Pokémon card symbols and codes: set code, number, rarity, regulation mark and TCG Live codes

The symbols and codes on a Pokémon card tell you exactly which card you are holding: the set code names the expansion, the collector number (such as 77/132) places it in that set, the rarity symbol shows its rarity tier, and the regulation mark letter decides whether it is Standard legal. The separate QR code card in each booster is something else entirely: you redeem it in Pokémon TCG Live for digital content. Below, each element gets its own section with real examples from Pokémon's official card database, so you can read any card from the bottom strip up. For the difference between holo and reverse holo, see Pokémon holo vs reverse holo; Japanese AR, SAR and SR are covered in our Japanese rarity guide.

Where each detail sits on the card

On a modern Pokémon card, nearly everything that identifies it sits along the bottom edge: set code, collector number, rarity symbol, regulation mark and illustrator credit. The official rulebook's "Parts of a Pokémon Card" diagram labels the expansion code and collector card number at the bottom of the card. The top half carries gameplay information: name, HP, type and Stage.

Element	Where to look	What it tells you
Set code or expansion symbol	Bottom left	Which set the card belongs to
Collector number	Bottom strip	Its place in the set list, and whether it is a secret rare
Rarity symbol	Next to the number	The rarity the set assigns to it
Regulation mark	Bottom, a boxed letter	Whether it is Standard legal
Illustrator	Bottom strip, after "Illus."	Which artist's version it is
Copyright line	Bottom edge	Who holds the rights

Set symbol and set code

The set code is the short letter abbreviation at the bottom left that tells you which expansion the card comes from; on cards printed before Scarlet & Violet, a small expansion symbol did the same job. Pokémon announced the switch on 9 December 2022: from the Scarlet & Violet Series onward, expansion symbols are replaced by expansion codes on the bottom left of each card. The same announcement moved international cards from yellow borders to the gray border already used in Japan.

That leaves two situations. For a recent card, copy the code exactly and look it up in the official card database or the set's card list. For an older card, compare the symbol with the one shown on the expansion page. Several symbols look alike, so use the total in the collector number as a second check to rule sets out.

Don't confuse the product name with the expansion. A special collection can contain boosters from several sets plus its own promo, and each card carries its own code. That code, not the box it came in, is what belongs in your records or a trade listing.

The collector number: what 77/132 means and why some cards go past the total

A collector number has two parts: the first is the card's position in the set and the second is the size of the main numbered run; when the first number is bigger than the second, as in 179/132, the card is a secret rare that sits outside that run. The official Mega Evolution card list shows how this works in practice: it numbers 188 cards, while the main run ends at 132. The official card pages for Mega Lucario ex confirm it: 77/132 is a Double Rare, 179/132 is a Special Illustration Rare and 188/132 is a Mega Hyper Rare.

Card (Mega Evolution expansion)	Number	Official rarity	Illustrator
Mega Lucario ex	77/132	Double Rare	5ban Graphics
Mega Venusaur ex	155/132	Ultra Rare	5ban Graphics
Mega Lucario ex	179/132	Special Illustration Rare	Atsushi Furusawa
Mega Lucario ex	188/132	Mega Hyper Rare	5ban Graphics

The takeaway: one Pokémon with one name can appear under four different numbers in the same set, and collectors treat those as four separate cards. "Mega Lucario ex from Mega Evolution" is not enough when you ask for or list a card; you need the number. Our guide to language, edition and version explains why the number identifies a card more reliably than its name.

Two more caveats. Some subsets use their own prefixes instead of the regular numbering, and promos have a series of their own (see the promo section). And a correct number proves nothing about authenticity, because counterfeits copy the bottom strip too. Check the signs of a fake Pokémon card for that.

Rarity symbols: circle, diamond, star and the newer icons

The rarity symbol is the small icon next to the collector number: a circle means common, a diamond means uncommon and a star means rare, while since Scarlet & Violet the higher tiers use colored stars in different counts. The legend on the official Mega Evolution card list names eight rarities: common, uncommon, rare, double rare, ultra rare, illustration rare, special illustration rare and Mega hyper rare. The icon descriptions in the table below come from CGC's rarity symbol guide (updated 26 March 2026), because the official list shows the icons without describing them.

