The Short Answer
- PSA cheapest open tier is Regular at $79.99 per card as of June 2026.
- Value Bulk ($21.99), Value ($25), Value Plus ($30), and Value Max ($40) are all paused.
- A Collectors Club membership ($99/year) is required to submit directly to PSA.
- Shipping, insurance, and handling add $15-40 per submission on top of grading fees.
- Pre-grading with AI before submitting can cut total grading costs by 60-70%.
The Short Answer
As of June 2026, PSA grading costs $50 to $300 per card depending on the service tier. The cheapest available tier is Economy at $50 (45-60 day turnaround), while the most popular open tier is Regular at $79.99 (30-45 days). All four Value tiers — Value Bulk ($21.99), Value ($25), Value Plus ($30), and Value Max ($40) — are paused indefinitely due to a 14-million-card backlog.
On top of the per-card fee, you will pay for shipping both ways ($15-25), optional insurance ($1-3 per $100 declared value), and a required Collectors Club membership ($99/year for direct submissions). A typical 10-card submission to PSA Regular costs approximately $850-950 total.
PSA Grading Prices by Service Tier (June 2026)
PSA organizes its service tiers by price, turnaround time, and declared value limit. Here is the complete pricing structure as of June 12, 2026:
| Service Tier | Price | Turnaround | Max Declared Value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walk-Through | $300 | 5 days | No limit | Open |
| Super Express | $150 | 10-15 days | $9,999 | Open |
| Express | $100 | 15-20 days | $4,999 | Open |
| Regular | $79.99 | 30-45 days | $1,499 | Open |
| Economy | $50 | 45-60 days | $499 | Open |
| Value Max | $40 | N/A | $499 | Paused |
| Value Plus | $30 | N/A | $499 | Paused |
| Value | $25 | N/A | $499 | Paused |
| Value Bulk | $21.99 | N/A | $499 | Paused |
Hidden Fees & Extra Costs PSA Does Not Advertise
The per-card fee is only part of the story. Here are the additional costs every PSA submission incurs:
| Fee Type | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping to PSA | $10-25 | Depends on carrier, speed, insurance. PSA recommends UPS/FedEx with tracking. |
| Return Shipping | $15-30 | PSA charges return shipping based on declared value and quantity. |
| Insurance | $1-3 / $100 | Optional but strongly recommended during transit and processing. |
| Collectors Club | $99/year | Required for direct submissions. Dealers can waive this by acting as intermediaries. |
| Autograph Auth | +$10-25 | Cards with autographs require additional authentication fees. |
| Oversized Cards | +$15-50 | Jumbo, booklet, and patch cards require special holders. |
| Reholder | $15-25 | Replacing a damaged or old-style PSA slab with a modern one. |
Real-World Cost Example: 10-Card Submission
| Cost Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 10 cards x PSA Regular ($79.99) | $799.90 |
| Shipping to PSA (UPS Ground, insured) | $18.00 |
| Return shipping (PSA standard) | $24.00 |
| Processing / handling fee | $10.00 |
| Total Cost | $851.90 |
| Cost per card (all-in) | $85.19 |
Do You Need a PSA Collectors Club Membership?
Yes — if you want to submit cards directly to PSA, you need an active Collectors Club membership. As of June 2026, the membership costs $99 per year (or $199 for the premium tier with additional perks).
What the Membership Includes
- Access to all PSA service tiers (subject to availability)
- PSA Set Registry access for organizing your collection
- Discounted pricing on certain tiers during promotions
- Quarterly magazine subscription
- Free membership extension during the Value tier pause (if active as of May 14, 2026)
How to Avoid the Membership Fee
You can bypass the $99 membership by submitting through an authorized PSA dealer or group submission service. Many card shops, local hobby stores, and online submission groups act as intermediaries. They typically charge a small per-card fee ($2-5) but absorb the membership cost across many customers.
The Real Total Cost: What PSA Grading Actually Costs
To understand whether grading a card makes financial sense, you need to calculate the all-in cost — not just the per-card fee. Here is a breakdown for common submission sizes at the Regular tier ($79.99):
| Submission Size | Grading Fees | Shipping & Handling | Total | Per Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 card | $79.99 | $25-35 | $105-115 | $105-115 |
| 5 cards | $399.95 | $30-45 | $430-445 | $86-89 |
| 10 cards | $799.90 | $40-55 | $840-855 | $84-86 |
| 25 cards | $1,999.75 | $60-80 | $2,060-2,080 | $82-83 |
| 50 cards | $3,999.50 | $90-120 | $4,090-4,120 | $82 |
Economies of scale are minimal with PSA. Even at 50 cards, you are still paying approximately $82 per card all-in. The only way to significantly reduce per-card cost is to use cheaper tiers — which are currently unavailable.
