Crossover grading: moving a card to another grader

A crossover is a submission of a card that is already sealed in one grading company's holder to a different company. PSA describes its crossover service as being for cards previously graded by other companies that you want in a PSA holder; CGC Cards' CrossOver service takes cards in PSA, Beckett or SGC holders. The point of the service is its safety net: the new grader decides before opening the old holder, so a card that would come back lower stays in its existing slab with its existing grade.

Terms you will see on the forms

How each grader handles it

Signed cards follow extra rules at CGC: its help center says witnessed autographs are not accepted for CrossOver through CGC Signature Series, but can be crossed for CGC x JSA certification, where JSA authenticates the autograph first and CGC then grades and encapsulates the card.

1. Old holder: the card stays sealed in the first company's slab when you send it, with a minimum grade on the form (PSA requires one).
2. Graded in holder: the receiving company judges the card through the existing holder before deciding whether to open it (PSA, CGC Cards).
3. The bar: at PSA, the minimum grade you wrote; at CGC Cards, the same grade or higher than the old label unless you chose Cross at Any Grade.
4. Yes: the old holder is opened and the card is encapsulated in the receiving company's holder with its own label and grade.
5. No: the card comes back in its original holder with its original grade, and the full grading fee still applies (PSA, CGC Cards).

What it costs (as of 2026-10-14)

Neither company prices crossovers separately. PSA's crossover page says the full grading fee is charged even if the card does not meet the minimum, and CGC's fee table lists CrossOver as “According to Tier”. Both companies set the level by the card's value, so crossing a valuable card costs what grading it at that level costs.

PSA lists Premium levels from $999 for higher values, and its Value and Value Bulk levels were shown as temporarily paused. Turnaround is an estimate, not a guarantee. How declared value and upcharges work is covered in PSA grading fees and turnaround.

CGC says Associate and Premium members save 10% and Elite members 20%, and that a card it values above the declared value is moved to a higher tier, with the submitter paying the difference.

Setting a minimum grade, step by step

1. Line up the scales first. The numbers are not interchangeable: SGC, CGC and Beckett each have a Pristine tier above Gem Mint 10, CGC and Beckett use a 9.5, and PSA's top grade is GEM-MT 10. See the four graders compared.
2. Decide what result is worth the fee. The fee is due whether or not the card crosses, so a crossover only makes sense if the grade you would accept is worth more in the new holder than the card is worth in the old one, plus the fee.
3. Write the lowest grade you will accept, not the one you hope for. PSA treats the number as a floor: the card crosses at that grade or any higher one. Enter 1 if you want the card in a PSA holder whatever the grade.
4. At CGC, know the default. The bar is the card's current grade. Mark Cross at Any Grade only if you want the CGC holder even at a lower number.
5. Use the right channel. PSA's FAQ says Crossover, Review and Reholder are available only through a Classic Submission on its website, not through the app or an Assisted Submission. Grader Notes are offered on crossover orders at Express and above.
6. Pack slabs as for any submission. The steps are in how to submit cards for grading.

A worked example

A card sits in a CGC Mint+ 9.5 holder and goes to PSA with a minimum of 10. If PSA's grader sees a GEM-MT 10, the CGC holder is opened and the card is slabbed by PSA. If the grader sees a 9, the card comes back in its CGC 9.5 holder and the full fee for the chosen level is still owed. Set the minimum at 9 instead and the card would cross as a PSA 9, a trade that only makes sense if a PSA 9 of that card sells for more than the CGC 9.5. The grades here illustrate the mechanics; they are not a prediction for any card.

Crossover or something else?

• Minimum grade on a raw card. cllct reported that PSA brought back minimum grades for raw submissions at Value Plus and above after dropping them during its COVID-era backlog; cards that miss come back ungraded or encapsulated as PSA Authentic, and the fee still applies. Cardhound Vintage (May 2025) says SGC offers no raw-card minimum. PSA's pricing page showed its Value levels as paused in October 2026, so check the current form.
• Review, for a card already in a PSA holder. PSA says there is no risk of losing the original label and grade if the card does not upgrade, and the cert number stays the same. Its FAQ notes Review is a paid service.
• ReHolder, for a scuffed or cracked case. CGC lists $10 per card and 20 working days for cards still in their original CGC or CSG holder; the grade does not change.

Checklist before you send

• The current cert checks out on the issuing grader's own site (see how to verify a cert number).
• The receiving grader accepts that holder (CGC: PSA, Beckett, SGC; BCCG counts as raw).
• A minimum grade is on the form (required at PSA), or Cross at Any Grade is marked on purpose (CGC).
• The service level matches the card's value, so it is not bumped up later.
• Signed card? Check CGC's autograph rules before choosing a label.
• You are fine paying the full fee if nothing changes.