How to Submit Cards to PSA: Step-by-Step (2026)

PSA submissions are easy once you've done one, and a nightmare the first time. Below is the full 2026 workflow we walk every client through — the same one we use in-house for our own grading service.

1. Set up a Collectors Club membership (or skip it)

Direct submitters need an active Collectors Club account ($99-$999/year depending on voucher count). If you don't want the recurring fee, an authorized dealer can submit on your behalf without one.

2. Choose the right service tier

Declared value is the resale value of the card if it grades a 10 — not what you paid. Caps for 2026: Value $499, Value Max $1,000, Regular $1,499, Express $2,499. Going over the cap downgrades the whole order. Full pricing in our PSA grading cost guide.

3. Enter your cards online

1. Log into psacard.com → Submit → Trading Cards.
2. Pick service level. Never mix tiers in one order.
3. Enter each card: year, brand/set, card number, player, declared value. Typos here can delay an order by weeks.
4. Add any special notes (autograph authentication, dual service, etc).
5. Pay. Print the submission list.

4. Package the cards

1. Penny sleeve every card.
2. Slide each sleeved card into a Card Saver I (semi-rigid). Never top loaders.
3. Optional: a single piece of low-tack painter's tape across the top of the Card Saver, outside the card.
4. Rubber-band stacks of 25, separated by service level.
5. Put cards in a team bag, then a bubble mailer inside a small cardboard box.
6. Slip the printed submission list on top.

5. Ship with the right service

• Under $5K total: USPS Priority Mail with full insurance and signature confirmation.
• $5K-$25K: USPS Registered Mail. Slow but the safest.
• $25K+: Brinks or a private courier with all-risk insurance.

Common rejection reasons

• Tape touching the card.
• Declared value over tier cap.
• Top loaders instead of Card Savers.
• Submission list missing or unsigned.
• Trimmed, recolored, or restored cards (returned ungraded with an "N5" notice).

Skip every step above

Or — pay for a tier on our PSA submission service and we handle membership, tier selection, card entry, packaging, and insured shipping for you. No forms to fill out — just pick a tier, check out, and ship us your cards. For higher-value collections, our consignment program grades and sells in a single flow.