Card Grading Services Compared: PSA, Beckett, CGC, SGC and TAG Fees and Turnaround in 2026
Five companies grade the large majority of trading cards sold in the United States: PSA, Beckett (BGS), CGC Cards, SGC and TAG. As of 3 September 2026 three of the five have their cheapest tiers closed to new orders. PSA paused everything under $80 on 2 June, Beckett paused Base and Standard on 8 August, and TAG has Basic and Standard closed. Only CGC Cards and SGC will take a card at any price today, and SGC’s $15 Standard is the cheapest slab on the market.
This page is the full fee table for all five, followed by the questions that actually decide which one to use: what sells for more, how long each takes, and what each does that the others do not. Every figure was read from the companies’ own price lists on the check date and carries its live status, because availability is what most comparison tables get wrong.
Card grading fees compared: every tier, all five companies
| Grader | Tier | Fee per card | Max declared value | Business days | Status (3 Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | Value Bulk (20+ cards) | $24.99 | $500 | 95 | Paused |
| Value | $32.99 | $500 | 75 | Paused | |
| Value Plus | $49.99 | $500 | 45 | Paused | |
| Value Max | $64.99 | $1,000 | 30 | Paused | |
| Regular | $79.99 | $1,500 | 40–50 | Open | |
| Express | $149 | $2,500 | 20–30 | Open | |
| Super Express | $349 | $5,000 | 10–15 | Open | |
| Walk-Through | $599 | $10,000 | 7–10 | Open | |
| Premium 1 | $999 | $25,000 | 5–7 | Open | |
| Beckett (BGS) | Base, no subgrades | $14.95 | $250 | 75–90 | Paused |
| Base with subgrades | $17.95 | $250 | 75–90 | Paused | |
| Standard | $34.95 | $1,000 | 45 | Paused | |
| Express | $79.95 | $2,500 | 15 | Open | |
| Priority | $124.95 | $5,000 | 5 | Open | |
| CGC Cards | Bulk (25+ cards) | $17 | $500 | 150 | Open |
| Economy | $20 | $1,000 | 90 | Open | |
| Standard | $55 | $3,000 | 10 | Open | |
| Express | $100 | $10,000 | 5 | Open | |
| WalkThrough | $300 | $100,000 | 2 | Open | |
| SGC | Standard | $15 | $1,500 | 40–50 | Open |
| Standard, higher value | $85 | $3,500 | 40–50 | Open | |
| Expedited | $150 | $3,500 | 2–3 | Open | |
| Expedited 7.5K | $250 | $7,500 | 2–3 | Open | |
| TAG | Basic | $22 | $500 | 45–60 | Paused |
| Standard | $39 | $750 | 30 | Paused | |
| Express | $59 | $1,000 | 10–15 | Open | |
| Priority | $149 | $2,500 | 5 | Open | |
| Walkthrough | $299 | $10,000 | 2–3 | Open |
Membership and minimums: CGC Cards gives Associate and Premium members 10% off and Elite members 20%; its Bulk tier needs 25 cards in one order. PSA’s paused Value tiers required a Collectors Club membership; the open tiers do not. Beckett, SGC and TAG have no membership. Shipping is additional everywhere and typically adds $25–$40 to a small insured submission. The card grading cost calculator applies all of this and hides paused tiers, and the grading companies directory keeps each company’s status current.
Cheapest way to grade a card right now
| Situation | Cheapest open option | Cost | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| One card, any value up to $1,500 | SGC Standard | $15 | 40–50 business days |
| 25 or more cards, each under $500 | CGC Cards Bulk | $17 each | 150 business days |
| Cards worth $500–$1,000, fewer than 25 | CGC Cards Economy | $20 | 90 business days |
| Need it back inside three weeks | Beckett Express or TAG Express | $79.95 / $59 | 15 / 10–15 business days |
| Need it back this week | SGC Expedited or CGC Express | $150 / $100 | 2–3 / 5 business days |
| Must be PSA | PSA Regular | $79.99 | 40–50 business days |
The grading alternatives finder answers the same question for a specific card value and deadline.
Which grading company’s slab sells for the most?
For the same card at the same condition, completed sales across sports and TCG show a consistent order, with the size of the gaps varying by category:
- BGS 10 Black Label (all four subgrades 10): the top of the market, often a multiple of a PSA 10 because so few exist.
- PSA 10: the reference grade. It is what buyers search for, what price trackers publish and what most auction records are set in.
