Credit Card Style Plastic Cards
Credit card style plastic cards are the same size, thickness and finish as a bank card: 86 x 54mm, 0.76mm thick, with rounded corners and full colour print sealed under clear PVC. Add embossed numbers and names, a magnetic strip and a signature strip, and they look and feel like one. We don’t supply bank or payment cards.
If you’re looking for credit card printing for a club, shop or business, these are the cards: custom printed with your own design, as membership, loyalty, gift and VIP cards or plastic business cards. This guide shows which features create the look, where each one goes, what it costs and how to order, from 25 cards.
The short versionOur standard full colour cards are already credit card size: 86 x 54mm and 760 microns thick, with rounded corners. For the bank card look, add embossed characters in the bottom half of the front, and a magnetic strip and signature strip on the back. An RFID chip can be sealed inside for door entry, but there’s no NFC and no payment chip, so the cards can’t be used to pay in shops. Prices start at £75.00 +vat for 25 cards.
What makes a plastic card look like a credit card?
Four things: the size and thickness, rounded corners with a smooth gloss finish, raised characters on the front, and a magnetic strip with a signature strip on the back. Our standard full colour cards already have the first two. The other two are optional extras, added when you order.
- Printed design. Full colour on both sides, sealed under clear PVC so it can’t scratch or wear off.
- Embossed number. Raised characters 5mm tall, up to 22 on a line, in the bottom half.
- Embossed name. 3mm characters, up to 27 on a line, in black, metallic silver or metallic gold.
- Rounded corners. Cut out at 86 x 54mm with rounded corners, like a bank card.
- Magnetic strip. 13 x 86mm, 3mm down from the top edge. Encoded by us, or left blank.
- Signature strip. Typically 75 x 8mm, under the magnetic strip, on a white background.
- Barcode. Sealed in with the design, with its number printed underneath.
- The embossing, from behind. It pushes through, so keep printing here clear of it.
Are they the same size and thickness as a credit card?
Yes. Our standard cards are 86 x 54mm and 760 microns (0.76mm) thick, exactly the size and thickness of a bank card. The format is called ID-1 in the ISO/IEC 7810 standard and CR80 in the card trade, so the cards fit wallets, card holders, slots and readers made for bank cards.
- Card: 86 x 54mm with rounded corners. See plastic card sizes and what CR80 means.
- Thickness: 760 microns, which is 0.76mm. Our RFID cards are 820 microns. See plastic card thickness.
The finish completes the look. The design is printed on a central PVC sheet and bonded between two clear PVC sheets, so the print can’t scratch or wear off. High Gloss, included in the price, gives the shine most people picture on a plastic card. Premium Matt is flatter and softer, at £20 +vat per order. See print that can’t wear off and High Gloss v Premium Matt.
Can you emboss numbers and names like a credit card?
Yes. Embossing presses raised characters into the card, exactly as on a credit card, so the number and name can be felt as well as seen.
Each card can carry its own details: give us a start number, such as 5001 onwards, or send the numbers and names in an Excel file. If your numbers start with zeros, as in 004218, include them in the start number. The same number can also go in a barcode or magnetic strip on the back. See numbered plastic cards.
Plan the back with the embossing in mind. The characters push through the card and distort any printing behind them, so leave that part of the back free of small print and barcodes. Full details are on our embossing page.
| 5mm characters | 3mm characters | |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | The card number | Names, dates and levels |
| On a line | Up to 22 characters, including spaces | Up to 27 characters, including spaces |
| Where | One side, in the bottom half of the card | |
| Colours | Black, metallic silver or metallic gold | |
What goes on the back: a magnetic strip, signature strip or barcode?
On a bank card, a magnetic strip runs across the top of the back with a signature strip under it. We supply both, and a barcode or QR code can go on the back too, so the card can work with your own till, door or membership system: tell us the format it expects.
Each is an optional extra, priced on your quote. A magnetic strip with embossed numbering, or a barcode with a signature strip, are everyday pairings: tell us what the card has to do and we’ll tell you what fits. Below the strips, the back has room for your terms of use and where to return a found card, kept clear of the embossing.
Magnetic strip
13 x 86mm, 3mm down from the top edge. We encode one or more of its three tracks from a start number or your Excel file, or leave it blank for you. We recommend HiCo, usually black, as it’s far more durable than LoCo, usually brown, if your system takes it. Strips need a 760 micron card. See magnetic strips and HiCo vs LoCo.
Signature strip
Any size, typically 75 x 8mm, at least 4mm from the edge. Leave a white area for it: on a coloured background it picks up the colour behind it. Nothing prints on the strip itself, so the word Signature goes above or beside it. It takes a ballpoint pen. See signature strips.
Barcode
Code 39 is the most popular, and Code 128 and other types are available: ask which one your till reads. Put the barcode in a white box with its number underneath, for typing in if the scanner fails. It’s sealed under clear PVC with the design, so it can’t scratch or wear off. See barcodes on plastic cards.
QR code
At least 15mm square. A code that’s the same on every card goes into your artwork; a different one on each card comes from your Excel file. See QR codes on plastic cards.
