How to Submit Cards to PSA: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Submitting cards to PSA requires: a $99/year membership, an online submission order at PSAcard.com, Card Saver holders (not top loaders), careful packing in a sturdy box, and insured shipping. The full process from order creation to receiving your slabs back takes 45-300 business days depending on the tier you choose. Pre-screening with AI before submitting is the smartest thing you can do to avoid paying $25-$300 on cards that will not grade well.

Sending your first cards to PSA is intimidating. The submission process has specific requirements that PSA enforces, and mistakes can delay your order or result in cards being returned ungraded. This guide walks through every step.

Step 1: Get a PSA Membership

PSA requires a Collectors Club membership to submit cards. The basic membership costs $99 per year and includes a $50 voucher toward your first order. The voucher effectively reduces the net membership cost to $49 in year one.

Go to psacard.com to sign up. You need an account before you can create a submission order. There is no free account tier that allows submissions.

Step 2: Pre-Screen Your Cards First

Before creating your submission order, pre-screen every card you are considering. This is the step most first-time submitters skip, and it is the one that costs them the most money.

Run each card through CardGrading.app first. The AI analyzes centering, corners, edges, and surface from photos and predicts a PSA grade. Cards that predict PSA 8 or lower are usually not worth submitting at the $25-$300 per card fee. Filter your submission stack down to the cards with realistic PSA 9 or PSA 10 potential before you pay.

Step 3: Create Your Submission Order Online

Log in to PSA's website and create a new submission order. You will:

• Select a service tier (Value, Regular, Express, Super Express, Walk-through)
• List each card you are submitting with the card name, set, year, and condition
• Declare the value of each card for insurance purposes
• Print the order confirmation and packing slip

Be accurate when listing cards. The information you enter matches what PSA will verify when they receive your submission. Errors can slow processing.

Step 4: Choose the Right Service Tier

Tier	Cost per Card	Turnaround	Best For
Value	$25	45-65 days	Patient collectors, bulk submissions
Regular	$50	20-30 days	Balance of speed and cost
Express	$75	10-15 days	Time-sensitive sales
Super Express	$150	5 days	High-value cards with urgency
Walk-through	$300	1-2 days	Show submissions, extreme urgency

For most collectors, Value tier at $25/card is the right choice. The grading quality is identical to Express. You are only paying more for faster return. If you do not have a specific deadline, patience saves real money.

Step 5: Prepare Your Cards in Card Savers

PSA requires each card to be placed in a Card Saver semi-rigid card holder. Specifically, Card Saver I for standard-size cards and Card Saver II for slightly thicker cards (some modern foil or patch cards).

Do not use hard plastic top loaders. PSA requires Card Savers for most tiers because they are semi-flexible and graders can remove cards more safely without damaging corners. Hard top loaders can be used for certain high-value submissions but check PSA's current guidelines.

Slide each card into the Card Saver without touching the card surface. Handle cards by the edges only. Even fingerprints on the surface can affect surface grading.

Step 6: Pack Your Cards Securely

After placing each card in a Card Saver:

• Wrap each Card Saver individually in a team bag or soft tissue paper
• Bundle your cards together with the printed packing slip
• Place the bundle inside a sturdy cardboard box with padding (bubble wrap) on all sides
• Cards should not move inside the box when you shake it
• Use a fresh, undamaged box with no previous shipping labels

PSA's address for submissions is printed on your packing slip. Do not send to an outdated address.

Step 7: Ship with Insurance and Tracking

Ship your package with full insurance for the declared value of the cards inside. Use a carrier with tracking: USPS Priority Mail, FedEx, or UPS are all acceptable. Get a tracking number and keep it until your order is confirmed received at PSA.

Shipping costs typically run $10-$28 depending on package weight and insurance level. Shipping both ways adds $20-$40 to your all-in cost per submission, spread across however many cards you sent.

Step 8: Track Your Submission

Log in to PSA's website to track your submission status. PSA updates the status as your order moves through intake, grading, and encapsulation. You will receive a notification when your order is complete and your slabs have been shipped back.

Step 9: Review Your Grades

When your slabs arrive, review each grade against your pre-screening predictions. Cards that received lower grades than expected reveal useful information about your photography or card inspection technique. Use this feedback to improve your pre-screening process for future submissions.

If any grade looks significantly off from what you expected (a PSA 7 on a card that visually looked near-mint), you can look up the card's certification number on PSA's site to verify it matches your submission.

How do I submit cards to PSA?

Get a PSA membership, pre-screen your cards with AI, create an online order at PSAcard.com, place cards in Card Saver holders, pack securely in a sturdy box, and ship with insurance and tracking.

Can I use top loaders to submit to PSA?

No. PSA requires Card Saver semi-rigid holders for most service tiers. Hard plastic top loaders are generally not accepted. Card Saver I and II are available at most card shops and online.

Should I pre-screen before submitting to PSA?

Yes. Pre-screening with an AI grading tool before submitting filters out cards unlikely to grade PSA 9 or better. One prevented bad submission at $25-$75 more than pays for months of AI pre-screening at $3.49/month.

Pre-screen your cards before your PSA submission. Free for the first scan.