Card grading companies compared: PSA vs CGC vs TAG in 2026
By Owlex · · 7 min read
CGC is the cheapest of the five big US card grading companies at $17 a card for a 25-card bulk order, and PSA's reopened Value tier costs $39.99, as of November 2026. PSA graded about 70% of the cards GemRate tracked in September 2026, so its slabs have the deepest resale market. TAG, SGC and Beckett fill narrower roles.
Prices moved a lot this fall. PSA brought back its Value tier on October 29 and cut its wait times. SGC raised its cheapest tier from $18 to $50 in September. Beckett reopened its budget tiers on September 15 and closed them again less than two weeks later. Many comparison pages still show older prices.
This guide compares PSA, CGC, TAG, SGC and Beckett on what you pay, how long you wait, how each one grades, and which slab sells best. Grading means a company checks a card's condition, gives it a number from 1 to 10, and seals it in a tamper-evident plastic case called a slab. For PSA's full tier list and return shipping, see our PSA grading cost breakdown.
How much does each card grading company charge?
The cheapest open tiers range from $17 a card at CGC to $79.95 at Beckett, as of November 1, 2026. Each tier has a maximum card value, so a card worth more than the cap must go in a pricier tier.
| Company | Cheapest open tier | Price per card (USD) | Max card value (USD) | Est. turnaround | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC | Bulk (25-card minimum) | $17 | $500 | 150 working days | CGC |
| CGC | Economy | $20 | $1,000 | 90 working days | CGC |
| TAG | Value (10-card minimum) | $29.95 | $250 coverage | 90 business days | CollectorNation, TAG |
| PSA | Value | $39.99 | $500 | 90 to 100 business days | SCD |
| SGC | Standard | $50 | $1,500 | 40+ business days | CollectorNation |
| Beckett | Express (Base and Standard paused) | $79.95 | Not published | 15 business days | Heavy |
CGC's prices are the rates it lists for Collector-level members. PSA's Value tier opened on October 29, and PSA says new Value orders join the queue behind every order already submitted. Its Bulk tier is still paused. PSA says it will reopen its other paused tiers when its backlog falls below 5 million cards. The backlog was 7.2 million on October 20, per Baseball America.
Beckett's Base ($17.95) and Standard ($34.95) tiers reopened on September 15 and were paused again by September 26. Beckett has given no reopening date, Heavy reported.
What does a 25-card order cost at each grader?
A 25-card order of modern cards each worth under $250 costs $425 at CGC and $999.75 at PSA, before shipping. That is a gap of $574.75.
| Company and tier | Price per card (USD) | 25 cards (USD) | Est. wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| CGC Bulk | $17 | $425.00 | 150 working days |
| TAG Value | $29.95 | $748.75 | 90 business days |
| PSA Value | $39.99 | $999.75 | 90 to 100 business days |
| SGC Standard | $50 | $1,250.00 | 40+ business days |
| Beckett Express | $79.95 | $1,998.75 | 15 business days |
Add return shipping and insurance, which each company charges per order, plus your own tracked postage to the grader. Mail cards in a penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid holder or toploader, packed so they cannot slide.
Which grading company is fastest?
For cards worth up to $3,000, CGC's Standard tier is the quickest affordable option at $55 a card and an estimated 10 working days. SGC's Expedited tier returns cards in 2 to 3 business days for $150 a card on cards up to $3,500.
| Company and tier | Price per card (USD) | Max card value (USD) | Est. turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| CGC Standard | $55 | $3,000 | 10 working days |
| CGC Express | $100 | $10,000 | 5 working days |
| TAG Express | $149.95 | $2,500 | 10 business days |
| SGC Expedited | $150 | $3,500 | 2 to 3 business days |
| PSA Express | $199 | $2,500 | 20 to 30 business days |
| PSA Super Express | $349 | $5,000 | 10 to 15 business days |
Sources: CGC fees, TAG services, SGC tiers via Pregrade, PSA tiers via Pregrade. Graders describe turnaround times as estimates, and the clock starts when the grader logs your order, not when you mail it.
PSA also cut its Standard estimate ($59.99, cards to $1,000) from 90 to 100 business days down to 70 to 80, and Priority ($79.99, to $1,500) from 70 to 80 down to 50 to 60, for orders placed from October 28.
How do the grading scales differ between PSA, CGC, Beckett and TAG?
All four grade from 1 to 10, but they split the top of the scale differently. PSA gives one overall number. CGC and TAG add a Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10. Beckett prints four subgrades, and its Black Label means all four are perfect.
| Grader | Top grade | 9.5 grade? | Subgrades | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | Gem Mint 10 | No (half grades 1.5 to 8.5) | No, one overall grade | Gem Mint 10 needs about 55/45 to 60/40 front centering (Phantom Display) |
| CGC | Pristine 10, then Gem Mint 10 | Yes, Mint+ 9.5 | Not on the standard label | Pristine needs 50/50 centering; Gem Mint 10 about 55/45 front, 75/25 back (CGC) |
| Beckett (BGS) | Black Label Pristine 10 | Yes, Gem Mint 9.5 | Centering, corners, edges, surface | Pristine 10 needs 50/50 front centering (Beckett) |
| TAG | Pristine 10 (score 990 to 1000) | No | A 1,000-point TAG Score instead | Gem Mint 10 is 950 to 989; Pristine is under 1% of cards (TAG) |
PSA added half grades in 2008 but has never issued a 9.5, per Sports Collectors Digest. Centering is how evenly the border frames the art: 55/45 means one side's border is slightly wider than the other.
