Magnetic Stripe Cards: Secure Payment and Access Control Solutions
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About Plastic Card ID
Plastic Card ID (PCID) is a strategic partner that transforms brand presence into durable, tangible tools for customer engagement. With a history of trusted collaboration and innovation, Plastic Card ID has empowered more than 100,000 businesses and sold over 50 million cards, combining craftsmanship with measurable outcomes.
Rather than offering generic, one-size-fits-all solutions, Plastic Card ID focuses on tailored solutions that align with client goals, from marketing lift to improved operational security. Our approach blends design expertise with secure production to create cards that deliver lasting brand impact and consistent performance.
Our Legacy
PCID's legacy is built on consistent quality and client relationships that span decades, reflecting a commitment to proven results. This history is not just a timeline of orders; it represents thousands of creative solutions that helped organizations increase loyalty, boost sales, and maintain identity integrity with confidence and clarity.
Across retail, hospitality, education, and corporate environments, our work emphasizes reliability and visible ROI. Our team blends traditional printing craft with modern encoding technologies to ensure every card performs as a secure, attention-grabbing brand asset that customers value and remember.
What We Offer
Plastic Card ID provides an extensive product line including gift cards, loyalty cards, membership badges, ID credentials, hotel keys, and RFID-enabled smart cards. We specialize in custom shapes, clear plastic, and premium options such as stainless steel or gold-plated metal cards that communicate luxury and distinction for high-value brands.
Beyond stock products, we deliver integrated services like custom carriers, sleeves, affixing, and mailing. This one-stop shop model reduces coordination overhead for clients and supports affiliates and marketers seeking turnkey solutions that perform from design all the way through delivery.
Industries Served
Our clients range from small retailers to large hospitality groups and colleges, each benefiting from cards that drive loyalty and identity. Casinos, hotels, universities, unions, and retail chains rely on PCID for secure access control, memorable gift programs, and measurable marketing gains that convert into repeat business.
We pair industry-specific knowledge with flexible production capacity so every order is matched to operational needs. Whether the priority is durable badges for staff, encoded player cards, or high-volume gift cards for seasonal campaigns, our solutions are built to deliver consistent performance.
Custom Magnetic Stripe Cards & Solutions
Magnetic Stripe Cards remain a cornerstone technology for many businesses because they are simple to implement and highly reliable. Our magnetic stripe options are engineered for secure encoding, consistent swipes, and exceptional print quality, ensuring that every card looks and functions as intended in real-world environments.
PCID supports low-coercion swipes and various encoding standards to meet client systems, enabling seamless integration with existing POS and access control infrastructure. Our team consults on stripe type, encoding track selection, and durability to ensure compatibility and reliable day-to-day use.
From basic loyalty cards to encoded hotel keys, we craft magnetic stripe cards with precise alignment and protective overlays that extend life and reduce read errors. The result is a product that performs under frequent handling and maintains a premium appearance for the full lifecycle.
Design & Print Options
We offer full-color printing, custom dielines, edge-to-edge artwork, and specialty finishes that make magnetic stripe cards visually distinct and brand-forward. Every design undergoes careful print optimization to preserve barcode readability and magnetic track placement, ensuring consistent usability for customers and staff.
Options such as matte or glossy laminates and spot treatments allow brands to highlight logos and call to action language in a way that supports campaign goals. Our design team collaborates to ensure the final card is both beautiful and operationally precise for encoding.
Security & Encoding
Encoding is performed by experienced technicians using secure workflows, and we support standard magnetic stripe tracks as well as custom data formats. Our processes protect sensitive information during production, delivering cards that meet client requirements for data integrity and practical access control.
For environments needing layered security, we can combine magnetic stripes with barcodes, magnetic heads, or contactless overlays to craft hybrid solutions. This versatility helps organizations transition at their own pace while preserving the security and convenience they require.
Key Features and Benefits
Our magnetic stripe solutions emphasize durability, compatibility, and branding. Clients benefit from fast turnaround, scalable production, and add-on services like mailing and fulfillment that streamline campaign deployment and operations.
- Reliable reads across common POS and access systems
- Durable overlays that resist wear from frequent use
- Custom printing options for brand impact and readability
- Full-service fulfillment including affixing and mailing
Card Type Typical Use Encoding Options Standard PVC Magnetic Stripe Loyalty/Gift Tracks 1-3, ISO formats RFID Magnetic Hybrid Access Control / Membership MIFARE, DESFire Mag Stripe Premium Metal or Specialty VIP Programs / Luxury Gifting Custom Encoding Laser Engraving
| Card Type | Typical Use | Encoding Options |
|---|---|---|
| Standard PVC Magnetic Stripe | Loyalty/Gift | Tracks 1-3, ISO formats |
| RFID Magnetic Hybrid | Access Control / Membership | MIFARE, DESFire Mag Stripe |
| Premium Metal or Specialty | VIP Programs / Luxury Gifting | Custom Encoding Laser Engraving |
Product Comparison & Specifications
Choosing the right magnetic stripe card depends on use frequency, environment, and desired branding. Our consultants evaluate swipe volumes, expected handling, and system compatibility to recommend card thickness, stripe type, and protective overlays that optimize both function and longevity.
We emphasize measurable ROI by aligning product specs with campaign goals: gift cards that increase average spend, membership cards that boost repeat visits, or secure badges that reduce administrative overhead. Each specification is justified with practical impact in mind.
