PSA Grading Cost 2026: Complete Fee Table for Every Tier
Every PSA grading tier price, declared value cap, return shipping cost, and hidden fee for 2026 — including the February 2026 price increase.
PSA raised prices on every grading tier on February 10, 2026 — the second increase in twelve months. If you're working from older cost guides, you're working from outdated numbers. This is the complete, current 2026 fee schedule, with every per-card price, declared-value cap, return shipping cost, and hidden fee broken out tier by tier. Numbers below are pulled from PSA's official services page and the February 2026 price update notice.
The Eight PSA Service Tiers
PSA's service tiers all do the same thing — authenticate and grade your card on the 1–10 scale — they just differ in how much you're paying to skip the line. Higher tiers also support higher declared values, which is how PSA prices the insurance and handling of more valuable cards.
Value Bulk — $24.99 per card
The cheapest way to get a card into a PSA slab. Requires a Collectors Club membership ($149/yr Standard) and a 20-card minimum per submission. Maximum declared value: $199 per card. Current turnaround: 95 business days, which translates to roughly 4.5 calendar months. This is where most modern bulk submissions live: dollar-bin Pokémon, common-grade sports rookies, and anything where you're betting on volume rather than individual hits.
Value — ~$30 per card
One step up from Bulk, no membership minimum required (though Collectors Club gets the best price). Maximum declared value: $499. Current turnaround: 75 business days. Good for mid-range modern cards where you want some speed but don't want to pay for it.
Value Plus — ~$50 per card
Maximum declared value: $999. Current turnaround: 45 business days. This tier saw the most recent extension — it moved from 40 to 45 business days early in 2026, the second extension in six months. Good cost-to-speed balance for most submitters.
Regular — ~$80 per card
Maximum declared value: $2,499. Current turnaround: 25 business days. The "I want it back in a month" tier. Most graded modern hits and mid-tier vintage end up here because the higher declared value bracket fits.
Express — ~$150 per card
Maximum declared value: $4,999. Current turnaround: 15 business days. Three weeks. Used for higher-value modern cards and any submission where you need slabs back before a card show or major sale window.
Super Express — $299 per card
Maximum declared value: $9,999. Current turnaround: 7 business days. Roughly two weeks back in your hands including return shipping. Almost always reserved for high-value individual cards.
Walk-Through — $599 per card
Maximum declared value: $24,999. Current turnaround: 7 business days. Despite the name, you don't have to walk it in — you can ship it. Premium handling for cards in the five-figure range.
Above Walk-Through
For cards declared above $25,000, PSA prices custom. These quotes happen by direct contact with PSA's high-end services team and typically run $1,000+ per card with priority handling.
Return Shipping Costs
PSA charges return shipping based on declared value, not weight or speed. Approximate rates as of 2026:
Under $499 declared: $20–$25
$500 – $1,999: $25–$35
$2,000 – $9,999: $35–$50
$10,000+: $50+ with FedEx priority and full insurance
Return shipping is per submission, not per card, so consolidating cards into one submission saves money.
Other Fees You'll Hit
Mechanical Error / Reholder: $20–$30 if PSA mis-labels a card or the case ships damaged. Free if PSA's fault and reported quickly.
Reconsideration: Disputing a grade you think is wrong. Pricing matches the original submission tier and effectively becomes a regrade.
Crossover Service: Sending in a slab from another grading company (BGS, CGC) and asking PSA to crack and re-slab if it grades the same or higher. Tier-priced like a regular submission, with the catch that PSA will reject if the cross would result in a lower grade.
Auto Authentication: Separate fee for verifying signed cards — usually $10–$15 added on top of the grading fee.
Jumbo / Oversized: Cards larger than standard get an upcharge, typically $5–$10 more per card on top of the tier price.
Hidden Costs Beyond PSA's Invoice
Card Savers (semi-rigids). PSA requires cards to ship in semi-rigid holders. A 200-pack runs about $15. You're spending roughly $0.07 per card on holders.
Penny sleeves. Cards go inside a penny sleeve before going into the Card Saver. A pack of 1,000 sleeves costs about $7.
Submission packaging. A sturdy box, bubble wrap, and shipping label runs another $5–$10 per submission.
Inbound shipping with insurance. $15–$50 depending on declared value and carrier.
Total hidden costs on a 20-card Bulk submission: roughly $50, or $2.50 per card on top of the per-card grading fee.
The All-In Cost: Real Examples
20-card Value Bulk submission. $24.99 × 20 = $499.80 grading + $25 return shipping + $25 inbound + $5 supplies + $149 annual membership amortized = roughly $725 all-in. Per card: about $36.
1-card Express submission of a $3,000 card. $150 grading + $35 return + $25 inbound insured + $2 supplies = $212.
5-card Regular submission. $80 × 5 = $400 grading + $30 return + $20 inbound + $5 supplies = $455. Per card: $91.
How to Pay Less Without Going Up a Tier
A few legitimate ways to reduce per-card cost: bundle into a single submission to share return shipping, time submissions during PSA's promotional specials (they run rotating tier discounts most months — see psacard.com/specials), use a card shop that offers authorized dealer bulk pricing, or stack with Collectors Club membership vouchers. The single biggest saver is the membership: if you submit more than 30 cards a year, the membership cost amortizes into a meaningful per-card discount.
What to Do With This Information
Don't grade cards just because you can. Read our break-even guide first — it'll save you from sending in cards that will never recoup the fee. Once you've identified what's worth grading, our prep guide walks through how to package and submit cards correctly so you don't lose grades to handling damage. And if you'd rather have a local shop handle the entire submission process, browse our directory for authorized dealers near you.
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