Posts tagged ‘plastic cards’

  |  
April 3, 2012

FAQ: Is CardsPlus Environmentally Responsible?

Our Earth is important to us and keeping her healthy is something that CardsPlus values strongly. Earth Friendly Plastic Manufacturing

Recycling, reducing and reusing are our best means to improve the Earth for future generations.We believe that it is our responsibility to be good stewards with what we have been given and do our utmost to be responsible in our day to day operations.

Our practices:

REDUCE WASTE:

Reducing waste is the biggest method that we help our planet. We do this by:

  • Offering digital proof sheets as a standard with every order allows our clients to double check telephone numbers, placements and spelling before printing.
  • Optional hard-copy colour verification samples ensures that colour matching and quality is satisfactory before printing a full print run.
  • Human double checking policy ensures that each order is checked and double checked for correctness before printing occurs
  • Using good equipment ensures less waste from misprints, tolerance mis-cuts and unsatisfactory print quality. We believe in buying the best equipment available so that the card results are the finest pieces of plastic possible

REDUCING CONSUMPTION

  • Using high quality PVC ensures that the plastic cards last as long as possible in the card holder’s wallet. This reduces the over all demand for plastic cards since cards last longer
  • Services like our Just in Time service help clients reduce waste on their level by printing as they need stock without risking huge waste from telephone changes, design changes, address changes, or even unfortunate events like fire or burglary.

RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE:

  • We recycle all offcuts of plastic and encourage clients to do the same. Facilities are available for clients to offer recycling drop boxes for their card holders.
  • All our plastic core contains at least 10% recycled plastic. Greater levels of recycled plastic is also available.

You see, we believe in being responsible with our resources, not being gimmicky. We’re not here to “green wash” our clients and bully them into choosing a gimmick that has been labeled as more green. By reducing the consumption of plastic, reusing plastic, and recycling plastic, CardsPlus is offering clients across Africa a proven, stable method of improving our planet for generations to come.

_________

CardsPlus is committed to providing fully inclusive customised plastic card solutions. We do this with help from our unique combination of speedy service, flexibility, knowledge, commitment to quality and support.

We’re proud to have helped thousands of African companies get the most from their plastic cards. Read more about us on http://www.cardsplus.co.za/

 

Posted in Enviromental Responsiblity, FAQ | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , , , ,
January 31, 2012

Adding glamour to your plastic cards is easy (and cheap!)

Bring on the Bling this February!

What’s so great about a plastic card? Plastic cards reveal uniqueness.

In Identification, plastic cards are used as a validation tool. The card proclaims “This person, seen here, is important to this company!” Plastic ID cards allow access into certain areas. They provide certain perks and they recognise the importance of that individual.

In loyal sectors, a loyalty card and membership card  is exclusive- even a little luxurious. They entitle the bearer to special treatment, discounts or opportunities.

People who carry plastic cards relish in their own uniqueness and in their own sense of belonging to an exclusive segment of society. Making your card feel luxurious and exclusive is the key to launching your plastic card campaign.  By embracing the feeling of uniqueness in your card holder, you increase their willingness to spend money at your establishment!

Thankfully, there are many ways to add glitz and glamour to your plastic card campaign without costing you a small fortune. This month, we are featuring our new most popular (and FUN!) glitzy features.  We offer a selection of “bling” that you can add to your plastic cards while we manufacture them and capitalise on that sense of exclusivity.

Add Sparkle:VIP Plastic Card Sparkle Sparkles are now available on digital offset!  Most recent to the CardsPlus arsenal is the ability to produce sparkle plastic cards in our standard 2 week turnaround. This shimmer metallic effect is particularly striking paired with light artwork, and provides an elegant backdrop to your gift card, loyalty card and membership card. This process of printing is a quick, cost-effective method of adding shine and character to your plastic card campaign.

Add Embossing: embossed-gift-cardSometimes called “Raised letters”, embossing is a beautiful and functional feature to add to your card. The cards are run, one by one, into a large embossing machine that punches the numbers and letters into the plastic. The cards are then “tipped” with a coloured foil to make the characters stand out visually. We recommend choosing silver or gold foil for the most shine. Embossing is most appropriate on gift cards, loyalty cards, or membership cards, although we’ve seen several companies use embossing for their luxury business cards.

