Bicycle Cards
Bicycle Cards is the consumer brand of The United States Playing Card Company, a 1867-founded Erlanger, KY-based manufacturer of premium playing cards (Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, Kem, Congress) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Cartamundi Group since 2019, serving households, retailers, promotional buyers, and magicians via DTC, wholesale, and custom printing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1867
- HeadquartersErlanger, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bicycle Cards does
The United States Playing Card Company, consumer-facing as Bicycle Cards, is a 1867-founded manufacturer of premium playing cards headquartered in Erlanger, KY. The company produces a multi-brand portfolio including the flagship Bicycle line — described as the world's bestselling playing card brand for more than 130 years — alongside Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, Kem, and Congress. Its core technical differentiator is the proprietary Air Cushion Finish combined with vertical integration into card stock production: the company states it is the only manufacturer that creates its own card stock in-house, controlling thickness, stiffness, snap, and embossing. Manufacturing historically operated from a 600,000+ square-foot Norwood, OH facility.
Bicycle Cards monetizes through four revenue streams: branded physical product sales via Cardtopia.com DTC and wholesale distribution to thousands of retail stores; custom deck printing services for promotional (100+ decks), specialty/Kickstarter (2,500+ decks), and magic markets (2,500+ decks) under the Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Aristocrat, and Tally Ho brands; licensing and royalty agreements with Disney, World Series of Poker, David Blaine, and others; and a freemium mobile app (Card Games by Bicycle) launched in August 2021. Customers span a long tail of households/individuals, retailers and distributors, corporate/promotional buyers, and professional magicians, with no disclosed concentration anchors. The legal entity is a privately held corporation domiciled in Delaware and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Belgium-based Cartamundi Group following Cartamundi's 2019 acquisition.
Bicycle Cards firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bicycle Cards
- Legal name
- The United States Playing Card Company
- Website
- https://bicyclecards.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1867
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bicycle Cards is the consumer brand of The United States Playing Card Company, a 1867-founded Erlanger, KY-based manufacturer of premium playing cards (Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, Kem, Congress) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Cartamundi Group since 2019, serving households, retailers, promotional buyers, and magicians via DTC, wholesale, and custom printing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bicycle Cards industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Playing Cards
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment) (CRALAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Collectibles & Trading Cards Distribution (CRAOAMAC)
Keywords
Where Bicycle Cards is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Erlanger
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Bicycle Cards business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Playing Cards - Physical Products: Sale of branded playing cards including Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, Kem, and Congress brands. Includes single decks, multi-packs, clipstrips, and displays. Revenue from consumer retail and wholesale distribution.
- Digital App - Card Games by Bicycle: Free mobile application launched August 2021 connecting players online for card game favorites on both Google Play and Apple App stores.
- Custom Printing Services: Custom deck printing for promotional (100+ decks), specialty retail/Kickstarter (2500+ decks), and magic markets (2500+ decks). Premium pricing for custom designs using proprietary card stock.
- Licensing & Royalties: Licensing agreements for branded card games, digital games, apparel, and themed collaborations (Disney, World Series of Poker, David Blaine).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Retail/Distributor Orders |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Promotional Custom Cards |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Specialty/Magic Custom Cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Bicycle Cards product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bicycle Cards, the consumer-facing brand of The United States Playing Card Company, manufactures and sells premium playing cards under multiple registered trademarks including Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, Kem, and Congress. The company operates a custom deck printing division for promotional, specialty retail, and magic markets, distributes through wholesale/retail networks and its own Cardtopia e-commerce store, and offers the Card Games by Bicycle mobile application for digital play.
Product overview
Bicycle Cards is the consumer-facing brand of The United States Playing Card Company, a subsidiary of Cartamundi Group. The company produces a portfolio of playing card brands including the flagship BICYCLE (the world's bestselling playing card brand for over 130 years), along with BEE, AVIATOR, HOYLE, KEM, and CONGRESS. The portfolio spans traditional playing cards, children's card games, specialty themed decks (Disney licensed products, Stargazer Collection, Under the Sea), and bundles. The company also offers custom deck printing services through USPC's Custom Printing division with brands including Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Aristocrat, and Tally Ho, and launched the Card Games by Bicycle mobile app in 2021 for digital play.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BEE: Registered trademark brand of playing cards under The United States Playing Card Company.
- AVIATOR
- HOYLE
- KEM
- CONGRESS
- Cardtopia
Products and services
- Bicycle Playing Cards The flagship playing card brand of The United States Playing Card Company; the bestselling playing card brand in the world for over 130 years, known for Air Cushion Finish that provides flawless handling.
- Bee Playing Cards A registered trademark brand of The United States Playing Card Company offered alongside the Bicycle brand.
- Aviator Playing Cards A registered trademark playing card brand of The United States Playing Card Company.
- Hoyle Playing Cards A registered trademark playing card brand of The United States Playing Card Company.
- Kem Playing Cards Acquired by The United States Playing Card Company in 2004; a playing card brand known for quality.
- Congress Playing Cards A registered trademark premium playing card brand of The United States Playing Card Company.
- Custom Playing Cards (USPC Custom Printing) Custom deck printing services using proprietary card stock and Air Cushion Finish. Available through Promotional (100+ decks), Specialty (2,500+ decks), and Magic (2,500+ decks) programs using Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Aristocrat, and Tally Ho brands.
- Card Games by Bicycle App A free mobile app connecting players online with card game favorites, available on Google Play and Apple App stores.
