Picking the best card grading service for Pokemon cards in 2026 starts with which tiers are open: as of September 29, 2026, PSA, TAG and Beckett each have a paused tier or a closed website, and CGC changed its prices on March 24.
The prices below come from each company’s own pricing page or announcement, with the date attached. Anything reported only by a news outlet or a price aggregator is labelled that way, and anything a company has not published is listed as not published.
We sell Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo. Prices of ours are converted at ¥154/USD.
As of September 29, 2026, the lowest listed entry price among the priced options compared is CGC Bulk at $17 (150 working days, 25-card minimum, $500 maximum value), followed by CGC Economy at $20, SGC Standard at $50 and PSA Standard at $59.99. Beckett’s only listed option is Express at $79.95 through a temporary form. PSA’s four Value tiers have been paused since June 2. Collectors owns PSA and SGC and agreed on December 15, 2025 to acquire Beckett, which stays an independent brand. For a graded Japanese card you do not have to submit, our PSA 10 Mimikyu AR (SV4a 341/190) is offered as a back order at ¥12,791 (~$83).
SGC’s official price table is undated. Bleacher Nation reported on September 2, 2026 that SGC raised its lowest tier from $18 to $50; some aggregators still show $15.
The Five Companies Side by Side
Each row shows the company’s entry point as its own page states it on September 29, 2026. Turnaround figures are the companies’ estimates, not promises: PSA calls its times “estimates only and not guaranteed”, and CGC says its times are “NOT guaranteed”.
| Company | Lowest open tier on the official page | Turnaround as stated | Status on September 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA (US) | Standard, $59.99 per card, max insured value $1,000 | 90 to 100 business days | Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus, Value Max paused since June 2 |
| CGC | Bulk, $17 per card, max value $500, 25-card minimum | 150 working days | Open; Bulk and Economy repriced from March 24, 2026 |
| SGC | Standard, $50 up to $1,500 declared value | 40+ business days | Open; official table shows the $50 entry |
| Beckett (BGS) | Express, $79.95 per card, via temporary form | 15 business days | Websites offline; Base and Standard paused; waitlist open |
| TAG | Not quoted here | Not stated | Banner: “REGULAR TIERS PAUSED”; priority grading available |
The table compares entry points, not equivalent service. PSA and CGC price by declared value tier, SGC by declared value bracket, and Beckett’s form lists a single Express option. A cheaper first number does not mean a cheaper result for a card worth more than the tier’s value cap.
PSA: Value Tiers Paused, Standard Open
PSA paused Value Bulk, Value, Value Plus and Value Max for new submissions effective June 2, 2026, citing a 20% spike that added 1.6 million cards to a backlog it described as “rapidly approaching 10 million”. PSA gives no reopening date for them beyond “in phases”. Its Backlog Tracker put the active global backlog at about 9 million units on September 22, 2026. Our PSA backlog tracker page follows each entry.
| PSA US tier | Price per card | Estimated turnaround | Max insured value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $59.99 | 90 to 100 business days | $1,000 |
| Priority (formerly Regular) | $79.99 | 70 to 80 business days | $1,500 |
| Express | $199.00 | 20 to 30 business days | $2,500 |
| Super Express | $349.00 | 10 to 15 business days | $5,000 |
| Premier (formerly Walk-Through) | $599.00 | 7 to 10 business days | $10,000 |
| Premium 1 to Premium 10 | $999.00 to $9,999.00+ | 5 to 7 business days | $25,000 up to $250,001+ |
The price changes in 2026 were staged. On February 10, Value Bulk went from $21.99 to $24.99, Value from $27.99 to $32.99, Value Plus from $44.99 to $49.99, Value Max from $59.99 to $64.99 and Regular from $74.99 to $79.99. On May 14 Super Express moved from $299 to $349. In September only Express changed price (to $199.00); Regular and Walk-Through were renamed. Standard is a new tier and PSA says it does not replace the paused Value tiers.
