How to Submit Cards to PSA: Order, Pack and Ship, Step by Step

To submit cards to PSA, you create the order online first, then pack each card in a soft sleeve inside a semi-rigid holder and ship the box with the order's label on it. PSA's own help center says the Online Submission Center is the only way to submit cards, and that top loaders and screw-down cases should not be used, because cards can be damaged when they are removed. Everything else is about choosing the right service level and packing so nothing shifts in transit.

This guide follows PSA's two support articles on submitting and packing, both updated in September 2026, plus its pricing page as listed that month. PSA changes its tiers and fees often, so check the live pages before you pay.

Before you start

You don't need a membership. PSA's FAQ says you are not required to join its Collectors Club to submit. The paid club adds member-only service levels and grading specials, which mostly matter to people who submit often.

Decide which cards are worth the fee. Every card costs the same to grade whether it comes back a 10 or a 6. If you haven't run the numbers, read whether a card is worth grading first, and if you're still choosing a company, our PSA vs SGC vs CGC vs TAG comparison lays out the fees side by side.

Gather your supplies. You need one soft sleeve and one semi-rigid holder per card, two pieces of cardboard slightly larger than the stack, rubber bands, padding, a sturdy box and packing tape.

Step 1: Create the order online

PSA's help center is clear that the first move is always an order in its Online Submission Center, even if you plan to drop cards off in person at an event. New customers register first. You pick the item type, and for trading cards PSA offers options including autograph dual service, review, crossover and reholder, as well as straight grading.

Step 2: Choose a service level

PSA says two things decide the service level: turnaround time and max insured value, the amount each item is insured for while PSA has it. Its trading-card pricing page listed these tiers in September 2026, with its lower-priced Value services marked temporarily paused:

Service level	Price per card	Max insured value	Estimated turnaround
Standard	$59.99	$1,000	90 to 100 business days
Priority	$79.99	$1,500	70 to 80 business days
Express	$199.00	$2,500	20 to 30 business days
Super Express	$349.00	$5,000	10 to 15 business days
Premier	$599.00	$10,000	7 to 10 business days

Express and the tiers above it add grader notes that explain a card's defects. Turnaround times are estimates, not promises.

Steps 3 and 4: Enter the cards and declare a value

Itemise each card in the order form. PSA says its research team helps match your entries, and card images populate automatically.

Then declare a value for each card. PSA's instruction is to give it your best guess: the number should estimate what the card will be worth after it has been authenticated and graded, not what you paid. Keep that value inside the max insured value of the tier you chose. A card you expect to grade high may belong in a higher tier than its raw price suggests.

Steps 5 and 6: Review and pay

Check the order, add or select a card for payment, and check out. Print the order confirmation, and keep the confirmation page handy: you will pack the cards in the same order it lists them.

Step 7: Pack the cards

PSA's packing instructions are specific, and following them avoids delays:

1. Sleeve every card. Put each card in a Mylar or penny sleeve. If you need a supply, these are the Ultra PRO penny sleeves we link.
2. Put each sleeved card in a semi-rigid holder. PSA asks for a Card Saver or a similar holder that is sturdy but flexible. Cardboard Gold, which makes the Card Saver 1, says it is slightly oversized for easy insertion and removal and is used by PSA and most PSA dealers for submissions.
3. Do not use rigid holders. PSA says not to send cards in top loaders or screw-down cases, because cards can occasionally be damaged when they are taken out, and holders are not returned.
4. Stack the cards in order. Arrange a multi-card submission in exactly the order listed on your confirmation page.
5. Bundle the stack. Sandwich it between two slightly larger pieces of cardboard and bind it with rubber bands, tight but not too tight.

Step 8: Box it and ship it

• Surround the bundle with bubble wrap, newspaper, packing tissue or foam pellets, and consider a resealable plastic bag against moisture.
• Put the printed order confirmation in the box.
• Seal every seam with colored packing tape or security tape, using several strips. PSA asks you not to use painter's tape, thin clear tape or reused tape.
• Stick the Submission ID label to the outside with barcodes fully visible. If you are sending several submissions in one box, use "package together" in your dashboard to print one combined label.
• Use a new, undamaged box. PSA says not to use paper-based envelopes, including padded cardboard mailers and flat-rate cardboard envelopes, and not to use clear label pouches.
• PSA strongly recommends expedited shipping of 1 to 3 business days, to help avoid delays and mishandling on the way.

Packaging fees, and how to avoid them

PSA charges improper-packaging fees on economy tiers, but with warnings first. Its help article says you are never charged until your third order with packaging issues, after warnings on the first two, and never on your first PSA submission or on submissions above the Express tier. The reason it gives is the extra handling those orders need. The simplest way to avoid them is to follow the steps above exactly: sleeve, semi-rigid holder, correct order, cardboard sandwich.

For why the semi-rigid holder matters, and how the Card Saver 1 compares with a toploader, see our Card Saver 1 review. The holder is the third rung on the protection ladder: the travelling layer between a toploader at home and a slab.

What we couldn't confirm

• The amounts of PSA's improper-packaging fees, which sit in a section of its help article that did not display for us.
• PSA's required semi-rigid holder size. Its shipping-guide page did not load for us, so check it before buying holders from a brand other than Card Saver.
• Return shipping costs, which PSA's pricing page doesn't list.

FAQ

Can I send cards to PSA in toploaders? No. PSA's packing instructions say not to use rigid holders such as top loaders or screw-down cases, because cards can occasionally be damaged when they are removed, and holders aren't returned. Use a sturdy but flexible semi-rigid holder such as a Card Saver.

Do I need to be a PSA Collectors Club member to submit? No. PSA's FAQ says membership isn't required to submit. The paid club adds member-only service levels and grading specials.

What value should I declare for a card? PSA asks for your best estimate of the card's worth after authentication and grading. Keep it within the max insured value of the service level you choose, because that is the amount the card is insured for while PSA has it.

How long does PSA grading take? In September 2026 PSA listed estimates from 7 to 10 business days on its Premier tier to 90 to 100 business days on Standard. They are estimates, and they change with demand.