Clients receive clear documentation on care, expected lifespan, and encoding formats so their teams can manage circulation and replacements with minimal friction. Our goal is to provide clarity and control over both the physical product and its integration into existing systems.
Material Choices
PVC remains the standard for magnetic stripe cards due to cost-effectiveness and durability, while specialty clear or metal cards offer premium tactile experiences for VIP programs. Each material is specified with print and encoding constraints in mind to preserve brand fidelity and read reliability.
We can advise on thickness (measured in mils), lamination options, and scratch resistance to match real-world use. For retail gift programs that see frequent handling, we recommend protective finishes that extend life and maintain the fresh, polished look that customers associate with quality.
Encoding Types & Standards
Our production supports ISO-7811 magnetic stripe encoding across tracks, custom data fields, and hybrid configurations where magnetic stripes are combined with contactless chips or barcodes. This flexibility ensures cards work with legacy terminals and modern access systems alike.
Encoding is carried out in secure facilities with verification steps to reduce errors. We provide test reports and sample swipes so clients can validate card behavior early in rollout and feel confident in the operational reliability of their program.
Case Studies & Performance
Retail clients switching from paper certificates to PCID's plastic gift cards often see sales increases of up to 100%, while loyalty programs commonly experience 35-50% lift in repeat transactions. These outcomes reflect the power of a physical token to change customer behavior and elevate brand perception.
In hospitality and casino environments, properly encoded player cards and key cards streamline operations and increase on-site spending. Our case work demonstrates consistent performance improvements when card quality and encoding meet practical usage demands.
Loyalty, Membership & Fulfillment Services
Beyond printing, Plastic Card ID delivers full-service fulfillment including custom carriers, sleeves, affixing, and mailing. This capability reduces the logistical burden for clients and affiliates and ensures that a campaign arrives ready to deploy with minimal additional handling required from internal teams.
We believe that seamless fulfillment should be part of the product offering, which is why many partners rely on PCID for turn-key execution. Combining production, encoding, and distribution under one managed workflow improves speed to market and minimizes mistakes that can undermine campaign success.
Affixing services and mailing programs are especially valuable for high-volume promotions, allowing brands to target recipients with ready-to-use cards that enhance recipient experience and lift response rates dramatically.
Loyalty Program Design
Designing a high-performing loyalty card means aligning rewards, visibility, and convenience. Our team helps structure physical cards to convey program status clearly and encourages customers to keep and use the card, driving the behavioral change that underpins program success.
Effective cards include clear branding, easy-to-read account numbers, and durable finishes. When combined with targeted messaging and the right distribution method, these cards become consistent drivers of repeat patronage and elevated lifetime value.
Membership & ID Solutions
From alumni cards to union credentials, our ID solutions focus on durability, security, and a strong sense of belonging. We provide options for photo IDs, smart chip integration, and tamper-resistant features that protect identity while fostering a professional, trusted image for the issuing organization.
Membership initiatives benefit from custom designs that reflect institutional pride and create a tactile connection between members and the organization. These cards often serve double duty as functional credentials and as symbolic tokens of affiliation.
Fulfillment & Mailing
Our fulfillment services include printing, card affixing to carriers, personalized mail merges, and direct mailing. Clients appreciate the ability to launch a campaign with minimal touchpoints and predictable delivery schedules that protect campaign timing and customer experience.
- Personalized mailings with variable data printing for targeted outreach
- Secure affixing to carriers and inserts for professional presentation
- Quality control checks prior to shipment to ensure accuracy and consistency
Partner with Plastic Card ID
Choosing Plastic Card ID means partnering with a provider that blends craftsmanship with strategic thinking to drive measurable outcomes. We support affiliates and direct clients with product options, marketing materials, and the operational capacity to scale successful campaigns quickly and reliably.
Our warranties and post-sale support underline a commitment to client success. When quality or functional issues arise, clients benefit from responsive customer service and practical remedies that keep programs running smoothly and protect brand reputation.
We specialize in custom business solutions rather than financial credit products, focusing on the types of cards that boost loyalty, secure facilities, and bolster marketing performance. This focus allows us to refine processes and deliver consistent excellence every time.
Why Choose Us
Our combination of design expertise, secure encoding, and full-service fulfillment makes Plastic Card ID a reliable partner for organizations seeking visible, long-lasting results. We prioritize clarity in production timelines, sample verification, and post-delivery support so clients can deploy with confidence.
With a track record of enabling sales lifts and improving engagement metrics, our team helps clients select the right card types and service packages to match their objectives. This practical guidance translates into sustained value and measurable campaign performance.
Warranties & Support
We stand behind our workmanship with warranties that cover manufacturing defects and encoding consistency, and we provide practical support to address issues quickly. This commitment is part of our mission to be more than a vendor: we are a responsive, solutions-oriented partner.
Our technical support teams help clients verify encoding formats, confirm system compatibility, and troubleshoot any in-field issues, reducing downtime and ensuring that programs continue to deliver the expected benefits without interruption.
Get Started
Begin with a conversation about objectives, volumes, and desired timelines so our team can recommend the best magnetic stripe card solution and fulfillment path. We offer sample runs, proofing, and test encoding to validate every aspect before large-scale production begins.
Ready to elevate your program?
Contact Plastic Card ID today at 800.835.7919 to request a quote or sample and discover how magnetic stripe cards can amplify your brand.