PSA card grading backlog updates now put the active backlog at about 9 million units on September 22, 2026, down from 12.4 million on July 28. That is the latest entry in the official PSA Backlog Tracker, which PSA updates every two weeks, and it is the number collectors watch before they choose a submission tier for Pokemon and One Piece cards.
The tracker sits inside a busy quarter of PSA announcements: a pause on the four Value tiers that began June 2, a fifth grading facility in Plano, Texas that opened in July, a new Standard tier opened in September, and Frankfurt taking European submissions from September 15. Each item below is dated and tied to the PSA page that states it.
We sell Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo. Where a price of ours appears, it is converted at ¥154/USD.
As of September 22, 2026, PSA’s own tracker puts the active global backlog at about 9 million units, down from 9.9 million on September 8 and 12.4 million on July 28. The four Value tiers (Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, Value Max) have been closed to new US submissions since June 2, 2026, and PSA has given no reopening date. Standard ($59.99 in the US, ¥9,980 in Japan) is a separate new tier, not a replacement for Value. PSA says it has six global grading facilities, including Frankfurt for EU submissions from September 15. For a PSA 10 Japanese card that is already graded, our PSA 10 Charizard ex SAR (SV2a 201/165) is offered as a back order at ¥77,846 (~$505).
PSA updates the tracker every two weeks. As of September 29, 2026 the September 22 entry is the newest one, and the figures on this page run to that entry.
The Backlog Tracker: Every Entry Since July 28
PSA publishes the tracker as a dated list, and each entry states the active global backlog in units. The figures below are quoted from that page, with the May statement added for context. As of September 29, 2026, the September 22 entry is the latest.
| Date | Active global backlog | Source / status |
|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | “rapidly approaching 10 million” | PSA News, official |
| July 28, 2026 | 12.4 million | Backlog Tracker, official |
| August 11, 2026 | 11.85 million | Backlog Tracker, official |
| August 25, 2026 | 10.9 million | Backlog Tracker, official |
| September 8, 2026 | 9.9 million | Backlog Tracker, official |
| September 22, 2026 | About 9 million | Backlog Tracker, official (latest) |
The pictured card is the PSA 10 Nami from Standard Battle Pack Vol.2, offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥20,399 (~$132); the product page shows the current terms.
In order, the tracker moves in one direction from July 28 to September 22. PSA words the latest entry as “down to approximately 9 million units (from 9.9 million on September 8)”. The figure is PSA’s own count of cards and items in its grading pipeline.
The tracker also carries a quality line. In its July 14 entry PSA says “grading accuracy and card safety remain at a 99.4% operational success rate”. That is PSA’s figure, not an independent one, and it is not a statement about how many cards receive a PSA 10.
Why the Backlog Grew: PSA’s Own Numbers
PSA has published several volume statements that explain the size of the queue. None of them is a forecast; each is a dated statement of what already happened.
| Statement | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Cards graded in 2020 | 2 million | PSA News, May 14, 2026 |
| Cards graded in 2025 | More than 19 million | PSA News, May 14, 2026 |
| Output, January to April 2026 | Up by nearly 2.3 million items, a 39% year-over-year jump | PSA News, May 14, 2026 |
| Daily grading rate | About 15,000 cards per day in 2021; about 90,000 per day (February 2026 statement) | PSA News, February 10, 2026 |
| Submission spike before the pause | A 20% spike that added another 1.6 million cards to the active backlog | PSA News, May 28, 2026 |
| Capacity | Up 5x since 2021 | PSA News, May 28, 2026 |
| Global production after the investment | 40% greater than last year | PSA News, September 9, 2026 |
The 90,000-per-day number is a February 2026 statement and should be read as that, not as the September rate. The May 14 article also announced a $200 million infrastructure investment by Collectors over the next 18 months, on top of “a foundational $100 million investment since 2021”, and said PSA had 370 open positions with about 700 more set to open by the end of 2026.
