How do I read Yu-Gi-Oh! set codes, and what is the difference between TCG and OCG cards for sellers?

How a set code is built

• Set abbreviation, usually three or four letters or digits: LOB, ROTA, RA03. It names the product the card was printed in.
• Language letters: the print's language (see the list below).
• Number: the card's position in the set, usually three digits, sometimes with a letter.

The set code names the print (set and language), not the rarity: one code is often printed in several rarities (see how to list rarities and versions). It also says nothing about the edition, which is printed separately on the card (see 1st Edition vs Unlimited vs Limited).

Language letters in TCG set codes

• EN: English (ROTA-EN024)
• DE: German (ROTA-DE024)
• FR: French
• IT: Italian
• SP: Spanish (Spanish cards use SP, not ES)
• PT: Portuguese

Older codes

The earliest prints use other formats: codes without language letters (for example LOB-001 from the early North American prints) and European codes with a single letter, such as G for German (LOB-G001). These are separate prints from the later two-letter codes: LOB-001 and LOB-EN001 are not the same print, and buyers and price sources treat them separately.

The passcode

The eight-digit number at the bottom left is the passcode. It identifies the card itself and is the same on every print and in every language, so it is useful to find a card but does not tell you which print you hold. For that you need the set code.

TCG vs OCG: what sellers need to know

• TCG (Trading Card Game) is the version of the game sold in most of the world outside Asia, in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
• OCG (Official Card Game) is the version sold in Japan and other parts of Asia. Its prints carry their own language letters, for example JP for Japanese, KR for Korean and AE for Asian English.
• Both are official Konami products, not fakes. But they are different items: products, release timing and rarities differ, and some rarities exist in only one of the two.
• They are not interchangeable for play. Official TCG tournaments use TCG cards, which matters to players among your buyers.
• Asian English cards are OCG. They are printed in English, but they are not English TCG prints. Never list an AE card as an EN card.
• Prices are separate. The price of a TCG print says nothing about the OCG print of the same card, and the other way round.

Why NeoSatoshi recognises TCG prints only

NeoSatoshi's Yu-Gi-Oh! detection and prices are built for TCG prints in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. Japanese and Korean OCG prints are not supported. Matching an OCG card against TCG prints would give it the product and the price of a different item, so NeoSatoshi leaves OCG out instead of guessing.

How to list OCG cards anyway

1. Keep OCG cards out of your NeoSatoshi batch and list them by hand directly on the marketplace.
2. Write the full printed set code with its language letters (for example JP or KR) into the title, together with the rarity and the language, and say that it is an OCG card.
3. Price from sales of the same OCG print, never from the TCG price of the same card.
4. Show the front and back of the actual card, so buyers can check language and rarity.
5. On marketplaces with product pages, put the offer only on the product of that OCG print. If there is none, do not use the TCG product instead.

How NeoSatoshi uses the set code

• Detection reads the printed set code and the passcode. The language comes from the set code (DE in ROTA-DE024 stands for German) and can be changed per card.
• The Printed code column shows the code. Codes are kept as printed, so LOB-086 and LOB-EN086 stay two different prints.
• If the code could not be read, the card has no price until you pick its print in step 2 (Show all prints of this card).
• The manual search finds cards by name, printed code or passcode.
• eBay titles get the printed code after the card name, and the card number item specific is the printed code. Shopify product titles use the code without the language letters, because one product covers all languages.
• Load eBay prices only counts listings with the same code in the card's own language: ROTA-EN024 never counts for ROTA-DE024.
• The daily price sync (Business plan and up) prices exactly that code, rarity, version and edition. Old one-letter European codes such as LOB-G001 are not matched yet; the sync skips them and reports it, so price those by hand.

For the whole workflow see how to sell Yu-Gi-Oh! cards online and the Yu-Gi-Oh! listing software page.

What NeoSatoshi does not do

• It does not recognise OCG prints, Japanese, Korean or Asian English.
• It cannot read a set code that is covered, worn or hidden by glare. Such cards wait in step 2 for you to pick the print.
• It does not judge condition or check authenticity.
• NeoSatoshi is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Konami.

Checklist

• Set code read in full, with language letters.
• Language letters match the language you list (SP for Spanish).
• Old codes without letters or with one letter kept apart from two-letter codes.
• OCG cards (JP, KR, AE) recognised and kept out of TCG listings.
• Rarity and edition checked separately, since the code does not show them.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the set code on a Yu-Gi-Oh! card?

On most cards just below the artwork, on the right side. It is the code with the language letters, for example ROTA-EN024.

What does SP mean in a set code?

Spanish. Spanish TCG prints use SP, for example RA03-SP003.

Is LOB-001 the same card as LOB-EN001?

It is the same card, but not the same print. Buyers and price sources treat the two codes as separate prints, and so does NeoSatoshi.

Can NeoSatoshi read Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! cards?

No. Japanese, Korean and other OCG prints are not supported. List them by hand directly on the marketplace.

Are OCG cards fake?

No. OCG cards are official Konami products for Japan and other parts of Asia. They are simply a different item from the TCG print and should be listed and priced as such.