Ratings & comparisons · Pricing
The cheapest way to authenticate a designer bag
The short answer depends on one question: do you already own the bag, or are you buying it? If the item is part of a marketplace transaction, the check can be free for the buyer: eBay covers it from $500, and on Mercari the seller pays $5 when listing. If the bag is already in your hands, there are two free routes: a volunteer opinion on a forum and the first check in our own app. After that it is paid: a subscription from $7.99, a one-off check at a service with people from $10.99, and a check with paperwork for a dispute comes to $40. Lists of the cheapest ways usually blur those two cases together, which is why half the advice does not apply to you. Prices were verified on the providers' own pages in August 2026.
Comparison table
Ways to check a luxury handbag (August 2026)
| Service | Type | Speed | Price | Categories | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PurseForum | Community volunteers | whenever someone answers, and not always | Free | Luxury handbags and accessories | Works with an item you already own |
| LegitCheck AI | AI from photos | about 60 seconds | First check free, then $7.99 a week or $34.99 for 3 months, up to 5 a day | 11 categories, 300+ brands | A subscription, not a per-item fee |
| LegitApp | Experts and AI | 30 minutes to 3 hours | From $10.99 per bag, Hermès from $20.99 | Handbags, sneakers, clothing | Tokens never expire |
| LegitGrails | Experts and AI | 30 minutes to 12 hours | $15–35 per bag, Chanel and Hermès $25–75 | Luxury, sneakers, watches | Minimum top-up $15 |
| CheckCheck | Two experts | 8 to 24 hours | 16–20 credits, in practice $24 or $24.50 | Sneakers, handbags, luxury, streetwear | There is no pack of exactly 16 credits |
| Real Authentication | Experts | 24 hours, faster for a surcharge | $30 per item, Hermès +$10, documentation +$10 | Luxury, clothing, shoes, jewelry | One price for every category |
| Mercari Authenticate | Marketplace check from photos | up to 48 hours | $5 from the seller, certificate +$10 | Handbags, shoes, watches, jewelry | Only when listing an item |
| eBay Authenticity Guarantee | Marketplace verification centre | on the way to the buyer | Free from $500, at $200–499.99 a $40 add-on | 7 categories | Only inside a purchase on the platform |
Where the numbers come from
Prices and turnaround times in the table were read off each service’s own pages, not summarised from someone else’s review. Next to every link is the date we opened it. Plans change: if you spot a discrepancy, trust the source.
- LegitCheck AI – Our pricing page · checked August 21, 2026
- LegitApp – Pricing by category · checked August 21, 2026
- LegitGrails – Account pricing · checked August 21, 2026
- CheckCheck – Pricing, turnaround and FAQ · checked August 21, 2026
- CheckCheck – Validate a certificate of authenticity · checked August 21, 2026
- Real Authentication – Services, pricing and add-ons · checked August 21, 2026
- Real Authentication – How it works and what they authenticate · checked August 21, 2026
- Mercari – What is Mercari Authenticate · checked August 21, 2026
- eBay – Authenticity Guarantee for handbags · checked August 21, 2026
- PurseForum – Rules of the free community check · checked August 21, 2026
PurseForum
A free volunteer opinion
Pros
- Free, and it works with an item you already own, with no transaction involved
- Only members with deep knowledge of the brand and a long posting history may answer
Cons
- An answer is not guaranteed, and resellers are turned away by a separate rule
- The forum itself calls this an opinion rather than an authentication
Best for: A first approximation when there is no hurry.
LegitCheck AI our product
A subscription instead of a per-item fee
Pros
- The first check is free
- A bag and a pair of sneakers cost the same: the subscription does not depend on category
- The answer arrives right away rather than the next day
Cons
- For a single one-off check a subscription is poor value
- No human expert and no paperwork for a dispute
Best for: People with several bags, or anyone who needs an answer now.
LegitApp
The cheapest entry among services with people
Pros
- The lowest price among services with human experts
- Tokens never expire
Cons
- A fast answer on a bag costs twice as much as a slow one
- The promise that a token equals a dollar holds only on the largest pack
Best for: A one-off check of a single bag with no rush.
LegitGrails
A separate rate for Chanel and Hermès
Pros
- The price honestly depends on turnaround, so slow and cheaper is a real option
- Chanel and Hermès sit in their own rate rather than hiding inside general luxury
Cons
- Chanel and Hermès cost noticeably more than the rest of luxury
- The minimum top-up is $15
Best for: A luxury bag where a predictable turnaround matters.
CheckCheck
Two experts and a verifiable certificate
Pros
- A verdict is issued only when two experts agree
- The certificate can later be validated on their own site
Cons
- There is no pack for exactly the number of credits you need, so you buy spare
- Bags take from eight hours, and the fast tier for them opens on Premium only
Best for: An expensive bag where you want a verdict from two living people.
Real Authentication
One price, plus a statement for a dispute
Pros
- One price regardless of category
- Each order is reviewed by two or more experts
- The written statement is suitable for a refund dispute
Cons
- Documentation is not included in the base price
- There are several surcharges, and Hermès is the only brand-based one
Best for: The case where the result is needed to get money back.
Mercari Authenticate
Cheap, but the seller pays
Pros
- Cheaper than any standalone service
- The check is run by a third-party authenticator rather than the platform itself
Cons
- The seller pays, and only when listing an item
- Watches and jewelry are not eligible for a certificate
Best for: Selling a bag on Mercari.
eBay Authenticity Guarantee
Free, but only inside a purchase
Pros
- Free for the buyer when the price is above the threshold
- The item is inspected physically rather than from photos
Cons
- You cannot bring your own item
- The handbag threshold is noticeably higher than the sneaker one
Best for: Buying a bag on eBay above the threshold.
Which one is right for you
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| You already own the bag and would rather not spend | A community forum |
| You already own the bag and need an answer today | LegitCheck AI or LegitApp |
| You need paperwork to get your money back | Real Authentication |
| Buying on eBay from $500 | Pay nothing: the platform covers the check |
Check authenticity right now
Snap photos of your item and get an AI verdict with a confidence score in about a minute.
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to authenticate a designer bag?
The free one, but only in two cases. If you are buying a bag from $500 on eBay, the platform covers the check. If you are selling on Mercari, the seller pays $5 when listing the item. When the bag is already yours and there is no transaction, the first check in our app and a volunteer opinion on a community forum are both free, and the cheapest paid one-off starts at $10.99.
Can I bring my own bag to eBay or Mercari for a check?
No. Both programmes work only inside a transaction on the platform: on eBay the item travels to a verification centre after the purchase, and on Mercari the check is built into listing and is started by the seller. An item bought elsewhere cannot be taken there. That is the main reason popular lists of cheap options do not work: they do not separate buying from checking something you already own.
How far can you trust a free forum check?
It is an opinion, and the forum says so itself: not a legally binding or professional authentication. The people answering are experienced volunteers, an answer is not guaranteed, and the photo requirements are strict, so a request without the right shots simply will not be reviewed. Resellers are turned away by a separate rule. As a first approximation it works, as paperwork for a dispute it does not.
Why does checking a bag cost more than checking sneakers?
At services with people it is because a bag takes longer to inspect: at CheckCheck a pair of sneakers costs 3 credits and a bag 16, which is a difference in the amount of work rather than a luxury surcharge. The rule is not universal though: Real Authentication charges one price for any category, with a surcharge only on Hermès. With us there is no difference at all, since a subscription does not depend on what you check.