PSA is the company whose slab resells the fastest. Its grid changed twice in 2026 — Value tiers paused in June, a new Standard level in September — and collectors in the European Union can now submit directly to its Frankfurt facility.
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) grades cards from 1 to 10 and prints no subgrades on the label. A 10 (Gem Mint) requires front centering no worse than 55/45 and back centering no worse than 75/25; a 9 (Mint) tolerates up to 60/40 at the front — a ladder tightened in early 2025. The cheapest tier is now the Standard level — announced on 9 September 2026, available from 14 September — at $59.99 per card (max insured value $1,000, roughly 90 to 100 business days); the former Regular level is now called Priority, at $79.99. Since 15 September 2026, collectors in the European Union can also submit directly to PSA's Frankfurt facility, priced in euros from €49.99.
01 — Key facts
02 — Data
The scale is published; it is the centering tolerances that decide most submissions.
| Grade | Label | What it tolerates |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Gem Mint | 55/45 front centering, 75/25 back, no defect visible to the naked eye |
| 9 | Mint | Up to 60/40 front centering, one minor print flaw or a barely touched corner |
| 8 | NM-MT | One slightly blunted corner, a small surface imperfection, wider centering |
| 7 | NM | Light wear on several corners, or a surface mark visible at an angle |
| 6 | EX-MT | Clear defects but still presentable: rounded corners, light scratches, edge wear |
| 1 to 5 | PR to EX | Heavy wear, creases, writing or a damaged cut — value becomes marginal outside rare cards |
03 — Details
PSA prints no subgrades, but the overall grade behaves as if it did: the weakest criterion caps the result. A flawless card with one whitened corner comes back an 8, not a 9. That is exactly what the GradeMate report makes explicit with its scored dings.
A grade can carry a qualifier — OC (off-centre), MK (mark), PD (print defect), ST (stain). A PSA 8 (OC) does not resell like a clean PSA 8, and many collectors prefer a lower unqualified grade to a higher qualified one.
It sets the service level. Under-declaring can get an order reclassified, with an extra charge before the cards are returned, and PSA applies an insurance surcharge above a declared value threshold.
PSA suspended its Value tiers on 2 June 2026 after a general price increase in February, then announced a new grid on 9 September: a Standard level at $59.99, available from 14 September, and Regular renamed Priority. A price quoted in a year-old article is worthless: check the official grid before running your numbers.
04 — Steps
The order of operations that keeps a submission from losing money.
A card capped at 8 by its centering costs exactly as much to grade as a card that gems, usually for no upside. This is the only reversible step — do it first.
Submit directly with a PSA account through the online Submission Center — in the US, and since 15 September 2026 in the European Union through the Frankfurt facility. An authorised dealer can also submit on your behalf and pool the shipping, at a price above PSA's own grid.
The post-grading declared value sets the service level. Too low and the order gets reclassified; too high and you pay for a level you did not need.
PSA quotes roughly 90–100 business days at Standard and 70–80 at Priority, before shipping both ways. Plan accordingly if the card has to be sold by a given date.
05 — Questions
Since 15 September 2026, yes for collectors in the European Union: PSA's Frankfurt facility accepts direct submissions through the online Submission Center, priced in euros — from €49.99 at the Standard level (introductory price, €59.99 afterwards). Shipping both ways is at the collector's expense. Authorised dealers remain an option to pool shipping and insurance, at a price above PSA's own grid; collectors elsewhere in Europe should check PSA's regional site.
For EU submissions it removes the transatlantic leg and customs on the way back, and since 15 September 2026 the mandatory dealer step. PSA's own processing time remains the longest part: roughly 80–90 business days at the European Standard level, 70–80 at Priority.
As of 24 September 2026, in the US: $59.99 per card at the new Standard level (max insured value $1,000), $79.99 at Priority (formerly Regular, max insured value $1,500), $199 at Express and $599 at Premier (formerly Walk-Through). In the European Union, PSA's Frankfurt grid starts at €49.99 (Standard, introductory price; €59.99 afterwards) and €69.99 at Priority. Shipping both ways comes on top. These figures move — the official grid is authoritative.
PSA paused its Value tiers in June 2026 after a February price increase, and on 9 September announced the Standard level at $59.99, available from 14 September and now the cheapest on its grid. The company adjusts its tiers according to intake volume, and paused levels can reopen.
The gap between 9 and 10 is what decides whether a submission pays. On a common modern card it is often too small to cover the fees; on a sought-after vintage card it can be a factor of five or ten. Estimate that gap, not the grade in the abstract.
No. GradeMate is an independent pre-grading tool with no affiliation to PSA. The analysis is calibrated on PSA's published criteria and produces an estimate from two photographs; the grade PSA assigns may differ, and some defects do not show in a photo.
06 — Read next
Two photos, an estimate calibrated on PSA criteria, and the points you are losing.