Custom Plastic Card Printing: How to Print Business Cards Using an Online Solution?
Did you know the plastic card market is predicted to grow from $19301.22 million in 2025 to $22388.05 million by 2033? Unsurprisingly, more businesses want to incorporate plastic cards into their operations, from business cards to key tags. Firms wish to use them to spread brand awareness and communicate with their target audiences with tangible items.
You can use these cards at business events or send them to customers by direct mail. Irrespective of how you use them, you need a reliable plastic card printing service to print high-quality materials.
One such solution provider is PostGrid; you can use its API or dashboard to print and mail plastic cards to your intended recipients. But before that, you must know what plastic card printing is, what the different types of cards you can print are, and so on. So, let us begin!
Key Takeaways
- Plastic card printing allows you to print plastic cards, business cards, key tags, frost cards, etc. You can exchange them at commercial events or send them to your customers.
- Businesses must choose a solid plastic card printing solution like PostGrid, with fast turnaround times, customization options, mailing fulfilment, and more.
- A good plastic card printing provider offers API integrations, delivery tracking, bulk production, etc.
- PostGrid allows you to print and mail plastic cards using a single platform at low prices.
- You can also create segmented mailing lists for marketing and customer acquisition campaigns using PostGrid’s solution.
What Does Plastic Card Printing Mean?
It is the process of making cards from plastic, similar to credit cards or ID badges. These cards can have text, images, barcodes, or even chips printed on them. Businesses use plastic cards for many reasons, like membership cards, gift cards, and employee ID badges.
The printing process uses special machines that print designs onto plastic sheets. Some printers use heat to press the ink into the plastic, making the print last longer. Others use UV printing, which dries the ink quickly and makes the design bright and clear.
Plastic cards can also have unique features. Some have magnetic stripes, like hotel key cards. Others have RFID chips, which allow contactless payments or access control. Many businesses add barcodes so customers can scan the cards. These strong, waterproof, and long-lasting cards are better than paper cards. They don’t tear easily and can handle daily use.
Plastic card printing is crucial for businesses, schools, and organizations. It helps with security, branding, and customer convenience. Whether it’s a loyalty card for a coffee shop or an employee badge, plastic cards make things easier and more professional.
Different Kinds of Plastic Cards Can You Print
Gift Card
A gift card is a prepaid plastic card that allows the holder to buy products or services from a specific store or brand. It works like cash, but they can only use it to buy your products or services. Many stores, restaurants, and online platforms offer gift cards as an easy gifting option.
These cards often have a magnetic stripe, barcode, or QR code to track the balance. Some businesses also offer digital gift cards for online use. Gift cards help companies attract new customers and increase sales while giving buyers a convenient way to gift something without choosing specific items.
Plastic Business Card
A plastic business card is a high-quality card that helps you share contact details professionally. Unlike paper cards, plastic ones last longer and are not easily damaged. They are waterproof, tear-resistant, and sleek. Many professionals choose plastic because it feels premium and stands out.
These cards can have glossy, matte, or transparent finishes. Some have embossed text, gold foil, or unique shapes. You can also add QR codes, letting people scan them to save contact details instantly. Plastic business cards help make a strong first impression and show professionalism, making them an excellent choice for networking.
Membership Card
A membership card is a plastic card given to club, gym, store, or organization members. It proves membership and often comes with benefits like discounts, access to special areas, or reward points.
These cards can have barcodes, magnetic stripes, or RFID chips to track usage and verify members quickly. Businesses use them to improve customer loyalty and offer exclusive perks. Membership cards make it easy for organizations to manage members while giving customers a sense of belonging and value.
Referral Program Card
A referral program card is a plastic card that encourages customers to refer new people to a business. It usually has a unique code, barcode, or QR code that tracks referrals. When customers share the card, they and the new customer may get discounts, rewards, or special offers.
Salons, gyms, restaurants, and retail stores often use referral program cards to grow their customer base. Since they are plastic, they last longer and can be reused multiple times. These cards help businesses attract customers while rewarding loyal ones, making them a win-win.
Plastic Postcards
Firms can print plastic postcards to market their products and services to target customers and invite them to business events such as trade fairs, conferences, webinars, workshops, educational tours, and product launches.
Plastic postcard printing improves brand publicity because the cards look eye-catching and appealing. You can customize them to your customers’ tastes to compel them to keep your cards in their homes and workplaces for a long time.
What Features Can You Expect From a Plastic Card Printing Provider?
Production Time
A good plastic card printing provider offers fast production. PostGrid prints and prepares plastic cards in just two business days, which means firms can receive their cards without delays. Fast production helps companies meet urgent needs like employee badges, gift cards, or membership programs.
Customization Options
Businesses should be able to customize their cards fully. So PostGrid allows printing in any color and font, giving complete creative freedom. Companies can design unique, professional-looking cards that match their brand.
Magnetic Stripe/Encoding
Some plastic cards need magnetic stripes for security and functionality. These stripes store important data, making them helpful for key cards, ID badges, and payment cards. PostGrid offers this feature, allowing businesses to add encoding for access control, customer tracking, or easy payments.