PSA Japan is a separate list in yen: Standard ¥9,980 (100 business days), Priority ¥11,980, Express ¥29,980 (up from ¥22,980 for orders from September 10), Super Express ¥44,980, Premier ¥89,980. PSA Japan accepts submissions only from residents of Japan, so a US buyer cannot use it. The PSA Japan label and service explainer covers what that means for Japanese cards.
CGC: Six Tiers and How to Look Up a Cert
CGC’s services-and-fees page lists six main tiers for card grading. On March 10, 2026 CGC announced that from March 24, 2026 Bulk would be $17 and Economy $20 for US card submissions; forms made before March 24 had to arrive in Sarasota, FL by April 10 to keep the old prices.
| CGC tier | Price per card | Max value | Turnaround (working days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | $17 (25-card minimum, games can be mixed) | $500 | 150 |
| Economy | $20 | $1,000 | 90 |
| Standard | $55 | $3,000 | 10 |
| Express | $100 | $10,000 | 5 |
| WalkThrough | $300 | $100,000 | 2 |
| Unlimited Value | $300 + 1% FMV | Unlimited | 2 |
Other CGC items on the same page: Jumbo card $20 (120 days), TCG, sports and non-sports coin $20 (120 days), ReHolder $10 (20 days), a Pedigree tier at +$5, a Custom Label tier at +$8, and an Error designation at no extra fee. Crossovers from PSA, Beckett or SGC are priced at the tier fee, and the full fee is still charged if the card does not cross. Members receive 10% off grading, or 20% for Elite.
CGC cert lookup. The lookup tool at cgcgrading.com asks you to choose the collectible type (Collectible Card: TCG, Sports or Non-sports), then enter the CGC cert number to confirm its description and grade in the CGC database. The page says the tool can help you check that a holder has not been tampered with.
SGC: Standard $50 and the Expedited Table
SGC’s services-and-pricing page shows two Standard brackets, with the 40+ business day estimate that starts “once the order has been unboxed and logged into our system”. SGC’s TCG pricing address redirects to the same page, so there is no separate TCG table.
| SGC tier | Declared value up to | Price per card | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $1,500 | $50 | 40+ business days |
| Standard | $3,500 | $85 | 40+ business days |
| Expedited | $3,500 | $150 | 2 to 3 business days |
| Expedited | $7,500 | $250 | 2 to 3 business days |
| Expedited | $20,000 | $500 | 2 to 3 business days |
| Expedited | $50,000 | $1,000 | 2 to 3 business days |
| Expedited | $100,000 | $2,000 | 2 to 3 business days |
| Expedited | Over $100,000 | $3,750, plus $375 for each extra $10,000 | 2 to 3 business days |
SGC’s official page carries no date for the current table. Bleacher Nation reported on September 2, 2026, with Sports Illustrated also covering it, that SGC had raised prices, with the lowest tier going from $18 to $50. Some aggregators still show a $15 Standard fee; next to the live official table, that figure is out of date. Crossovers sent without a minimum grade take longer, per SGC’s notes.
SGC cert lookup. SGC’s cert-code page asks for the certification code: all 7 digits for black labels, and all 11 characters (XXXXXXX-XXX) for green and white labels.
Beckett (BGS): Website Offline, Express Only
Beckett’s grading address redirects to a maintenance page that says the digital platforms, including Beckett.com and the mobile app, “remain temporarily offline”. The page says Base and Standard card grading submissions are temporarily paused, a waitlist is open for both, and Beckett EU online submissions are unavailable. “Express is currently available through the temporary submission form.”
| Beckett item | What the official page states | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Express | $79.95 per card, 15 business days; all services include subgrades unless otherwise indicated | Official temporary form |
| Payment | Collected later by email after the form | Official temporary form |
| Base and Standard | Paused; waitlist open | Official maintenance page |
| Beckett EU online submissions | Unavailable | Official maintenance page |
| Base $14.95, Standard $34.95, Priority $124.95 | Listed by media and aggregators such as cardgrade.io; not on any official page | Reported, not official |
| 2026 pause and reopening dates | ICv2 and heavy.com describe an online pause in August, a reopening around September 15 and a later pause; the official page gives no dates | Reported, not official |
The subgrade line matters when you compare Beckett with PSA. Beckett’s form says services include subgrades, while PSA reports a single 1 to 10 grade on its label. The two are not directly comparable by number, which is why our note on PSA 9 vs PSA 10 for Japanese cards stays with PSA grades.
