Plastic-Free Board Card Examples
Plastic-free board card design ideas
Plastic-free board cards use a paper-based/board substrate instead of PVC, for clubs and brands that want to avoid plastic entirely rather than use a biodegradable plastic alternative. They still support full-colour printing and sequential numbering, though they generally aren't suitable for magstripe or chip encoding — worth checking this page against your access/scanning requirements before choosing this over a biodegradable plastic card.
Do you see a design that you like?
Love one of our examples? Let’s use it as inspiration!
If you spot a example design that catches your eye, we can use it as a starting point to create your own design.
We’ll tailor the layout, colours, logos, and text to suit, all included as part of our Design Service.
Just tell us what you like and send over any logos and pictures, and we’ll do the rest.
Board Rather Than Plastic
These are the only cards we make that contain no plastic at all. The substrate is a heavy paper-based board rather than PVC or a synthetic, which makes them the right answer for an organisation whose position is genuinely no plastic, rather than less plastic or better plastic.
At 620 microns they are almost as thick as a standard plastic card, and they measure the same 86 x 54mm, so they sit in a wallet and read as a proper card rather than as a piece of thick paper. That thickness is doing real work: a thinner board card feels like a voucher, and a scheme that wants to be taken seriously does not want its membership card mistaken for a coupon.
The surface is board, not sealed plastic, so it has a matt, tactile quality that plastic cannot reproduce. For a lot of the brands who choose these, that feel is part of the message rather than a compromise — it visibly is not plastic, which is the whole point.
The One Thing to Check Before You Choose Board
Board cards cannot take a magnetic stripe or a chip. There is no way around it, and it is the single most important thing to establish before you order.
So if your card has to open a door, work a hotel lock, swipe at a till, or be read by a contactless reader, this is the wrong product and our biodegradable plastic cards are what you want instead — they encode exactly like standard PVC while still addressing the plastic question.
If your scheme is scan-based rather than encoded, you are fine. Barcodes, QR codes, sequential numbering and write-on panels all work perfectly well on board, and between them they cover most loyalty schemes, membership registers and event uses. A barcode on board actually scans very reliably, since the matt surface throws no glare back at the reader.
The rule of thumb: if the card is read by a camera or a laser, board is fine. If it is read by a magnetic head or an antenna, it is not.
Design, Wear and What to Expect
Printing is full colour CMYK on both sides at no extra cost, so the designs in the examples above are as rich as anything we print on plastic. What differs is how the card ages. A plastic card has its design sealed beneath the surface and looks much the same after a year; a board card is printed on the surface and will soften at the corners and show handling over time, in the way a good business card does.
For an annual membership, an event, or a seasonal scheme that is a non-issue and arguably part of the character. For a card expected to look pristine after three years in a wallet it is worth knowing in advance.
Prices start at £89 for 25 cards including free UK delivery, based on one artwork file, with VAT and optional extras on top. As with everything we print, a photorealistic proof comes by email before anything goes to press — and if you would like to feel the board before committing, ask us and we will get one to you.
Plastic-Free Board Card FAQs
Can plastic-free board cards have a magnetic stripe or chip?
No. Board cannot take magstripe or chip encoding. If your card must open a door, work a hotel lock or swipe at a till, use our biodegradable plastic cards instead.
Can they have barcodes and QR codes?
Yes. Barcodes, QR codes, sequential numbering and write-on panels all work well on board. The matt surface throws no glare, so barcodes scan very reliably.
How thick are they?
620 microns (0.62mm), almost as thick as a standard plastic card, at the usual 86 x 54mm. They feel like a card rather than a thick piece of paper.
Are they printed in full colour?
Yes, full colour CMYK on both sides at no extra cost, the same as our plastic cards.
How do board cards wear compared with plastic?
A plastic card's design is sealed beneath the surface and barely changes. Board is printed on the surface, so it will soften at the corners and show handling over time, the way a good business card does.
Are they genuinely plastic-free?
Yes. The substrate is paper-based board with no PVC and no synthetic layer, which is what distinguishes them from our biodegradable plastic and EcoTough options.
What do they cost?
From £89 for 25 cards, including free UK delivery and based on one artwork file. VAT and optional extras are additional.
Can we see one before ordering?
Yes. Ask us and we will get a sample to you — the feel of the board is most of the reason people choose these, and it is hard to judge from a screen.