- Trash by Bicycle Games A card game product introduced under the Bicycle Games brand.
- Disney Beauty and the Beast Inspired Playing Cards Disney-licensed playing cards inspired by the Beauty and the Beast film.
- Disney Stitch Inspired Playing Cards Disney-licensed playing cards inspired by the Stitch character, available in purple edition.
- Disney and Pixar Cars Inspired Playing Cards Disney and Pixar-licensed playing cards inspired by the Cars movie.
- Bicycle Sparkler Playing Cards Celebratory-themed playing cards marketed for Father's Day and similar occasions.
- Pre-shuffled Cards Pre-shuffled playing cards introduced by The United States Playing Card Company in 2007.
- Iraq's Most Wanted Decks Special edition decks featuring most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government, sold as a promotional tie-in during the 2003 Iraq conflict; 750,000 decks sold in one week.
Quantifiable outcome
- 750,000 Iraq's Most Wanted decks sold in one week (2003)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Bicycle Cards
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bicycle Cards technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bicycle Cards partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- CartamundicoreCartamundi acquired The United States Playing Card Company in 2019, combining their rich history and passion for card making. Bicycle Cards operates as a brand under Cartamundi's portfolio. Cartamundi is a Belgian-based company that is the world's leading manufacturer of playing cards and board games.
- Braxton Brewing CompanyminorCo-branding partner for Bicycle's 'The Game Before The Game' Tailgate event. Braxton Brewing Company collaborated with USPC for this promotional event.
- World Series of PokerflagshipUSPC entered into sponsorship agreement with the World Series of Poker (2007), the single largest poker tournament in the world. Introduced a line of playing cards and poker accessories co-branded as Bicycle and World Series of Poker.
- ESW (U.S. Direct E-Commerce Limited)coreAuthorized reseller and merchant of record for all physical products purchased on the Cardtopia online store. ESW handles transaction processing and fulfillment.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bicycle Cards competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mattel: Global toy and games company with playing card and family game product lines (e.g., UNO). Broad incumbent competing in adjacent family card-game and entertainment categories.
- Hasbro: Global gaming and toy conglomerate with adjacent product lines including card games, board games, and licensed entertainment. Broad incumbent offering overlap in card-based gaming and family entertainment segments.
- Cartamundi: Belgian-based parent of USPC/Bicycle Cards and the world's leading playing card and board game manufacturer. Directly comparable as the global incumbent in playing card manufacturing, distribution, and brand management.
- Asmodee: Major board game and card game publisher and distributor with global reach. Broad incumbent in tabletop/card gaming that competes for retailer shelf space and consumer gaming spend.
Direct peers
- Theory11: Direct-to-consumer playing card brand and magic accessories retailer that designs and sells premium custom decks. Direct peer in the custom/specialty playing card market targeting collectors, magicians, and lifestyle consumers.
- Ellusionist: Designer playing card brand focused on magic and cardistry communities. Direct peer in premium custom playing cards with comparable target customer (magicians, cardists) and distribution model.
- Expert Playing Card Company: Specialty playing card brand producing custom and designer decks for magicians and cardistry enthusiasts. Direct peer in the premium custom playing card category with similar end users and brand positioning.
Regional players
- Fournier (Heraclio Fournier): Spanish playing card manufacturer originally founded in 1868 and acquired by USPC in 1986. Comparable as a heritage playing card manufacturer with strong regional (European) brand identity, now operating within the same parent ecosystem.
Others
- Wizards of the Coast: Publisher of Magic: The Gathering and other trading card games. Thematically adjacent as a card-game ecosystem player, though focused on TCG rather than traditional playing cards, making it a tangential rather than direct competitor.
- Games Workshop: Manufacturer and retailer of tabletop miniature games with a strong hobbyist/collector ecosystem. Thematically adjacent as a hobby game brand with direct-to-consumer and licensing model parallels, though not a direct playing card competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bicycle Cards social profiles
Digital presenceBicycle Cards financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bicycle Cards leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Bicycle Cards subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Bicycle Cards funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bicycle Cards M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bicycle Cards
What does Bicycle Cards do?
Bicycle Cards, the consumer-facing brand of The United States Playing Card Company, manufactures and sells premium playing cards under multiple registered trademarks including Bicycle, Bee, Aviator, Hoyle, Kem, and Congress. The company operates a custom deck printing division for promotional, specialty retail, and magic markets, distributes through wholesale/retail networks and its own Cardtopia e-commerce store, and offers the Card Games by Bicycle mobile application for digital play.
Is Bicycle Cards a public or private company?
Bicycle Cards is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Bicycle Cards founded?
Bicycle Cards was founded in 1867. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bicycle Cards based?
Bicycle Cards is headquartered in Erlanger, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bicycle Cards make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Playing Cards - Physical Products are the primary driver. The others are digital App - Card Games by Bicycle, custom Printing Services and licensing & Royalties.
Who are Bicycle Cards's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mattel, Hasbro, Cartamundi and Asmodee. Direct peers are Theory11, Ellusionist and Expert Playing Card Company. Fournier (Heraclio Fournier) is listed as a regional player. Others are Wizards of the Coast and Games Workshop.
Does Bicycle Cards have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bicycle Cards.
What industry is Bicycle Cards in?
Bicycle Cards's product category is Playing Cards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAGAB, Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment), with a secondary code of CRAOAMAC, Collectibles & Trading Cards Distribution. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.