The Short Answer
- PSA Regular is $79.99/card — Value tiers ($24.99 and $32.99) are paused since June 2, 2026, making PSA the most expensive option.
- CGC Economy is the cheapest major grader at $15/card. CGC Bulk is $12/card with a 25-card minimum.
- SGC Economy is $25/card with the fastest turnaround (20-30 days). SGC Immediate is $40/card (1-2 days).
- BGS Economy is $20/card with sub-grades included. BGS Standard is $25+/card.
- Hidden costs include shipping ($15-30 per submission), insurance ($2.50 per $100 value), eBay selling fees (12.9% + $0.30), and PSA membership fees.
- AI pre-grading at $0.19/card reduces total grading costs by 40-60% by preventing wasted submissions on cards that would grade low.
- For bulk submissions of 25+ cards, CGC Bulk at $12/card is the best value at $300 total for 25 cards.
Short Answer: How Much Does Card Grading Cost in 2026?
Card grading in 2026 costs between $12 and $600+ per card, depending on the grading company and service tier. The cheapest option is CGC Bulk at $12/card (25-card minimum). The most common affordable option is CGC Economy at $15/card. PSA Regular is $79.99/card after Value tiers were paused.
But the grading fee is only part of the total cost. You also need to factor in shipping ($15-30 per submission), insurance ($2.50 per $100 of declared value), and selling fees if you plan to sell the graded card (12.9% + $0.30 on eBay).
The total cost per card for a typical PSA Regular submission is approximately $95-110: $79.99 grading fee + $5-10 shipping allocation + $5-15 insurance + potential eBay fees. For CGC Economy, the total is approximately $22-28 per card.
2026 Card Grading Price Comparison Table
| Grader | Tier | Per-Card Fee | Min. Cards | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | Value Bulk | $24.99 | — | PAUSED |
| PSA | Value | $32.99 | — | PAUSED |
| PSA | Regular | $79.99 | 1 | 65-120 days |
| PSA | Express | $149.99 | 1 | ~10 days |
| PSA | Super Express | $299.99 | 1 | ~5 days |
| PSA | Walk-Through | $599.99 | 1 | ~2 days |
| CGC | Bulk | $12 | 25 | ~120 days |
| CGC | Economy | $15 | 1 | 30-45 days |
| CGC | Standard | $55 | 1 | ~20 days |
| CGC | Express | $100 | 1 | ~5 days |
| SGC | Economy | $25 | 1 | 20-30 days |
| SGC | Immediate | $40 | 1 | 1-2 days |
| BGS | Economy | $20 | 1 | 80-100 days |
| BGS | Standard | $25+ | 1 | 45-60 days |
| BGS | Premium | $250 | 1 | Same day |
| TAG | Bulk | $12 | — | 15-25 days |
PSA Pricing Breakdown
PSA is the most expensive card grading company in 2026, following the pause of Value tiers and two price hikes in 2025-2026.
PSA Value tier pause: On June 2, 2026, PSA paused its Value Bulk ($24.99) and Value ($32.99) tiers, citing a ~14 million card backlog. These were the most popular PSA tiers for collectors grading sub-$100 cards. Their elimination has forced collectors to either pay $79.99/card for Regular or switch to CGC/SGC.
PSA Collectors Club membership: PSA offers a Collectors Club membership starting at $199/year, which includes grading credits and access to bulk pricing. The membership can be worth it if you grade 10+ cards per year, but it adds to the total cost.
PSA sub-grade fee: PSA does not include sub-grades on the label. If you want sub-grades, there is an additional fee. BGS and CGC include sub-grades at no extra cost (CGC made them optional in 2025).
PSA return shipping: PSA includes return shipping via FedEx Ground in the submission fee. This is a cost advantage over CGC, which charges $10-25 for return shipping.
CGC Pricing Breakdown
CGC is the value leader in 2026, offering the lowest per-card fees among major graders.
CGC Bulk ($12/card): Requires a 25-card minimum. Turnaround is ~120 business days. At $300 for 25 cards, this is the cheapest per-card grading option from any major company. Ideal for bulk TCG and modern card submissions.
CGC Economy ($15/card): No minimum. 30-45 business day turnaround. This is the best value-to-speed ratio in the industry — cheaper and faster than PSA Regular by a wide margin.
CGC return shipping: CGC charges $10-25 for return shipping depending on the number of slabs. This is an additional cost to factor in. For a 10-card submission, budget $15 for return shipping.
CGC sub-grades: CGC made sub-grades optional in 2025. Standard submissions do not include sub-grades. If you want sub-grades, there may be an additional fee. Check the current pricing on CGCcards.com.
SGC Pricing Breakdown
SGC offers competitive pricing with the fastest turnaround times among major graders.
