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Summary graphic: storage is free at both Alt Vault and PSA Vault; Alt charges 3% of Alt Value to withdraw a card within 90 days and 1% after, capped at $100; PSA charges $1.99 to $4.99 per item plus $5.99 per US shipment

Alt Vault vs PSA Vault: Fees In and Out, Insurance and Selling Compared

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The Alt Vault suits sellers who plan to sell on Alt, because Alt only sells cards already in its vault; PSA Vault suits sellers who want a stored slab listed on eBay without handling it themselves. Storage is free at both. The real differences are the cost of taking a card back out, the marketplace a vaulted card can reach, and what each company’s contract says about insurance and its claim over what you store.

As of October 9, 2026: Alt charges $5 to intake a slab with an Alt Value under $50 (since March 18, 2026), and its withdrawal fee is a percentage of Alt Value. PSA’s fee article (May 13, 2026) lists flat withdrawal fees of $1.99 or $4.99 per item plus $5.99 per U.S. shipment. Alt-vaulted cards sell only on Alt; PSA-vaulted cards sell on eBay through PSA consignment, at 13% for sales from $100 to $499.

Alt Vault vs PSA Vault at a glance

The published terms, read on October 9, 2026:

Alt Vault PSA Vault (formerly the eBay vault)
Operator Alt Platform, Inc. PSA (Collectors), which bought the eBay vault in 2024
Location named Delaware; Alt calls the facility Atelier Delaware New Castle, Delaware
Slabs accepted PSA, BGS, BVG, SGC and CGC can be sold; raw cards stored only PSA, SGC, BGS and CGC slabs; raw cards not accepted
Storage Free Free
Getting a card in Free at Alt Value $50+; $5 below that; raw $5 No intake fee listed; you pay and insure the inbound shipment
Taking a card out 3% of Alt Value under 90 days, then 1% (max $100), plus Alt’s shipping and insurance $4.99 per item under 90 days, $1.99 after, plus $5.99 per U.S. shipment of up to 50 items
Where it sells Alt only (eBay cross-listing ended early April 2026) eBay, via PSA’s consignment storefront; PSA Partner Offers
Payout Stripe, up to 4 business days, then 1–2 days to the bank Stripe, within a week, then bank time

PSA’s fees for sales above $499 sit in a drop-down on its consignment-rates page that we could not read in full (the live page was behind a security check on October 9, 2026), so confirm higher tiers there before you consign.

Where each vault came from, and where it sits

PSA Vault is the old eBay vault under new ownership. On April 10, 2024, eBay announced that “PSA has also agreed to acquire the eBay vault, while maintaining seamless access to vault services for eBay’s U.S. customers.” The deal closed on May 16, 2024, alongside eBay’s purchase of Goldin, and eBay’s vault page now calls PSA Vault “the official vault for eBay”.

Both facilities are in Delaware. PSA names New Castle; Alt’s marketing page names its facility Atelier Delaware, and its help centre says the vault moved to a new location in April 2026. Both pitch the tax angle: PSA tells buyers to ship online purchases to the vault and “stay tax-free at checkout”, while its consignment page warns that customers remain responsible for sales tax owed on purchases they later withdraw.

What it costs to get a card in and out

Alt Vault

Alt’s Vault Fees page says holding a card carries no ongoing charge. Intake depends on Alt Value: free at $50 or more, $5 per card below that for anything vaulted from March 18, 2026, and $5 for every raw card. Alt’s own advice: “If you’d prefer to avoid the fee, we recommend not submitting slabbed cards with an Alt Value under $50.”

Withdrawals are where Alt gets expensive on valuable cards. The fee is a share of the card’s Alt Value on the way out: 3% for a card stored under 90 days, and after that 1%, never above $100 a card (cards bought on Alt pay 1%). You must also buy Alt’s shipping and insurance, a single request is limited to 200 cards, and Alt asks you to allow 2 business days for processing. Shipments worth $2,500 or more need a signature, and international withdrawals go through Alt’s support team.

