How to get Pokémon cards graded: a step-by-step guide

To get a Pokémon card graded, you pick a grading company, create an account on its website, choose a service tier, list your cards on an online submission form, then pack and ship them. The company grades each card from 1 to 10, seals it in a plastic case called a slab, and ships it back. The whole process takes from about two weeks to several months, depending on the tier you pay for.

Key takeaways

• Only grade cards that are valuable and close to perfect. Of the 5,426 priced cards in the sets we track, just 123 sell for more than PSA’s cheapest open tier ungraded.
• PSA slabs usually resell for the most, CGC is the cheapest right now, and Beckett gives subgrades for centering, corners, edges, and surface.
• Submit online, pay per card, and choose a tier by the card’s value and how fast you want it back.
• Ship cards in penny sleeves inside semi-rigid holders, sandwiched between cardboard, with tracking and insurance.
• No account? A local game store or group submitter can send your cards in with theirs.

Step 1: Pick cards worth grading#

Grading costs real money, so a card is only worth grading if a high grade adds more value than the fee, shipping, and the risk of a lower grade. Two questions decide it:

• Is it valuable? Look up what the card sells for raw and in a PSA 9 and PSA 10. If a 10 isn’t worth much more than the raw card plus the fee, don’t grade it.
• Is it nearly flawless? Check it under a bright light. Graders look at four things:
  • Centering: are the borders even on all sides?
  • Corners: are they sharp, with no white showing?
  • Edges: any chips, whitening, or rough cuts?
  • Surface: scratches, print lines, dents, or fingerprints?

A card fresh from a pack can still have off-center borders or print lines, so check even new pulls. Our grading cost guide has a simple worth-it test.

Step 2: Choose a grading company#

Prices change often, and tiers pause when a company falls behind. Check the current prices and our PSA vs BGS comparison before you choose.

Step 3: Create an account and pick a tier#

Sign up on the grader’s website. Tiers are priced by how fast you want the card back and by a maximum declared value: the most the card can be worth in that tier. Declare what the card would sell for once graded, not what you paid. If the grader decides the card is worth more than your tier allows, it will charge you the difference (an upcharge).

Turnaround times range from about a week for the most expensive tiers to several months for the cheapest. Our turnaround guide converts each tier into calendar weeks.

Step 4: Fill out the submission form#

List each card by set, number, and name, with its declared value. Most forms let you search by card name. Double-check the card number: a wrong entry can delay the order or put the wrong label on the slab. Pay for grading and return shipping when you finish, and print the packing slip.

Step 5: Prepare the cards#

1. Clean your hands and work on a clean, soft surface.
2. Put each card in a new penny sleeve.
3. Slide each sleeved card into a semi-rigid holder (Card Saver I is the common choice). Most graders prefer these to hard top-loaders, because cards are easier to remove without damage.
4. Don’t use tape on the holders. Graders have to get the cards out.

Step 6: Pack and ship#

Stack the holders, sandwich them between two pieces of cardboard, and secure the stack with rubber bands so it can’t slide. Put it in a small box with padding, add the packing slip, and ship with tracking and insurance to the address on your order. Keep the receipt and tracking number.

Step 7: Wait and track your order#

The grader’s website shows each step: received, logged, being graded, grades ready, and shipped. The turnaround clock usually starts when the order is logged, not when you mail it, and that can take days or weeks during busy periods. Grades often appear online a few days before the cards ship.

Step 8: Check your slabs when they arrive#

Look over each slab for cracks, and confirm the label matches the card. Then look up the certification number on the grader’s website: it should show the same card and grade. If something’s wrong, contact the grader right away; most allow a review or regrade for a fee.

Other ways to submit#

• Through a game store or group submitter. Many shops and online services collect cards from customers and submit them in bulk. You pay them a fee, but you don’t need your own account, and you can sometimes use tiers with minimums you couldn’t meet alone.
• At a card show. PSA and others sometimes take submissions in person at major shows, which saves the shipping.

After grading: selling or keeping#

A slab protects the card and makes its condition easy to prove, which helps when you sell. If you plan to sell, our guide to where to sell Pokémon cards compares the fees on each marketplace; graded cards usually sell best on eBay.