Before You Buy Plastic Cards: 12 Things to Check

1Where are the cards printed, and who's responsible for them?

Many companies that sell plastic cards work with a specialist manufacturer rather than printing every order themselves. That's normal in printing. What matters is where the cards are made, whether it's the same manufacturer every time, and who puts things right if something goes wrong.

Cards made overseas add shipping time to every order. A seller who moves between factories to chase the lowest price can't promise that your next order will match your last one.

Ask where the cards are printed, and how long the supplier has worked with that printer. Then ask who checks your artwork, sends your proof and deals with any problem. You want one company that takes responsibility from your first email to delivery.

At CP CardsOur cards are high quality and printed in England, not cheap imports. For most orders we use a plastic card manufacturer we've worked with for over 20 years, so the quality stays the same from one order to the next. We've been supplying plastic cards since 1992, and we look after your order ourselves from start to finish: checking your artwork, sending your proof, answering your emails and putting it right if anything is wrong.

2Is the print sealed inside the card, or on the surface?

Few buyers think to ask this, and it decides how long the design on the card lasts.

On a surface printed card the ink is on the outside of the plastic. Every trip in and out of a wallet, every brush against keys and every swipe through a reader wears on the print itself. Logos scuff, small text fades and barcodes stop scanning.

On a card with the print sealed inside, the design is printed onto a central sheet of PVC, which is then bonded between two ultra clear PVC sheets. The surface you touch is the clear layer, so that is where the wear goes, and the print underneath can't wear off.

At CP CardsEvery full colour PVC card we supply has its print sealed between two clear PVC sheets, on both sides. Our page on solid PVC cards shows how the layers go together.

3Is it solid PVC, or a paper core?

Some cheap ‘plastic cards’ are paper cards with a thin plastic film on each side. In a photo they look the same as a PVC card. In use they behave nothing like one: the film lifts at the corners, the card goes dog eared, and if it gets wet the paper inside swells and the card comes apart.

If the listing doesn't say what the card is made of, ask. The words to look for are solid PVC.

At CP CardsOur full colour PVC cards are solid plastic all the way through. They won't go dog eared or fall apart if they get wet.

4What thickness and finish will you get?

The standard plastic card is CR80 size, 86 x 54mm, and 760 microns (0.76mm) thick. That's the size and thickness of a bank card, and it's what wallets, card holders and card readers are made for. If a quote gives the size but not the thickness, ask, because a thinner card looks the same in a photo.

Ask about the finish too. A full colour PVC card has a high gloss or a matt surface. Gloss makes colours look deeper and richer, but shows fine scuffs as the card is handled. Matt shows scuffs and fingerprints less, and softens the colours a little.

If you want an eco card, ask what it's made of and how thick it is. ‘Eco’ covers some very different materials.

At CP CardsOur standard PVC cards are 760 microns, CR80 size. High Gloss is included in the price, and Premium Matt is £20 +vat per order. For lower-impact cards we also supply recycled PVC (98% recycled), EcoTough, biodegradable and Plastic-Free Board cards.

5Will barcodes, numbers and names last?

Loyalty cards, membership cards and gift cards often carry something unique to each card: a barcode, a membership number, a name or a QR code.

A lot of card companies print these on the surface, on top of the finished plastic, after the card itself has been made. Surface ink is the first thing to wear off. A worn barcode won't scan, and a card that won't scan can't do its job.

Ask whether barcodes and numbers are printed at the same time as the design and sealed under the plastic, or added on top afterwards.

At CP CardsWhen your order has barcodes, sequential numbering or personalisation, they're printed inside the plastic along with your design and sealed under clear PVC, for maximum durability.

6Will you see a proof before anything is printed?

A proof is a picture of your finished card, made from your artwork, that you approve before printing starts. It's your chance to catch a spelling mistake, a phone number with a digit missing or a logo too close to the edge, before it's on a few hundred cards.

Check the proof is free, that you can ask for changes, and that nothing will be printed until you've approved it. Ask whether anyone checks the artwork file itself as well. A low resolution logo or missing bleed won't always show on a small proof.