The same article cites “a significant rise in sophisticated fraud and counterfeiting” as one pressure on the process. PSA does not say how much of the backlog comes from it.
The Value Tier Pause: What Is Closed and What Is Open
On May 28, 2026, PSA announced that it would pause new submissions for four Value tiers — Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max — effective Tuesday, June 2, 2026. PSA stated its goal as bringing the backlog “down to 5 million units”, with “up to four months” projected in that announcement. As of September 29, 2026, the US pricing page still shows Value Bulk and Value as “Currently Unavailable” under the heading “Value Services Are Temporarily Paused”, and Value Plus and Value Max are absent from the price list.
| US service level | Price per card | Max insured value | Status (Sept 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value Bulk / Value | Not offered | $500 | Paused since June 2, 2026 |
| Value Plus / Value Max | Not on the price list | Not listed | Paused since June 2, 2026 |
| Standard | $59.99 | $1,000 | Open (opened September 14) |
| Priority (formerly Regular) | $79.99 | $1,500 | Open |
| Express | $199.00 | $2,500 | Open |
| Super Express | $349.00 | $5,000 | Open |
| Premier (formerly Walk-Through) | $599.00 | $10,000 | Open |
| Premium 1 to Premium 10 | $999.00 to $9,999.00+ | $25,000 up to $250,001+ | Open |
Two details from the May 28 article are worth keeping in mind. Regular, Express, Super Express and Walk-Through stayed open through the pause, and Regular’s estimated turnaround was “temporarily extended to 40 to 50 days”. Collectors Club memberships active on May 14, 2026 were extended free for the length of the Value Bulk pause. PSA also says the Value tiers will return “in phases”, without a date.
September 2026: Standard, Priority, Premier and Express
PSA’s September 9, 2026 announcement, “PSA Opens New Standard Service Level and Begins Grading in Europe”, changed the top of the price list. It is easy to overstate. Only Express changed price; Regular and Walk-Through were renamed. PSA also says Standard is not a replacement for the Value tiers, which remain paused, and that Standard orders “will be processed following existing Value and Bulk orders”.
| Change | United States | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Standard opens | $59.99, 90 to 100 business days, max insured value $1,000 (opened September 14) | ¥9,980 per card, 100 business days, declared value up to ¥150,000 (opened September 15, 7:00 AM) |
| Regular renamed | Priority, $79.99 | Priority (プライオリティ), ¥11,980; lead time 60 to 80 business days for orders after 7:00 on September 15 |
| Walk-Through renamed | Premier, $599.00, 7 to 10 business days | Premier (プレミア), ¥89,980 |
| Express price | Raised to $199.00, 20 to 30 business days | ¥22,980 to ¥29,980 per card, for orders from September 10, 1:00 AM |
The US and Japanese lists are separate: names, prices, declared-value caps and lead times differ, so a figure from one site should not be converted into the other. PSA describes every turnaround as an estimate that is “not guaranteed” and that “may change rapidly without notice”. Our Japanese Pokemon card grading guide covers how PSA, BGS and CGC compare for Japanese cards.
Frankfurt: European Submissions From September 15
The same September 9 article states that from September 15, 2026, 12:01 AM CET, EU collectors can submit to PSA’s Frankfurt facility, and that “we now have six global grading facilities”. It also names Ryan Hoge as “President of PSA and Grading at Collectors”.
PSA does not publish a separate Frankfurt queue; the tracker reports one global figure. The article does not state Frankfurt’s capacity, staffing or which tiers it accepts, and none of that is assumed here.
One related fact for buyers outside the US: PSA’s Japanese FAQ (D-09) says PSA US has stopped accepting grading submissions from customers outside the US, so US-routed services such as PSA Vault are temporarily restricted for Japan residents. Frankfurt is described as serving the EU.
