What does the grading cost calculator include?
The estimate adds up the pieces of a UK submission that have a published figure. Each line shows where its number came from, and whether it is a published fee or one you entered.
| Item | Where the figure comes from | When it is added |
|---|---|---|
| Grading fee | The grader’s published per-card fee for the tier you pick | Always, or your own figure for a tier we do not list |
| ACE label | ACE’s Colour Match (£1) and ACE Label (£3) options | If you choose ACE and a label |
| Postage to the grader | Royal Mail’s online UK prices for the service you pick, or your own figure | If you pick a service or enter a figure |
| Return postage | CGC London’s published FedEx rates for 1 to 25 and 101 to 300 cards; otherwise your own figure | Automatically for CGC; for others when you enter it |
| Customs handling fee | Royal Mail £8, Parcelforce £12, or £25 where goods over £900 need a full customs declaration | When cards come back from the US or Europe and you choose the carrier |
| Exchange rate | Yours: the rate your bank or card gives you | For fees in US dollars or euros |
What does the calculator leave out?
It leaves out anything the grader’s pages and our guides give no number for, rather than guess. That means import VAT and Customs Duty (the delivery company sets the bill), return shipping from PSA, Beckett and TAG, ACE’s return postage and a group-submission dealer’s own price. Each appears in a “not included” list, with a box to add your own figure.
What is the declared value for?
Graders set a maximum value per card for each tier (PSA calls it the maximum insured value). If you enter the highest value you would declare for one card, the calculator checks it against the tier’s published maximum and names the cheapest open tier that covers it. That is the grader’s fee rule, not a valuation: PSA, for example, moves a card up a tier and charges the difference if it decides the card is worth more than the tier allows.
Which route is cheapest?
That depends on your cards, not on the calculator. ACE (England) and CGC’s London office bill in pounds and avoid customs. PSA, Beckett and TAG mean sending cards to the US or Europe, where fees are in dollars or euros and the return is an import. Our PSA vs CGC vs BGS vs ACE comparison sets the services side by side, and PSA grading from the UK covers the two ways to reach PSA.
How up to date are the fees?
Fees were read from each grader’s own site on 16 October 2026. The calculator tells you how old they are every time you use it, and says so more firmly once they are several weeks old. Graders pause and reopen tiers without notice: PSA’s Value tiers were paused, and several of Beckett’s US tiers were sold out, when we last looked.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to grade a Pokémon card in the UK?
On 16 October 2026 the fee started at £18 a card for ACE Basic and £19 including VAT for CGC London Economy. Postage both ways and any import charges come on top, and postage is per parcel, so one card sent alone costs far more per card than five. The calculator itemises it.
Why does the cost per card fall when I send more cards?
Postage is charged per parcel, not per card. In the worked example in our grading checklist, five cards to CGC London came to about £29 each, while one card sent alone came to about £67. Try 1 and then 5 cards in the calculator to see the gap.
Does the calculator include import VAT on cards graded in the US?
It does not work out the amount. GOV.UK says goods over £135 pay VAT to the delivery company and Customs Duty can apply, but the bill comes from the carrier. The calculator adds Royal Mail’s £8 or Parcelforce’s £12 handling fee if you pick a carrier, and lets you enter your own import estimate.
Is a tier’s maximum value what my card is worth?
No. It is the most the grader lets you declare for one card on that tier, and it decides the fee you pay. It is not a valuation, and the calculator never estimates one.
Are these fees up to date?
They are the figures we read on each grader’s own site on 16 October 2026. Graders change prices and pause tiers often, so check the grader’s page before you pay. The calculator shows how old its figures are each time you use it.
Does the calculator tell me whether grading is worth it?
No. It prices the service only. Whether grading pays off depends on what graded and raw copies of your card actually sell for, which is outside this tool. Our grading checklist walks through that comparison without guessing at prices.
Sources
- ACE Grading: Pricing, read 16 October 2026
- CGC Cards UK: Services & Fees (CCG UK, London), read 16 October 2026
- PSA: Trading Card Grading services and prices, read 16 October 2026
- Beckett: Card Grading, read 16 October 2026
- Beckett: Base & Standard Submission Availability, read 16 October 2026
- Beckett Europe: Card Grading, read 16 October 2026
- TAG Grading: Pricing, read 16 October 2026
- TAG Grading: What are TAG’s Available Grading Services? (tiers available as of 30 September 2026), read 16 October 2026
- CGC Cards UK: Return Shipping Fees in the UK, read 16 October 2026
- CGC Cards UK: Fanatics Store London CGC drop-off center, read 16 October 2026
- Royal Mail: Online Price Guide, valid from 5 October 2026, read 16 October 2026
- Royal Mail: Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm prices, read 16 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad, read 16 October 2026
- Royal Mail: Pay a fee (customs charges), read 16 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Using outward processing to process or repair your goods, read 16 October 2026
- PSA: Coverage (max insured value and service level upgrades), read 16 October 2026
- PSA: Submission Services Terms and Conditions, read 16 October 2026
Last updated 17 October 2026.