Economics · 12 min · updated May 13, 2026

How much does grading cost in France in 2026?

The question comes up in every French collector Discord and on r/PokemonTCG: what does it really cost to have a card graded from France? There’s no single answer, it’s a matrix. Four French graders plus two US options via intermediaries, each with its own pricing logic. Here are the numbers, bracket by bracket, exactly as they appear in data/graders.json on May 13, 2026.

Six pricing logics at a glance

Before diving into numbers, you have to understand how each grader builds its price. Three models coexist on the French market:

Value-based pricing: the price scales with the declared card value. PSA, CGC, CCC and PCA all use this. The logic: the higher the value, the more responsibility the grader carries (insurance, free reslab on disputes).
Flat per-tier pricing: one price per service type, regardless of value. SFG and CollectAura do this. Simple to understand, brutal on premium cards.
Speed × value matrix: PCA pushes value-based further by crossing 4 speed formulas. The same grader offers 16 different prices for the same card.

This diversity is why a direct comparator is necessary. An €80 card could cost €8.50 at SFG, €17 at CCC, €12.90 at PCA, and roughly €50 via PSA through an intermediary. Over 20 cards, the total spread exceeds €800.

The 2026 reference table

First reflex: know each grader’s entry-level tariff and whether it’s value-based or flat. This table is extracted directly from data/graders.json, the internal CollectKit source of truth.

Grader	Country	Entry tariff	Premium tariff	Logic
SFG	FR	€8.50 (Classic)	€27.90 (NFT-animated Solana)	Flat + options
CollectAura	FR	€4.90 (Pre-Grading)	€40 (Booster Premium 7d)	4 tiers × 3 speeds matrix
PCA	FR	€12.90 (Classic ≤ €249)	€590 (Excelsior €10,000+)	4 speeds × 4 brackets matrix
CCC	FR	€17 (value-low ≤ €100)	€28 (value-top > €1,500)	Value-based 4 tiers
PSA via intermediary	US	$24.99 + €25 service	$300 + €40 service	Value-based 8 tiers
CGC via Munich	US/DE	$10 (Modern Bulk, min. 25)	$300 (Walk-Through)	Value-based 8 tiers

Tariffs verified May 13, 2026. Exchange rate used: ~$1 = €0.92 (Banque de France, May 2026). FR intermediary fee for PSA: €25-40 depending on the service (PokéLoutre, Fuji-Store, Playground Arena, Booster Breakerz).

Bracket 1: card at €1-50

We’re talking commons, uncommons, common modern holos, first cards of a collection. Value is low, so the grading cost weighs heavily on the ratio.

SFG Classic: €8.50. Unbeatable on the market. 15-20 business day turnaround. Ideal to learn your submission routine.
CollectAura Standard 40d: €9.90. PMMA slab with overall grade, custom label included.
PCA Classic: €12.90 (€10.90 from 10 cards). 6 months delay, but the cheapest on volume.
CCC value-low: €17. 30 days, total transparency, Arcueil drop-off available.
PSA Value Bulk via intermediary: ~€50 all-in. Avoid on this bracket, cost/value ratio is terrible.

Bracket 1 verdict: SFG or CollectAura Standard. Below €20, you keep margin if the card grabs a 10. Above, grading costs more than the card.

Bracket 2: card at €51-200

Core target for French collectors: Pikachu V Box promos, Charizard SWSH, certain sought-after ex and VMAX. Grading starts to make economic sense.

SFG Full Art: €12.90. INPI-patented label where the artwork extends onto the slab, unique visual value.
CollectAura Express 20d: €13.90 Standard or €15.90 Subgrade. Good speed/price compromise.
PCA Classic: €12.90 (€1-249), or Fast at €19.90 for the slab in 1 month.
CCC value-low / value-mid: €17 up to €100 declared, €20 beyond.
PSA Value Bulk: ~€50. Still unfavorable unless the card targets a US market (vintage WOTC).

Bracket 2 verdict: PCA Classic (slow but unbeatable on price), CCC value-low (balance), or CollectAura Express if you want the slab under the month.

Bracket 3: card at €201-500

SWSH-SV alternative art, certain rare promos, Charizard V Pikachu World, Moonbreon. Here the PSA premium starts justifying itself on certain references, but FR remains competitive.

CCC value-mid: €20. 25 business days. The most solid price/delay/transparency ratio on the FR market in this bracket.
PCA Classic (€250-999): €24.90. PCA Fast at €39.90 if delay-critical.
CollectAura Advanced: €17.90 Standard or €21.90 Express. Detailed sub-grades.
PSA Regular: $79.99 ≈ €74 + €30 intermediary = ~€100. Justified only if international resale planned.

Bracket 3 verdict: CCC value-mid for transparency, PCA Classic for price, PSA Regular only for planned eBay US resale.