Icon	Rarity	Example or note
Black circle	Common	Most cards in a pack
Black diamond	Uncommon	One step up
One black star	Rare	At least one rare or better per pack
Two black stars	Double Rare	For example, Mega Lucario ex 77/132
Two silver stars	Ultra Rare	For example, Mega Venusaur ex 155/132
One gold star	Illustration Rare	A version with a special illustration
Two gold stars	Special Illustration Rare	For example, Mega Lucario ex 179/132
Three gold stars	Hyper Rare	Top tier in Scarlet & Violet sets
Series-specific icon	Mega Hyper Rare	Top tier in Mega Evolution, such as 188/132

According to Pokémon Support, a current booster pack holds 10 game cards (4 commons, 3 uncommons and 3 foils, at least one of them rare or higher), plus one Energy card and one code card. The 2022 announcement adds that from Scarlet & Violet onward, every card of rare or higher rarity is foil.

Keep rarity and finish apart. A common printed in reverse holo is still a common; the finish never changes the icon. Nor does the symbol say anything about a specific copy's condition or price: a well-centered rare and a rare with whitened edges carry the same icon. For condition, use the grades in our Mint, Near Mint and LP guide.

Regulation mark: the letter that decides Standard legality

The regulation mark is the boxed letter at the bottom of the card; in 2026 the H, I and J marks are legal in Standard, and G cards have rotated out. Pokémon's rotation announcement of 9 January 2026 set the change for 10 April 2026 at in-person Play! Pokémon events and 26 March 2026 in Pokémon TCG Live. It stresses that legality follows the letter, not the expansion: a card from a recent set that carries an old letter is not legal.

Section 4.1.1 of the Play! Pokémon Tournament Handbook lists when each letter became legal: H on 5 April 2024, I on 11 April 2025 and J on 6 March 2026. Marks D, E and F are Expanded-only, and in 2026 Expanded still runs from the Black & White Series forward.

One exception catches new players out. An older card with no regulation mark, or with a rotated letter, can still be played if a legal reprint with the same name and text exists. The announcement gives two examples: Rare Candy from Sun & Moon stays legal because the Mega Evolution printing has an I mark, and Boss's Orders from Sword & Shield—Rebel Clash, with a D mark, stays legal because its Mega Evolution printing has an I. The Tournament Rules Handbook clarifies which reprints count.

New cards also usually wait two weeks after release before they become tournament legal. Outside Championship Series events, the store or League organizer may set different rules, so ask before you bring a deck.

The illustrator credit

The name after "Illus." on the bottom strip is the artist or studio who created that version's artwork. The official card database lists it on every card page: Mega Lucario ex 77/132 and 188/132 are by 5ban Graphics, while 179/132 is by Atsushi Furusawa. Two copies with the same name and a different illustrator are different versions, even when their game text is identical.

The credit matters at the table too. The rulebook requires, for instance, that all four pieces of a Pokémon V-UNION in a deck come from the same set and the same artist. And if you collect by artist, a popular way to build a binder, it is the only field that lets you do it.

Card language and regional differences

A Pokémon card's language is the language its text is printed in, and it is worth recording every time, because it changes which events accept the card and who wants it. Section 2.3.1 of the Tournament Handbook makes English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish legal at Championship Series events in Europe. For Leagues and smaller tournaments, the organizer decides.

Japanese cards are a special case: the handbook treats them as "marked" at Championship Series events because their card backs differ from all other Pokémon cards. Mixed-language decks are allowed only if the backs match. For collectors, language is another version: a Japanese copy and an English copy of the same card are not interchangeable on a want list. Our Japanese AR, SAR and SR guide explains how to read the bottom strip on Japanese cards.

The copyright line

The copyright line names the rights holders and the copyright years; it tells you nothing about the card's rarity or version. Official documents use this format, as printed on the Mega Evolution card list: "©2025 Pokémon. ©1995–2025 Nintendo / Creatures Inc. / GAME FREAK inc." If the printed year does not match the release year you expected, check the set code and number before assuming a misprint, since those two details fix the version.

A copyright line with odd spacing, a strange typeface or spelling mistakes is, however, a good reason to examine the card closely. It is not proof on its own, but it adds to other warning signs, so compare the copy with a genuine card of the same number before you buy or trade.

Black star promos: SVP, MEP and their numbers

Promos have no set total in their number: they carry the prefix of their promo series plus a number, such as SVP 001 for Scarlet & Violet or MEP 001 for Mega Evolution, and the promo symbol takes the place of a rarity icon. Play! Pokémon's official promo legality page lists them that way: the MEP series starts with Meganium MEP 001 and the SVP series with Sprigatito SVP 001. Because numbers repeat across series, MEP 001 and SVP 001 are different cards; always record the prefix and number together.

The same page says promos from special collections become tournament legal on the first or third Friday of the month after the product's release. As of 21 October 2026, its upcoming promos table includes Masquerain MEP 111, Magmortar MEP 112 and Kyogre MEP 117, all legal from 20 November 2026.