Where does each feature go?
Follow the bank card layout and a card reads as a credit card at a glance. These plans are drawn to scale, with the sizes from our optional extras pages.
- Set up the artwork at 92 x 60mm, the card plus 3mm of bleed all round, with text and logos 3mm inside the edge. Photoshop and PDF templates are on our artwork guide.
- Logo and name at the top of the front, where a bank puts its own.
- Number across the bottom half, name under it on the left, on a background plain enough for the characters to stand out.
- On the back: the magnetic strip at the top, the signature strip under it on white, the barcode in a white box, and nothing printed behind the embossing.
Our design service lays the card out for £29 +vat, with no limit on reasonable amends: send your logo, the wording and a photo or sketch of the look you want. Your free email proof shows where each number, strip and panel sits before anything is printed.
Is it a real credit card?
No. A credit or debit card is issued by a bank or card provider, linked to an account and fitted with a payment chip. Ours are printed plastic cards in the same format. They carry your own design, numbers and strips, and they work with your own systems, not a bank’s.
| A bank card | Our credit card style card | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 86 x 54mm | Same 86 x 54mm |
| Thickness | 0.76mm | Same 760 microns, which is 0.76mm |
| Corners | Rounded | Same Rounded |
| Design | The bank’s own | Yours, in full colour on both sides |
| Embossed number and name | On some cards | Optional 5mm or 3mm characters |
| Magnetic strip | On many cards | Optional HiCo or LoCo, encoded or blank |
| Signature strip | On many cards | Optional Typically 75 x 8mm |
| Barcode or QR code | Rarely | Optional Printed and sealed in |
| Chip | A payment chip | No payment chip An RFID chip can be sealed inside, for door entry, in a card 820 microns thick |
| Contactless payment in shops | On most cards | No |
| Linked to | A bank account | Your own records, or a system that reads the card |
For door entry or attendance, an RFID chip and its antenna can be sealed inside the card, out of sight. We supply RFID cards unencoded, for your own system to write to, with the chip matched to your reader, such as a Mifare or Fudan chip, 1K or 4K. Send us the reader’s make and model, or a photo of a card that works with it. RFID cards can’t have holes or slots, and we don’t supply NFC cards. See our RFID smart cards.
Can a credit card style card be metallic or black?
Yes. The simplest black card is a full colour card printed with a black design: it can carry photos and gradients, and the print is sealed under clear PVC. For a more premium look there are two routes: add metallic touches to a full colour card, or choose one of our hot foil ranges.
Metallic foiling
Foil applied with heat and pressure to part of the design, such as a logo or the word VIP. It needs simple, solid shapes: gradients and photographs won’t reproduce in foil.
Metallic base card
The whole card starts metallic gold or silver, and any CMYK colour can be printed on it, but not white. A silver base makes a good platinum membership card.
Metallic cards
Gold or silver PVC, the size and thickness of a bank card, printed in up to 4 hot foil colours, including holoprint, a rainbow foil. Solid colours only, and barcodes or QR codes only if they’re the same on every card. See metallic plastic cards.
Satin black cards
Solid black PVC, black right through to the edges, with a satin finish. Gold, silver and white foil stand out on it, and gloss black ink gives a watermark effect. Solid colours only: no photos or gradients. See satin black plastic cards.
Hot foil sits on the surface of the card rather than being sealed under clear PVC. It’s proofed by email too: the colours on the proof are a guide only, and the same foil can look different on a frosted, white, satin black or metallic card. If in doubt, email sales@cpcards.co.uk to ask about a sample colour being posted to you for approval.
We don’t supply metal cards: a satin black or metallic PVC card gives much of the same effect, at a price that lets you refresh the design when your list changes. For embossing or a magnetic strip on a hot foil card, ask us what can be combined.
Can loyalty and membership cards look like credit cards?
Yes, and so can any card kept in a wallet next to bank cards. Here are ideas for credit card style loyalty, membership, gift, VIP, business and staff cards:
Making a credit card style business card
Start from our standard plastic business card, already the size and thickness of a bank card. Put your logo at the top, where a bank puts its name, and your own name lower left, where a cardholder’s name goes, embossed if you want it raised. A dark or metallic design and a magnetic strip on the back complete the look. Our guide to designing a plastic business card covers the wording, fonts and bleed.
Keep the front for the bank card look and put your contact details on the back, under the magnetic strip. Our prices include full colour printing on both sides.
Can you print your own credit card style cards?
Yes, with a desktop ID card printer, but if you’d be buying the printer for the job, ordering 25 or more printed cards costs less. A card printer prints one card at a time onto the surface of a blank white card, under a thin clear film. In our comparison of card printers and printed cards, entry-level printers cost around £574 to £747 +vat from a UK reseller in October 2026, plus about 29p a card in ribbon and blank card for one side. Models that encode magnetic strips cost more.
If you already own a printer, its ribbon and blank cards cost less than ordering a small run. At 1,000 cards, ordering costs less than the ribbon and blank cards: £245.00 +vat, 24.5p each, printed on both sides.
