Guide
What supplies you need to submit cards to PSA
Each card goes into a clear penny sleeve, then into a semi-rigid holder such as a Card Saver, with both sides visible. Toploaders are not used for submission, opaque sleeves cause delays, and semi-rigid holders fit cards up to 2½ × 3½ inches and 35 points thick.
The stack, in order
Submission packaging is prescriptive and it is worth following exactly, because getting it wrong delays the order rather than improving the grade.
The card goes into a clear penny sleeve first. It then slides into a semi-rigid holder so that both sides of the card remain fully visible. That is the whole stack — no additional layers, no tape.
- 1. Clear penny sleeve — polypropylene, 2⅝ × 3⅝ in for a standard card
- 2. Semi-rigid holder — a Card Saver or PSA's own equivalent
- 3. Nothing else touching the card
Why not toploaders
This surprises people, because a toploader is the more protective holder in everyday use. The reason is handling volume. A grader can flex a semi-rigid holder and slide the card out immediately, thousands of times a day. Prising a card out of a rigid toploader risks damaging the exact corners and edges being assessed.
PSA's guidance is explicit that toploaders should not be used, along with tape, pull tabs and sticky notes.
Clarity matters more than protection
Use clear penny sleeves. Opaque or solid-coloured sleeves cause delays, because the card cannot be assessed through them and has to be handled again to be seen.
The same logic applies to the semi-rigid: the card should sit so that both faces are visible without removing it.
Thickness limits
Semi-rigid holders sold by PSA fit cards up to 2½ × 3½ inches and up to 35 points in thickness, where one point is 0.001 inch.
Most standard cards sit comfortably inside that. Thicker stock — relics, patches, heavy premium cards — exceeds it, and needs the appropriate holder for its point thickness rather than being forced into a standard semi-rigid.
What grading actually rewards
Packaging protects a grade; it does not create one. PSA's top grade, GEM-MT 10, requires four sharp corners, full original gloss, freedom from staining, and centering within roughly 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the reverse.
Centering is the criterion nothing you do can change — it was decided when the card was printed. Handling and packaging protect the criteria you can still influence: corners, edges and surface.
Common questions
- Can I send cards to PSA in toploaders?
- No. PSA's submission guidance says not to use toploaders, along with tape, pull tabs and sticky notes. Cards should be in a clear penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid holder so graders can remove them safely at volume.
- What is a Card Saver?
- A semi-rigid card holder — stiffer than a sleeve but flexible unlike a toploader. Card Saver is a brand name used generically for the format. PSA sells its own semi-rigid holders that fit cards up to 2½ × 3½ inches and 35 points thick.
- Do I need penny sleeves as well as a semi-rigid holder?
- Yes. The card goes in a clear penny sleeve first, then into the semi-rigid holder. The sleeve must be clear — opaque or coloured sleeves cause delays because the card cannot be assessed through them.
- What is the thickest card a semi-rigid holder fits?
- PSA's semi-rigid holders state a limit of 35 points, which is 0.035 inches. Cards thicker than that, such as relics and patch cards, need a holder rated for their point thickness.