[Guides](https://cardinal-app.ai/guides/) # How to submit cards for grading To get a card graded you create a free account with the grading company, fill in an online submission (choosing a service level by the card's value and how fast you want it back), pack each card in a penny sleeve and a semi-rigid holder, and ship it. The company tracks it through grading and ships the slab back. Here is the process step by step, using PSA — the most common choice — with notes for CGC, Beckett and TAG. Updated 2026-10-18 · Process as published by each grading company Before you start ## Decide what is worth sending. Grading is paid per card, and turnaround runs from weeks to months. Send the cards that are both valuable and clean: check centering, corners, edges and surface first, and look up what the card sells for at the grade it is likely to get. Cardinal's [pre-grade](https://cardinal-app.ai/pre-grading/) does both from your phone. See also [what decides whether a card is worth grading](https://cardinal-app.ai/is-it-worth-grading/). Step by step ## Submitting to PSA. 1. **Create a free Collectors account.** PSA's FAQ states you don't need to join the paid Collectors Club to submit; membership only adds member-only service levels and specials. 2. **Start a submission online or in the PSA app.** PSA offers an *assisted* flow — scan or enter your cards and PSA estimates each card's graded value and suggests a service level — or a *classic* flow where you choose the item type and service level yourself. 3. **Declare each card's value.** PSA asks for your estimate of the card's value *after* grading. It sets the service level and price, and the insurance maximum; PSA can decline a value it considers understated. 4. **Choose where it goes afterwards:** shipped back to you, stored in the PSA Vault, or listed for sale. 5. **Pack it the way PSA asks.** Each card in a clear penny sleeve, then in a semi-rigid holder (PSA specifies 3 5/16" × 4 7/8" for standard cards) — no toploaders, tape or pull tabs. Stack the cards in submission-form order, sandwich them between two pieces of cardboard with rubber bands, box them with no empty space, include the printed form, and seal with packing tape. 6. **Ship it, or hand it in.** Use the label from your submission, or drop it off at a PSA booth at a trade show or with an authorised PSA dealer — including select participating GameStop stores in the US. PSA's shipping guide has the current addresses. 7. **Track it.** PSA's order status moves through Order Arrived, Order Prep, Grading, QA Checks and Complete. PSA takes responsibility for the cards from Order Prep, which also starts the turnaround clock. Payment is requested when grading is finished, and you see the grades once you've paid. 8. **Get it back.** Slabs go to the destination you chose. A card PSA can't grade comes back unencapsulated. Through 2026, PSA paused its value service levels to work through a large backlog, so the cheapest open tier costs more than usual. Check PSA's services page for what is open today. Other graders ## CGC, Beckett and TAG. - **CGC:** create a free account (paid memberships give discounts), choose a tier by the card's value and the turnaround you want, complete the online form, and pack each card sleeved in a semi-rigid holder between cardboard. Track the order under your account's submissions. - **Beckett (BGS):** service levels are set by turnaround, and subgrades are on the label (optional only at the base tier). Beckett emails you at delivery, invoicing, after grading and after shipping. Many tiers have been sold out in 2026 — check availability first. - **TAG:** one category per submission. TAG has had limited capacity in 2026, with some categories (including Yu-Gi-Oh!) and value tiers paused. An optional submission kit includes a lockable case and prepaid shipping, and returns need a signature. Not sure which company to use? See [PSA vs CGC](https://cardinal-app.ai/guides/psa-vs-cgc/) for how the graders compare and what a 10 from each sells for. What it costs ## Current fees and turnaround. | Grading company | Fee per card | Turnaround | |---|---|---| | PSA | $59.99 | 90–100 business days | | CGC ★ | $20.00 | 90 business days | | SGC | $50.00 | 40+ business days | | TAG | $59.95 | 45 business days | Cheapest open tier for a single card (no membership) per company, as of 2026-10-19. [All tiers](https://cardinal-app.ai/tools/grading-fees/). Companies change pricing and pause tiers without notice — check before you submit. Sources - PSA: [how to submit](https://www.psacard.com/info/how-to-submit), [shipping guide](https://www.psacard.com/info/shipguide), [FAQ](https://www.psacard.com/support/faq), [service level update (May 2026)](https://www.psacard.com/articles/articleview/15210/service-level-update-may-2026) - CGC: [how to submit](https://www.cgccards.com/submit/how-to-submit/) - Beckett: [beckett.com/grading](https://beckett.com/grading) - TAG: [taggrading.com/pages/submit](https://taggrading.com/pages/submit) - GameStop and PSA: [GameStop announcement](https://investor.gamestop.com/news-releases/news-details/2024/GameStop-Announces-Collaboration-with-PSA-10-15-2024/default.aspx) ## Pre-grade before you pack. Scan each card for its predicted grade and whether grading pays. Free on iPhone and Android. --- Get Cardinal, free: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/cardinal-tcg-scan-grade/id6810442266) · [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.cardinal.app)