Card Grading Prices 2026: All Companies Compared

Card grading prices range from $15 per card (CGC Economy) to $300 per card (PSA Walk-through). PSA starts at $25/card plus a $99/year membership. BGS starts at $25/card with no membership. CGC starts at $15/card with no membership. SGC starts at $20/card. Cheapest overall grading goes to CGC, but PSA commands the highest resale premiums.

Pre-screen your cards with AI before deciding which company to submit to. Catch the cards that will not grade well before you spend $15-$300 on them.

Pre-Screen My Cards Free

Card Grading Price Comparison

Company Cheapest Tier Mid Tier Fastest Tier Membership
PSA $25 (45-65 days) $50 (20-30 days) $300 (1-2 days) $99/year required
BGS $25 (20-30 days) $50 (5-10 days) $250 (same day) None
CGC Cheapest $15 (80 days) $30 (50 days) $250 (2 days) Free tier available
SGC $20 (45 days) $40 (15 days) $75 (5 days) None

Which Company Fits Your Goal

Maximize Resale Value

Use PSA. PSA-graded cards command the highest secondary market premiums, typically 10-30% above CGC equivalents. The $99 membership pays for itself if you sell even a few PSA 10s per year.

PSA cost breakdown →

Detailed Condition Feedback

Use BGS. Every BGS card comes with four sub-grades at no extra cost. If you want to know exactly why a card graded where it did, BGS is the only major service that gives you this automatically.

BGS overview →

Budget Grading (Personal Collection)

Use CGC. At $15/card Economy, CGC is the cheapest professional grading option. No membership required. Resale premiums are lower than PSA but CGC is growing and perfectly adequate for collection display.

CGC overview →

Vintage Sports Cards

Use SGC for vintage baseball and basketball. SGC specializes in vintage material and has strong collector recognition in that segment. Their slab design and grading standards are well respected for pre-1980 cards.

SGC overview →

All-In Cost Examples

The per-card grading fee is just the starting point. Here is what 10 cards actually costs at each company's economy tier, including shipping and membership where applicable.

PSA Value Tier (10 cards)

Grading (10 x $25)$250
Shipping (both ways)~$40
Membership (year 2+)$99
Total~$389
Per card~$38.90

CGC Economy Tier (10 cards)

Grading (10 x $15)$150
Shipping (both ways)~$40
MembershipNone
Total~$190
Per card~$19

BGS Standard Tier (10 cards)

Grading (10 x $25)$250
Shipping (both ways)~$40
MembershipNone
Total~$290
Per card~$29

SGC Economy Tier (10 cards)

Grading (10 x $20)$200
Shipping (both ways)~$40
MembershipNone
Total~$240
Per card~$24

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about card grading prices across all companies.

How much does card grading cost?
Card grading costs vary by company. PSA charges $25-$300 per card plus a $99/year membership. BGS (Beckett) charges $25-$250 per card with no membership required. CGC charges $15-$250 per card with no mandatory membership. SGC charges $20-$75 per card. The cheapest professional option is CGC at $15/card for their Economy tier.

Which card grading company is cheapest?
CGC is the cheapest professional card grading company at $15 per card for their Economy tier with an 80-day turnaround. SGC is second at $20/card Economy. PSA and BGS both start at $25/card. However, CGC and SGC graded cards typically sell for less than PSA on the secondary market, so cheaper grading does not always mean more profit when selling.

How much does it cost to grade a Pokemon card?
Grading a Pokemon card costs $25-$300 per card at PSA (most popular for resale), $15-$250 at CGC, or $25-$250 at BGS. The all-in cost with shipping for a 10-card Pokemon batch at PSA Value tier is approximately $29-30 per card. For Pokemon cards under $50 raw value, the grading cost often exceeds the expected grade premium unless the card has strong PSA 10 potential.

Is there a free way to get cards graded?
There is no free professional grading service. All four major companies (PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC) charge per-card fees. However, AI grading apps like CardGrading.app offer free trials that predict your grade before you pay for professional grading. The free AI grade helps you decide which cards are worth submitting, potentially saving more than the professional grading costs on cards that would have graded out poorly.

What is the most expensive card grading service?
Walk-through or same-day service is the most expensive grading option at every company. PSA Walk-through is $300 per card. BGS Walk-through is $250 per card. CGC Walk-through is $250 per card. These premium tiers are designed for collectors submitting cards at shows or conventions who need grades within hours. For most collectors, there is no financial justification for walk-through service.

Pre-Screen Before Choosing a Grading Company

Know your expected grade before committing to PSA, BGS, CGC, or SGC. AI pre-screening helps you pick the right company for the right card.

Pre-Screen My Cards Free

2 free grades · No credit card required · No subscription