How Much Does Card Grading Cost in 2026?

Card grading costs between $15 and $300 per card depending on the grading company and service level. PSA starts at $25/card, BGS at $25/card, and CGC at $15/card. AI pre-screening with CardGrading.app costs $0.17/card with the Collector plan or $0.10/card with Pro.

Full side-by-side comparison of every major grading company, hidden fees, and how to cut your costs by 50% or more with AI pre-screening.

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Card Grading Cost Comparison

How do PSA, BGS, CGC, and AI pre-screening stack up? Here is a direct comparison of cost, turnaround, and what you get from each option.

Company Cost per Card Turnaround What You Get Best For
PSA $25 - $300 1 - 65 business days Official slab, cert number, PSA pop report entry, highest resale premium Selling cards for maximum value
BGS / Beckett $25 - $250 1 - 60 business days Official slab with sub-grades (centering, corners, edges, surface), BGS label Collectors who want detailed sub-grade breakdown
CGC $15 - $250 2 - 80 business days Official slab, optional sub-grades (+$10), no membership required Budget-conscious grading with no annual membership
CardGrading.app (AI) Lowest cost $0.10 - $0.17 ~30 seconds AI grade prediction, centering/corners/edges/surface analysis, price data, ROI advisor Pre-screening before submitting to PSA, BGS, or CGC

See the full grading company comparison →

PSA Grading Cost Breakdown

PSA is the most popular grading company and commands the highest resale premiums. Here are the current per-card fees for each service level.

Service Tier Cost/Card Business Days
Value Most popular $25 45 - 65
Regular $50 20 - 30
Express $75 10 - 15
Super Express $150 5
Walk-through $300 1 - 2

Additional PSA costs: $99/year membership (includes $50 voucher), outbound shipping ($10-$28), return shipping ($10-$20), and declared value fee (1-2%) for cards valued over $499.

See the full PSA grading cost breakdown with examples →

BGS / Beckett Grading Cost Breakdown

BGS (Beckett Grading Services) is known for its detailed sub-grades covering centering, corners, edges, and surface. A BGS Black Label 10 is one of the most prestigious grades in the hobby.

Service Tier Cost/Card Business Days
Economy Cheapest $25 46 - 60
Standard $50 21 - 45
Express $100 6 - 20
Premium $150 1 - 5
Walk-through $250 1 - 2

BGS extras: Sub-grades are included by default (centering, corners, edges, surface). BGS does not require an annual membership, but offers optional BGA membership for discounts. Shipping and insurance costs are similar to PSA.

See the full Beckett grading cost breakdown →

CGC Grading Cost Breakdown

CGC is the most budget-friendly option starting at just $15/card with no mandatory membership. Originally known for comic book grading, CGC has expanded into trading cards and is gaining market share.

Service Tier Cost/Card Business Days
Economy Lowest price $15 65 - 80
Standard $30 40 - 50
Express $65 10 - 15
Priority $150 3 - 5
Walk-through $250 2

CGC advantages: No annual membership required. Free tier available for account access. Optional sub-grades for +$10. Lower entry cost makes CGC ideal for collectors new to grading or those with large collections of moderate-value cards.

The Smart Approach: Pre-Screen Before You Submit

Most collectors waste $500+ grading cards that come back as PSA 7s and 8s. Screen your collection first with CardGrading.app and only submit cards that are worth the grading fee.

$4.99 /month

Collector Plan

  • ✓ 30 scans/month - AI grade predictions ($0.17/card)
  • ✓ 50 price checks/month - real market values
  • ✓ Portfolio tracking - track your entire collection value
  • ✓ Weekly value digest - know when your cards move in price
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Pro Plan

  • ✓ 100 scans/month - AI grade predictions ($0.10/card)
  • ✓ 150 price checks/month - real market values
  • ✓ PSA ROI advisor - tells you if a submission is profitable
  • ✓ Price alerts - get notified when card values spike
  • ✓ Re-grade comparison - compare grades across PSA, BGS, CGC
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Worked Example: How Pre-Screening Saves You $300

Scenario Cost
Without pre-screening: 20 cards at PSA Value tier (20 x $25) $500
Pre-screen all 20 with Collector plan $4.99
AI identifies 8 cards worth submitting (8 x $25) $200
Total with pre-screening $204.99
Your savings $295.01

This does not include shipping savings. By submitting 8 cards instead of 20, you also pay less for outbound and return shipping, adding another $10-$20 in savings.

Not sure if your cards are worth grading? Use our guide →

Track Your Graded Collection

After you grade your cards, the work is not done. Use CardGrading.app to track your graded collection's value over time and know exactly when to sell.

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Portfolio Tracking

See your total collection worth update in real time. Track individual card values and overall portfolio performance.

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Price Alerts

Get notified when your graded cards spike in value. Never miss the perfect selling window again. Available on the Pro plan.