- BGS 10 Pristine (gold label) and CGC 10 Pristine: below a PSA 10, above a BGS 9.5, order varies by card.
- SGC 10: at or near PSA 10 money on pre-1980 sports cards, where SGC’s black holder has a following; at a clear discount on modern and on TCG.
- BGS 9.5, CGC 10 Gem Mint, TAG 10: typically 30–50% under a PSA 10 on modern chase cards, closer on vintage.
Below the top grade the gaps shrink. A PSA 8, SGC 8 and BGS 8 vintage card are within a few percent of one another, which is why vintage sellers with cards that will not grade 9 or 10 send them to SGC at $15 rather than PSA at $79.99. The grading scale converter translates a grade between the five scales, including BGS subgrades and CGC’s Pristine tier.
Turnaround compared
Published estimates are business days from intake, not from the day you ship. Adding a week each way for transit and a few days for logging, the calendar reality in September 2026 is:
- Fastest affordable: TAG Express at 10–15 days ($59) and Beckett Express at 15 days ($79.95), about a month door to door.
- Standard budget: SGC Standard and PSA Regular at 40–50 days, roughly three months door to door.
- Slow and cheap: CGC Economy at 90 days and CGC Bulk at 150 days, five to eight months. The price is real; the wait is the cost.
- Express lanes at every company deliver inside a week for $100–$600 depending on value.
SGC starts its clock when the package is unboxed and logged rather than when it is delivered, and at peak periods the gap has run to a week. The grading turnaround planner converts any tier into a delivery date and flags tiers that cannot make a deadline.
What each company does that the others do not
- PSA: the largest population report, cert verification with photos on newer slabs, PSA/DNA autograph authentication with the Dual service, and the deepest buyer pool. Weakness in 2026: price and backlog.
- Beckett: four printed subgrades, the Black Label, Raw Card Review at shows, and Beckett Authentication Services for autographs. Weakness: the cheap tiers are closed until at least 15 September, and vintage BGS slabs sell below PSA.
- CGC Cards: every tier open, the lowest bulk rate, optional subgrades, a Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10, and a $100,000 cap on WalkThrough. Strongest acceptance in Pokémon and other TCGs. Weakness: slow at the cheap end, discount to PSA on resale.
- SGC: $15 with a $1,500 cap, a black holder collectors of vintage sports actively prefer, and turnaround comparable to PSA at a fifth of the price. Owned by Collectors, PSA’s parent, since 2024. Weakness: modern and TCG slabs sell at a discount.
- TAG: optical grading with a published per-defect report and a 1,000-point score behind the grade, which is the most transparent grade in the hobby. Weakness: the smallest resale market and two tiers paused.
Guarantees and what happens when a grader is wrong
All five guarantee authenticity: if a slabbed card is later shown to be counterfeit or altered, the company buys it back or pays the difference under its published terms. PSA and Beckett also offer paid review services where you can ask for a grade to be reconsidered, and every company accepts crossovers from the others with a minimum grade you set, returning the card in its original holder if the minimum is not met. None guarantees a grade in advance, which is why pre-grading with a ruler and a lamp, or the card grade estimator, is the only way to control the outcome you are paying for.
Which grading service to use in September 2026
- Selling a modern card that looks like a 10: PSA Regular if the graded value will exceed about $400; otherwise CGC Economy and accept the discount.
- Vintage sports, any grade: SGC Standard at $15, unless the card is a 9 or 10 candidate worth five figures, where PSA’s premium covers the fee many times over.
- Modern sports with patches and autographs: Beckett Express for the subgrades and BAS authentication, or PSA Dual.
- Pokémon and other TCG for your own collection: CGC Cards; for resale, PSA.
- Bulk of 25 or more inexpensive cards: CGC Bulk at $17 and a long wait, or hold until PSA and Beckett reopen their cheap tiers.
- A card with a deadline: TAG or Beckett Express under three weeks; SGC or CGC express lanes under a week.
Company-specific detail is in the PSA grading guide, the Beckett grading guide, the BGS guide for Pokémon and the SGC vs CGC comparison. The grading ROI calculator and the grading submission planner run the numbers for a specific card or a whole stack.
Sources and check date
PSA: trading card grading services page and public backlog tracker. Beckett: grading price list and the Base & Standard availability notice last updated 5 August 2026. CGC Cards: services and fees page. SGC: pricing page. TAG: available grading services help article. All read on 3 September 2026. Resale relationships summarise completed sales on the major marketplaces and describe a pattern, not a promise for any single card.
