PSA Submission 2026

PSA's published prices as of November 8, 2026 run from $39.99 per card (Value) to $599 (Premier); check PSA for current availability, turnaround estimates and membership terms. The biggest mistake is submitting cards that won't grade well: PSA still charges the full fee on 6 of 7 rejection codes. Pre-grade with AI first so you only ship cards likely to come back PSA 9 or 10.

Photograph any Pokemon card and our AI predicts a PSA-aligned grade in about 35 seconds, so you can filter your stack before you spend $39.99 or more per card.

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PSA Service Tiers and Pricing (2026)

Prices below are PSA's published prices per card as of November 8, 2026. A listed price does not mean the tier is open: PSA's October update said Value reopened October 29 and Value Bulk was still paused, and some PSA pages show conflicting availability. Check PSA for current availability, turnaround estimates, membership terms and declared-value limits before you submit.

Tier	Published price/card
Value Lowest published price. PSA's October update said Value reopened October 29; check PSA for current availability.	$39.99
Standard Check PSA for current availability and declared-value limits.	$59.99
Priority Check PSA for current availability and declared-value limits.	$79.99
Express Check PSA for current availability and declared-value limits.	$199.00
Super Express Check PSA for current availability and declared-value limits.	$349.00
Premier Highest published tier. Check PSA for current availability and declared-value limits.	$599.00

Source: PSA's published prices as of November 8, 2026 (psacard.com trading card grading and grading pricing pages) and PSA's submission updates page. Check PSA's current turnaround estimates and membership terms.

How to Submit a Card to PSA

7 steps from account creation to getting your slabs back. Skip a step and PSA can reject the order or charge the fee anyway.

Step 1

Create a PSA account

A free PSA account is the starting point. Check PSA's current membership terms before you build the order, since membership status can affect which services and prices you see.

Step 2

Build the order online

Use the PSA online submission center. Pick the service level, declare a value per card, enter card details (year, set, player or character, card number, variation). Print the packing slip. Order matters: cards must be packed in the same sequence as the printed form.

Step 3

Prep each card

Penny sleeve first, then a semi-rigid holder (Card Saver I style). Avoid hard top loaders for submission, they can shift in transit. Painter's tape can secure pull tabs without leaving residue.

Step 4

Pack the box

Sandwich the stack between two pieces of cardboard, tape securely, wrap in bubble wrap until rigid, place in a sturdy outer box with fill. Include the printed paperwork. Seal all seams. Take photos of the packed box before you ship.

Step 5

Ship insured and tracked

Use USPS Registered, UPS, or FedEx with insurance matched to your declared value. PSA recommends signature confirmation. Save all tracking numbers. Newport Beach, CA is the US destination; Japan submissions go to Tokyo; Europe-direct returns summer 2026 via the new Frankfurt facility.

Step 6

Track through grading

Status updates inside your PSA account: Order Received, Research and ID, Grading, Quality Assurance, Assembly, Shipped. Check PSA's current turnaround estimates for your service level, and remember intake can take time after delivery.

Step 7

Receive cards back

PSA ships graded cards back with tracking; return shipping is charged by card count and declared value, so check PSA's current return shipping rates. Or route directly to PSA Vault and skip the return leg entirely.

Why Cards Get Rejected (and Why You Still Pay)

PSA uses 7 rejection codes. 6 of the 7 still charge the full grading fee even though the card never gets encapsulated. The single biggest savings move is pre-grading to spot obvious issues before you ship.

Code	Reason	What it means
N1	Evidence of Trimming	Edge altered with blade, scissors, or sanding. Grading fee still applies. Grader will not encapsulate.
N2	Evidence of Restoration	Repaired or rebuilt areas. Grading fee still applies.
N3	Evidence of Recoloring	Surface or border colored in to hide damage. Grading fee still applies.
N4	Questionable Authenticity / Counterfeit	Grading fee still applies. Card never encapsulated. Returned with the rejection.
N5	Altered Stock	Card stock physically modified. Fee applies.
N6	Evidence of Cleaning	Surface chemically or physically cleaned. Fee applies.
N9	Don't Grade	Oversized, undersized, obscure issue, or otherwise not eligible for the holder. No grading fee charged. Card returned.

