Lesar UK

What Lesar UK does

Lesar UK is a privately held value-added reseller and online retailer of identification and access control solutions, headquartered in Blackburn, United Kingdom, and operating since 2000. The company sells a broad catalogue of third-party ID card printers (direct-to-card and retransfer), printer ribbons, blank and custom-printed plastic cards, ID accessories such as lanyards and badge holders, and access control products across brands including Datacard/Entrust, Evolis, Fargo, Magicard, Smart, Zebra, Matica, Paxton, HID, SALTO, and others. Its distribution is primarily UK and Ireland-focused, delivered through an e-commerce storefront with phone-based sales support and, for access control, on-site installation services via a dedicated installation sub-brand.

On top of the third-party hardware stack, Lesar UK has built three proprietary offerings: ProVisit, a visitor and contractor management software; CardHero, an online portal for ordering custom printed ID cards without owning a printer; and CardCare, a paid annual technical support and maintenance plan. Revenue mechanics are predominantly transactional hardware and consumables sales with recurring components in software licences and support plans; the customer base spans SMBs, educational institutions, government and high-security organisations, and named enterprise accounts (Apple, BMW, Siemens, Unilever, Sony, Samsung, Warburtons, DHL, G4S, and others). The company is independently owned, employs 11-50 people, and has no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or M&A activity.

Name

Lesar UK

Legal name

Lesar UK

Website

https://lesar.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lesar UK is a UK-based value-added reseller of ID card printers, consumables, access control hardware, and proprietary visitor management software, serving SMBs, schools, government, and enterprises across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

ID Card Printing Solutions

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro primary industry

Receipt, Label & Card Printers (Thermal/Impact) (HDACAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ticketing, Registration & Event Technology (Badging, Apps) (BPAFAGAL)

Keywords

• ID card printers
• Visitor management software
• Access control solutions
• Staff identification cards
• Card printing consumables

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackburn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. ID Card Printers and Hardware: Sale of ID card printers including single-sided, dual-sided, direct-to-card, and retransfer printers from multiple brands (Datacard, Evolis, Fargo, Magicard, Smart, Zebra). Also includes refurbished printers and printer bundles.
2. Printer Consumables: Sale of printer ribbons (YMCKO, monochrome, specialty ribbons), cleaning kits, and other consumables for all supported printer brands.
3. Plastic Cards and Accessories: Sale of blank PVC cards, custom printed staff ID cards, access control cards, lanyards, badge holders, and related accessories.
4. CardCare Support Plans: Annual support plans (CardCare 3 at £195) providing technical support, maintenance coverage, and remote assistance for ID card printers.
5. Access Control Products: Sale and installation of access control systems including Paxton, HID, SALTO, Cotag, PAC, Kantech, and TDSi products.
6. Software Licenses: Sale of ID card design software (Cardpresso, Easybadge, E-Media) and visitor management software (ProVisit).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lesar UK is a value-added reseller and online retailer of ID card printing solutions, supplying ID card printers (direct-to-card and retransfer) from brands such as Datacard, Evolis, Fargo, Magicard, Smart, Zebra, and Matica, along with printer ribbons, plastic PVC cards, ID accessories, and access control cards. The company also develops and offers proprietary software and services including ProVisit visitor and contractor management software, CardHero online ID card printing service, and CardCare technical support plans, complemented by personalised printing and access control installation services for UK and Ireland customers.

Product overview

Lesar UK operates as a value-added reseller (VAR) and online retailer of ID card printing solutions, offering a portfolio of hardware, consumables, software, and managed services. The core offering centres on ID card printers — both direct-to-card and retransfer models — from third-party brands (Smart, Magicard, Evolis, Matica, Fargo, Zebra, Datacard, HID) sold alongside their own consumables (ribbons, cards) and accessories (lanyards, badge holders, ribbon shredders). Two proprietary software and service products anchor the portfolio: ProVisit (visitor and contractor management software) and CardHero (online ID card ordering service). CardCare provides a fee-based technical support and maintenance plan. Complementary offerings include label printers (Zebra), personalised printing services, and access control cards compatible with Paxton, HID, Salto, and other systems. The business model combines product resale with bundled solutions (printer bundles include software, cards, and ribbons) and managed print services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProVisit: Visitor and contractor management software offered by Lesar UK.
• CardHero
• CardCare

Products and services

• ProVisit Proprietary visitor and contractor management software for businesses to handle sign-in, employee management, and contractor tracking.
• CardHero Proprietary online ID card printing service that lets customers order full-colour printed ID cards remotely without owning a printer.
• CardCare Annual technical support and maintenance plan for ID card printers, providing expert assistance, remote troubleshooting, and maintenance to minimise downtime.
• ID Card Printers Desktop ID card printers in direct-to-card and retransfer varieties, spanning single-sided and dual-sided models, from entry-level to industrial-grade, sourced from brands including Smart, Magicard, Evolis, Matica, Datacard, Fargo, and Zebra.
• Printer Ribbons Replacement printer ribbons including YMCKO, YMCKOK, monochrome, and specialty ribbons compatible with all supported printer brands.
• Plastic Cards Blank PVC plastic cards in plain, eco-friendly, white, coloured, magstripe, and signature strip variants, with prices from £0.09 per card.
• ID Accessories Badge holders, lanyards (personalised, pre-printed, plain), clips, retractable badge reels, wristbands, slot punches, and signature tablets for carrying and customising ID cards.
• Access Control Cards & Fobs Access control cards, key fobs, and proximity cards compatible with Paxton, HID, Salto, PAC, Kantech, Cotag, TDSi, and MIFARE systems.
• Label Printers Zebra label printers including handheld, desktop, and manufacturing models for workplace efficiency and on-the-move labelling.
• Smart BIT Ribbon Shredder Security accessory that shreds used ID card printer ribbons into unrecognisable particles to protect confidential printed data, compatible with all ID card printer ribbon manufacturers; first of its kind in the UK market.
• Cleaning Kits Printer cleaning kits including cards, swabs, pens, and adhesive cleaning products to maintain printer performance and validate manufacturer warranties.
• Personalised Printing Services Custom printing services for staff ID badges, lanyards, car parking permits, wristbands, name badges, visitor passes, contractor passes, membership cards, and keytags.
• Cardpresso ID card design software compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems, resold by Lesar UK.
• Easybadge Windows-based ID card design and printing software resold by Lesar UK.
• E-Media Windows-based ID card design software offering customisable ID card solutions, resold by Lesar UK.

