PSA grading fees and turnaround times

PSA prices card grading by service level. Each level has a price per card, a ceiling on the card's value (PSA calls it the Max Insured Value) and an estimated turnaround. The more a card is worth, the higher the level it has to go in — and the higher levels are also the faster ones. The figures below were read from PSA's public pricing page on October 13, 2026. PSA states that it may adjust pricing, services offered and processing time, so check the live page before you submit.

Service levels at a glance

What the Max Insured Value really is

The value you declare is not a formality. PSA's FAQ describes the Max Insured Value as your estimate of what the item will be worth after it is graded, and says it does three jobs at once: it caps what PSA will pay on a claim while the item is in its care, it caps the insurance on the return shipment, and it decides which service level the item belongs in. PSA does not appraise cards, so the estimate is yours to make.

PSA's coverage page adds the details of what that number buys:

• Each level has a default Max Insured Value; there is nothing extra to fill in once you pick the level.
• A payout is based on the degree of damage or loss and is capped at the lower of the item's fair market value or the level's Max Insured Value.
• Coverage begins when PSA confirms the item has arrived at its facility and lasts until it reaches its next destination, such as your address or the PSA Vault.
• PSA does not insure inbound packages. Getting the card to PSA safely is the submitter's risk; the page points to an optional third-party inbound policy for FedEx shipments.

Upcharges: when a card is worth more than its level

If PSA decides after grading that a card is worth more than the Max Insured Value of the level it was sent in, its coverage page says the grade itself is not affected. PSA moves that item — only that item, not the whole order — up to the appropriate service level and notifies you of the additional fee; once the fee is paid the item is covered to the higher limit. The FAQ adds that PSA will ask you to pay the difference in service level pricing and shipping, and that if a value was understated and the correct level is not paid, PSA may return the item at your cost while still charging the level you chose.

The reverse is allowed: PSA's FAQ notes you may choose a service level above a card's value simply to get it back faster.

How the turnaround clock works

• Estimates, not promises. PSA's pricing page says estimated turnaround times “are estimates only and not guaranteed.”
• Business days. Turnaround is counted in business days, not calendar days, according to PSA's FAQ.
• When the clock starts. PSA describes the starting point in slightly different words in different places: when the order “has been entered into the grading system,” when it “is received and scanned into the PSA facility,” and, in the FAQ, at the Order Prep checkpoint, when PSA has scanned the submission barcode. Either way, the clock does not start while the package is in the mail.
• Before you chase an order. The FAQ asks submitters to allow a grace period of 3 to 7 business days past the estimate before contacting customer service.

Choosing a level, step by step

1. Estimate the grade. PSA's own getting-started guide begins with examining the card from surface to edges — centering, creases, stains or other damage — and estimating a grade on its 10-point scale. The centering calculator shows the highest grade your borders allow, and the PSA grading scale explains the rest.
2. Estimate the graded value. PSA suggests searching completed or sold listings for the same card in your estimated grade and looking at sales from roughly the past three to six months.
3. Pick the lowest level whose limit covers that value. A card you expect to sell for about $1,200 once graded is over Standard's $1,000 limit, so it belongs in Priority ($79.99), not Standard ($59.99).
4. Decide whether speed is worth paying for. Moving a $1,200 card from Priority to Express buys an estimated 20–30 business days instead of 70–80, at $199 instead of $79.99.
5. Add shipping both ways. PSA's FAQ says mail-in submitters pay shipping in both directions, with return costs set by the chart on the submission form or PSA's return postage page; international submitters pay higher rates and may owe duties and taxes. For sleeving, packing and addresses, see how to submit cards for grading.

Membership and bulk pricing

PSA's FAQ says a membership is not required to submit cards. It lists two paid Collectors Club tiers — Standard at $149 a year and Premium at $199 a year — and describes member bulk grading starting at $24.99 per card along with grading specials. The bulk and Value levels on the main pricing page were marked as temporarily paused when we checked, so confirm what is open before planning a large submission around them.