TAG and Ace: What Their Pages Show
TAG Grading’s pricing page carries a top banner that reads “REGULAR TIERS PAUSED — TAG BACKLOG TRACKER / PRIORITY GRADING AVAIL”. Anyone planning a TAG submission has to open the page, check the banner and the backlog tracker it links to, and read the priority option on the day.
Ace Grading’s home page says it accepts submissions “from the UK, EU, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand”. It is included here because Japan is on that list; no Ace pricing is quoted.
Who Owns PSA, SGC and Beckett
On December 15, 2025, Collectors announced a definitive agreement to acquire Beckett. The release says Beckett “will remain an independent brand within the Collectors family of companies” and that “there will be no change in pricing as a part of this acquisition”. It lists PSA, PCGS, SGC and Card Ladder as Collectors divisions and subsidiaries, and quotes Nat Turner as CEO of Collectors.
| Question | Answer from the official pages | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns PSA? | Collectors; PSA is listed as a Collectors division | Collectors release, December 15, 2025 |
| Who owns SGC? | Collectors; a leadership item names Jesse Steinberg as new General Manager (undated on the index) | Collectors release and news index |
| Is Beckett part of PSA? | No. Beckett stays an independent brand within Collectors | Collectors release, December 15, 2025 |
| Has the Beckett acquisition closed? | The official release is an agreement; no official page announces completion | Collectors release, December 15, 2025 |
| Who runs PSA grading? | Ryan Hoge, “President of PSA and Grading at Collectors” | PSA News, September 9, 2026 |
| How much is Collectors investing in PSA? | $200 million over 18 months, after $100 million since 2021 | PSA News, May 14, 2026 |
PSA, SGC and Beckett each publish separate tiers, and Beckett’s release promises no price change from the acquisition itself. The Beckett deal is described on the official pages only as an agreement.
Cert Lookup: How Each Company Does It
A cert number is the number printed on a graded label. Each company has its own lookup page and its own number format.
| Company | How the lookup works | Format or note |
|---|---|---|
| PSA | Online Certification Verification page and the PSA app | Grade and certification number appear on the LightHouse label |
| CGC | Choose the collectible type, then enter the cert number at cgcgrading.com | Checks description, grade and holder tampering |
| SGC | Enter the code on the cert-code page | 7 digits for black labels; 11 characters for green and white labels |
| Beckett | Website offline as of September 29, 2026 | Not described on the maintenance page |
| TAG | Not covered here | Not covered |
PSA states on its Customer Communications page (text dated March 10, 2023) that customers can verify slabs with the Certification Verification page and the PSA app, and that a suspected counterfeit slab can be reported through a Quality Assurance Request. PSA’s own 2025 Fraud Report is PSA submission data, not a market-wide rate. For fake-card checks on raw cards, see how to spot fake Japanese Pokemon cards.
Choosing a Company for Japanese Cards
The official pages support a short checklist. None of it is a ranking; it is what to confirm before paying.
- Is the tier accepting submissions when you send? Several tiers are paused as of September 29, 2026, so check the company’s own page on the day.
- Which declared-value cap applies? PSA Standard caps insured value at $1,000, CGC Bulk at $500, SGC Standard at $1,500 in its first bracket.
- Is a minimum required? CGC Bulk needs 25 cards; PSA Value Bulk had a 50-card minimum from May 18 before it was paused.
- Where do you live? PSA Japan takes residents of Japan only, and PSA US has stopped accepting submissions from customers outside the US.
- Which label will the market recognise? The graded cards we offer are PSA 10, so the examples below are PSA 10 back orders; other companies’ slabs are outside what we list.