A printer suits photo ID and cards needed on the day. Ordered cards suit a batch: they need no equipment, the print is sealed under clear PVC rather than on the surface, and the numbers, names, embossing and strips are added for you.
A working credit or debit card is issued by your bank or card provider, not printed to order.
How much do credit card style cards cost, and how do you order?
From £75.00 +vat for 25 cards, printed in full colour on both sides, down to 24.5p a card at 1,000. Embossing, magnetic strips, signature strips and barcodes are priced on your quote, and the minimum order is 25 cards.
| Quantity | Price | Per card |
|---|---|---|
| 25 cards | £75.00 +vat | £3.00 |
| 50 cards | £79.00 +vat | £1.58 |
| 100 cards | £85.00 +vat | 85p |
| 200 cards | £99.00 +vat | 49.5p |
| 250 cards | £109.00 +vat | 43.6p |
| 500 cards | £175.00 +vat | 35p |
| 1,000 cards | £245.00 +vat | 24.5p |
Full colour on both sides with a High Gloss finish, 86 x 54mm and 760 microns thick. Prices include one design printed from your print-ready artwork, with a free photorealistic proof, and exclude VAT and optional extras. Premium Matt is £20 +vat per order. Our design service is £29 +vat, and a technical fix to your own file is £10 +vat.
- Ask for a quoteEmail sales@cpcards.co.uk or use our quote form with the quantity and the extras. We aim to reply within 10 minutes, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
- Send your artworkA print-ready file or a design brief, plus any numbers and names in an Excel file. We check the file for technical problems, such as bleed.
- Approve the proofA free photorealistic proof by email, so you can check the layout and wording. The colours on the proof are a guide only, because every screen shows colour differently. You check the names and numbers.
- Production7 working days from proof approval and payment, or 3 to 4 working days with express: ask us for cost and availability.
Test it firstTo hold our cards before you buy, order a sample pack: its cost is taken off your order if you place it within 30 days. If a colour has to be right, or a strip or barcode has to work on your own system, add a postal proof to your order: a few real cards posted to you before the rest are printed, for £65 +vat, in around 5 working days. Postal proofs are for full colour cards.
Questions & Answers
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Can you print credit cards?
We supply plastic cards that look and feel like credit cards, but not bank or payment cards. Ours are the same size and thickness as a bank card, and can carry an embossed number and name, a magnetic strip and a signature strip. They have no payment chip and can’t be used to pay the way a debit or credit card can.
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What size is a credit card?
86 x 54mm and 0.76mm thick, with rounded corners. The size is called ID-1 in the ISO/IEC 7810 standard, and CR80 in the card trade. Our standard plastic cards are exactly that size and thickness.
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Can you emboss names and numbers on plastic cards?
Yes. Embossed characters are 5mm or 3mm tall, with up to 22 characters on a line at 5mm and 27 at 3mm, including spaces. They go in the bottom half of one side, in black, metallic silver or metallic gold. Give us a start number, or send the numbers and names in an Excel file.
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Can credit card style cards have a magnetic strip?
Yes. The strip is 13 x 86mm, on the back, 3mm down from the top edge, and we can encode it or leave it blank for you to encode. We recommend HiCo, which is far more durable than LoCo, if your system takes it.
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Can a credit card style card have a chip?
An RFID chip, yes. It’s sealed inside the card for door entry or attendance, and supplied unencoded for your own system to write to. RFID cards are 820 microns thick, a little thicker than a bank card. We don’t fit payment chips, so our cards can’t be used to pay in shops, and we don’t supply NFC cards.
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How much does it cost to print credit card style cards?
Our standard cards start at £75.00 +vat for 25, which is £3.00 a card, and 1,000 cost £245.00 +vat, which is 24.5p a card, printed in full colour on both sides. Embossing, magnetic strips, signature strips and barcodes are priced on your quote. If you need the card designed, our design service is £29 +vat.
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Can I print my own credit card style cards?
Yes, with a desktop ID card printer, which prints one card at a time onto the surface of a blank white card. It suits photo ID and cards needed on the day, but an entry-level printer doesn’t emboss, so raised numbers and names come on ordered cards. If you’d be buying the printer for the job, ordering 25 or more cards costs less, and the print on ordered cards is sealed under clear PVC.
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Can you make plastic business cards that look like credit cards?
Yes. Our plastic business cards are credit card size as standard: 86 x 54mm and 760 microns thick, printed in full colour on both sides. For the bank card look, add an embossed name or number, a magnetic strip, or both. Our design service can lay the card out for £29 +vat.
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How long do credit card style cards take?
Standard production is 7 working days from proof approval and payment, including optional extras such as embossing and magnetic strips. Express production of 3 to 4 working days is also available: ask us for cost and availability. If you add a postal proof, allow around 5 working days for it before the rest are printed.
Ordering credit card style cards?
Email sales@cpcards.co.uk with the quantity, the card and the extras you want, or attach your artwork, and we’ll email a quote. We aim to reply within 10 minutes, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Our cards are printed in England by the same manufacturer we’ve used for over 20 years, and every order gets a free photorealistic proof before anything is printed.