at ¥77,846 (~$505), both as of September 29, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you tell if a PSA slab is fake?
Use the four checks in PSA’s Buyer’s Guide: frosting along the edges, a case that flexes, glue that cracks under fingernail pressure, and a label whose text cannot be read through when held to a light. Then look up the cert number at psacard.com/cert and compare every field and image with the slab.
How do I verify a PSA cert number?
Enter the number at psacard.com/cert, or scan the QR code on the reverse of the label with the PSA Cert Verification app. The record shows the item name, grade and other fields. Compare each one with the label and the card, because a real number can be copied onto a fake insert.
Does a valid cert lookup prove the slab is real?
No. PSA’s own note says verification “does not eliminate risk” because criminals attempt to counterfeit grading inserts using actual certification numbers from public sources. A matching record supports a slab that also passes the physical checks and the image comparison, but it cannot replace them.
What does a deactivated PSA cert number mean?
On PSA’s cert page for number 109310063, PSA states the number has been temporarily deactivated as a precaution because of its association with a known counterfeit. The grade shows as unavailable. PSA’s stated route is a Brand Protection Request with clear images of the item, and it gives no count of deactivated numbers.
What should I do if I bought a fake PSA slab?
File a Quality Assurance Request in PSA’s Customer Request Center. PSA then gives instructions for a free Item Verification, and states that if the item is determined to be a counterfeit, PSA will connect you to the authorities directly. Also contact the seller or marketplace, since PSA does not retain counterfeits.
Does the PSA Guarantee cover a tampered holder?
No. PSA’s Guarantee terms state that it “does not apply to Items that arrive with tampered or counterfeit holders and/or labels (regardless of certification status)”. The terms also set a $250,000 cap per card and a $500,000 lifetime cap per person, so read the full terms before relying on them.
How much does a PSA 10 Japanese Pokemon card cost from Japan?
As of September 29, 2026, the physical PSA 10 Lacey SAR is listed at ¥20,176 (~$131), the Briar SAR back order at ¥9,690 (~$63), and the Charizard ex SAR back order at ¥77,846 (~$505). Each product page shows its current terms.
When did PSA introduce the LightHouse label?
PSA published its press release “PSA Labels Get New Look, New Technology” on June 14, 2017. It describes the LightHouse logo with an on/off illumination effect, fugitive ink on the front and back, a UV logo pattern on the reverse, and a QR code linking to Cert Verification.
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