PSA SecureScan gives future Pokémon card buyers official front-and-back images of the exact slab PSA processed. These images help buyers compare a listed card, label, and certification number with PSA's record before purchasing. SecureScan is PSA's in-house imaging service, not a Pokémon-only feature. PSA says it captures high-resolution scans after encapsulation and publishes them on its website through Cert Verification.
Table of Contents
- What makes a SecureScan official?
- How buyers can use the images
- Why a matching record is not proof
- Which submissions receive SecureScan?
What makes a SecureScan official?
PSA creates the scan after authenticating, grading, and encapsulating the submitted item. Its launch announcement describes each SecureScan as an image of the exact item PSA handled, rather than a sample image of the same card. The "official" label applies to the image's source.
PSA creates these scans in-house and does not accept customer-uploaded images for cert Verification. That distinction matters when two copies share the same set number and grade. The official scan can reveal the pictured card's centering, visible surface details, label information, and certification number.
How buyers can use the images
A buyer can enter the slab's certification number on PSA's Cert Verification site, open the available SecureScan, and compare it with the seller's photographs. PSA says the images help collectors check item details before purchase in its SecureScan announcement.
Use a deliberate comparison: A consistent match adds useful evidence that the seller photographed the card shown in PSA's record. A material mismatch is a reason to pause and ask for clearer photographs or avoid the purchase.
- Match the certification number on the offered label to PSA's record.
- Compare the card's front centering, corners, artwork placement, and visible marks.
- Check the back for matching wear, print details, and alignment.
- Compare the label layout and card description.
- Recheck the physical slab after delivery while the listing photographs remain available.
Why a matching record is not proof
A valid certification number and matching card description do not conclusively authenticate a listing. PSA warns on its Cert Verification page that criminals can copy genuine certification numbers onto counterfeit inserts. PSA also says it does not inspect authenticated items offered on the web.
It therefore does not warrant that an online listing contains the genuine item associated with the displayed record. SecureScan works best as one comparison tool, not a guarantee. buyers should examine the seller's reputation, demand clear slab photographs, retain transaction records, and compare the delivered slab with PSA's images.
Which submissions receive SecureScan?
PSA currently lists SecureScan as a free benefit for Economy, Regular, Express, Super Express, Walk-Through, and every Premium service level. The service also covers cards, tickets, and packs, so it is not exclusive to Pokémon submissions. Not every older PSA-graded Pokémon card has an image.
PSA notes that missing coverage includes Express-or-higher submissions made before January 2019 in its Set Registry information. A missing scan alone does not establish that a slab is counterfeit. It does remove one useful comparison point, so buyers should request detailed photographs of the card's front, back, label, case, and certification number.