Quantifiable outcome

• Well over 1 million lanyards supplied
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DatacardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial authorised reseller of Datacard ID card printers, ribbons, and accessories. Lesar UK stocks and supports the full range of Datacard products including SD160, SD260, SD360, SD460, SR200, SR300, and CR805 printers.
• EvoliscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised reseller of Evolis ID card printers, ribbons, and accessories including Primacy, Primacy 2, Zenius, Zenius 2, Badgy, Agilia, and Tattoo product lines.
• FargocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised Fargo reseller offering the complete Fargo product range including DTC1250e, DTC4500, HDP5000, HDP5000e, HDP5600, HDP6600, and HDP8500 printers and ribbons.
• MagicardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised Magicard reseller offering Magicard 300, 600, Pronto, Pronto 100, Rio Pro, Enduro, and Ultima printers with associated ribbons and accessories.
• SmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised reseller of SMART Group ID card printers including Smart 21, 30s, 31, 50s, 50d, 50L, 51, 70, and 81 models. Also offers the SMART BIT Ribbon Shredder.
• ZebracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised Zebra reseller for ZXP Series printers (ZXP1, ZXP3, ZXP7, ZXP8, ZXP9), ZC100, ZC300, ZC350, and full ribbon and accessory range.
• PaxtoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted Paxton Gold Partner offering Paxton access control products including access control cards, readers, and door access control installation services via accesscontrolnearme.co.uk.
• HIDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised HID reseller for proximity cards, access control cards, and HID-based identification solutions.
• SALTOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised SALTO reseller for electronic lock and access control solutions including SALTO cards and access control products.
• CotagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised Cotag reseller providing access control cards and solutions for reader integration.
• StripeminorOthersPayment processing partner providing secure online payments via credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay through Stripe's payment platform.
• Entrust DatacardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised reseller of Entrust Datacard Sigma ID card printers (DS1, DS2, DS3) and associated ribbons including YMCKF-KT and YMCKT colour ribbons.
• MaticacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised Matica reseller offering XID8100, XID8300, XID8600 retransfer printers and MC110, MC210, MC310 direct-to-card printers with full ribbon support.
• PACminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised PAC reseller for PAC access control cards and identification products.
• KantechminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised Kantech reseller for access control cards and related identification solutions.
• TDSiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorised TDSi reseller for access control products and cards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evolis: French manufacturer of ID card printers (Primacy, Zenius, Agilia, Badgy) with global direct and partner sales. Comparable to Lesar UK as a core supply partner but also a competitor via direct enterprise sales.
• Entrust: Provider of secure identity and issuance solutions including Datacard/Entrust Sigma ID card printers and card personalization software. Lesar UK resells Entrust Datacard printers but Entrust also sells direct at the enterprise tier.
• Brady Corporation: Global manufacturer of identification and compliance solutions including ID card printers and label printers. Operates in adjacent identification hardware categories where Lesar UK also sells, including through Brady Direct in Europe.
• HID Global: Global leader in identity and access management solutions including ID card printers, smart cards, and credential technology. Lesar UK is an HID reseller, but HID also competes via direct enterprise/government sales channels.
• Zebra Technologies: Global manufacturer of ID card printers (ZC100/300/350, ZXP Series) and broader enterprise printing/labeling solutions. Lesar UK resells Zebra hardware, but Zebra also sells direct to large enterprises, making it a broad incumbent in the same space.
• Paxton: UK-based manufacturer of access control systems (Net2, Paxton10) with reader, card, and door entry hardware. Lesar UK is a Paxton Gold Partner for access control installation, but Paxton also sells direct to installers and end customers.
• Magicard: UK-based designer and manufacturer of ID card printers (Magicard 300, 600, Rio Pro, Ultima). Overlaps with Lesar UK as one of its key supply partners but competes for end-customer sales via direct channels.

Direct peers

• Digital ID: UK-based supplier of ID card printers, photo ID systems, and access control solutions. Directly comparable to Lesar UK through similar product portfolio (printers, cards, accessories) and UK enterprise/government customer focus.
• CardExchange: Provider of ID card software and printer solutions for visitor management, staff ID, and membership cards. Comparable to Lesar UK in the ID card issuance and visitor management software category.
• ID Card Centre: UK-based reseller of ID card printers, ribbons, cards, and accessories from multiple brands including Magicard, Zebra, and Evolis. Directly comparable to Lesar UK as a multi-brand authorized ID card solutions provider serving UK SMB and enterprise customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/Lesar-UK
• Xx.com/lesaruk
• Facebookfacebook.com/lesar-uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lesar-uk-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lesar UK