Stamps, such as a prerelease or League stamp, add another layer: the same promo with and without a stamp counts as two versions for collectors, even though they share a prefix and number. Note the stamp in your listing the same way you would note the language.

What Pokémon code cards are for: Pokémon TCG Live code cards

The code card found in booster packs and other specially marked products unlocks digital content in Pokémon TCG Live, the official game for mobile and computer: a booster code gives a digital booster from the same expansion, and a preconstructed deck code gives that same deck in digital form. It is not a game card and cannot go in a deck. Pokémon Support also points out that the digital booster will not necessarily contain the same cards as the physical pack that held the code.

How to redeem a code

In the app (Android or desktop, according to the official FAQ): open the Shop, select Redeem, and type the code or scan its QR code with a webcam.
Once it validates, check each item and select Claim Now. Boosters and coins go to the Inbox under the Menu.
On the official website: on the Pokémon TCG Live site, choose Redeem Code, sign in with your Pokémon Trainer Central account, enter the code, select Submit Code and then Claim Now.

Check which account you are signed in to before you claim. Support cannot move cards or decks between accounts if you redeem into the wrong one, and the Terms of Use allow only one Trainer Central account per person. Pokémon TCG Live runs on iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, according to Pokémon Support.

Redemption limits

Each product type has a "soft" limit: once you reach it, further codes from that product give a small amount of in-game currency instead of the original items. The redemption screen shows your count and the limit. The standard limits, per the FAQ checked on 21 October 2026, are:

Product	Standard soft limit
Booster pack	400 per expansion
Build & Battle Box	25 per expansion
Preconstructed deck	4 per deck
Other products with cards	4 per product
Other products with customization only	1 per product

Can you sell or trade code cards?

Inside the game there is no trading: Pokémon Support states that players cannot trade cards with each other in Pokémon TCG Live. Outside it, Pokémon's Terms of Use (last updated 15 June 2023) say Virtual Content has no monetary value and may not be transferred or resold in any manner not explicitly permitted. The terms say nothing specific about the physical code card before redemption, but whoever receives one cannot tell whether it has been used until they enter it, and each code redeems only once. If a code card does end up in a deal, agree on it in writing, and never post a photo that shows the full code.

If a code fails, or it is an old TCG Online code

An invalid-code message can have many causes, and Pokémon asks you to open a request through its Pokémon TCG Live support form with the screen name of the account, the code number and the platform (in-game or website). Keep the code card and any transaction ID numbers, because without them your claim may be dismissed. Code cards branded for the old Pokémon TCG Online, which shut down on 5 June 2023, can be redeemed in Live, although some unlock different items; a code already used in Online will not work again.

Common mistakes when reading a card

Searching for a card by name only and receiving a different version from the same set with another number.
Assuming a card from a recent set is Standard legal without checking its regulation mark.
Mixing up the finish (holo, reverse) with the rarity shown by the icon.
Treating MEP 001 and SVP 001 as the same promo.
Trying a Pokémon TCG Live code "just to see if it works" on someone else's account: the redemption is used up.

Once a card is identified by set code, number, language and condition, that record is what you need to trade it. On TradeMatches you can add it to your "have" or "want" list with those details, see matches with collectors near you and arrange a meetup through your province chat. For your own inventory, how to organize your TCG collection suggests one row per version.

FAQ

What are the codes on Pokémon cards for?

It depends on which code you mean. The letters and number printed on the card itself identify it within its expansion. The separate QR card inside a booster is redeemed in Pokémon TCG Live for a digital booster from that expansion, or for the matching digital product.

Why does a card have a number higher than the set total, like 179/132?

Because it sits outside the set's main numbered run. In Mega Evolution, the main run ends at 132 and the official list goes up to 188; those extra cards are high-rarity versions such as Special Illustration Rare or Mega Hyper Rare.

Can I play a G regulation mark card in Standard?

Not at Play! Pokémon events since the 10 April 2026 rotation, unless a legal reprint with the same name and text exists. In that case the Tournament Rules Handbook lets you use the older printing.

Do Pokémon TCG Live codes expire?

Pokémon's support pages do not mention expiry: even codes branded for Pokémon TCG Online can be redeemed in Live. What does apply is the per-product soft limit, after which a code gives in-game currency instead of a booster.

Sources and checks

Checked on 21 October 2026: rarities, numbers and illustrators against the official Mega Evolution card list and card pages on pokemon.com; regulation marks against the January 2026 rotation announcement and the Tournament Handbook; redemption against the Code Card Redemption FAQ updated February 2026; icon shapes against CGC's guide.