Grading & Submission
How to Package Cards for PSA
The sequence PSA's guidance actually asks for, and the mistakes that damage cards in transit.
By Brijon M. · Published October 6, 2026 · Last updated October 6, 2026
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The short answer
Sleeve, semi-rigid, stack in order, cardboard, band, box
Six steps, and the whole point of them is that nothing moves. Movement in transit is what causes corner damage, and corner damage is what turns a card you screened carefully into a card that grades a point lower than it should have.
Packaging is the one part of grading where the instructions are published, specific, and routinely ignored. PSA's shipping guide lays out exactly what it wants, and almost every avoidable problem — intake delays, transit damage, an order set aside — comes from skipping one of these steps.
The sequence
- Sleeve each card in a clear penny sleeve. Avoid solid or opaque sleeves, which can cause delays. Orient the sleeve opening towards the closed end of the holder so the card cannot slide out.
- Slide each sleeved card into a semi-rigid holder. Standard trading card semi-rigids are 3 5/16" by 4 7/8". Do not use toploaders — PSA's guidance lists them alongside tape, pull tabs and sticky notes under things not to use.
- Stack the cards in the exact sequence listed on your submission form, with item number one on top. An order that does not match its form is an order that gets set aside.
- Place the stack between two pieces of cardboard, so the outside faces of the stack are protected rather than the top and bottom holders taking the load.
- Band the sandwich with two or three rubber bands — tight enough that nothing shifts, loose enough that the bands do not bite into the holders.
- Put the banded stack in a sturdy shipping box with the stack immobilized, padded so it cannot move. Movement in transit is what causes corner damage.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UP Ultra Pro Platinum Soft Card Sleeves Clear sleeves, because opaque and solid-colored sleeves can cause delays at intake. Step one | The default penny sleeve | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | CG Cardboard Gold Card Saver 1 The semi-rigid at the size PSA's guidance names for standard trading cards. Step two | Standard modern cards going to PSA | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | D DEDC Card Grading Submission Kit Holders, sleeves and a shipping box together, which removes the classic failure of a missing supply at the last minute. If this is your first one | A first submission, bought once | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 | B BCW Resealable Team Bags Assembling a submission takes weeks. Bagged lots stay organized while the order fills up. Keeping lots together beforehand | Sealing a sleeved and held card | Check price on Amazon |
#ad We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no cost to you. Prices move constantly, so we link to the live listing instead of printing a number that would be wrong next week. How we are funded.
1. Step one
Ultra Pro Platinum Soft Card Sleeves
Ultra Pro · The default penny sleeve
Clear, acid-free, consistently cut, and sold everywhere in 100-count packs. It is the sleeve every other sleeve gets compared to, and the one PSA's guidance effectively asks for: clear, not opaque.
Why it takes this slot: Clear sleeves, because opaque and solid-colored sleeves can cause delays at intake.
- Size
- Standard 2 5/8" x 3 5/8" trading card
- Material
- Acid-free, PVC-free polypropylene
- Pack size
- 100 count, sold in multipacks
- Clarity
- Clear — grading-submission appropriate
What it does well
- Clear sleeve, which is what grading submissions require
- Consistent cut, so cards do not catch going in
- Cheap enough to sleeve a whole box without thinking about it
Where it falls short
- Thin by design — a sleeve is not protection on its own
- Static cling makes single-handed loading fiddly
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
2. Step two
Cardboard Gold Card Saver 1
Cardboard Gold · Standard modern cards going to PSA
The semi-rigid holder PSA's own shipping guide points you toward, at the size its instructions name. If you submit standard-thickness modern cards, this is the default and the decision is made.
Why it takes this slot: The semi-rigid at the size PSA's guidance names for standard trading cards.
- Holder size
- 3 5/16" x 4 7/8"
- Card thickness
- Standard cards up to roughly 20pt
- Material
- Acid-free, PVC-free rigid vinyl
- Common pack sizes
- 50, 100 and 200 count
What it does well
- Matches the semi-rigid dimensions PSA's shipping guide specifies
- Consistent fit from pack to pack, which matters when you are loading 200 cards
- Thin enough to band and ship in bulk without a bulky box
Where it falls short
- A snug fit — a thick or already-curved card needs care going in
- Priced above generic semi-rigids precisely because it is the submission standard
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
3. If this is your first one
DEDC Card Grading Submission Kit
DEDC · A first submission, bought once
Semi-rigid holders, tabbed sleeves and a shipping box together in one order. For a first submission it removes the part people get wrong: shopping for five supplies separately and discovering a missing one at the kitchen table.
Why it takes this slot: Holders, sleeves and a shipping box together, which removes the classic failure of a missing supply at the last minute.
- Contents
- 25 semi-rigid card holders, 100 tabbed sleeves, shipping box and protector
- Format
- Complete submission kit
- Best use
- First-time or occasional submissions
What it does well
- Everything the packaging step needs arrives together
- Cheaper than buying five part-packs for one submission
Where it falls short
- Per-unit cost is higher than buying each supply in bulk
- A regular submitter outgrows the kit quickly
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
4. Keeping lots together beforehand
BCW Resealable Team Bags
BCW · Sealing a sleeved and held card
The cheap step everybody skips. A resealable bag around a sleeved card in a holder keeps dust and humidity off it and keeps lots together in a box.
Why it takes this slot: Assembling a submission takes weeks. Bagged lots stay organized while the order fills up.
- Format
- Resealable polypropylene bag
- Material
- Acid-free, PVC-free
- Pack size
- 100 count
What it does well
- Pennies per card for a real dust and moisture barrier
- Keeps a lot or a team set together without rubber bands
- Resealable, so it survives repeated handling
Where it falls short
- One more thing to open when you want the card
- Does nothing about physical impact
#ad We link to the listing rather than printing a price that would be wrong next week. How we are funded
What not to include
- No tape anywhere near the cards or holders.
- No pull tabs or sticky notes — anything that has to be peeled off is handling you do not want happening at an intake desk.
- No toploaders, which the guidance names explicitly.
- No handwritten identification on the holders. The submission form identifies the cards.
- No loose packing peanuts directly against the stack, which lets the stack shift inside the void.
Why the cardboard sandwich matters more than it looks
A banded stack of semi-rigids has two vulnerable faces, and without cardboard the bands press directly onto the top and bottom holders. Over a multi-day transit with handling at both ends, that pressure transfers to the cards at the edges of the stack. Two pieces of cardboard cost nothing and move the load onto something disposable.
Once the box is packed, the dispatch decisions — carrier, insurance, tracking and what to keep a copy of — are in how to ship cards to PSA. Supplies in full on best PSA submission supplies.
Common questions
Do cards need to be in penny sleeves for PSA?
Can I use toploaders to ship cards to PSA?
How tight should the rubber bands be?
Does the order of the cards matter?
What box should I use?
Back to Grading & Submission.
Sources
About the author
Brijon M. is the hands-on owner behind MadGrey LLC and the person who writes and maintains every page on Slab & Stack. He buys supplies in bulk, submits cards for grading, and keeps this site's recommendations tied to what a working collection actually needs.
Brijon M. · Owner, MadGrey LLC · Read the full bio
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