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These are the active service levels collectors can order now. Turnaround is estimated in business days and does not include shipping time.
PSA’s lowest currently orderable direct tier while all Value services are paused.
A faster tier for cards where timing justifies a higher grading fee.
Includes PSA premium imaging and Grader Notes for eligible outcomes.
The highest active fixed-price tier before PSA’s Premium value bands.
For cards whose expected value exceeds the Walk-Through service ceiling.
PSA scales Premium service upward with card value. Confirm the correct level before shipping because higher-value tiers can add substantial cost.
PSA lists Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, and Value Max as currently unavailable. Regular is the lowest published active direct tier. Confirm the current service page before ordering because availability and turnaround can change without notice. See the PSA Value pause and backlog update for the latest tracker status and reopening target.
Pricing and availability last verified August 5, 2026. CardGrade is independent and is not affiliated with the grading companies listed.
Official sources: PSA trading card grading services
PSA remains a major market standard, but the right submission decision depends on grade potential, value, service availability, and timing.
PSA assigns whole-number grades from PSA 1 Poor through PSA 10 Gem Mint. The grade reflects the card's overall condition, including centering, corners, edges, surface, print quality, focus, and evidence of alteration. See the full PSA grading scale guide for the requirements at every grade from 1 through 10.
PSA 10 is the top numerical grade. PSA’s published standard describes a virtually perfect card, while reserving its physical inspection and eye-appeal judgment for the final decision. Read the PSA 10 Gem Mint standards and value factors or compare the published Mint and Gem Mint criteria in our PSA 9 vs PSA 10 guide before using either grade in a card-specific comparison.
PSA says turnaround estimates can be affected by submission volume, capacity, and other conditions. Treat the current published estimate as a planning range rather than a guaranteed delivery date.
PSA membership options are currently $149 and $199. Collectors comparing today's offers with older advice should note that the former bulk setup used a 50-card minimum; paused Value services cannot be assumed available simply because an older guide lists them.
Budget for the complete submission, including protection in transit and outcomes that may not produce the grade or holder you expected.
You pay to send the cards safely and PSA charges return shipping. A one-card order carries a much higher effective shipping cost per card than a carefully planned batch.
Carrier limits and exclusions matter when cards are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Adequate coverage for the outbound and return trip can materially increase the total.
PSA may charge the difference to a higher service level when the card is worth more after grading than the declared-value ceiling selected on the submission.
Altered, trimmed, recolored, questionable-authenticity, or minimum-grade failures may come back without a numerical grade. A no-grade result does not necessarily erase the processing cost.
PSA membership is an additional annual cost when a benefit or member-only offer matters to your submission. The former bulk model also required a 50-card minimum.
Penny sleeves, semi-rigid holders, team bags, cardboard, labels, and a sturdy shipping box are inexpensive individually but add up across repeated submissions.
Before paying the grading company submission fee, use an AI pre-screen to organize your inspection. It is a decision aid before official PSA authentication and grading, not a professional result or value guarantee.
Every card incurs the fee even when condition issues were visible before submission.
A pre-screen is one inspection aid; PSA still makes the official grade and authentication decision.
As of August 4, 2026, the lowest published active PSA service is Regular at $79.99 per card with a $1,500 maximum insured value and an estimated 40–50 business-day turnaround. Express is $149, Super Express is $349, Walk-Through is $599, and Premium 1 is $999. Higher Premium levels rise to $9,999 and beyond.
No. PSA states that Value services are temporarily paused due to extraordinary demand. They are not currently orderable, making $79.99 Regular the lowest published active direct tier. Availability can change, so review the service shown at checkout before preparing an order.
PSA states that its Value-service pause is due to extraordinary demand. PSA can change service availability, pricing, and turnaround estimates as capacity changes, so use the current PSA service page rather than a historical headline when planning a submission.
PSA grades cards on a 1-10 numerical scale. PSA 10 is Gem Mint, the top numerical grade, and generally reflects sharp corners, strong focus, full original gloss, clean surfaces, and centering within PSA tolerance. A visually attractive card is not guaranteed a 10 because small defects can lower the result.
Current estimates are 40–50 business days for Regular, 20–30 for Express, 10–15 for Super Express, 7–10 for Walk-Through, and 5–7 for Premium 1. These are grading estimates rather than guaranteed door-to-door dates; shipping, intake, and return transit add calendar time.
PSA can apply a value upcharge when the card's post-grading fair market value exceeds the maximum declared value for the submitted service level. The charge reflects movement into the appropriate tier, not simply the fact that a card received a high numerical grade.
No. AI pre-screening is an additive inspection aid, not a replacement for PSA authentication or encapsulation. Use it to organize what you inspect before a submission; it does not predict PSA’s final grade, authenticate a card, or guarantee value.