PSA and CGC Both Raised Grading Fees in Q1 2026: What Submitters Need to Know Before the Next Bulk Order
PSA raised fees 5 dollars per card in February and CGC pushed prices up across every tier in January. With Collectors Holdings facing an active antitrust class action, the timing has the hobby paying close attention to where submission dollars go.
Both of the two largest card grading companies in the hobby raised prices in the first quarter of 2026, and the increases are now showing up in submitter wallets. PSA raised fees by $5 per card across multiple service tiers in February, and CGC raised fees across every grading tier in January. With Collectors Holdings now sitting at the center of an active antitrust class action over its consolidation of PSA, SGC, and the pending Beckett acquisition, the timing of the fee increases has not gone unnoticed.
What PSA Changed in February
PSA announced a $5 per card increase across Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, Value Max, and Regular tiers, with turnaround times also pushed up by five business days for Value Plus, Value Max, and Regular submissions. The changes took effect in mid-February and apply to all submissions logged after the cutoff date. PSA's lowest tier — Value Bulk at $24.99 per card — remains the cheapest published PSA option, but it requires Collectors Club membership, a 20-card minimum per submission, and a 95-business-day turnaround quote.
What CGC Changed in January
CGC's increases were broader and hit every published tier on the rate card. The new structure looks like this:
- Bulk: $14 → $15 per card
- Economy: $17 → $18 per card
- Standard: $45 → $55 per card
- Express: $85 → $100 per card
- Walk-Through: $275 → $300 per card
The Standard tier increase is the largest in percentage terms — a 22 percent bump that closes the gap between CGC and PSA's middle service tiers. CGC's Bulk at $15 per card is still the lowest published grading fee anywhere in the hobby, and that has kept submission volume strong on the modern Pokemon side where bulk submissions dominate.
"PSA and CGC moving prices up within six weeks of each other reads to a lot of submitters as a coordinated lift. The grading companies will say it is independent inflation pressure. The lawsuit will get to test that question."
How the Antitrust Backdrop Affects Submitters
Collectors Holdings now owns PSA and SGC outright and has a pending agreement to acquire Beckett (BGS), which would put three of the four most-used grading services under a single corporate parent. In early 2026, Congressman Pat Ryan sent a letter to the FTC requesting an investigation into whether the acquisitions represent antitrust violations. A private antitrust class action was filed in California shortly after, naming Collectors, PSA, SGC, and Beckett as defendants.
The lawsuit's central allegation is that the consolidation gives the combined entity pricing power that did not exist when the services competed independently. The February PSA price increase is now part of the discovery record, and submitters paying the new fees are already named class members.
Where the Math Lands for Most Submitters
For high-volume modern Pokemon submitters, CGC Bulk at $15 per card is still the cheapest option. For sports card submitters who specifically want PSA grades because of resale premium, PSA Value Bulk at $24.99 per card remains the floor — but the 95-business-day turnaround means cards submitted today are not coming back until late August. SGC at $18 to $20 per card on Standard sits in the middle and is the option most often recommended for vintage submitters who want a slabbed grade without paying PSA's premium.
The Practical Advice Right Now
Three things to think about before your next submission:
- Run the math on resale premium. A PSA 10 versus a CGC 10 still commands a meaningful premium on most modern Pokemon and vintage sports, but the gap has narrowed in 2026, especially on modern Pokemon where CGC Pristine 10 has started clearing PSA 10 comps.
- Watch the turnaround quotes. PSA's five-day extensions matter more than the $5 increases for cards you are trying to flip. A card that comes back four months later instead of three months later changes the resale window.
- Diversify submissions. If you have a 30-card stack heading out, consider splitting it across two services. The grading companies are facing genuine class certification pressure, and it is plausible that one of them changes pricing again before the end of the year.
The hobby has been here before — every prior round of grading consolidation has produced fee increases — but never with this level of public scrutiny. Submitters who pay attention to where their money goes have more leverage in 2026 than they have had in years.