Add Foil Stamp: Foil Stamped Loyalty CardFoil stamps are the most flexible and fun way to personalise your card design. Foil stamps are custom die cut foil pieces that are stamped into the plastic. By resting above the overlay, the foil provides a brilliant shine in the design of your choosing. The foil dies are precise and can be used for geometric shapes like circles or stars (Hint! Sterkinekor uses gold foil stamped stars on their cards!) or organic swirls or text (Hint: Truworths uses foil stamped text on their gift cards!). The design options are huge!

Although most frequently seen on gift cards and business cards, foil stamps are moving into every industry including security, loyalty, and membership. Foil stamps are available in many different colours, as well as a fun mirror finish.

Adding little touches like these to your plastic card campaign will make your card just a little edgier than the rest of your competition and secure a little extra loyalty from your very important clients.

If you would like to add extra features to your plastic cards, contact us for a complimentary consultation and quotation. We want your campaign to succeed!

Posted in CardsPlus Services, Demystifying the Technology, Design, Gift Cards, Insider Insight, Loyalty Cards, Plastic Cards, Pre-Printed Cards | 2 Comments »

Tags: , , , ,
January 12, 2012

Are plastic cards giving you a headache?

Plastic cards are simple tools that can propel your company into high-tech professionalism or weigh you down with unnecessary expense. But how can you tell if plastic cards are harming you or helping you?

We have put together a few questions that might help you nail down the best plastic card solution for your project.

Are you using the right technology for your application?

There are so many technologies available. With plastic cards touching such a vast array of industries, there is standard and advanced technologies available for nearly every market. Sometimes your requirement is such that you need advanced technology found in smart cards. Sometimes, you don’t.

How do you know?
This is a difficult question to answer. After 25 years in the industry, we still learn new things. This is why we make an effort to educate anyone who is interested. We believe information is power! The more you know, the more valuable you are to your company, to the industry and to the reputation of plastic cards globally.

We try to remain transparent, and enjoy providing as much information as we can about the topics you need, from ID management to EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa Loyalty/Gift schemes) to NFC (Near Field Communication – like mobile payments, and certain types of smart cards) to even QR tags.
We offer both a Facebook platform and a Twitter stream for communication and interesting articles we come across, as well as complimentary consultations in and through our offices.

There are a couple of questions you can ask yourself too. What is the best option I can find? I’m not talking price here, although that surely factors into your concerns, but for value. An inexpensive Loyalty solution isn’t going to help you print ID cards. In the same way, a cheap, but useless solution isn’t going to help you much when what you require is a little bigger, a little bit more expensive, but will meet all of your requirements.

It’s about value. You can continue to ask yourself, is this technology offering me the value I require? Is it still meeting my changing needs? If so, great! If not, there are dozens of options for you (and it might not even cost you a cent!)

Does your printing solution suite you best?

Are you printing photos and  logos on a desktop printer in batches to personalise later? Or ordering small quantities of stock to “tide you over” until you can afford a large batch of cards? These systems ratchet up your costs unnecessarily. Perhaps printing stock on a Just in Time service might be a better solution for you.

Have you purchased an exorbitant number of cards to grab a bigger discount, only to change a phone number or rebrand and have to toss them all into the recycling bin? There are other ways to grab a low-cost per card without risking all the wasted money, time and plastic.

Are you treated right?

There are a number of stressful tasks you have at the office. Purchasing plastic cards shouldn’t be one of them. If your solution is causing you more panic than peace, it may be worthwhile into grabbing an alternative solution.

If you find that your client (or your boss) often requires cards on a more urgent timeline, but you are pressured into waiting 4 weeks or even 2 weeks,  you have options of speed services. If you or your designer is worried about colouration or quality, we can ensure you receive a hardcopy proof.

Do you have the right equipment?

With so many demands at the office, you need the right equipment to get the job done quickly, professionally and easily. Having the right card printer, software and cameras can turn a printing chore into a printing pleasure. Is your card printer super simple to use? Can you change out ribbons quickly, and repair card jams without calling a technician? Is the software intuitive? Does your camera integrate into your software easily? Check that your equipment is working perfectly for what you need.

Most importantly, are you receiving technical support when you encounter hiccups?

Plastic cards are great little tools to keep your company secure, to boost sales and to promote yourself. Having the correct solution for your company is critical.

CardsPlus offers comprehensive complimentary consultations for your project. Call us today for yours.

Posted in CardsPlus Services, Demystifying the Technology, Insider Insight | Leave a Comment »

Tags: , , , , ,
November 7, 2011

Manufacturers Versus Resellers : Choosing a plastic card supplier

 

 

Purchasing directly from a manufacturer has its share of benefits.  Resellers often add an extra element of service and value add to the project. There are benefits to both. And while the decision as to which is best for you is a personal choice, you need to feel comfortable that the company you work with is offering you the service you are paying for.

