How PSA Grading Works: Submission Tiers, Fees and Turnaround
As archived on October 16, 2026, PSA's open card levels ran from Standard at $59.99 (estimated 90 to 100 business days) to Premier at $599 (7 to 10 business days), with Premium levels above, and its Value tiers stayed paused.
By Jay Montalbo · Reviewed by Ryan Shugars ·
PSA authenticates a card, grades it on a 1 to 10 scale and seals it in a tamper-evident holder, and what you pay and how long you wait depend on the service level you choose. As archived on October 16, 2026, PSA's open card levels ran from Standard at $59.99 a card (estimated 90 to 100 business days) to Premier at $599 (7 to 10 business days), with Premium levels above them.
PSA paused its Value tiers on June 2, 2026, and on October 16 its pricing page listed Value Bulk and Value as unavailable. Submitting takes a Collectors Account, not a Collectors Club membership.
This guide follows a U.S. submission from account to returned slab, using PSA's own pages. For whether a fee pays back on a particular card, see the break-even math for each fee tier.
How to submit cards to PSA
This guide breaks a submission into eight steps, and the sections below expand on each one.
- Screen the card. Check centering, corners, edges and surface before paying a fee.
- Open a Collectors Account. PSA requires one; Collectors Club is optional.
- Build the submission. Use PSA's website or app and pick a service level.
- Pack to PSA's guide. Penny sleeve, semi-rigid holder, dividers, new box.
- Ship and insure it yourself. PSA does not insure inbound packages.
- Follow the order tracker. Statuses run from Order Arrived to Complete.
- Pay and see the grades. PSA requests payment when grading finishes.
- Choose where each slab goes. Ship back, vault or sell on eBay.
Accounts and screening
PSA's terms require a valid Collectors Account and a completed online submission. The Collectors Club is a separate paid membership, $149 a year or $199 for Premium per PSA's FAQ, and PSA says joining is not required to submit.
PSA grades the physical card against its published standards, so the first check is yours. Its grading guide tells submitters to examine surface, edges, centering, folds, creases and staining. The four grading criteria and the grade-by-grade scale explain what graders weigh.
Cardboard Alpha's Pre-Grade tool reads a front and back photo or scan of a raw card, measures its centering, corners and edges, and estimates the odds of each grade at PSA, CGC, BGS and TAG. It is an estimate, not a grade. How often cards earn a top grade also differs by set, as the gem-rate breakdown by set shows.
Building the submission
A submission starts on PSA's website or in its app, and an app draft can be finished on the website. PSA's grading guide lists the details that identify a card: year printed, manufacturer, set, character, card number and any parallel. It notes that Pokémon cards carry those details on the front, and PSA's research team identifies a card when you cannot find them all.
PSA offers two flows. Assisted Submission assigns a level from each card's estimated value and lets you change it on the review page, while Classic Submission has you choose levels and adjust coverage yourself. Only Classic offers Premium 10, Review, Crossover and Reholder.
Cards at different service levels become separate orders, each with its own submission form and return shipment.
PSA service levels and fees
PSA prices each card by service level, and each level caps the value you can insure. The table shows PSA's card levels from Standard to Premium 1 as listed on its pricing page, archived October 16, 2026, in U.S. dollars per card.
| Service level | Fee per card | Max insured value | Estimated turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $59.99 | $1,000 | 90 to 100 business days |
| Priority | $79.99 | $1,500 | 70 to 80 business days |
| Express | $199 | $2,500 | 20 to 30 business days |
| Super Express | $349 | $5,000 | 10 to 15 business days |
| Premier | $599 | $10,000 | 7 to 10 business days |
| Premium 1 | $999 | $25,000 | 5 to 7 business days |
Source: PSA trading card grading page, archived October 16, 2026. Turnaround is PSA's estimate in business days, not a guarantee.
Priority and above return the card in a fitted sleeve. Express and above add Grader Notes on defects, which PSA does not issue for PSA 10s, and Super Express and above add high-resolution Premium Imaging. Premium 2, 3 and 5 cost $1,999, $2,999 and $4,999 for cards insured up to $50,000, $100,000 and $250,000, and Premium 10 starts at $9,999 above that, all estimated at 5 to 7 business days.
Fees are per card and, under PSA's terms, apply regardless of outcome, so a five-card order at Standard is $299.95 in grading fees before return shipping. The turnaround estimate starts when PSA enters the order into its grading system, not at checkout.
