How Long Do Plastic Cards Last?
Years of everyday use. On a full colour PVC card the design is printed on a central sheet and bonded between two clear PVC sheets, so the print can’t scratch or wear off. What wears is whatever sits on the outside, such as a signature strip or a scratch-off panel. The other things that end a card early are a hard bend, heat and, for magnetic strips, a magnet.
This guide goes through each part of a card, what it can and can’t take, and how to choose a card that lasts as long as you need it to. It also covers water, heat, the eco materials and when it makes sense to reissue.
The short versionThe printed design, barcodes and numbers on our full colour PVC cards are sealed under clear plastic and last as long as the card. Choose a HiCo magnetic strip, keep RFID cards flat and unpunched, and keep any card out of a hot parked car. Most cards are replaced because the details change, not because they wear out.
What wears on a plastic card, and what doesn’t?
A card has two kinds of parts. Some are sealed inside it and only end when the card does. Others sit on top of the card or depend on something outside it, such as a magnet or a reader, and those are where problems start.
- Magnetic strip. Runs along the back, 3mm down from the top edge. It can be wiped by a magnet, so the grade matters: HiCo for anything used for months or years.
- Signature strip. Sits on top of the card by design, so it takes a pen. It’s also the part that shows wear first.
- Barcode and number. Printed with the design and sealed under clear PVC, so they keep scanning for the life of the card.
- Printed design and wording. Sealed between clear PVC sheets. Wallets, hands and readers only ever touch the clear plastic.
| Part of the card | Where it is | What can end it |
|---|---|---|
| Printed design, wording and colours | Sealed under clear PVC | Nothing in normal use |
| Barcodes, numbers and names printed with the order | Sealed under clear PVC with the design | Nothing in normal use |
| The card itself | 0.76mm solid PVC, rounded corners | Bending it hard, or heat |
| Magnetic strip | Along the back | A magnet, especially near a LoCo strip |
| Signature strip or write-on panel | On top of the card | Rubbing in a wallet, because it’s on the outside |
| Scratch-off panel | On top of the card | Being scratched off, which is its job: it works once |
| RFID chip | Sealed in the core with its antenna | A hard bend, or a hole through the antenna |
Why the print on a plastic card lasts
A full colour plastic card isn’t printed on its outside. The design is printed on a central PVC sheet, and that sheet is bonded between two clear PVC sheets with heat and pressure before the cards are cut out. The surface you touch is clear plastic, with the ink underneath it.
That’s why the print can’t scratch or wear off. A card that goes in and out of a wallet every day, rubs against keys or is swiped through a reader takes all that wear on the clear surface. Barcodes, membership numbers and names printed with the order are sealed in the same way, so a barcode that scans on the first day still scans after years in a wallet.
On a surface printed card, the ink is on the outside of the plastic, so the print takes all the wear. If you’re comparing suppliers, ask which kind you’re buying: our before you buy checklist explains what to ask, and how plastic cards are made shows the layers.
Magnetic strips, panels and chips
Choose HiCo
A magnetic strip rarely wears away. It gets wiped. A HiCo strip needs a strong magnetic field to change it, so it resists everyday magnets. A LoCo strip can be wiped by something as weak as a phone case magnet. For loyalty, membership, gift and ID cards, use HiCo. Our HiCo vs LoCo guide explains the difference.
Keep them flat
The chip and its antenna are sealed inside the core of the card, and the chip has no battery, so there’s nothing to run down. What stops an RFID card working is damage: a hard bend, or a hole punched through the antenna loop. Don’t punch your own holes in an RFID card; put it in a clear card holder on a lanyard instead.
The first part to show wear
A signature strip or write-on panel sits on top of the card so that it takes an ordinary ballpoint pen. Because it’s on the outside, it gets the rubbing that the sealed print doesn’t. See writing on plastic cards for which pens work.
Made to be used once
A scratch-off panel hides a code that’s revealed when the panel is scratched away. Once it’s gone, the code is on show for good, which is the point. The rest of the card lasts as long as any other.
More on each of these is on the optional extras page and in what is an RFID card?
Are plastic cards waterproof?
Yes. A full colour PVC card is solid plastic with the print sealed under the surface, so water can’t reach the ink. Rain, steam, compost and splashes don’t damage it, and it wipes clean. That’s why the same cards are supplied as tags that live outside or in damp places:
- Plant care cards that stand in the pot through every watering.
- Scaffold and ladder inspection tags strapped to scaffolding in rain, dust and sun.
- Golf bag tags, which most clubs replace only when the membership year changes.
- Boiler service tags in warm, sometimes damp boiler cupboards.
