How to Get a Pokémon Card Graded (Step by Step)

Sending a card off to be graded sounds more intimidating than it is. You decide whether the card is worth it, pick a company, fill in a form, pack the card properly and post it. That's the whole job. Here's each step, what it costs right now, and how to avoid the two mistakes that cost people money — grading a card that was never going to earn the fee back, and packing it badly enough that it arrives damaged.

Step 1: Decide Whether the Card Is Worth Grading

Grading is not free, so the first question is whether this particular card will earn back the fee. Three things decide it: what the card is worth raw, what condition it's actually in, and whether anyone wants a graded copy.

Start with the raw value. Our Pokémon card value checker gives you the current market price for the exact printing you're holding. As a rule of thumb, cards worth under about $75 raw rarely justify submission — the fee, postage and supplies eat most of the upside. There are exceptions for genuinely scarce or in-demand cards, but not many.

Then look at what a graded copy actually sells for. Charizard ex #199 from 151 sits around $374 raw and roughly $1,500 in a PSA 10 — a gap wide enough that the fee is a rounding error. Compare that with Crispin #171 from Prismatic Evolutions, at about $29.89 raw and $59.00 graded. That $29.11 spread doesn't cover the fee and the postage, and that's the best case — it assumes the card comes back a 10.

Which is the other half of the question: what grade will it actually get? A card that comes back a 7 is usually worth less than the raw copy plus the fee you just spent. Our free Pokémon card grader takes a photo and scores centering, corners, edges and surface, so you get an estimated grade before you commit any money.

To put the two halves together, the grading ROI calculator does the arithmetic for you: raw value, likely grade, fee, and what you'd clear. If you're deciding what to send in a batch rather than one card, the grading planner ranks them by expected return.

Demand matters too. Scan the most expensive Pokémon cards and the same names keep coming up. A card that is both hard to find and widely wanted is the one worth slabbing; scarcity on its own isn't enough.

Step 2: Pick a Grader

Three companies handle most Pokémon submissions: PSA, CGC and Beckett (BGS). They all assess the same four things — centering, corners, edges and surface — but they differ on price, turnaround and how the market values the finished slab.

Our grading guide compares the scales in detail. The short version:

PSA

The most recognised name in the hobby, and PSA slabs generally command the strongest resale and the easiest sale. That recognition costs you: PSA is the most expensive of the three, currently $49.99 to $600 per card depending on the tier. It's also the only one of the three that requires a paid membership — roughly $99 a year for the entry-level Collectors Club — before you can submit at all. Standard PSA labels carry no subgrades.

CGC

The value option, at $15 to $300. CGC has closed a lot of the resale gap on modern chase cards, where a CGC Pristine 10 can sell close to — occasionally above — a PSA 10. No membership needed, and subgrades are available as a $10 add-on rather than being built in.

Beckett (BGS)

Beckett is the subgrade specialist: every card gets an individual score for centering, edges, surface and corners alongside the overall grade, included as standard. Collectors like knowing exactly where a card gained or lost points. Fees run $20 to $250, and there's no membership requirement.

Step 3: Create Your Submission

Every grader runs its own portal, but the sequence is close to identical wherever you send it.

1. Create an account on the grader's site. For PSA this is also where the membership is handled — you can't submit without it.
2. Start a new submission. Look for a "Start Submission" or "Create Submission" button once your account is verified.
3. Enter the card's details — set, card name, card number, and the printing or variant. Get this right; a mismatch between the form and what's in the envelope slows the whole order down.
4. Declare a value. This sets the insurance coverage and, at most graders, which tiers you're allowed to use.
5. Pick a service tier. The declared value caps below decide what's available to you; the fee and the turnaround follow from there.
6. Pay, then print the submission form and the shipping label the site generates.
7. Check your email for the order confirmation and note the order number — that's what you'll track the submission with.

Step 4: Pack and Ship

More cards are damaged in transit than most people expect, and a card that picks up a corner ding on the way in gets graded with that ding. Pack it like it's already worth what you hope it'll be worth.

• Penny sleeve first, then a hard top-loader. Plenty of people skip the sleeve and go straight to the top-loader — don't. Without it the card shifts inside the plastic and the corners take the pressure.
• Sandwich the top-loader between two pieces of card and secure it with tape or an elastic band, or wrap it in a few layers of bubble wrap. Firm, not tight.
• Put the lot in a padded envelope or bubble mailer so nothing can move around inside.
• Include the printed submission paperwork in the package — most graders require it, and orders arriving without it get held.
• Photograph the card front and back, and the packed contents, before you seal it. If you ever need to make a claim, those photos are the claim.

Use a tracked, insured service for the outbound leg. The return leg is normally covered by the grader and priced into the order.

Step 5: What It Costs and How Long It Takes

Fees below are the tiers each grader currently lists, accurate as of 28 June 2026. Tiers move, and graders sometimes pause one entirely to clear a backlog, so check the current rate before you submit. Our grading cost calculator tracks the live figures, and the full cost breakdown walks through what a submission adds up to end to end.

PSA

• Value Plus — $49.99 · about 45 business days · declared value up to $500
• Value Max — $59.99 · about 30 business days · declared value up to $1,000
• Regular — $84.99 · about 20 business days · declared value up to $2,499
• Express — $175 · about 10 business days · declared value up to $4,999
• Super Express — $400 · about 5 business days · declared value up to $25,000
• Walk-Through — $600 · about 1 business day · declared value up to $50,000

Plus the annual membership. PSA's cheapest Value tier was paused in mid-2026 to clear backlog, so the entry point is currently higher than the headline figure you'll see quoted in older guides.

CGC

• Bulk — $15 · about 90 business days · declared value up to $200 · minimum quantity applies
• Economy — $18 · about 80 business days · declared value up to $400
• Standard — $55 · about 50 business days · declared value up to $1,000
• Express — $100 · about 15 business days · declared value up to $3,000
• Walkthrough — $300 · about 5 business days · declared value up to $10,000
• Unlimited Value — $300 plus 1% of value · about 5 business days

Beckett (BGS)

• Base — $20 · about 75 business days · declared value up to $499
• Standard — $35 · about 45 business days · declared value up to $1,500
• Express — $75 · about 15 business days · declared value up to $2,500
• Priority — $125 · about 5 business days · declared value up to $5,000
• Walk-Through — $250 · about 3 business days · declared value up to $10,000

The pattern is the same everywhere: the cheap tiers are slow and the fast tiers are expensive. On top of the grading fee, budget roughly $10 to $40 for outbound postage, sleeves, top-loaders and mailers, plus insurance, which varies by courier and declared value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a Pokémon card graded in person instead of by mail?

Yes. All three companies attend major card shows, and they run authorised dealer and hub programmes where a shop submits on your behalf. Check the grader's event schedule and its list of official partners — in-person submission rules and pricing differ from mail-in.

Can I submit cards from outside the United States?

Yes, though international submissions can attract customs duties and import taxes on the way back, on top of the shipping. Collectors outside the US usually go through a regional partner or an authorised dealer instead, which is normally cheaper and simpler than posting cards across a border yourself.

Can you submit an already-graded card to a different company?

That's called a crossover. You send the card in its existing slab and set a minimum grade you'll accept. If the new company would grade it at or above that minimum, they crack the old slab and reholder it; if it wouldn't make your minimum, the card comes back untouched in its original slab.

Does grading cost money?

Always. The fee depends on the company and the tier, from around $15 at the cheap, slow end to several hundred dollars for a few-day turnaround — before postage, supplies and insurance. That's exactly why step one is checking whether the card is worth it.