PSA Vault

PSA’s help article: “simply storing your items in the PSA Vault is completely free. No monthly fees, no storage fees, no surprises.” Withdrawal costs are flat: $1.99 per item for cards vaulted more than 90 days, $4.99 per item for cards vaulted less than 90 days, and $5.99 per U.S. shipment of up to 50 items. PSA’s vault page, though, prints the $4.99 as an additional early fee beneath the $1.99, so the two pages read differently on whether an early withdrawal pays both; check the total at checkout. PSA’s terms make you responsible for paying for and insuring the trip into the vault.

Worked example: one slab out of each vault

Our worked examples, at each company’s published rate and before Alt’s shipping and insurance, which Alt does not publish as a fixed price:

  • Alt Value $80: Alt charges $2.40 under 90 days or $0.80 after; PSA charges $4.99 or $1.99, plus its $5.99 shipment fee.
  • Alt Value $1,000: Alt charges $30.00 or $10.00; PSA’s per-item fee does not change.

Alt’s 1% fee stops growing at $10,000 of Alt Value because of the $100 cap. Below that, the more a card is worth, the more Alt’s percentage costs next to PSA’s flat fee.

Selling from the vault: fees and payouts

The two vaults feed different marketplaces. Alt’s help centre says “As of early April 2026, our partnership with eBay has ended and listings are no longer cross-posted to eBay.” An Alt-vaulted card now sells on Alt, by fixed price or auction. A PSA-vaulted card sells on eBay: PSA hosts the listing on its own eBay storefront, ships the card and pays you after its fee, and PSA’s vault page offers a 7-day auction or Buy It Now. (eBay’s help article still says fixed-price sales are coming later; PSA’s page is the more current.)

PSA’s model is one charge: “Sellers pay a single fee that corresponds with the final eBay sale price. Sellers do not pay eBay fees, and shipping costs are covered by buyers.” An unsold card, or a buyer who never pays, costs you no consignment fee. Alt’s fixed-price fee depends on price and Alt Rewards tier; at the Base tier it is 14% from $1 to $249 and 9% from $250 to $7,499. Alt auctions charge the seller nothing; the buyer pays a 20% premium and the seller gets a bonus on top of the hammer price.

Our worked examples apply those published rates, leaving out what buyers pay, Alt’s higher Rewards tiers and the cost of getting the card into either vault.

Sale (our example) Sold on Alt at fixed price (Base tier) Sold on eBay through PSA consignment
$80 14%: $11.20 fee, $68.80 to you 13% + $3: $13.40 fee, $66.60 to you (rate from a July 2026 copy of PSA’s page)
$200 14%: $28.00 fee, $172.00 to you 13%: $26.00 fee, $174.00 to you (PSA’s own example)
$300 9%: $27.00 fee, $273.00 to you 13%: $39.00 fee, $261.00 to you

Neither vault wins everywhere: at the Base tier, Alt costs less under $100 and from $250 to $499, PSA less from $100 to $249. Buyer reach matters as much as the fee. Using sales tracked by Card Ladder, cllct reported that in December 2025 “eBay was December’s leading marketplace with more than $297 million spent on sports and trading cards”, against “nearly $13.7 million at Alt.” The marketplaces themselves are compared in selling on Alt vs eBay, and eBay’s fees on cards you ship yourself in selling Pokémon cards on eBay.

On the buying side, eBay says a buyer who keeps a purchase in PSA Vault gets ownership “instantly transferred”. Elsewhere on eBay, the Authenticity Guarantee sends single cards of $200 or more through PSA inspection; for cards headed into the vault, eBay says “All cards destined for the PSA Vault are required to go through our Authenticity Guarantee service at no cost to the buyer or seller.” If you are the buyer, see our guide to checking a slab you buy while it stays in a vault.

Insurance and custody: help pages vs contracts

Both companies promise full insurance on their own pages; both contracts are more guarded. We quote them side by side and draw no legal conclusion.