Bracket 4: card at €501-1,500

Vintage WOTC in good condition, hyper-coveted alternative art ex, certain premium Japanese cards. On this bracket, the choice depends on your target resale market.

CCC value-high: €24. Turnaround reduced to 15 business days.
PCA Classic (€250-999): €24.90, or PCA Fast €39.90 (1 month).
PCA Classic (€1,000-9,999): €79.90. PCA Fast €1,000-9,999 bracket: €149.
PSA Regular: $79.99 + €30-40 intermediary = ~€110. Competitive for vintage WOTC US.
CGC Economy: $18 + intermediary or direct Munich. The German hub shortens drastically.

Bracket 5: card at €1,500+

Welcome to the high end: Charizard Base Set Holo, legendary promos, exceptionally rare alternative arts. Here, graders offer express formulas where absolute cost matters less than security and turnaround.

CCC value-top: €28 (+ 2 % insurance on declared value). Arcueil drop-off possible from €501 declared.
PCA Excelsior (€250-999): €199. PCA Excelsior (€1,000-9,999): €249. PCA Excelsior (€10,000+): €590. Hand-delivered at the workshop.
PSA Express / Super Express: $149 to $300 + intermediary. Justified for US vintage with strong upside.
CGC Walk-Through: $300. 2 business days. Niche but exists.

Bracket 5 verdict: CCC for trust and Paris drop-off, PCA Excelsior for absolute FR speed, PSA Express for US vintage resold via auction houses.

Hidden costs: shipping, insurance, return

The grader’s headline tariff is never the total cost. You need to add:

Outbound shipping: €4-8 in tracked registered (La Poste), €8-15 if Colissimo with ad valorem insurance.
Optional insurance: CCC offers 2 % of declared value during processing. Consider it from €500.
Return: included at CCC and PCA, sometimes billed separately at SFG depending on volume.
Aesthetic options: CCC monochrome label +€1, CCC HD scans +€3, CollectAura custom label included.
Intermediary fee for PSA / CGC Sarasota: €25-40 depending on the service (PokéLoutre, Fuji-Store, Playground Arena, Booster Breakerz). The CGC Munich hub lets you bypass this cost for CGC.

Count €6-10 of logistics per domestic FR submission, €30-50 per US submission via intermediary. On a €100 card, this brings the real total cost from €17 (CCC alone) to €23 (CCC + shipping). And from $50 (PSA Value Bulk alone) to roughly $75 with the full service.

Synthetic comparison for a €100 card

Solution	Grader fee	Logistics	Estimated total	Door-to-door delay
SFG Classic	€8.50	~€6	~€15	3-4 weeks
CollectAura Standard 40d	€9.90	~€6	~€16	5-6 weeks
PCA Classic	€12.90	~€6	~€19	5-6 months
CCC value-low	€17	~€6	~€23	4-5 weeks
PSA Value Bulk + intermediary	€23 ($24.99)	~€30	~€53	12-16 weeks

On €100 of value, the total cost varies from 15 % (SFG) to 53 % (PSA). The higher the card value, the smaller the relative gap, but the absolute gap remains major.

Method: 3 questions to estimate your total cost

Before each submission, run this quick method:

What’s a reasonable declared value? Cardmarket average price + 10-20 % for the recent median. CCC’s FAQ states: "the customer is responsible for declaring a realistic market value".
What speed am I targeting? If the card waits in a binder, go PCA Classic or CCC standard. If you want to resell in 30 days, target SFG or PCA Fast.
Target resale market? Cardmarket FR and Vinted? FR-only is enough. eBay US / international? PSA or CGC still has the edge on recognition.

For finer comparison, check the dedicated PCA, SFG and CollectAura sheets with their full grids.

What to remember

Grading in France costs between €8.50 and €590 per card depending on grader, speed and declared value.
On the €1-200 bracket (the bulk of FR submissions), SFG, CollectAura and PCA Classic dominate price/quality.
CCC brings the best transparency on the market, with Arcueil drop-off from €501 declared.
PSA via intermediary costs 2-3× more for a 3-4× longer delay. Reserve for US vintage WOTC and > €1,500.
Always count €6-10 of FR logistics and €30-50 for US on top of the headline tariff.

Sources and references

data/graders.json — CollectKit internal source of truth, tariffs verified May 2026.
cccgrading.com/en/prices — value-low/mid/high/top tiers and HD/monochrome/insurance options.
pcagrade.com/fr/prices — 4-formula × 4-bracket matrix (via Wayback Machine).
sfggrading.com/tarifs.html — Classic, Full Art, NFT tariffs.
collectaura.com — 4 tiers × 3 speeds grid (Standard, Subgrade, Advanced, Booster).
PSA Submission Updates (athlonsports.com, February 2026).
CGC Price Updates 2026 (cgccomics.com/news/article/14659).
CollectKit article: When a French grader beats PSA.