But what are the benefits to choosing one over the other?

Manufacturers:

The biggest benefit of purchasing from a manufacturer is service flexibilty

When you approach CardsPlus directly, you will receive the most flexible option available. When you require something less than straight forward, you can be assured that the printing company knows exactly what you need without relying on additional people. There are no long delays waiting to hear back from the printers, since we can look at our production schedule right away.  With information “straight from the horse’s mouth” you can be assured that everything is being handled.

Great Pricing

Since there are no additional mark ups, you can feel confident that you are receiving excellent pricing.

Indepth Information

Plastic cards is what we do. It’s our specialty, our livelihood. We know plastic cards inside and out. If you require information about the technology or it’s application, you best contact someone who has pinpointed vision on the industry.

 

Resellers:

CardsPlus has a strong network of reselling agents and we believe in promoting our reseller base as there is value in buying from a reseller.

The biggest benefit of purchasing from a reseller is Added Value.

Each reseller packages their value-add in different ways. Some offer free artwork, some have a wide variety of suppliers and can offer a more inclusive product solution, others suppliment cards with loyalty provision or other software or system add on.

Advocacy

All resellers act as the mediator between the manufacturer and the end user. They keep track of your order, ensuring that artwork is completed, proofs are signed off, and delivery is arranged. While some manfacturers, like CardsPlus, offer order tracking, and delivery, it is sometime nice to have additional advocacy to the manufacturing company.

 

Are you not sure if your supplier is a reseller or manfuacturer? We have addressed disturbing trends in the industry about this very thing.

 

Choosing a plastic card supplier is a personal choice, and can refer to the time and resources available to spend on your project. I believe in the value of purchasing straight from the manufacturer. This is why CardsPlus transistioned from a printing service to a manufacturering company. Yet, the industry is so big and full with unique projects and situations, there is sometimes a better fit with a reseller than the manufacturer directly.

If you would like more inforamtion about how an order would be handled at CardsPlus, please give us a call.


Posted in CardsPlus Services, Industry News, Insider Insight, Pre-Printed Cards, Pre-Printing 101, Printing 101 | 1 Comment »

Tags: , , ,
November 4, 2011

Is your supplier a Reseller or Manufacturer? : Choosing a plastic card supplier

I, initially, began this post as “Warning, not everyone is who they say” as an outcry to a client’s recent experience with a plastic card supplier. Their experience was quite upsetting as they were led to believe that their supplier was a manufacturer but then discovered the company was not being competely honest – just when they needed them the most.

They were misled by phrases like “direct from the manufacturer” meanwhile, the company was a reseller posing as a manufacturer.

This does seem to be a trend in our industry, with small businesses misleading clients to believing that they manufacture onsite, while they actually import their products from an overseas or local manufacturer.

Purchasing directly from a manufacturer has its share of benefits.  Resellers often add an extra element of service and value add to the project. There are benefits to both. And while the decision as to which is best for you is a personal choice, you need to feel comfortable that the company you work with is offering you the service you are paying for.

Here are a few tricks to finding the truth behind all the marketing:

1: ASK if your potential supplier is a reseller or manufacturer

The best way to find out if you are working with a reseller or not is to ask them. Most companies are honest enough to say that they are not the producers of the goods in question.

Perhaps you aren’t dealing with a highly scrupulous company, and you catch a hint that perhaps they aren’t being completely honest?

RUN!

If they are fibbing about something clear-cut and straightforward, how do you think they are going to handle the situation if something goes wrong?

2. Pop in for a visit (or say you are going to)

There are only a small handful of local manufacturers, of which CardsPlus is the largest.

We each WANT you to come in so that we can dazzle you with our productivity, interior decorating and staff personalities.

If your supplier does not want you to come in (whether you actually choose to or not) red flags should be popping up in your mind.

Ask yourself what they might be hiding.

3. Look at their website and marketing information

Does the company claim to manufacturer onsite? Are they a large international company (hint: they import!) or do they seem smaller than they say they are? Are they vague about printing terms or do an excessive amount of “checking” whether something might be acceptable for print? These are all tell-tale signs that your supplier might be a reseller.

Through a little investigation, you can start to place where the potential supplier falls and with these hints in mind, you can avoid being misled and disappointed.

Posted in FAQ, Insider Insight, Pre-Printed Cards, Pre-Printing 101 | 1 Comment »

Tags: ,
  |  
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.