Estimates also move. The $79.99 level, called Regular before PSA renamed it Priority in September, was listed at 30 to 40 business days on May 27, 2026, and at 70 to 80 on October 16.
Choosing a level by insured value
The level you pick sets the Max Insured Value that applies to your cards, the most PSA will pay if one is lost or damaged in its care. PSA's terms, which call the figure declared value on some forms, say to choose a level whose cap exceeds your estimate of the card's fair market value after grading.
PSA's grading guide suggests basing that estimate on what the card has sold for over the past three to six months in the grade you expect. If PSA decides a card is worth more than its level covers, its FAQ says it can require payment for the correct level. If you refuse or cannot pay, it returns the card unprocessed at your expense and still charges the level you chose.
Choosing a level above a card's value is allowed for speed, according to PSA's FAQ.
The 2026 Value tier pause
PSA closed its Value tiers to new submissions effective June 2, 2026, after what it described as a 20 percent spike in submissions that pushed its backlog toward 10 million units. It tied reopening to operational milestones rather than dates, with a target of 5 million units, and its June 2 update projected 5 to 6 months to get there.
| Date | What PSA published |
|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | Pause announced for the Value tiers |
| June 2, 2026 | Value tiers close to new submissions |
| September 9, 2026 | Standard announced; Regular renamed Priority and Walk-Through renamed Premier; Express raised to $199 (listed at $149 on July 29) |
| September 14, 2026 | Standard opens, processed behind existing Value and Bulk orders |
| October 6, 2026 | Active backlog of 8.2 million units, down from 9 million on September 22 |
| October 16, 2026 | Pricing page lists Value Bulk and Value as unavailable |
Source: PSA Backlog Tracker, PSA's September 9 announcement and PSA's pricing page, as archived by October 16, 2026.
Before the pause, the last archived copy of PSA's pricing page (May 27, 2026) listed four Value levels at $24.99 to $64.99 a card, with Value Bulk open only to Collectors Club members. PSA calls Standard a first step but not a replacement for them, and said on October 6 that sustained progress would put it on a path to assess reopening additional tiers in the coming months.
Packing and shipping to PSA
PSA's shipping guide sets a ten-step method, and its terms allow processing fees for non-conforming packaging. The core rules:
- Sleeve and holder: each card goes in a clear penny sleeve, then a semi-rigid holder (3 5/16 by 4 7/8 inches for standard-size cards) with both sides visible. No toploaders, tape, pull tabs or sticky notes.
- Order and stack: arrange cards in the exact order on the submission form, Item 1 on top, between two cardboard dividers held by two or three rubber bands.
- Box: wrap the stack, put it in a new shipping box, fill empty space and include the printed submission form. Keep multiple submissions bundled separately.
- Seal and label: seal all seams with packing tape, not painter's or scotch tape, and attach the tracking label ID from your confirmation page with the barcodes visible.
PSA's terms count rigid toploaders, extras such as pull tabs or stickers, and cards in a different order than the form as non-conforming, and its FAQ says a poorly packed package may be refused. The guide lists separate receiving addresses for cards by carrier, so copy the one in force on the day you ship rather than reusing an old label.
PSA does not insure inbound packages. It accepts responsibility for a card only once it is unpacked, identified and confirmed received, which its tracker shows as Order Prep.
A prepaid FedEx label is available within the contiguous United States, billed when FedEx scans the package, and the order is canceled if FedEx has not received it within 30 days. Insurance offered with that label is a third-party policy administered by Cabrella, not PSA coverage. Whether a collector's own policy applies in the mail or at a grader is one of the questions to ask an insurer.
What the order statuses mean
PSA emails when the order is entered for processing, when label descriptions are ready for review, when grades are available and when it ships. In the order tracker, per its FAQ and terms, an order moves through these stages and checkpoints:
- Order Arrived: PSA received the package.
- Order Prep: PSA scanned the submission barcode. Its responsibility for the cards starts here, and so does the turnaround clock.
- Research and ID: PSA identifies each card, then emails a prompt to review the order and report label errors before it is completed.
- Grading: at least two authentication and grading professionals examine each card, and a second review is part of this stage.
- Payment and reveal: PSA requests payment when grading is complete, and grades appear once it is received.
