How to Submit Cards to PSA, Step by Step

Before you submit

Grading costs at least $59.99 a card right now, so the first step happens before you open PSA's site. Sort your pile and only send cards with a realistic shot at a high grade.

• Check condition. Look at centering, corners, edges and surface under good light. A PSA 10 needs front centering of about 55/45 or better and back centering of about 75/25 or better, per PSA's grading standards. Our guide to pre-grading cards covers the full routine.
• Check the money. Compare the raw price with sold prices at the grade you expect. If the graded price doesn't clear the fee, return shipping and selling costs, keep the card raw.
• Check that PSA is the right grader. For lower-value cards a cheaper company can make more sense. See PSA vs CGC.

Binder AI can speed up this sort. It scans the front and back of a card and returns an AI grade estimate on the PSA, BGS or TAG scale you choose, with centering, corners, edges and surface subgrades, plus eBay sold prices and a graded value table. Its grades are estimates to help you decide what to submit, not official grades.

PSA service levels you can choose today (checked October 18, 2026)

PSA lists separate Premium options for cards worth more than $10,000. For the full cost picture, including what return shipping adds per order, see our PSA grading cost guide.

Step 1: Set up your account and decide on membership

PSA's FAQ says every submission goes through a form in the Online Submission Center, so you need a PSA account. A paid membership isn't required to submit. Collectors Club costs $149 or $199 a year, and its main grading perk, bulk pricing listed from $24.99 per card, is temporarily paused. Unless you want the magazine or Card Ladder Pro that comes with Premium, there is little reason to join just to submit right now.

Step 2: Choose Assisted or Classic submission

PSA offers two ways to build an order.

• Assisted Submission is for cards only. You scan cards in the PSA app or enter details on the web, and PSA estimates each card's graded value and recommends a service level card by card. You can accept the recommendations or change them.
• Classic Submission handles all item types. You pick the item type and service level yourself, then enter the item details. PSA describes it as the option for experienced submitters.

Both end the same way. You choose where graded cards go (home, the PSA Vault or an eBay listing), review the order and pay.

Step 3: Pick a service level by value

Choose the cheapest tier whose max insured value covers what the card should be worth after grading. A card you expect to sell for $800 as a PSA 10 fits Standard. One you expect at $2,000 needs Express, since that is above both Standard's $1,000 and Priority's $1,500 caps.

If you guess low, PSA upgrades that card (not the whole order) to the service level that covers its value, tells you the added fee, and covers the card at the higher max insured value once you pay. Max insured value is also the most PSA will pay, up to fair market value, if a card is lost or damaged in its care.

Step 4: Enter card details and print your form

PSA's system fills in images and descriptions for most cards, but check each line against the card in your hand: year, set, card number and any variation. When you finish, print the submission form and keep your order number. The order of cards on that form matters in Step 5.

Step 5: Pack the cards

These steps come from PSA's shipping guide.

1. Sleeve each cardUse a clear penny sleeve. PSA says solid or opaque sleeves can cause delays.
2. Put each sleeved card in a semi-rigid holderFor standard trading cards the holder must be 3 5/16" x 4 7/8". Do not use toploaders, tape, pull tabs or sticky notes.
3. Stack in form orderArrange the cards in the exact sequence on your submission form, with Item #1 on top.
4. Secure the stackPlace it between two cardboard dividers with 2 to 3 rubber bands, tight enough to stop shifting but loose enough not to damage the cards.
5. Wrap and boxWrap the stack, place it in a new shipping box and fill empty space so nothing moves. Put the printed form inside. Keep multiple submissions bundled separately.
6. Seal and labelSeal every seam with packing tape (no painter's tape, scotch tape or reused tape). Attach the tracking label ID from your confirmation page with the barcode fully visible, directly on the box with no label pouch.

Step 6: Ship and insure

PSA's shipping guide lists two addresses for cards. USPS packages go to CU Receiving, P.O. Box 6180, Newport Beach, CA 92658. UPS, FedEx and DHL packages go to CU Receiving, 1600 E. St Andrew Place, Santa Ana, CA 92705. Confirm the address in your order before you ship, since PSA can change it.

PSA does not insure inbound packages. Coverage starts once PSA confirms it has received your items. If you choose FedEx at checkout, PSA offers inbound insurance through its partner Cabrella. Otherwise buy coverage from a third party if the cards are worth real money.

Return shipping is billed by PSA and includes its insurance and signature confirmation. Its domestic card chart, at the $2,000 insured level, is $19.99 for 1 to 4 cards, $24.99 for 5 to 9 and $29.99 for 10 to 19, with $0.39 per item added at 20 or more.

Step 7: Track and receive your cards

PSA says you can track an order through each milestone in the PSA app. Expect a gap between delivery and the first status change. In June 2026 PSA warned that heavy package volume meant orders could take longer than usual to be marked as received. Also expect the turnaround estimate to be a range, not a promise. Our PSA turnaround times tracker follows PSA's backlog updates. When grades post, the slabs go to the destination you chose in Step 2.

Other ways to get cards to PSA

• Events and shows. PSA's FAQ says it accepts submissions at trade show booths, and its how-to pages mention hand delivery at local submission events. Check PSA's show schedule for dates.
• GameStop. GameStop's card grading terms (effective September 9, 2026) say it is an authorized PSA dealer that submits cards to PSA through participating US stores. Fees and value caps differ from PSA direct, so read GameStop's current terms before you drop cards off.
• Submission services and local card shops. Some shops and dealers submit for customers, and they may add their own fee on top of PSA's price. Ask how they insure cards and which PSA tier they use.

Common mistakes that cost time or money

• Using toploaders. PSA's guide says semi-rigid holders only.
• Packing out of order. PSA asks for cards in form order so your turnaround estimate holds.
• Under-declaring value. It doesn't save money on a card that grades well, because PSA upgrades it, and it lowers what PSA would pay if the card were lost.
• Skipping inbound insurance. Your cards aren't covered by PSA until it confirms receipt.
• Grading cards that were never 9s or 10s. At $59.99 a card, a stack of PSA 7s is an expensive lesson. Pre-screen and use the grading cost calculator before you pay.

Need to prep cards first? Our guide on how to store cards before grading covers sleeves, holders and handling. To sort your pile with AI grade estimates first, try Binder AI on iOS, Android or the web. The app is free to download, and grading is included in a subscription of $1.99/week, $3.99/month or $24.99/year on the website ($4.99/month or $29.99/year in the iOS App Store).

Sources, checked October 18, 2026: PSA how to submit, PSA Assisted Submission guide, PSA Classic Submission guide, PSA shipping guide, PSA trading card grading service levels, PSA coverage and max insured value, PSA return postage rates, PSA Collectors Club, PSA FAQ, PSA backlog tracker, PSA grading standards, GameStop card grading terms.