How to Save Money on PSA Grading in 2026
With the cheapest PSA tier now $79.99, cost control is more important than ever. Here are the most effective strategies:
1. Pre-Grade Before You Submit
This is the single biggest money-saver. At $0.19 per AI pre-grade, screening a 20-card lot costs $3.80. If pre-grading identifies 12 cards that will likely grade below PSA 9, you save $960 in unnecessary PSA fees. Try pre-grading free →
2. Use Group Submissions
Card shops and online communities organize group PSA submissions. By pooling orders, dealers get better shipping rates and may access bulk pricing. Typical savings: $5-10 per card.
3. Wait for Promotions
PSA occasionally runs promotional pricing, especially during slow periods (typically late summer). Promotions have included 20% off Regular tiers or free shipping thresholds.
4. Submit at Card Shows
Major card shows (NSCC, regional conventions) often have on-site PSA submission booths. These sometimes offer show-exclusive pricing or faster turnaround for cards submitted in person.
5. Only Submit Cards Worth $200+ Raw
At $85 per card all-in, a card needs to gain at least $100 in graded value to justify the cost. As a rule of thumb: if your raw card is worth less than $200, the grading economics rarely work at current PSA prices.
Why Did PSA Pause Value Tiers?
PSA paused Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, and Value Max on June 2, 2026, to manage a backlog that had grown to approximately 14 million cards. The company stated it would take 5-6 months to reduce the queue to its 5 million card target before considering reopening.
Historical PSA Pricing Context
| Date | Cheapest Tier | Price | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early 2020 | Value | $10 | Pre-COVID baseline |
| March 2021 | Value | $20 | COVID price increase |
| March 2022 | Value | $18 | Brief COVID recovery |
| June 2025 | Value Bulk | $21.99 | Pre-pause pricing |
| June 2026 | Regular | $79.99 | Value tiers paused |
PSA grading has effectively become an $80+ per card service for individual collectors. This represents a 700% increase from the pre-COVID $10 Value tier.
Cheaper Alternatives to PSA Right Now
If $79.99 per card is outside your budget, here are the best alternatives as of June 2026:
| Grader | Cheapest Tier | Turnaround | Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| SGC | $15 | 15-20 days | Lower resale than PSA for modern cards, but excellent for vintage |
| CGC | $15 | 65-120 days | Best for TCG (Pokemon, Magic). Sports card resale lower than PSA. |
| Arena Club | $10-25 | Up to 30 days | AI-powered grading. Good for modern but limited resale market. |
| ACE (UK) | £14.99 | 5-10 days | UK-based. Excellent for European collectors. US resale limited. |
For a full comparison, see our grading company comparison guide and live turnaround tracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does PSA grading cost right now?
As of June 2026, PSA grading costs $50 to $300 per card. The cheapest open tier is Economy at $50, followed by Regular at $79.99. All Value tiers under $50 are paused. With shipping and fees, the real all-in cost is approximately $85-115 per card.
Is PSA grading worth the cost?
PSA grading is worth it for cards with significant graded value premiums — typically $200+ raw value cards that can achieve PSA 9 or 10. For cards worth less than $100 raw, the $85+ all-in cost rarely makes financial sense. Pre-grading first is essential to avoid wasting fees on cards that will not achieve high grades.
How much does it cost to grade 10 cards with PSA?
A 10-card submission to PSA Regular ($79.99/card) costs approximately $850-855 all-in. This includes $799.90 in grading fees plus $40-55 in shipping and handling. The per-card cost works out to about $85.
What is the cheapest way to get cards graded?
SGC at $15 per card with 15-20 day turnaround is currently the cheapest reputable US grading option. Arena Club offers AI-assisted grading at $10-25 per card. If you need PSA specifically, the cheapest open tier is Economy at $50 per card.
Do you need a PSA membership to grade cards?
Yes — a Collectors Club membership ($99/year) is required to submit directly to PSA. You can bypass this by using an authorized dealer or group submission service, which typically charges a $2-5 per-card fee.
Why did PSA grading get so expensive?
PSA paused all Value tiers under $50 on June 2, 2026 due to a 14-million-card backlog. The cheapest available tier jumped from $21.99 to $79.99 — a 263% increase. PSA estimates 5-6 months to clear the backlog enough to consider reopening Value tiers.
Does PSA charge for shipping?
Yes. PSA charges for return shipping based on declared value and quantity. You also pay to ship your cards to PSA. Combined shipping costs typically add $25-55 per submission. Insurance is optional but recommended at $1-3 per $100 of declared value.
Sources & Further Reading
With submission floors rising, pre-screening is no longer optional. Use our AI Pre-Grade Calculator to score a card's PSA 10 odds before you pay, and the Submission Planner to pick the right tier.