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Weekly Value Digest

Receive a weekly summary of your collection's value changes. Stay informed without checking the app every day.

Learn more about collection tracking features →
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about card grading costs, fees, and how to save money.

How much does it cost to get a card graded?
Card grading costs between $15 and $300 per card depending on the grading company and service level. PSA starts at $25/card (Value tier, 45-65 days), BGS starts at $25/card (Economy, 46-60 days), and CGC starts at $15/card (Economy, 65-80 days). Additional costs include shipping ($10-$28 each way), insurance, and membership fees (PSA charges $99/year). AI pre-screening with CardGrading.app starts at $0.10/card with the Pro plan.

How much does it cost to get Pokemon cards graded?
Pokemon card grading costs the same as any other trading card. PSA charges $25-$300 per card, BGS charges $25-$250, and CGC charges $15-$250. There is no separate pricing for Pokemon cards. The most popular option for Pokemon collectors is PSA Value tier at $25/card with a 45-65 day turnaround. Before submitting, use CardGrading.app to pre-screen your Pokemon cards and identify which ones are worth the grading fee.

How much does PSA grading cost?
PSA grading costs $25 to $300 per card in 2026. The Value tier is $25/card (45-65 days), Regular is $50/card (20-30 days), Express is $75/card (10-15 days), Super Express is $150/card (5 days), and Walk-through is $300/card (1-2 days). PSA also requires a $99/year membership that includes a $50 voucher. Total all-in cost for 10 cards at Value tier is approximately $29 per card including shipping.

How much is PSA grading?
PSA grading starts at $25 per card for the Value tier with a 45-65 business day turnaround. The price increases with faster turnaround: $50 (Regular, 20-30 days), $75 (Express, 10-15 days), $150 (Super Express, 5 days), and $300 (Walk-through, 1-2 days). You also need a $99/year PSA membership. For a detailed breakdown of all PSA costs including hidden fees, see our PSA grading cost guide.

How much does it cost to PSA grade a card?
The base cost to PSA grade a single card ranges from $25 to $300 depending on turnaround speed. However, the all-in cost is higher when you factor in the $99/year membership, outbound shipping ($10-$28), return shipping ($10-$20), and packing supplies ($5-$15). For a single card at Value tier, expect to pay around $65-$75 all-in for your first submission, or $45-$55 if you already have an active membership.

How much is it to get a card graded?
Getting a card graded costs between $15 and $300 per card at the major grading companies. CGC is the cheapest starting at $15/card, followed by PSA and BGS at $25/card. These are base per-card fees only - add $20-$50 for shipping and insurance per submission. The smartest approach is to pre-screen your cards first with AI (CardGrading.app costs $0.10-$0.17/card) so you only pay full grading fees on cards likely to grade well.

What is the cheapest way to get cards graded?
The cheapest grading option is CGC Economy at $15/card with a 65-80 day turnaround and no membership required. PSA Value ($25/card) and BGS Economy ($25/card) are the next most affordable. To reduce costs further, batch your submissions (10+ cards) to spread shipping costs, and pre-screen with CardGrading.app to avoid wasting money on cards that will come back as low grades.

Is it worth paying for card grading?
Card grading is worth it when the expected grade premium exceeds your all-in grading cost. Generally, cards with a raw value of $50 or more are worth grading at Value tier if they are in near-mint condition. Cards under $30 raw value are rarely worth grading from a financial perspective. Use CardGrading.app to check your card value and predicted grade before deciding - the PSA ROI advisor on the Pro plan tells you exactly whether a submission will be profitable.

How does AI card grading compare to PSA?
AI card grading with CardGrading.app is not a replacement for official PSA, BGS, or CGC grading. It is a pre-screening tool that predicts what grade your card would receive, analyzes centering, corners, edges, and surface condition, and checks market values - all in about 30 seconds for $0.10-$0.17 per card. Use AI pre-screening to decide which cards are worth the $25-$300 professional grading fee.

How can I save money on card grading?
The most effective ways to save money on card grading are: (1) Pre-screen with AI to avoid submitting cards that will grade poorly - CardGrading.app Collector plan is $4.99/month for 30 scans. (2) Use the cheapest tier when you are not in a rush - PSA Value at $25 vs Regular at $50 saves $25 per card. (3) Batch submissions of 10+ cards to spread shipping costs. (4) Track card values with portfolio tracking to submit when prices peak.

Related Guides

PSA Grading Cost

Full breakdown of every PSA tier, hidden fees, and cost-saving tips.

Beckett Grading Cost

BGS pricing, sub-grades explained, and when Beckett beats PSA on value.

Should I Grade My Cards?

Decision framework to determine if grading is worth it for your specific cards.

CardGrading.app Pricing

Compare Collector and Pro plans to find the right fit for your collection.

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