SGC Economy ($25/card): 20-30 business day turnaround. This is the fastest Economy-tier turnaround in the industry. For collectors who want their cards back quickly without paying Express prices, SGC Economy is the best option.
SGC Immediate ($40/card): 1-2 business day turnaround. The fastest grading service available from any major company. Ideal for high-value cards where you need quick turnaround for a sale or auction.
SGC return shipping: SGC includes return shipping in the submission fee, similar to PSA and BGS. No additional return shipping charge.
BGS Pricing Breakdown
BGS offers sub-grades on every label at competitive pricing, though turnaround times are longer than CGC and SGC.
BGS Economy ($20/card): 80-100 business day turnaround. Sub-grades included. This is slower than CGC Economy ($15, 30-45 days) and SGC Economy ($25, 20-30 days), but the sub-grades add value for collectors who want condition transparency.
BGS Standard ($25+/card): 45-60 business day turnaround. Sub-grades included. The pricing varies based on declared value and service level.
BGS Premium ($250/card): Same-day turnaround. For very high-value cards where immediate grading is needed. This is the fastest same-day service among major graders.
BGS return shipping: BGS includes return shipping in the submission fee.
Hidden Costs of Card Grading
The grading fee is only part of the total cost. Here are the hidden costs every collector should factor in:
| Cost | Amount | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound shipping | $8-25 | Every submission (USPS Priority Mail) |
| Return shipping (CGC) | $10-25 | CGC submissions only (PSA/BGS/SGC include return) |
| Insurance | $2.50 per $100 value | Every submission |
| Signature confirmation | $3-5 | Recommended for all submissions |
| PSA Collectors Club | $199/year | Optional, for bulk pricing access |
| PSA sub-grades | Extra fee | If you want sub-grades from PSA |
| eBay selling fees | 12.9% + $0.30 per sale | When you sell the graded card |
| Packaging materials | $5-15 | Penny sleeves, top loaders, box, bubble wrap |
Total Cost per Card Calculation
Here is the true total cost per card for a 10-card submission to each major grader:
| Grader & Tier | Grading Fee (10 cards) | Shipping (both ways) | Insurance ($500 value) | Total | Per Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA Regular | $799.90 | $20 | $12.50 | $832.40 | $83.24 |
| CGC Economy | $150 | $35 | $12.50 | $197.50 | $19.75 |
| SGC Economy | $250 | $20 | $12.50 | $282.50 | $28.25 |
| BGS Economy | $200 | $20 | $12.50 | $232.50 | $23.25 |
The cost difference is dramatic: PSA Regular costs 4.2x more per card than CGC Economy. For a 10-card submission, choosing CGC over PSA saves $635. This is why CGC has grown 121% year-over-year while PSA has raised prices and paused tiers.
How to Minimize Your Card Grading Costs
Here are proven strategies to reduce your total grading cost:
- Use AI pre-grading: At $0.19/card, AI pre-grading identifies which cards are worth submitting. If you screen 30 cards and only submit the 10 best candidates, you save $640+ in PSA fees on the 20 cards that would have graded low.
- Choose CGC for value grading: CGC Economy ($15/card) is 81% cheaper than PSA Regular ($79.99/card). For cards under $100 raw, CGC is the better ROI.
- Use CGC Bulk for large submissions: At $12/card with a 25-card minimum, CGC Bulk is the cheapest per-card option. A 25-card submission costs $300 total.
- Batch your submissions: Shipping costs are per-submission, not per-card. Submitting 20 cards at once costs the same shipping as submitting 5 cards.
- Sell on platforms with lower fees: eBay charges 12.9% + $0.30. Whatnot, PWCC, and Goldin may have different fee structures. Compare platforms for your card value range.
- Use SGC for vintage speed: SGC Economy ($25, 20-30 days) is faster than PSA Regular ($79.99, 65-120 days) and cheaper. For vintage cards where SGC premium approaches PSA, this is a double saving.
- Wait for PSA Value tier return: If you must use PSA and can wait, monitor PSAcard.com for Value tier reinstatement. There is no announced date, but it may return when the backlog clears.
- Pre-screen with a 10x loupe: A $10 jeweler's loupe lets you identify corner whitening, edge chipping, and surface scratches before spending money on grading. Combine with AI pre-grading for maximum screening accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does PSA grading cost in 2026?
How much does CGC grading cost in 2026?
Why did PSA pause Value tiers?
What is the cheapest card grading company?
What hidden costs should I know about?
How can I reduce my card grading costs?
Is PSA worth the higher cost?
Sources & Further Reading
- PSA Grading Prices
- CGC Grading Prices
- SGC Grading Prices
- Beckett Grading Prices
- PreGradeCards Grading Cost Calculator
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