Last updated September 2026. This is Chapter 4 of How to Grade Sports Cards: A Step-by-Step Guide. You should already have submitted your order online and printed your form.
To ship cards to PSA, put each card in a penny sleeve and a semi-rigid holder, sandwich the stack between two pieces of cardboard, wrap it and box it with your submission form, and send it with tracking to the address on your form. Below are PSA’s own packing rules, what to know about insurance before you mail anything, and what each stage of PSA’s order tracker means once your box arrives.
What you’ll need
- Clear penny sleeves (not tinted or opaque)
- Semi-rigid holders, 3 5/16″ x 4 7/8″ for standard cards (Card Saver I is the common one)
- Two pieces of cardboard a little bigger than the holders, for each stack
- Rubber bands
- Bubble wrap, and packing peanuts if you like
- A new, sturdy box, at least 6″ x 4″ x 2″
- Packing tape
How to pack cards for PSA
- Sleeve each card in a clear penny sleeve.
- Put each sleeved card in a semi-rigid holder. No toploaders, and no tape, pull tabs or sticky notes on the holders. PSA can charge a processing fee for packaging that doesn’t follow its rules.
- Stack the cards in the same order as your form, with card #1 on top.
- Sandwich the stack between two pieces of cardboard and hold it together with two or three rubber bands: tight enough that nothing slides, loose enough that nothing bends. I make stacks of 5 to 10 cards, each with its own cardboard.
- Wrap the stacks in bubble wrap and put them in the box, filling any empty space so nothing moves.
- Put your submission form in the box. I fold it in half and wrap it around the bubble-wrapped stack. Sending more than one submission? Keep each one’s cards and form together.
- Seal every seam with packing tape, not painter’s tape or Scotch tape.
- Stick the submission ID label on the outside, where it’s fully visible, and put the shipping label directly on the box, not in a pouch.
Don’t send stamps or a prepaid label for the return trip. Return shipping is added to your PSA bill. If you haven’t prepared your cards yet, Chapter 2 covers wiping and sleeving them.
Where to send it
Use the address printed on your submission form. PSA uses different addresses depending on the carrier (a PO box for USPS, a street address in Santa Ana, California, for FedEx), and its own pages don’t always agree, so your form is the one to trust. CGC and SGC list their addresses on their websites; check them when you print your packing slip.
Insuring your package
Your cards are your responsibility until PSA logs them in. PSA isn’t liable for anything lost or damaged on the way there, so the insurance on your package is the only protection you have. And carriers are stricter about insuring trading cards than most people expect.
I ship to PSA with FedEx 2Day, using labels and insurance bought directly from FedEx rather than through a discount label site. It’s a good mix of speed and price, and the faster a package gets to the grading company, the less chance it has of being lost, damaged or stolen on the way. But FedEx caps its coverage on sports cards at $1,000 a package, so for anything worth more than that, FedEx insurance alone isn’t enough.
Here’s what each option covers:
- FedEx treats sports cards as items of “extraordinary value” and limits declared value to $1,000 per package.
- USPS insures Priority Mail up to $5,000 and Registered Mail up to $50,000, but for a claim you’ll need proof of what the cards were worth when you mailed them, like a receipt or a dealer’s written valuation. What a card might be worth after grading doesn’t count.
- Pirate Ship’s label insurance excludes collectibles on their way to be graded, and other discount label sites may have the same exclusion. Check the terms before you rely on one.
- PSA’s prepaid FedEx label, offered at checkout for the contiguous US, includes no insurance at all.
For a few modest cards, FedEx or USPS Priority Mail with tracking is fine; keep your receipts. For expensive raw cards, use USPS Registered Mail or a separate collectibles insurance policy, or skip the mail and drop them off in person.
The trip home is simpler. The return shipping PSA charges ($19.99 for one to four cards worth up to $2,000 in total) includes PSA’s insurance and a signature on delivery.
PSA order status, step by step
Once PSA has your box, you can follow your order on your PSA dashboard. It moves through these stages:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Order Arrived | PSA has received your package. |
| Order Prep | PSA has scanned your submission’s barcode. This is when PSA becomes responsible for your cards and the turnaround clock starts. |
| Research & ID | Each card is identified (year, set, number, parallel) so the label is right. When it’s done you get a “Review Your Order” email; check it for mistakes. |
| Grading | At least two graders look at each card. When grading is finished, you pay, see your grades, and choose where each card goes: shipped home, into PSA’s vault, or listed for sale. |
| Assembly | Labels are printed and the cards are sealed in their slabs. |
| QA Checks | A final inspection of the slabs. |
| Complete | Your order is finished, and it’s too late to change where the cards go. |
| Shipped | Your cards are on their way, and you’ll get a tracking number by email. |
If PSA needs something from you, like approval for a higher service level, your order is flagged as a “Problem Order” and PSA gets in touch.
FAQ
My order hasn’t changed status in weeks. Is something wrong?
Probably not. Orders can sit at one stage, especially Research & ID, for a long time and then move quickly. PSA asks you to allow 3 to 7 business days past the estimated date before contacting support.
How long does PSA grading take?
It depends on the service level. PSA’s Standard tier was quoting 90 to 100 business days in September 2026, counted from Order Prep, not from when you mailed the box.
Can I ship cards to PSA from outside the US?
Yes, but you pay any customs duties both ways, and PSA’s prepaid FedEx label only works within the contiguous US. PSA suggests keeping the declared customs value at $2,500 or less and describing the package as cards sent for assessment that will be returned to you.
Back to the full step-by-step guide.