A 10 is not the same thing at every company, so do not compare a CGC 10 and a PSA 10 as if they were the same grade. Read our card condition guide before choosing a grader, because centering alone can rule out a Pristine 10.
Which grading company's slabs sell for the most?
PSA slabs usually sell for the most because PSA has by far the most buyers and sales history. In September 2026 PSA graded about 2.46 million cards and CGC a record 962,000, out of 3.52 million across PSA, CGC, TAG and SGC, per GemRate data summarized by CardGrade. TAG graded about 50,000 and SGC about 46,000.
There is no public index of how much more a PSA 10 sells for than a CGC 10 or TAG 10 of the same card. The gap varies by card and changes over time, so check recent sold listings for your exact card in each slab before you choose.
Population reports explain part of the gap. On PriceCharting's population page for Prismatic Evolutions Umbreon ex 161/131 (October 2026 data), PSA had graded 17,990 copies and given 5,487 a 10, which is 30.5%. CGC had graded 1,055 and given 474 a 10, which is 44.9%. Collectors may send their best-looking copies to different graders, so this does not prove one grades harder. It does show that a CGC 10 of this card is far rarer in absolute terms but a more common outcome per submission.
When is PSA worth the higher fee?
Pay PSA's higher fee only when the price gap between a PSA 10 and the other grader's 10 is bigger than the fee gap. PSA Value at $39.99 costs $22.99 more per card than CGC Bulk at $17, and $19.99 more than CGC Economy at $20.
Here is a quick rule, using your own sold prices:
- Find recent sold prices for your card in PSA 10 and in CGC 10.
- Work out how much less the CGC 10 sells for, as a percentage of the PSA 10 price.
- Divide $22.99 by that percentage. The result is the PSA 10 price at which the two choices break even.
If CGC 10s sell 20% below PSA 10s, the break-even PSA 10 price is $114.95 ($22.99 divided by 0.20). If the gap is only 10%, it is $229.90. Above the break-even price, PSA's fee pays for itself on a 10. Below it, CGC Bulk leaves more money in your pocket. These percentages are examples, not market averages.
That rule only holds if a 10 is realistic. If you are not sure the card is worth grading at all, our guide to when grading is worth it walks through the break-even math by grade.
Which grading company should I use for Pokémon, One Piece, Magic or Yu-Gi-Oh!?
TAG is the one to check first: it does not grade Yu-Gi-Oh!, because it does not currently handle Yu-Gi-Oh!'s smaller card size, per TAG's eligibility page. TAG does grade Magic, One Piece and Lorcana. CGC says it grades "virtually all trading card games" in every language, per its help center.
Best choice by situation, as of November 2026:
- Best for resale and high-value cards: PSA. It graded about 70% of the cards GemRate tracked in September, and its Value tier is back at $39.99 for cards up to $500.
- Best for the lowest cost per card: CGC Bulk at $17, if you can wait about 150 working days and send at least 25 cards.
- Best for a fast, affordable return: CGC Standard, $55 and about 10 working days for cards up to $3,000.
- Best for detailed feedback: TAG, which gives a 1,000-point score and does not raise your fee if the card turns out to be worth more. Its price "never changes with your card's value," per TAG.
- Best for subgrades and Black Label chasing: Beckett, but only its $79.95 Express tier is open.
- Best for very fast turnaround on mid-value cards: SGC Expedited, $150 and 2 to 3 business days for cards up to $3,500.
PSA's parent company, Collectors, also owns SGC and agreed in December 2025 to buy Beckett's grading business, Yahoo Sports reported. CGC is independent.
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Frequently asked
What is the cheapest card grading company?
CGC is the cheapest of the big US graders at $17 a card on its Bulk tier, which needs at least 25 cards worth up to $500 each and takes about 150 working days, as of November 2026. TAG's Value tier is $29.95 with a 10-card minimum, and PSA's Value tier is $39.99 for cards up to $500.
Is PSA or CGC better for Pokémon cards?
PSA is better for resale because it has the most buyers: it graded about 2.46 million cards in September 2026 to CGC's 962,000. CGC is cheaper, at $17 to $20 a card against PSA's $39.99, and it offers a Pristine 10 above Gem Mint 10. Check recent sold prices for your card in both slabs before choosing.
Is TAG grading any good?
TAG is a smaller grader that graded about 50,000 cards in September 2026. It gives each card a 1,000-point score as well as a 1 to 10 grade, and its fee does not rise if the card is worth more than expected. It does not grade Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Its Standard tier is $59.95 a card with an estimated 45 business days.
Is Beckett taking submissions right now?
Only on its Express tier, at $79.95 a card with an estimated 15 business days. Beckett paused its Base ($17.95) and Standard ($34.95) tiers in late September 2026, less than two weeks after reopening them, and has not given a reopening date.
What is a CGC Pristine 10?
It is CGC's top grade, one step above Gem Mint 10, for cards that are virtually flawless to the naked eye. It requires 50/50 centering and perfect color and registration, and the card gets a special Pristine 10 label. A CGC Gem Mint 10 allows about 55/45 front centering.