Alt

Alt’s help centre (The Alt Vault, June 4, 2026): “Everything sent to the Alt Vault is 100% insured to its Alt Value, and stored in a temperature-controlled, fire-safe venue with 24/7 security”. It adds: “Alt does not assert ownership rights over any assets deposited into the Vault. In the unlikely event of bankruptcy, or other extraordinary circumstances, Alt will return all user assets to their respective owners.” Outgoing shipments are insured to a stated maximum of $250,000.

The Terms of Service, in the version dated August 12, 2025, read differently. On insurance: “except to the extent of any insurance coverage maintained over your Stored Assets (which we may choose to maintain or not maintain in our sole discretion), we disclaim all responsibility and liability for your Stored Assets”. On Alt’s claim over stored cards: “We retain and you hereby grant us a security interest in and to all Assets and other funds, items, and other property (including, without limitation, personal property) that you store via the Services”. The Terms also cap Alt’s liability at the greater of $50 or the fees you paid in the prior three months, and let Alt freeze accounts and the property in them.

That freeze power appears in complaint records. As of October 9, 2026, BBB listed eight complaints against Alt Platform, Inc. in three years, all marked Unanswered; one alleges “They locked my account for no reason with my money and cards in their possession.” These are unverified, one-sided accounts. Alt’s wider track record is covered in is Alt.xyz legit and reliable?

PSA

PSA’s vault page says “Items are 100%-insured in a modern, climate-controlled facility with 24/7 security and asset management.” PSA’s Vault Terms of Service, in the version last updated June 4, 2025 that we read through a Wayback Machine copy (the live page was behind a security check), also take a security interest: “PSA shall have a security interest in the items stored in the Vault, as well as in any other property of yours in the possession of a Collectors Entity”, to secure payment of charges. For loss or damage, PSA compensates at its “reasonable discretion” based on fair market value or repair or replacement cost, with total liability capped at the lesser of the two. Stored items can also be treated as abandoned property under state law after account inactivity, “typically once every three (3) years”.

Reasons to vault with Alt, and reasons against

In the Alt Vault’s favor:

  • It is the only route to selling on Alt: “To sell on Alt, cards must be graded by PSA, BGS, BVG, SGC, or CGC and stored in our Vault.”
  • Alt’s cash advances and loans run on vaulted cards; Alt Lending requires collateral to be in the vault before a loan is finalized.
  • Storage costs nothing, and so does intake once a slab’s Alt Value reaches $50.
  • At the Base tier, Alt’s 9% fixed-price fee from $250 to $499 undercuts PSA’s 13%, and Alt auctions charge sellers no fee.

Against it:

  • A vaulted card reaches only Alt’s buyers now that eBay cross-listing has ended.
  • Early withdrawal costs 3% of a value Alt itself sets.
  • Slabs under $50 and raw cards cost $5 each to intake, raw cards cannot be sold, cards with qualifier grades cannot be listed, and raw filler cards packed with slabs may be disposed of if you do not answer Alt within 2 weeks of being contacted.
  • The Terms make insurance discretionary, grant Alt a security interest, cap liability and allow freezes, and every sale is final.

Reasons to use PSA Vault, and reasons against

In PSA Vault’s favor:

  • Your slab reaches eBay buyers with no packing or shipping on your side: “Consigning your card means entrusting PSA to market, sell, ship, and collect payment on your behalf.”
  • One fee, no eBay fees, and nothing charged if the card does not sell.
  • Flat per-item withdrawal fees, small next to the value of an expensive card.
  • Buyers who keep a purchase vaulted get an instant ownership transfer, and PSA’s Partner Offers from its own buyer network pay out, PSA says, “in 1-3 business days, with zero fees.”