- QA Checks, then Complete: PSA checks each holder. Destinations can be changed until the order reaches Complete, when cards are prepared for shipping.
Getting cards back
Each graded card can go to one of three places, chosen card by card until the order reaches Complete: back to you, into the PSA Vault, or onto eBay as a seven-day auction. PSA bills return shipping per submission, priced by card count and Max Insured Value rather than by destination, and domestic returns require a signature.
Inspect a returned order promptly. PSA's terms require reporting damage, discrepancies or label errors in writing within five calendar days of receipt, and a missing package within 17 days of its estimated delivery date. PSA's FAQ says it corrects mislabeled items free of charge.
PSA says it may adjust pricing, services and processing times, and that turnaround estimates can change rapidly without notice, so its pricing page on the day you submit is the figure that counts.
To look at a card's market before paying a fee, Cardboard Alpha's screener runs cross-sectional screens across the covered card universe. The full grading company comparison shows how PSA stacks up against CGC, BGS and TAG.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does PSA charge to grade a Pokémon card?
- As archived on October 16, 2026, PSA charged $59.99 per card at Standard, $79.99 at Priority, $199 at Express, $349 at Super Express, $599 at Premier and $999 at Premium 1, with higher Premium levels above those. The fee follows the service level, and each level caps the card's Max Insured Value. Return shipping is billed separately, and PSA's terms apply the grading fee regardless of outcome.
- Do I need a PSA membership to submit cards?
- No. PSA's terms require a Collectors Account to submit, and its FAQ says joining the Collectors Club is not required. The Club costs $149 a year, or $199 for Premium, and Value Bulk, the level reserved for members, was listed as unavailable on PSA's pricing page on October 16, 2026.
- When will PSA reopen its Value tiers?
- As of October 16, 2026, PSA had not published a date. In June it tied reopening to operational milestones rather than dates, with a target of 5 million units, and it reported an active backlog of 8.2 million on October 6, down from 9 million on September 22. On September 9 it called the new Standard level a first step and said it would reopen additional tiers in phases.
- How long does PSA grading take?
- PSA publishes estimates, not guarantees: 90 to 100 business days at Standard down to 5 to 7 at Premium 1, as archived on October 16, 2026. The clock starts at Order Prep rather than at checkout, and Standard's range works out to roughly 18 to 20 weeks at five business days a week, before holidays. PSA says Standard orders are processed behind existing Value and Bulk orders, and its FAQ suggests allowing 3 to 7 business days past an estimate before contacting support.
- What happens if PSA will not grade my card?
- For trimming, restoration, recoloring, questionable authenticity, altered stock or cleaning, PSA returns the card without encapsulation and still charges the full grading fee, per its FAQ. Cards turned away for being under the minimum size, miscut by the manufacturer, an obscure issue or unable to fit PSA's holders are not charged grading. PSA's terms otherwise make fees non-refundable regardless of outcome.
- Does PSA insure my cards on the way to its facility?
- No. PSA does not insure inbound packages and takes responsibility for a card only once it is unpacked, identified and confirmed received, shown as Order Prep in its tracker. Inbound insurance, if you want it, comes from a third party such as Cabrella or a provider you choose, not from PSA. After that point, PSA's compensation for loss or damage is capped at the lesser of the card's fair market value or the level's Max Insured Value.
Sources
- PSA | Official Trading Card Grading Service, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
- PSA Backlog Tracker, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
- PSA Opens New Standard Service Level and Begins Grading in Europe, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
- PSA Shipping Guide, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
- FAQ : Frequently Asked Questions, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
- PSA Submission Services Terms and Conditions, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
- PSA | Getting Started With Grading, PSA Official / primary source · accessed October 23, 2026
About the author
Jay Montalbo writes about grading and selling for Cardboard Alpha. His background is in information technology, with nearly six years as an IT systems administrator and later work as an IT support analyst, and he brings the same troubleshooting habit to cards: break the problem into steps, check each one, and trust the answer only when every step holds. His articles work through when a grading submission pays for itself, how condition and grading-company standards move a card's value, and what a sale actually nets after marketplace fees and shipping, using published population reports, fee schedules, and completed-sale data. Every source is cited inline, and each piece is fact-checked against those sources before it is published.
Jay Montalbo's articles describe grading and selling mechanics using published population, fee, and pricing data. They are informational and are not personalized investment advice.
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