At November 2026, PSA's tiers start at US$39.99 a card and CGC's at US$17 a card. Tracked postage each way and insurance come on top. Beckett's cheaper tiers have been stopping and starting, so no current Beckett figure is given here. These fees change often, so check the grader's own page before sending anything.
What does PSA charge?
PSA's pricing page lists these tiers, per card, with an estimated turnaround and a maximum insured value for each.
- Value: US$39.99, 90 to 100 business days, insured to US$500
- Standard: US$59.99, 70 to 80 business days, insured to US$1,000
- Priority: US$79.99, 50 to 60 business days, insured to US$1,500
- Express: US$199, 20 to 30 business days, insured to US$2,500
- Super Express: US$349, 10 to 15 business days, insured to US$5,000
- Premier: US$599, 7 to 10 business days, insured to US$10,000
PSA shows Value Bulk as currently unavailable. Because each tier has its own insurance limit, a valuable card may have to go in a dearer tier than its owner would choose for speed alone.
What does CGC charge?
CGC's notices list these fees per card for submissions to its Florida headquarters.
- Bulk: US$17
- Economy: US$20
- Standard: US$55
- Express: US$100
- WalkThrough: US$300
A value based tier sits above those, and a minimum may apply to Bulk, so check before planning around it. CGC says international pricing is announced separately, so an Australian collector should confirm the figure that applies to them. CGC appointed its first official submission centre in Australia in October 2022. Whether that still stands has not been checked here, so ask CGC.
What is happening with Beckett?
Trade press reported that Beckett's cheaper Base and Standard tiers paused in August 2026, reopened in mid September and closed again in late September, with its website offline. Check with Beckett before planning a BGS submission. A BGS label can show four subgrades, for centering, corners, edges and surface, though not on every option. A Black Label is a Pristine 10 with a 10 on all four.
What else goes on the bill?
- Tracked international postage each way, and insurance
- Any charge from a local service, if one is used
- The exchange rate, because a fee set in US dollars costs a different amount in Australian dollars from one week to the next
- The wait, because a card in a grader's queue cannot be sold in the meantime
- The grade itself, because a low grade earns no refund, and PSA can require a higher fee if it values the card above the tier's limit
How do you tell whether a card is worth sending?
Add up the full cost first. Then find recent sold prices for graded copies at the grade the card will realistically get, not the grade you hope for, and compare them with what the same card sells for ungraded. If the gap does not clearly beat the cost, keep the card raw. Sold prices matter here because an asking price only shows what a seller hopes for.
For the ungraded figure, the Master Vault app gives a market guide price in Australian dollars from a photo. It is an estimate built on overseas market data in US dollars and converted to A$ at a recent exchange rate, so treat it as a starting point and check sold listings for the exact printing and condition.
To test the likely grade, the Card Pre-Grader estimates centering, corners, edges and surface from your own photos in 20 to 50 seconds, and a free account covers up to 15 pre-grades a month. It is an estimate, not a grade from PSA, BGS, CGC or TAG, and glare can hide a fine scratch. For how PSA, CGC and BGS differ beyond price, read the PSA vs CGC vs BGS guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a local shop send my cards to PSA for me?
Only if it is one of PSA's appointed dealers. PSA's terms say only those dealers may submit on behalf of individuals, and they prohibit group submissions. PSA's site has a dealer directory, so check the shop is listed before handing over a card.
Does every grader have the same grade scale?
PSA, CGC and BGS all grade from 1 to 10, but the labels differ. A BGS label can show subgrades, for example, so compare sold prices for the grader you plan to use rather than assuming a 10 is a 10.
Can I sell a card without grading it?
Yes. Raw cards and graded slabs can both be sold on Master Vault by buy now, auction or offers. A seller pays 4% commission plus card processing of 2.9% + A$0.30 on an Australian card, so a A$100 card sold keeps A$92.80. The buyer's money is held until the buyer confirms it arrived, 48 hours after the carrier reports it delivered, or 14 days after posting if nothing has been raised. A seller's very first sale waits 7 days more.