Where PSA Grades: Facilities and Locations
PSA’s pages name its sites in several different places, and they do not add up to a single official list. The table lists what each dated PSA page says and marks where the pages stop.
| Location | What PSA says | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey, Tokyo, Florida, Texas | New grading facilities opened since 2021, alongside tripling PSA staff | PSA News, May 14, 2026 |
| Plano, Texas | Launch of “our fifth grading facility”, “now open as a full-fledged grading facility” | Backlog Tracker, July 28, 2026 |
| Frankfurt, Germany | EU submissions from September 15, 2026; PSA has six global grading facilities | PSA News, September 9, 2026 |
| PSA Lounge Tokyo (Akihabara) | Reservation-only reception point on the fifth floor of the スニダントレカ秋葉原店 building, not a place to collect graded cards | PSA Japan Lounge page |
| Southern California, New Jersey, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo | Headquarters and bases listed in the PSA Japan About page; the text is undated and still describes PSA as a division of Collectors Universe | PSA Japan About page |
| Opening date of the Tokyo grading facility | PSA has not published it | No official date |
Two cautions follow. First, five named sites (New Jersey, Tokyo, Florida, Texas and Plano) plus Frankfurt do not make a clean count of six, because PSA does not say whether Plano is the “Texas” site from the May article or an addition to it. Only the total of six comes from PSA. Second, the About page’s base list is corporate background, not a list of grading sites.
PSA Japan: Residents Only, Lounge Tokyo and Yen Prices
PSA Japan is where the backlog news changes most for buyers in Tokyo. Its FAQ (D-08) says PSA Japan accepts grading submissions only from residents of Japan, and PSA’s support page “How do I submit in Japan?” (dated July 18, 2025) says the same. PSA Japan’s FAQ (A-04) states that it grades to the standards set by PSA in the US, so the same card is judged by the same criteria at either site.
PSA Lounge Tokyo. The Lounge page gives the address as 1-14-1 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, in the fifth-floor space attached to the スニダントレカ秋葉原店. Since April 2, reception is by reservation only, including for people who already created an order online or in the app. Hours are 11:00 to 14:00 (reception closes 13:30) and 15:00 to 19:00 (reception closes 18:30), closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The Lounge accepts Standard, Priority, Express, Super Express, Reholder 30 and Reholder 75; other Premium options are not accepted there. Outbound shipping is paid by PSA, graded items cannot be collected at the Lounge and are mailed to the registered address, and users must be adults.
| PSA Japan tier | Price per card (tax included) | Estimated lead time | Declared value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ¥9,980 | 100 business days | Up to ¥150,000 |
| Priority | ¥11,980 | 80 business days | Up to ¥250,000 |
| Express | ¥29,980 | 25 business days | Up to ¥400,000 |
| Super Express | ¥44,980 | 25 business days | Up to ¥750,000 |
| Premier | ¥89,980 | 25 business days | Up to ¥1,500,000 |
PSA Japan’s price list also shows Value Bulk and Value as “受付停止中” (reception suspended). Its May 15 notice, effective 2:30 AM that day, stopped reception for Value Bulk, Value Plus and Value Max and revised lead times (Value 160 business days, Regular 60 business days). The lead time counts from the “荷物到着のお知らせ” email, which PSA says arrives within about 2 to 3 business days of the parcel, with the order number following about two months to two and a half months later. For how the Japan label and service are presented, see PSA Japan: Label, Service and What “Graded in Japan” Means.
Buying an Already-Graded Card Without Submitting One
Buying a card that is already graded means you do not submit one to PSA. We list PSA 10 Japanese cards as back orders: each is sourced to order, and the product page shows the current terms. The back-order process is explained in our PSA 10 back order guide.
