The full cost of a grading submission
The grading fee is the cost everyone notices. Shipping, insurance and selling costs often decide whether a card makes money.
Costs you pay to grade
- Grading fee per card. Usually tiered by service level and the card’s declared value. Check the grading company’s current price list before every submission: tiers, minimums and surcharges change.
- Shipping to the grader. Tracked, packed to survive the trip.
- Return shipping and insurance. Often charged by the grader per order and linked to declared value.
- Other costs. Supplies, memberships or handling fees where they apply.
Costs you pay when you sell
Marketplace percentage fees, per-order fees and shipping to the buyer come out of every sale. The selling fees guide shows how to fold them into a break-even price.
Sharing batch costs fairly
Shipping and insurance are paid once per batch. Split evenly, every card carries the same share. Split by declared value, higher-value cards carry more, which often matches how insurance is priced. Either way, dropping a weak card from the batch raises everyone else’s share, which is why the Submission Planner re-checks the batch as it goes.
Example with made-up numbers: three cards at $25 each to grade, plus $46 for shipping and insurance. Split evenly, each card carries $15.33 of shared cost, so $40.33 in total before any selling fees.