The PSA submission process for trading cards and some other items will go completely paperless after this month.
The grading and authentication company says it will no longer accept paper carbon copy submission forms for orders involving cards, tickets, packs or dual service authentication and grading requests as of April 1. Instead, collectors will be required to enter ordering information online and print out a completed, corresponding submission form. The change won’t apply to autographs, original photos, gloves, bats, rings, awards or trophies that are submitted, however.
The move to paperless will impact mail-in submissions as well as those collectors who turn their items over to the company at card shows.
PSA says most card collectors are already submitting their orders online, anyway, and it’s hoped the change will be another step toward easing the lengthy wait times customers have been experiencing.
“The decades-old practice of accepting paper submission forms has significantly slowed down operations and only added to the company’s growing backlog,” said PSA President Steve Sloan. “To help speed the entering process and cut down on unnecessary paper waste, we are now requiring card, ticket and pack submitters to use PSA’s online submission center for all orders beginning next month.”
PSA claims that paper submission forms take significantly longer to enter into its processing system, impacting turnaround times. During the company’s last quarterly report in early February, Collectors Universe CEO Joe Orlando stated the backlog of items had reached one million.
“Our operational revamp is at the top of the priority list,” he told shareholders at the time. “Any efficiency gains we can make here will not only help our throughput and financial performance, but it will also help our customers who depend on our service to help move their inventory.”
To serve as a deterrent for any paper carbon copy submissions that are sent in after April 1, PSA will ship back such orders as unprocessed and additional handling fees may apply.
Collectors who have questions about the online process or need help with setting up an account to use the online submission center, can contact PSA’s Customer Service Department at 800-325-1121 or send an email to [email protected].
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