How to Pack Cards for PSA Submission: A Practical Guide

Preparing cards for PSA starts with the submission record. Choose the cards, confirm the service, and then build the package around that order. Use this guide as a working checklist alongside PSA's instructions when you are ready to mail standard trading cards.

This article joins our Collecting Guides hub. If you are still deciding which cards to submit, start with is your card worth grading? before buying packing supplies.

Official guidance checked October 28, 2026. Recheck the linked PSA pages before shipping. The reused blueprint illustrates card care and organization; it is not a PSA packing diagram or a holder-size reference.

Finish the submission before packing

PSA's Classic Submission guide walks through selecting the item type, service and service level, entering individual items, and completing the order. Use the completed record as your packing reference.

Our preparation suggestion: save front-and-back photographs and a separate list of each card's year, set, number and version. For a card researched through our Stadium Club Chrome UEFA checklist guide, record the exact checklist entry and parallel rather than only the player's name. That keeps your own inventory notes specific without predicting a grade.

Which sleeves and holders does PSA request?

The current PSA Shipping Guide specifies clear penny sleeves inside semi-rigid holders. For standard cards, holders must measure 3 5/16 by 4 7/8 inches. Both card faces must remain visible. PSA says not to use top loaders, tape, pull tabs or sticky notes.

That standard-card specification does not resolve an unusual card's fit. For a thick relic, booklet or oversized item, ask PSA for the applicable instructions before ordering supplies. Our card-thickness measurement guide can help you describe the card's dimensions when asking.

Pack the cards in submission order

Follow the remaining steps in PSA's packing guide:

1. Stack cards in form order, with Item #1 on top.
2. Sandwich the stack between cardboard dividers; use two or three rubber bands without compressing it.
3. Cushion the bundle inside a new shipping box and fill empty space.
4. Enclose the printed submission form; bundle separate submissions individually.
5. Seal every seam with packing tape.
6. Attach the confirmation-page tracking label ID outside, keeping barcodes visible.
7. Use PSA's correct destination for the item and carrier; attach the address label directly, without a label pouch.

The confirmation-page ID identifies the submission. Buy the carrier's postage or shipping label separately; do not treat the PSA ID as postage.

Check the address and postage together

Use the destination provided for your actual submission. PSA's submission FAQ directs customers to the Submission Center for the appropriate shipping address. Verify it while choosing the carrier rather than copying an address from an old order.

For USPS, the postal service's package guide explains that postage depends on the selected service, destination, package size and weight, with specific exceptions for flat-rate packaging. Weigh the complete package, including its packing materials. Compare tracking, insurance and other options for the service you intend to use.

Keep a simple shipment record

Our suggested record is separate from anything you place on the holders:

Record	What to save
Card identity	Your photographs and exact card descriptions
Order reference	A copy of the completed submission confirmation
Packing evidence	A photograph before closing the box
Delivery details	The destination used, carrier and tracking number
Mailing evidence	The acceptance receipt and purchased service details

Before sealing, compare the cards against your record one last time. Resolve a mismatch before shipping rather than leaving yourself an uncertain inventory entry.

Compare supplies against the instructions

Write down your required holder dimensions, sleeve type and quantities before opening marketplace results. Compare the full supply specifications rather than relying on a listing title that says “grading kit.” Use our raw card condition guide for your pre-submission inspection and return to the grading decision guide if a candidate needs another look.

Next step: finish one submission record, recheck PSA's current instructions, and then compare matching supplies through the disclosed searches below. You can also browse our shop for current listings. These marketplace searches do not establish that TheCardBoardReport stocks any particular supply or card.