Live fees · updated 13 August 2026

How much does card grading cost in 2026?

Every PSA, CGC, TAG and Beckett tier compared — fees, turnaround and value caps, refreshed automatically from the graders' own published pricing. Paused and sold-out tiers are marked, because the cheapest advertised price often isn't actually available.

PSA

from $79.99

cheapest active: Regular · ~2 mo

fastest: Walk-Through · ~6 days · $599

CGC

from $17

cheapest active: Bulk · ~5 mo

fastest: WalkThrough · ~2 days · $300

TAG

from $59

cheapest active: Express · ~10 days

fastest: Walkthrough · ~3 days · $299

2 tiers paused / sold out

Beckett (BGS)

from $14.95

cheapest active: Base (Without Subgrades) · ~3 mo

fastest: Priority · ~5 days · $124.95

PSA grading cost

PSA is the market leader and PSA slabs typically sell for the highest premiums — but that demand shows in both fees and turnaround. PSA has repeatedly paused its cheaper Value tiers during backlogs, which means the cheapest advertised price is often not actually available. The table below marks paused tiers so you can see what you can really submit at today.

TierFee per cardEst. turnaroundMax card valueNotes
Regular$79.99~2 mo$1,500
Express$149~25 days$2,500
Super Express$349~9 days$5,000
Walk-Through$599~6 days$10,000
Premium 1$999~6 days$25,000

CGC grading cost

CGC Cards is usually the value pick for TCG submissions: bulk pricing well below PSA with strong turnaround on paid tiers. CGC slabs generally resell for less than the PSA equivalent, so the cheaper fee is not automatically the better net outcome — run your card through our calculator to see the difference at each grade.

TierFee per cardEst. turnaroundMax card valueNotes
Bulk$17~5 mo$500Min 25 cards.
Economy$20~3 mo$1,000
Standard$55~10 days$3,000
Express$100~5 days$10,000
WalkThrough$300~2 days$100,000
Unlimited Value$300~2 daysNo cap
Jumbo Card$20~4 moNo cap
TCG, sports and non-sports coin$20~4 moNo cap

TAG grading cost

TAG grades with a fully transparent computer-vision process and publishes a digital report for every card, which collectors increasingly value. Capacity is limited — TAG has sold out its cheaper tiers for extended stretches — so the practically available price is often the Express tier and up.

TierFee per cardEst. turnaroundMax card valueNotes
Basic$22~2 mo$500PausedMin 10 cards. Sold out (capacity)
Standard$39~15 days$1,000PausedSold out (capacity)
Express$59~10 days$1,000
Priority$149~5 days$2,500
Walkthrough$299~3 days$5,000

Beckett (BGS) grading cost

Beckett has the lowest entry price of the four majors, and BGS subgrades (and the black label) still carry real cachet with vintage and high-end collectors. Base-tier turnaround is slow, and note that subgrades cost extra — the classic BGS look most buyers expect includes them.

TierFee per cardEst. turnaroundMax card valueNotes
Base (Without Subgrades)$14.95~3 moNo cap
Base (Subgrades)$17.95~3 moNo cap
Standard$34.95~2 moNo cap
Express$79.95~15 daysNo cap
Priority$124.95~5 daysNo cap

The costs the fee tables don't show

Shipping both ways

Tracked and insured postage to and from the grader typically adds $15–40 per submission — proportionally brutal on single-card submissions.

Membership fees

Some PSA tiers require a paid Collectors Club membership before you can submit at the advertised price.

Declared-value upcharges

If the grader decides your card is worth more than you declared, they can move it to a pricier tier and bill the difference.

The bad-grade tax

The biggest hidden cost: paying full fees for a card that comes back a 7. The fee is the same whether you get the 10 or not — which is why pre-grading exists.

Know the grade before you pay the fee

TCGrader's AI analyses centering, corners, edges and surface from your photos and predicts the grade in seconds — from £0.99 per card, against fees of $20–300 per card at the graders above. Grade the winners, keep the rest raw.

Card grading cost FAQs

How much does it cost to grade a card in 2026?+

Published per-card fees currently run from $14.95 at the cheapest active tier to $300+ for walkthrough services, plus shipping both ways. The cheapest advertised tiers are frequently paused or sold out — PSA paused all four Value tiers during its 2026 backlog — so the realistic minimum is often higher than the headline price.

What is the cheapest card grading company?+

By entry price, Beckett's base tier is currently the cheapest of the four majors, followed by CGC bulk. But cheapest fee rarely means best outcome: PSA slabs usually resell highest, CGC turnaround is faster at comparable prices, and paused tiers change the picture month to month. Compare the live tables on this page, then run your specific card through our free calculator.

Why do grading costs change so often?+

Graders reprice and pause tiers based on demand and backlog — PSA's 2026 Value-tier pause is the most prominent example. This page reads the same live fee data our Dealer Console uses for grade-vs-sell decisions, refreshed automatically from the graders' own published pricing.

What hidden costs should I budget for?+

Beyond the per-card fee: tracked, insured shipping both ways (commonly $15–40 per submission), membership fees where required (PSA Collectors Club for some tiers), upcharges if the grader decides your card's declared value was too low, and the risk cost of a lower-than-expected grade — a $25 fee on a card that comes back an 8 instead of a 10 can wipe out the entire margin.

How can I avoid paying to grade a card that won't get a good grade?+

Pre-grade it. TCGrader's AI grading analyses centering, corners, edges and surface from photos and predicts the grade before you spend real fees — from £0.99 per card. Most cards that come back below expectations show visible reasons (off-centering, edge whitening, surface scratches) that AI catches in seconds.

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