Why are my cards in Research and ID?

If we receive a submission which contains cards which have not been through our services before, our Ingest team will need to add the details to our internal database system

What does this mean?

Each card will need to be researched by our dedicated Ingest team to ensure that we have the correct identification information before it is added on to our database and stored for future use. This information is used to complete the Ingest process and will be the card details that you see listed on your Ace dashboard.

Why does it take so long?

The time it takes for your submission to move past this stage will depend on how many cards in your submission need to be added to the database, what type of cards they are and the turnaround time for your chosen service level.

Sports cards, for example, often take longer to research and confirm the details than new releases of Pokémon. This can be due to the individuality of the majority of sports cards or the limited access points we can reliably gather the information from.

What do you need the information for?

The information stored on our database feeds in to the work our Illustrators do in order for them to create our Ace labels. It also ensures we only have to complete the research process once as it will be stored on the system for the next time we receive the card, which, in turn, speeds up the Ingest process.

Can I give you the card details on my submission notes?

Yes, you can do this and it is often helpful. However, our team will still have to complete the same research steps in order for us to know that we have the correct information so we cannot guarantee that this will make the process any faster for your submission.

Customers should note: when a card needs to be researched it is likely that there will be a delay and this should be considered before the submission is completed. We endeavour to complete all submissions within the estimated turnaround time for each service level but we cannot prioritise any submission which is in Research and ID. We will not consider any goodwill for submission delays due to Research and ID before they are 10 business days late.

Updated on: 20/01/2026

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