35 years' experience and customer care, printing since 1992
all our plastic cards are proudly printed in England Proudly printed in England all our plastic cards are proudly printed in England
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Trade Account Cards

At a trade counter, the account card tells the till which price list to use and whose account to charge. It has to scan first time, after a year or more in a van door pocket.

CP Cards prints trade account cards for builders’ merchants, plumbing and electrical wholesalers, timber yards, agricultural merchants and cash and carry businesses. Manufactured in England since 1992.

Built for your till

Tell us what your system reads and we print it: a Code 39 or Code 128 barcode, a QR code, or a magnetic stripe encoded with the account number. We encode the stripes for you, on HiCo stripes, which are more durable, or LoCo if your readers need it. The HiCo and LoCo guide explains the difference.

We can post a printed proof card, with its barcode or encoded stripe, so you can test it on your own till before the full run.

Account and user details

Each card can carry the account name, the account number and an authorised user’s name. Larger customers often want a card for every driver or site manager on the same account; print each user’s name with the shared account number and you can see who collected what.

Embossed account numbers give the card the look of a credit card and can be read by eye if a scanner is down.

New accounts every week

Merchants open accounts continuously, so it usually makes sense to print a stock of numbered cards and add names as accounts are approved. With our bureau personalisation service we hold your stock and personalise cards as you email the new account details; please allow 3 working days.

The front of a trade account card A navy card for an invented builders' merchant, Oakhurst Trade Supplies. It carries the account name J Price Plumbing Ltd, an embossed account number 4417 0283, the authorised user's name Sam Price, and a barcode of the account number for the till. OAKHURST TRADE SUPPLIES TRADE ACCOUNT J PRICE PLUMBING LTD 4417 02834417 0283 AUTHORISED USER SAM PRICE 44170283
The front: account name, an embossed account number, the authorised user and a barcode for the till.
The back of the same trade account card A black magnetic stripe runs the full length of the card, 3mm down from the top edge. Below it is a white signature panel headed Authorised signature, and a line asking anyone who finds the card to return it to any branch. AUTHORISED SIGNATURE This card remains the property of Oakhurst Trade Supplies. If found, please return it to any branch. Account 4417 0283
The back: a magnetic stripe encoded with the account number, and a signature panel for counter staff to check.

How to Order

  1. Tell us the quantity and what your till reads: barcode, QR code or magnetic stripe
  2. Send your artwork and the account numbering you use
  3. Approve a free digital proof, and a posted proof card if you want to test it
  4. Cards printed and dispatched in 7 working days from proof approval and payment

Minimum order 25 cards. Standard turnaround 7 working days from proof approval and payment.

Security on account cards

An account card lets someone spend a customer’s credit. A signature panel lets counter staff compare the signature with the one on file. Asking for the card before releasing goods on account only works if the card scans quickly, which is another reason to test the proof card on your own till first.

Why printed plastic rather than a sticker on card

Account cards live in wallets, tool bags and van door pockets. A barcode sticker on a paper card peels and scuffs until the till cannot read it. On a printed PVC card the barcode is under the card surface, so it scans as well in year three as on the first day.

Content reviewed by the CP Cards team, September 2026.

Printed for merchants and wholesalers

Trade account cards are printed alongside the loyalty and membership cards we produce for retailers and suppliers across the UK. You approve a free photorealistic proof before anything is printed, and our design team can set up the artwork from your logo.

Trade Account Card FAQs

Can you encode magnetic stripes with our account numbers?

Yes. We encode HiCo or LoCo stripes from a start number or from a spreadsheet of account numbers.

Which barcode types can you print?

We print Code 39, Code 128 and EAN 5, plus QR codes. Ask your till provider which format it reads.

Can we issue cards for several users on one account?

Yes. Each card can carry the user name alongside the shared account number.

Can we test the cards on our till before the full run?

Yes. Add a postal proof to your order: a few real cards printed to your final spec, with their barcode or encoded stripe, and posted to you for £65 +vat, so you can test them on your own system first.