- Shoot peg cards checked in the rain before every drive.
If a tag needs dates or initials adding by hand, choose a Premium Matt finish. It takes a permanent marker better than High Gloss, and it’s £20 +vat per order, whatever the quantity. Marker ink still sits on top of the card, so for anything that mustn’t be altered, use a write-on panel.
What about heat?
Heat is the one everyday thing that can bend a PVC card. PVC softens as it warms, and a card that softens while it’s lying unevenly can set in a curve. A bent card may not sit flat in a reader or a card slot.
A car in the sun is the usual culprit. In a 2018 Arizona State University study, dashboards in cars parked in the sun averaged 69°C after an hour, while the air inside the cars averaged 47°C. That was an Arizona summer, but it shows how much hotter the top of a dashboard gets than the rest of the car.
Do the eco cards last as long?
All four eco materials are printed in full colour and cut to 86 x 54mm. How well they stand up to use depends on the material.
| Material | Thickness | In use |
|---|---|---|
| Recycled PVC | 0.76mm, the same as standard PVC | Solid plastic with the print sealed under the surface, like standard PVC. It prints, encodes and feels the same |
| Biodegradable | 800 microns | Solid plastic with an additive designed to speed up breakdown in the right conditions. It won’t start to degrade while it’s in use |
| EcoTough | 360 microns | PVC-free, tear resistant and waterproof, and thinner than standard PVC |
| Plastic-Free Board | 620 microns | Durable for everyday wallet use. For door entry, long-term gift cards or outdoor use, PVC or EcoTough suits better |
If you’re weighing one material against another, our eco card materials compared guide sets them side by side, and a sample pack lets you handle them before you order.
When should you reissue cards?
Most cards are replaced because the details on them change: a membership year ends, a business moves or the logo changes. Planning for that from the start saves reprinting cards that are still in good condition.
- Print the expiry date if every card runs out on the same day, such as the end of a membership year. See what to put on a membership card.
- Change the colour each year. A new background colour each year lets anyone checking cards spot an old one from a few feet away, as our parking permits and school bus passes do.
- Add a write-on panel for the renewal date if you’d rather one card lasted several years.
- Number the cards so a lost card can be cancelled and replaced without reissuing the rest. See numbered plastic cards.
- Add names as people join. Our bureau personalisation service holds your printed cards and adds each new member’s details when you send them, so you don’t reorder for every new starter.
Questions & Answers
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How long do plastic cards last?
Years of everyday use. On our full colour PVC cards the design is printed on a central sheet and bonded between two clear PVC sheets, so the print can’t scratch or wear off. Most cards are replaced because the details on them change, not because they’ve worn out.
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Does the print on a plastic card wear off?
Not on our full colour PVC cards. The print is sealed under clear PVC, so wallets, hands and card readers only ever touch the clear plastic. Signature strips and scratch-off panels are the exceptions: they sit on top of the card by design.
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Do magnetic strips wear out?
The usual problem is a strip that has been wiped, not one that has worn away. A HiCo strip resists everyday magnetic fields. A LoCo strip can be wiped by something as weak as a phone case magnet, so choose HiCo for any card used for months or years.
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Do RFID cards wear out?
The chip has no battery, so there’s nothing to run down, and the chip and its antenna are sealed inside the core of the card. What stops an RFID card working is damage: bending it hard, or a hole punched through the antenna loop.
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Are plastic cards waterproof?
Yes. Our full colour PVC cards are solid plastic with the print sealed under the surface, so rain, steam and splashes don’t damage them. That’s why they’re used for plant care cards, scaffold tags and golf bag tags.
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Can a plastic card warp in a hot car?
It can. PVC softens as it warms, and a dashboard in strong sun gets very hot: in a 2018 Arizona State University study, dashboards in cars parked in the sun averaged 69°C after an hour, while the air in the car averaged 47°C. Keep cards off radiators and out of hot parked cars, and hang a parking permit rather than leaving it flat on the dashboard.
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Do biodegradable cards break down while you’re using them?
No. They contain an additive designed to speed up breakdown in the right conditions, such as some landfill sites, and they won’t start to degrade while they’re in use. At 800 microns they’re slightly thicker than a standard PVC card.
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How often should membership cards be replaced?
When the details on them change, which for most clubs is each membership year. Print the expiry date and change the background colour each year, or add a write-on panel for the renewal date so one card can be used for several years.
Ready to order?
Tell us where your cards will be used and how long they need to last, and we’ll suggest the material and extras that suit.
Your free photorealistic proof shows every strip, panel and number in place before anything is printed.