Standard Sizes
The standard plastic card size is 3.375” x 2.125”, similar to a credit card. A 0.125” margin exists for text and essential details, while background designs should go to the edges. It ensures the card looks professional and well-aligned when printed.
Variable Data Printing
This feature allows businesses to print unique information on each card, such as names, barcodes, serial numbers, or membership IDs. PostGrid supports this feature, making it easy to personalize every card without manually updating the design.
Design Templates
PostGrid provides many design templates to help businesses create their cards. These templates make it easy to design professional-looking cards without hiring a designer. Businesses can also upload and personalize their designs to match their brand style.
Mailing Fulfillment
A reliable printing provider should print and mail plastic cards directly to customers. PostGrid handles the entire process, ensuring cards reach the correct mailing addresses on time. It saves businesses time and effort while improving customer satisfaction with quick and accurate delivery.
Also Read: Plastic Card Mailing
What to Look For in a Plastic Card Print and Mail Solution?
HTML and PDF Templates
Your plastic card printing and mailing solution should offer ready-made templates to make designing easier. PostGrid provides HTML and PDF templates so businesses can quickly create professional-looking cards without needing a designer. These templates help ensure proper formatting, correct margins, and high-quality prints.
Firms can customize them by adding logos, colors, fonts, and text. These templates save time and avoid design errors. Whether printing membership cards, gift cards, or employee badges, using pre-designed templates speeds up and streamlines the process while maintaining a polished, professional look.
High-Quality and Compliant Printing
You should always look for high-quality plastic card printing solutions to ensure clear text, sharp images, and vibrant colors. PostGrid’s printing partners create your cards using advanced printing technology, making them durable and professional. The cards are waterproof, tear-resistant, and attention-seeking.
PostGrid follows industry standards to ensure the cards meet security and quality requirements. We only partner with printing and mailing partners who comply with HIPAA and other data security laws. Hence, you can rest assured that you don’t need to pay penalties or deal with data breaches.
Address Verification Capabilities
A good plastic card print and mail solution should ensure that cards are delivered to the correct addresses. PostGrid offers address verification capabilities to standardize and validate addresses before shipping, reducing delivery errors, returns, and lost mail.
PostGrid’s system verifies addresses against official USPS databases, ensuring accuracy. Businesses can be confident that their plastic cards reach the correct recipients. This feature saves time, reduces costs, and improves customer satisfaction by providing fast and accurate delivery without the risk of sending cards to incorrect locations.
Ability to Print Different Collaterals
Your solution provider should let you print various collateral items alongside plastic cards. PostGrid can print postcards, brochures, flyers, letters, and other promotional, transactional, and compliant direct mail materials. It makes it easier for businesses to send a complete package to their customers or members. Also, printing different types of collateral allows businesses to promote their services, share crucial information, or add a personal touch all in one go.
API Integrations
You must get easy integration options with your existing business tools, CRMs, etc. PostGrid provides API integrations with platforms like Stripe, Zapier, HubSpot, and more. It allows businesses to automate the process of printing and mailing cards directly from their existing systems.
For example, businesses can automatically generate and send plastic cards when a new customer signs up through Salesforce or after a transaction in Stripe. These integrations save time, reduce manual work, and ensure smooth business operations using different software. They are a convenient way to streamline card printing and mailing.
Also Read: Best Print and Mail Services About PostGrid's Plastic Card Printing API
PostGrid offers several high-tech and helpful features to allow you to send quality plastic cards. Some of them are:
Compliance With Data Security Laws
PostGrid’s plastic card printing API follows strict data security laws to protect customer information. When businesses use PostGrid to print and mail cards, sensitive details like addresses, payment information, and personal data are kept safe.
We ensure that all data is handled according to industry standards and legal requirements, such as GDPR or PCI-DSS, depending on the type of information. This compliance helps prevent data breaches, identity theft, or misuse of customer details. Businesses can trust that their customers’ information is secure while using the API for printing and mailing cards.
On-Demand and Bulk Printing
PostGrid allows businesses to print on-demand or in bulk, depending on their needs. On-demand printing is excellent for small orders, letting organizations print and mail cards as needed without extra storage costs. Bulk plastic card printing is ideal for large orders, helping companies save money with cost-effective, high-volume printing.
Whether printing one card or thousands, PostGrid ensures high-quality results with fast turnaround times. Businesses can automate printing and mailing, making the process smooth and hassle-free. Thus, companies can scale quickly while keeping costs and waste low.
IMB Tracking
We support USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) tracking, which helps businesses monitor their mailed cards. IMB is a unique barcode the USPS uses to track mail in real-time. With this feature, companies can see when a card is sent, where it is in transit, and when it is delivered.
Tracking ensures that essential cards, such as loyalty cards, folded tags, gift cards, or membership cards, reach the intended recipients on time and helps reduce lost or delayed mail. PostGrid’s IMB tracking improves businesses’ visibility and reliability in mailing processes. Talk to our sales team and get more details on our plastic card printing solution!