If you would rather buy a PSA 10 Japanese card than submit one, each item below is offered as a PSA 10 back order: sourced to order, with the current terms on its product page. The back order guide explains the process, and the Japanese Pokemon card grading guide compares the companies for Japanese cards.
| Card | Set and number | Back-order price |
|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 Mimikyu AR | SV4a 341/190, Shiny Treasure ex | ¥12,791 (~$83) |
| PSA 10 Carmine SAR | SV6 130/101, Mask of Change | ¥63,566 (~$413) |
| PSA 10 Kieran SAR | SV6 129/101, Mask of Change | ¥20,951 (~$136) |
| PSA 10 Teal Mask Ogerpon ex UR | SV6 131/101, Mask of Change | ¥15,300 (~$99) |
| PSA 10 Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon ex SAR | SV6 126/101, Mask of Change | ¥9,180 (~$60) |
| PSA 10 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex SAR | SV6 127/101, Mask of Change | ¥8,640 (~$56) |
| PSA 10 Tatsugiri AR | SV6 112/101, Mask of Change | ¥6,681 (~$43) |
| PSA 10 Pichu | DP-P 112, Collection Challenge Swap DP Exchange Card July 2008 | ¥283,560 (~$1,841) |
Where to Buy Graded Japanese Cards from Tokyo
We ship from Tokyo. The PSA 10 card list and the PSA 10 collection show what is listed, for example the PSA 10 Carmine SAR (SV6 130/101) at ¥63,566 (~$413) and the PSA 10 Teal Mask Ogerpon ex UR (SV6 131/101) at ¥15,300 (~$99). For a card that is not on the list, the Quick Order page takes the request. Related reading: Pokemon card condition guide, raw vs PSA 10 and what PSA 10 means.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which grading company is cheapest for Pokemon cards in 2026?
On official pages as of September 29, 2026, CGC Bulk is the lowest listed entry price among the priced options compared, at $17 per card (150 working days, 25-card minimum, $500 maximum value), then CGC Economy at $20, SGC Standard at $50 and PSA Standard at $59.99. Cheapest entry is not equivalent service.
How much does CGC grading cost?
CGC lists Bulk $17 (maximum value $500), Economy $20 (maximum value $1,000), Standard $55, Express $100, WalkThrough $300 and Unlimited Value $300 plus 1% FMV. Bulk and Economy have been $17 and $20 since March 24, 2026. Times are estimates and are not guaranteed.
How do I look up a CGC cert?
Open the “Verify CGC Certification” lookup at cgcgrading.com, choose Collectible Card (TCG, Sports or Non-sports), and enter the cert number. The page returns the description and grade in the CGC database and can help you check a holder for tampering.
How much does SGC grading cost?
SGC Standard is $50 for declared value up to $1,500 and $85 up to $3,500, at 40+ business days. Expedited runs from $150 (up to $3,500) to $3,750 for cards over $100,000, plus $375 per extra $10,000. Bleacher Nation reported the increase on September 2, 2026.
How much does Beckett grading cost in 2026?
The only price on an official page is Express at $79.95 per card, 15 business days, through a temporary form. Beckett’s websites are offline and Base and Standard are paused. Lower prices quoted online come from media and aggregators, not from Beckett.
What is TAG grading and is it paused?
TAG Grading is a card grading company whose pricing page banner reads “REGULAR TIERS PAUSED” with priority grading available, as of September 29, 2026. TAG’s prices are not quoted here, so check the banner and TAG’s backlog tracker before submitting.
Who owns PSA, and is Beckett part of PSA?
Collectors owns PSA and SGC. On December 15, 2025 Collectors agreed to acquire Beckett, which the release says will remain an independent brand within Collectors, so Beckett is not merged into PSA. The release also lists PCGS and Card Ladder as Collectors divisions and subsidiaries. No official page announces completion.
How much is a PSA 10 Mimikyu AR from your store?
Our PSA 10 Mimikyu AR (SV4a 341/190, from the Shiny Treasure ex set) is offered as a PSA 10 back order at ¥12,791 (~$83), sourced to order. The product page shows the current terms; the PSA 10 card list shows other graded Japanese cards.
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