How much does it cost to get a card graded?

It depends on the company and service level. On Nov. 10, 2026, CGC's fee page listed tiers from $17 to $300 per card. PSA, Beckett and SGC publish their own fees, so read each company's current page.

How long does grading take?

Each service level lists an estimated turnaround. CGC's page calls its times estimates only. Check the fee page and any current notices for your chosen tier.

What is declared value?

It is the value you state for each card when you submit. It decides which service level you can use, so base it on a recent sale or receipt.

Do I need a membership to submit cards?

Some companies require or discount by membership. CGC's page says its fees apply to direct submissions by Collector members. Read each company's membership terms.

How to Get Sports Cards Graded: Cost, Turnaround and Steps

2026-11-09 · By CollectorsTrend Editorial · General information, not appraisal, tax, legal or investment advice

Service levels, declared value, packing and shipping, with the numbers one grader publishes and where to check the rest.

Sports cards in protective sleeves beside a submission form on a desk

You have a card you think is worth grading. Before you box it up, you need to know what it will cost, how long it will take, and what the company wants from you. This guide walks through the submission steps and shows the figures one grader publishes on its fee page. It does not rank graders or say whose grades are better.

Read the fee page before you do anything else

PSA, Beckett (BGS), SGC and CGC each publish service levels on their own websites. A service level usually bundles three things: a fee per card, a cap on the value you may declare for each card, and an estimated turnaround. Those numbers move. Companies add tiers, drop tiers and change prices, so a figure in a forum post or a video may be out of date.

A note on what we could verify. We quote only numbers we could read on the company's own page on Nov. 10, 2026. CGC's fee page loaded. The PSA, Beckett and SGC pricing pages would not load for our fetch tool that day, so we are not quoting their fees or turnaround times. Open each page yourself and write the numbers down with the date you read them.

What one grader's fee page looks like

CGC Cards lists its direct-submission tiers in a table. As read on its fee page on Nov. 10, 2026, the main tiers were:

Bulk: $17 per card, declared value up to $500 per card, 150 working days, 25-card minimum.
Economy: $20 per card, up to $1,000, 90 working days.
Standard: $55 per card, up to $3,000, 10 working days.
Express: $100 per card, up to $10,000, 5 working days.
WalkThrough: $300 per card, up to $100,000, 2 working days.
Unlimited Value: listed at $300 plus 1% of fair market value, 2 working days.

The page says turnaround times are estimates only. It also says the fees apply to direct submissions by Collector members, and that Associate and Premium members save 10% on grading while Elite members save 20%. The page does not say whether those discounts are already built into the listed fees, so ask or check the checkout screen. Add-on services such as ReHolder are priced separately. Fees change, so treat all of this as a snapshot.

The useful lesson is the trade-off. In that table, the lowest per-card fee comes with the longest wait and the lowest value cap. Pay more and the wait shrinks, but the declared-value ceiling also rises. If your card is worth more than a tier's cap, you cannot just pick the cheap tier.

Step by step: how a submission works

CGC's how-to page describes a short sequence, and the other companies follow a similar outline on their own sites.

Create an account. CGC says the account is free. Some companies also sell membership tiers that change what you pay or which levels you can use, so read the membership terms.
Choose a service level and any optional services. This is where you match your card's declared value to a tier.
Fill out the online submission form. List each card accurately.
Package the cards and ship them. CGC's page stresses packing cards securely so they arrive safely, and sends you to a separate packing guide.

Two points that the CGC how-to page does not address: insurance on your outbound package, and return shipping. Do not assume either one is covered. Look at each company's shipping instructions, and read your carrier's terms for declared value and loss. Keep your tracking numbers and photos of the cards before you ship.

Declared value, explained

Declared value is the number you tell the grader each card is worth. It decides which tier you are allowed to use, and it may affect how the company handles the card. Pick the figure you could support with a recent sale or a receipt. If you are tempted to understate it to fit a cheaper tier, read the company's rules on declared value first.

What grading actually involves

CGC describes grading as a team effort, with multiple professionals examining each card, each entering a grade, and the graders reaching consensus on the final grade. CGC also says you can verify a certification by its cert number or the QR code on the label. A grade is the result of that process, not a promise about what the card will sell for.

A short checklist before you ship

Write down the fee, declared-value cap and turnaround from the fee page, plus the date you read them.
Multiply the per-card fee by the number of cards, then add shipping both ways and any membership cost.
Note any minimum order size for the cheaper tiers.
Photograph each card, front and back, before packing.
Ship with tracking and a carrier service you are comfortable with for the value of the box.
Save the confirmation email and submission number.

Mistakes that cost time

Most delays come from small errors. People pick a tier whose value cap is below the card's declared value, forget a minimum card count, send cards in loose sleeves, or skip the photos that would prove condition at the time of shipping. Another common slip is mixing up working days and calendar days. The CGC page lists turnaround in working days, so a 90-working-day estimate is well over four calendar months. Read the unit on every page, and plan your cash flow around the longest estimate, not the shortest.

Your next step: open the fee pages of the companies you are considering, record the numbers with today's date, and run the totals for your real card count.

General information only, not legal, tax, appraisal or investment advice. Prices, fees and policies change; confirm with the company or a qualified professional before you act.

Sources

CGC Cards, Services and Fees, checked 2026-11-10
CGC Cards, How to Submit, checked 2026-11-10
CGC Cards, Grading Process, checked 2026-11-10
CGC Cards, home page (cert lookup), checked 2026-11-10

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to get a card graded?: It depends on the company and service level. On Nov. 10, 2026, CGC's fee page listed tiers from $17 to $300 per card. PSA, Beckett and SGC publish their own fees, so read each company's current page.
How long does grading take?: Each service level lists an estimated turnaround. CGC's page calls its times estimates only. Check the fee page and any current notices for your chosen tier.
What is declared value?: It is the value you state for each card when you submit. It decides which service level you can use, so base it on a recent sale or receipt.
Do I need a membership to submit cards?: Some companies require or discount by membership. CGC's page says its fees apply to direct submissions by Collector members. Read each company's membership terms.

Looking for care near you? Browse providers by state and city, or tell us what you need and we will help you find options.

Find a provider · Ask for help

More on this site

General information only, not appraisal, tax, legal or investment advice. Prices, fees and policies change; confirm with the company or a qualified professional before you act. CollectorsTrend does not grade, authenticate, buy, sell or endorse any business listed. Sponsored placements are paid and always labeled.