Pre-Grade Before You Ship

PSA's own app does not predict grades for raw cards. The gap is exactly where collectors lose money: ship a stack, pay $39.99 or more per card at PSA's published prices, half come back at PSA 7 or 8 where the resale doesn't cover the fee. Snap a photo of each card with our AI grader first. Submit only the ones likely to come back PSA 9 or 10. The math works out fast.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does PSA grading cost in 2026?

PSA's published prices as of November 8, 2026 are $39.99 per card for Value, $59.99 for Standard, $79.99 for Priority, $199 for Express, $349 for Super Express and $599 for Premier. A published price does not mean a tier is open: PSA's October update said Value reopened October 29 and Value Bulk was still paused, so check PSA for current availability, turnaround estimates, membership terms and declared-value limits. Return shipping and supplies are extra.

How do I submit a Pokemon card to PSA?

Five steps. (1) Create a PSA account and check PSA's current membership terms. (2) Build the order online: choose service tier, declare value per card, enter card details, print the packing slip. (3) Prep each card in a penny sleeve plus semi-rigid holder, packed in the same order as the form. (4) Pack a rigid, well-protected box with the paperwork. (5) Ship insured and tracked via USPS Registered, UPS, or FedEx to Newport Beach, CA. Track status inside your PSA account and choose to ship the graded cards back to you or route them to the PSA Vault.

What is the cheapest way to grade Pokemon cards with PSA?

On PSA's published prices as of November 8, 2026, Value at $39.99 per card is the lowest-priced tier, followed by Standard at $59.99. PSA's October update said Value reopened October 29 and Value Bulk was still paused; check PSA for current availability and membership terms. Pre-grade your cards with an AI tool first so you only submit cards likely to grade PSA 9 or higher; submitting low-grade cards at any tier is the most common reason collectors lose money on grading.

How long does PSA take to grade in 2026?

Check PSA's current turnaround estimates for each service level on psacard.com. We have not verified PSA's current turnaround times, so this page does not list them. Estimates can change with demand, and the clock may not start the day PSA receives your package.

What can get my Pokemon card rejected by PSA?

PSA uses 7 rejection codes. N1 trimming (edge altered), N2 restoration (repairs), N3 recoloring (filled-in surface), N4 counterfeit / questionable authenticity, N5 altered stock, and N6 evidence of cleaning all still charge the grading fee even though the card is rejected. Only N9 ("Don't grade", for oversized, undersized, or ineligible cards) refunds the fee. Pre-grade with AI first to spot obvious issues before you ship.

Should I use the PSA Vault when I submit?

Yes if you plan to sell or hold the card on a marketplace. Routing graded cards directly to the PSA Vault skips the return-shipping leg and removes the dispatch-then-resubmit-to-vault step. Check PSA's current Vault terms and fees before you choose it. For cards you plan to physically hold or display, ship them home as normal.

Does PSA do bulk grading in 2026?

PSA's October update said Value Bulk was still paused. Check PSA for its current status, price and terms before planning a bulk submission. Of the six tiers on PSA's published list as of November 8, 2026, Value is the lowest priced at $39.99 per card; check PSA for current Value availability.

Can I submit PSA from outside the US in 2026?

It depends on where you are. Japan: yes, via PSA's Tokyo facility, full direct submissions. Europe: a new PSA Frankfurt facility opens summer 2026, removing the 20% VAT on returned value for EU collectors; until then most EU submissions go through PSA Authorized Dealers. Other regions: direct mail-in to the US has been paused at various points in 2025-2026 due to tariff complications, so submit via an Authorized Dealer in your region. International return shipping carries higher postage and customs paperwork.

Does PSA have an AI pre-grading tool?

No. PSA's official Card Scanner and Grading app identifies cards, returns market prices, manages your submissions, and integrates with the Vault and eBay. It does not predict a grade for a raw card before you submit. That gap is what AI tools like CardGrading.app fill: predicting a PSA grade from a photo in about 35 seconds so you only ship the cards likely to come back PSA 9 or 10.

Pre-Grade Before You Submit

Free AI grade prediction in about 35 seconds. Don't pay PSA's $39.99+ per-card fee on a card that won't grade PSA 9 or 10.

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