Against it:

  • Its 13% is above Alt’s Base-tier 9% from $250 to $499, and under $100 a July 2026 copy of PSA’s rates page showed 13% plus a $3 flat fee.
  • Slabs only, and only PSA, SGC, BGS and CGC.
  • Its terms take a security interest for unpaid charges and cap liability at fair market value or repair cost, whichever is less.
  • A forgotten account is a risk: stored items can be treated as abandoned property after a long stretch of inactivity.
  • Rates above $499 were not readable where we checked, and eBay’s help page lags PSA’s on selling formats.

When not vaulting at all makes sense

A vault earns its keep when you want to sell without handling the card, or buy and resell without shipping it twice. Skipping both is reasonable when:

  • The slab is cheap. Alt’s $5 intake under $50 Alt Value, or PSA’s per-item and per-shipment withdrawal fees, eat a big share of a low-value card you might want back.
  • The card is raw. Neither vault will sell it; our grade-or-sell-raw checklist helps decide whether grading first pays.
  • You may want it back soon. Both charge more inside 90 days.
  • You want to sell in more than one place. A vaulted card is tied to one marketplace; a card in hand can go to eBay, a show or a local buyer. Questions to ask any consignor are in our consignment fees and reserves guide.
  • The grader is not on either list. Alt names PSA, BGS, BVG, SGC and CGC; PSA names PSA, SGC, BGS and CGC.

For where to sell and which price to trust, see Alt vs Card Ladder vs eBay; for the number Alt’s vault fees are based on, Alt Value explained. PSA’s own fee example, read on October 9, 2026: a $200 sale pays a $26 fee and returns $174 to the seller.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the PSA Vault the same as the eBay vault?

Yes, in practice. eBay announced on April 10, 2024 that PSA would acquire the eBay vault, and the deal closed on May 16, 2024. eBay now calls PSA Vault the official vault for eBay, and vaulted cards sell on eBay through PSA consignment.

How much does the Alt Vault cost?

Storage is free. Intake is free once a slab’s Alt Value is $50 or more and $5 per card below that, for cards vaulted on or after March 18, 2026. Withdrawing is charged at 3% of Alt Value for a card stored under 90 days and 1% after that, up to $100 a card, plus Alt’s shipping and insurance.

How much does it cost to withdraw a card from PSA Vault?

PSA lists $1.99 per item for cards vaulted more than 90 days and $4.99 per item for cards vaulted less than 90 days, plus $5.99 per U.S. shipment of up to 50 items. PSA’s two pages word the early fee differently, so confirm the total at checkout.

Can I sell a card from the Alt Vault on eBay?

Not any more. Alt’s help centre says the eBay tie-up ended in early April 2026, so a card in the Alt Vault now sells on Alt alone. Alt’s older marketing page still mentions eBay listing.

What does PSA charge to sell a vaulted card on eBay?

PSA charges one consignment fee and no eBay fees. Its vault page gives a $200 sale at the 13% rate for the $100 to $499 band, a $26 fee and a $174 payout. A July 2026 copy of its rates page showed 13% plus a $3 flat fee under $100. Check PSA’s rates page for higher price bands.

Are cards in the Alt Vault and PSA Vault insured?

Both companies say so on their own pages: Alt says cards in its vault are covered up to their Alt Value, and PSA says vaulted items are 100% insured. Their contracts are narrower: Alt’s Terms make insurance discretionary, and PSA’s terms cap its liability at fair market value or repair cost, whichever is less.

Do I still own a card stored in a vault?

Alt’s help centre says Alt claims no ownership over what you deposit and would hand it back in a bankruptcy, though its Terms do not repeat that promise. Both Alt’s Terms and PSA’s vault terms give the operator a security interest in what you store. We draw no legal conclusion; read each contract in full.

Sources

Fees, features and policies are quoted from each company’s own pages on the date shown and change often, so check the platform’s current terms before you list or subscribe. This article is collector information, not investment, tax or legal advice. Pokémon is a trademark of Nintendo, Creatures Inc. and GAME FREAK inc. Pokemon Pricing is not affiliated with Alt, Card Ladder, Collectors (PSA) or eBay, and earns nothing from any of them.

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