At CP CardsEvery full colour order comes with a free, high quality photorealistic email proof, and we aim to send it within an hour. You can ask for changes until you're happy, and nothing goes to print until you've approved it in writing. A person opens and checks every artwork file, and the check is free.

7Can you approve a real printed card first?

An email proof shows the layout and wording. It can't show the exact colour, because every screen shows colour differently, and the same artwork prints differently on plastic than on paper. If a brand colour has to be right, or the order is a large one, ask whether the printer will print a few real cards and post them to you first.

Ask whether those cards come off the same presses as the full order, or are mocked up on a desktop printer. Only cards from the production presses show you what you'll actually get.

At CP CardsOur postal proof is a few real cards, printed on the production presses, bonded and cut to size, and posted to you to approve. It's £65 +vat and adds around 5 working days. It's optional, and most customers choose not to have one. Why colours can look different when printing on plastic is explained on our page about Pantone colours.

8Is the price the whole price?

Two quotes for the same cards can be hard to compare. One includes delivery and the other adds it at the end. One quotes with VAT and the other without. One includes the proof and the finish, and the other charges for each.

Ask for the total for the quantity you want, and compare totals rather than headline prices. The things to ask about:

• Is delivery included, and to where?
• Is there a setup fee?
• Do you pay for proofs, or for checking the artwork?
• Is the price with or without VAT?
• What do the extras cost, such as a matt finish, a magnetic strip or numbering?

At CP CardsOur prices include your free photorealistic proof and delivery within Great Britain, there are no setup fees, and as we deal predominantly with businesses VAT is excluded. Quotes are valid for 30 days.

9How few cards can you order?

Some printers only take orders in the thousands, or price small runs so high they're barely worth ordering. If you're a small business, a new club or trying out a design, you want to order the cards you need, not pay for a box you'll never use.

Ask for the minimum order, and ask for prices at two or three quantities. The price per card falls as the quantity rises, so it's worth seeing where the steps are.

At CP CardsYou can order from 25 cards. Standard full colour PVC cards are £75 +vat for 25, £85 +vat for 100 and £245 +vat for 1,000.

10How long will it take, door to door?

‘Fast turnaround’ can mean almost anything. You need two numbers: how many working days the printer takes to make the cards, and how long delivery takes after that. Check when the clock starts too, whether that's when you order, when you approve the proof or when you pay.

Cards printed overseas add shipping time on top. If the cards are for a launch or an event, work back from the date and leave yourself a margin.

At CP CardsStandard production is 7 working days from proof approval and payment, and an express service of 3 to 4 working days is also available: tell us your deadline and ask us for cost and availability. Orders go by courier, next working day to England, in plain packaging with no invoice inside, so we can send them straight to your own customer. See our delivery prices for elsewhere.

11Will a real person reply, and how quickly?

When something needs sorting, such as a deadline, a change to the artwork or a question about barcodes, you want a quick answer from someone who knows your order, not an automated reply. Ask the supplier how fast they reply, and who replies.

Answers in writing have a benefit of their own. The artwork, the quantities and what was agreed are all there for both of you to check later, and nothing depends on someone remembering a phone call.

Read the supplier's reviews, and read the recent ones, because they tell you how the company treats customers now. Look at what reviewers talk about, not only the star rating.

At CP CardsEmail us at sales@cpcards.co.uk and a real person will reply. We aim to reply within 10 minutes, 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. We work by email, so every detail of your order, from the artwork to your approval, is in writing. We're rated 5.0 on Google from over 240 reviews, and card quality is what reviewers mention most.

12Will they put it right if something goes wrong?

A proof catches most problems before anything is printed, but now and then a fault gets through: a print fault on part of the run, or cards damaged on the way. What matters is what the supplier does next.

Ask what happens if cards arrive faulty, how long you have to report it, and whether they reprint or refund. Read the terms and conditions before you order, not after you've found a problem.

It also helps to know who is responsible for what. A supplier should stand behind their printing. You're responsible for the wording and details you approve on the proof, which is why it's worth checking the proof carefully.

At CP CardsWe check every order by hand and won't put artwork to press if something looks wrong. If any cards arrive defective, tell us in writing within 24 hours of delivery and we'll reprint them. Our terms and conditions set out exactly how it works.