To get a sports or Pokémon card graded, you pick the cards worth grading, wipe them and put them in semi-rigid holders, create an order on the grading company’s website, ship them, and wait while they’re graded. At PSA, the cheapest option was $59.99 a card and 90 to 100 business days in September 2026. This guide walks through each step, and each of the first four has its own chapter.
I’ve graded hundreds of cards over the last few years and kept a high gem rate, and on social media I regularly get asked about the process, from “how much does it cost to grade cards?” to “is this card worth grading?” and “how should I clean it first?” When I sent my first cards to PSA, I had a lot of questions and no one to ask. I’ve tried to put everything I wish I’d known into this guide, so you can send in your first batch with confidence. And if you’ve graded before, I hope it helps your gem rate.
Last updated September 2026. The grading companies change prices and service levels often, so check their sites before you submit.
Step 1: Select the cards worth grading
Grading costs money, and most cards don’t come back a 10. So before you submit anything, work out whether the card is likely to be worth more graded than the grading will cost, and look it over for the flaws that decide the grade: centering, surface, edges and corners.
Read Chapter 1: How to select cards for grading, or go straight to the “Should I grade this card?” calculator.
Step 2: Prepare your cards
Wipe each card with a dry microfiber cloth, slide it into a new penny sleeve, and put that in a semi-rigid holder. Don’t use polish, sprays or any kind of pressing: PSA and the other graders treat those as altering the card, and you still pay the fee when a card is rejected.
Read Chapter 2: How to prepare your cards for grading.
Step 3: Submit your order online
Every submission starts on the grading company’s website. At PSA, that’s true even if you drop the cards off in person. You add each card, choose a service level, and enter what you think each card will be worth once graded. You don’t need a paid membership.
Read Chapter 3: How to submit cards to PSA, including autographs, cards that aren’t in PSA’s database, and submitting to CGC or SGC.
Step 4: Ship your cards
Stack the cards in their holders between two pieces of cardboard, wrap them, and box them with your submission form. Insurance is the part people get wrong. The grading company isn’t responsible until it logs your cards in, and carriers are strict about insuring trading cards.
Read Chapter 4: How to ship cards for grading and track your order. Near a card show? You can also get your cards graded in person.
Step 5: Wait, and track your order
PSA’s order tracker shows each stage, from Order Arrived and Research & ID through Grading to Shipped. You pay when grading is finished, see your grades online, and then your cards are slabbed and sent back.
What each PSA order status means is at the end of Chapter 4.
How much it costs and how long it takes
| Company | Cheapest open tier (September 2026) | Estimated turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| PSA | $59.99 per card, cards worth up to $1,000 | 90–100 business days |
| CGC | $17 per card, 25-card minimum, cards worth up to $500 | About 150 business days |
| SGC | $50 per card, cards worth up to $1,500 | 40+ business days |
Grading Pokémon and other trading cards
The process is the same for Pokémon, Magic and other trading card games, and so are the standard prices. PSA grades the most trading card game cards (about 69% of them in 2025, according to GemRate), and CGC, with about 25%, is the popular cheaper option, especially for modern cards. If you’re grading an expensive older Pokémon card, check it isn’t a fake first: how to tell if a Pokémon card is fake.
FAQ
How much does it cost to get a card graded?
At the major companies, $17 to $60 a card for the cheapest service in September 2026, plus shipping both ways. Faster service and more valuable cards cost more.
What happens if my card doesn’t get the grade I hoped for?
You keep it in its slab, sell it at that grade, or pay for a review, where PSA looks at it again and you keep the original grade if it doesn’t go up. Running the numbers first with the grading calculator tells you how much a lower grade would cost you.
Do I need to be a member to submit cards?
No. PSA, CGC and SGC all let you submit with a free account.
Which grading company should I use?
If you might sell the card, PSA usually gets the best price. For Pokémon on a budget, CGC is the usual pick. Our comparison goes through all of them.
Is there something you’d like me to cover in more depth? Let me know using the form below.
Buying graded cards? Here’s how to spot a fake PSA slab, even one with a real cert number.