The table shows examples currently listed. Each price links to its product page.
| Card | Set and number | Back-order price |
|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 Charizard ex SAR | SV2a 201/165, Pokemon Card 151 | ¥77,846 (~$505) |
| PSA 10 Bianca P | BW-P 098/BW-P, Gym Challenge September 2011 | ¥51,000 (~$331) |
| PSA 10 Charizard VSTAR HR | S9 118/100, Star Birth | ¥20,716 (~$135) |
| PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX PROMO | S-P 123, Pika! Pika! Pikachu! Promotion Card Campaign | ¥53,407 (~$347) |
| PSA 10 Pikachu VMAX UR | S8b 279/184, VMAX Climax | ¥23,990 (~$156) |
| PSA 10 Charizard VMAX SSR | S4a 308/190, Shiny Star V | ¥33,007 (~$214) |
| PSA 10 Charizard V SSR | S4a 307/190, Shiny Star V | ¥31,151 (~$202) |
Two references help when comparing a graded card with a raw one: what a PSA 10 means on a Pokemon card and the PSA 9 vs PSA 10 gap for Japanese cards.
What PSA Has Not Said
The official pages are specific about numbers and silent on several things collectors ask about most. As of September 29, 2026, the PSA pages cited above do not state the following.
- A reopening date for the Value tiers. PSA says they will return “in phases”; the May 28 “up to four months” projection is not a reopening date.
- How the September 22 figure splits by tier or country. The tracker reports one global number.
- The opening date and capacity of the Tokyo grading facility. PSA says it opened one since 2021 and gives no more.
- The October 2025 PSA Japan fee change amounts. The February 10, 2026 notice refers to a revision in October 2025 without listing it.
Where to Buy PSA 10 Japanese Cards from Japan
We ship from Tokyo. Browse the PSA 10 card list or the PSA 10 collection. Examples include the PSA 10 Bianca P (BW-P 098/BW-P) at ¥51,000 (~$331) and the PSA 10 Charizard V SSR (S4a 307/190) at ¥31,151 (~$202), both offered as back orders. If you know the card you want, the Quick Order page is the direct route. For a broader view of how Japanese cards are graded, see the Japanese Pokemon card grading guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the PSA backlog?
About 9 million units as of PSA’s September 22, 2026 Backlog Tracker entry. That is down from 9.9 million on September 8 and 12.4 million on July 28. The tracker is PSA’s own count, updated every two weeks, and it reports one global figure.
When did PSA pause the Value tiers?
PSA paused new submissions for Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max effective June 2, 2026, announced May 28. As of September 29, 2026 the US pricing page still shows Value Bulk and Value as unavailable, and PSA gives no reopening date beyond “in phases”.
How much does PSA Standard cost?
In the US, Standard is $59.99 per card with an estimated 90 to 100 business days and a $1,000 maximum insured value, opened September 14, 2026. In Japan it is ¥9,980 per card with 100 business days and a ¥150,000 declared value cap, opened September 15.
When did PSA start grading in Europe?
EU collectors could submit to PSA’s Frankfurt facility from September 15, 2026 at 12:01 AM CET, according to PSA’s September 9 announcement. PSA says it has six global grading facilities, and the article does not list Frankfurt’s tiers or capacity.
Where are PSA’s grading facilities?
PSA names New Jersey, Tokyo, Florida and Texas as places where it opened facilities since 2021, Plano, Texas as its fifth facility (July 28, 2026), and Frankfurt as the sixth site for the EU. PSA does not publish a single list of all six.
Can I submit to PSA Japan from outside Japan?
No. PSA Japan’s FAQ (D-08) and its support page “How do I submit in Japan?” (dated July 18, 2025) say it accepts grading submissions only from residents of Japan. PSA US has also stopped accepting submissions from customers outside the US (FAQ D-09), which restricts PSA Vault and similar services for Japan residents.
Did PSA raise all prices in September 2026?
No. In the US only Express changed, to $199.00, and in Japan Express moved from ¥22,980 to ¥29,980. Regular was renamed Priority and Walk-Through was renamed Premier. Standard is a new tier, and PSA says it does not replace the Value tiers.
How much is a PSA 10 Charizard ex SAR from your store?
Our PSA 10 Charizard ex SAR (SV2a 201/165, from the Pokemon Card 151 set) is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥77,846 (~$505), sourced to order. The product page shows the current terms; the PSA 10 card list shows other graded Japanese cards.
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