What Plastic Card ID does

Plastic Card ID serves primarily small and mid-sized US businesses across retail, hospitality, corporate, education, entertainment, casino/gaming, and financial/healthcare verticals, with stated worldwide shipping capability. The revenue model is a hybrid of one-time custom card orders (50% deposit, balance before shipping, 60-day quote validity, minimum 50 units for photo ID), hardware resale of printers and embossers (unit pricing, e.g., Evolis Badgy100 in the $600-$800 range), consumables (printer ribbons and cleaning kits held in stock), accessories (lanyards, NFC wristbands, apparel, acrylic sign holders, electronic signature pads), and ancillary software (eVisitor visitor management, gift/loyalty program software, mobile gift card, trade show traffic). Pricing is opaque and quote-based across all categories. The go-to-market combines an e-commerce storefront, phone/email inside sales, content marketing via a multi-author blog, organic SEO, and active social channels (Facebook, X, Reddit, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest), with one publicly named operations manager (Russ Smith) and a headcount of 11-50. Cumulative reported scale includes over 100,000 customers served, 50M+ cards produced, and 250K+ ribbons sold, with no disclosed funding, M&A, or institutional investors.

Name

Plastic Card ID

Legal name

Plastic Card ID

Website

https://plasticcardid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plastic Card ID is a California-based e-commerce company that produces custom printed plastic cards (gift, loyalty, membership, RFID, and ID cards) and resells plastic card printers, consumables, and accessories from brands including Evolis, Fargo, and Zebra. It serves SMBs across retail, hospitality, education, healthcare, and gaming verticals worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Forest

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Printed Plastic Cards: Custom printed plastic cards sold as one-time purchases. Customers provide artwork or work with the company to design cards for gift, loyalty, membership, reward, and ID card applications. Payment structure includes 50% down to start printing, with balance charged before shipping.
2. Plastic Card Printers: Sale of plastic card printers from brands including Evolis, Fargo, and Zebra. Includes various models for different volume requirements from entry-level to high-volume printers.
3. Printer Supplies and Accessories: Sale of printer ribbons, cleaning kits, and accessories. Most supplies are carried in stock for immediate delivery.
4. Metal Plate Embossers: Sale of new and used ID card embossers designed for PVC plastic cards used in banking, healthcare, security applications.
5. Card Accessories: Sale of accessories including lanyards, badges, NFC wristbands, custom apparel, envelopes and holders for plastic cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Plastic Card ID is a one-stop provider of custom printed plastic cards (gift, loyalty, membership, reward, business, ID, RFID, casino, and specialty cards) produced to customer artwork and ISO CR80 standards. The company also resells plastic card printers from Evolis, Fargo (HID), Zebra, IDP Smart, and Matica and supplies the ribbons, cleaning kits, embossers, badge lanyards, and accessories needed for in-house card issuance, supplemented by visitor management and gift/loyalty software.

Product overview

Plastic Card ID operates as a plastic card and plastic card printer solutions provider with two core offerings: (1) custom printed plastic cards produced to customer specifications, and (2) plastic card printers and supplies for on-demand in-house printing. Their printed card portfolio includes gift cards, loyalty cards, membership cards, reward cards, business cards, ID cards, RFID/smart cards, and specialty cards (clear, metal, styrene). They resell and support printer brands including Evolis (Badgy series), Fargo (HID), Zebra, IDP Smart, and Matica, alongside complementary software for visitor management and gift/loyalty programs. Supporting product lines include metal plate embossers, printer ribbons and cleaning kits, badge lanyards and accessories, electronic signature pads, and acrylic sign holders. All cards meet ISO Standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Printed Plastic Cards Custom printed plastic cards produced to customer artwork for gift, loyalty, membership, reward, business, ID, RFID, casino, and specialty applications, available in PVC, clear, metal, and styrene materials at CR80 (3.375" x 2.125") standard size and 30mil thickness. Targeted at retailers, restaurants, corporations, events, and other organizations needing durable branded cards.
• Plastic Card Printers Resold desktop plastic card printers from Evolis, Fargo (HID), Zebra, IDP Smart, and Matica for on-demand single-sided and double-sided printing, including magnetic stripe and smart card encoding models. Targeted at businesses that want to issue their own ID, loyalty, gift, or membership cards in-house.
• Printer Ribbons and Cleaning Kits Replacement ribbons and cleaning kits for Evolis, Fargo, Zebra, and other supported card printer brands, carried in stock for immediate delivery. Targeted at existing card printer owners across all supported brands.
• Metal Plate Embossers ID card embossers for PVC plastic cards requiring raised print, sold in new and used models for banking, healthcare, security, and similar verification applications. Targeted at organizations that need embossed card credentials.
• eVisitor Software Visitor management software for processing and tracking visitors with event ticket processing capabilities, sold alongside plastic cards and printers. Targeted at organizations needing visitor badge issuance and tracking.
• Gift and Loyalty Software Software solutions for managing gift card and loyalty card programs, including a mobile gift card program and trade show traffic application, sold alongside the company's plastic card offering. Targeted at retailers, restaurants, and event organizers running gift or loyalty programs.
• Blank Plastic Cards Pre-manufactured blank plastic cards in standard CR80 size, available in various colors and materials, sold for use with the company's resold card printers. Targeted at printer owners who print and encode their own cards in-house.
• Evolis Badgy Printer Series Entry-level Evolis Badgy 100 and 200 plastic card printers using dye-sublimation and thermal transfer printing at 300 dpi resolution, with print speeds of 95-120 color cards per hour. Targeted at small and medium businesses needing low-volume in-house card issuance.
• Badge Lanyards and Accessories Badge lanyards, customizable apparel, NFC wristbands, badges, and holders for displaying ID cards and access credentials, sold alongside the company's cards and printers. Targeted at organizations issuing employee, event, or member badges.
• Clear Acrylic Sign Holders Countertop acrylic sign holders for displaying promotional messages, business cards, and literature, offered in single panel, multi-panel, and brochure holder configurations. Targeted at retail counters, reception desks, and trade show booths.
• Electronic Signature Pads Sig100 and Sig200 electronic signature pads for capturing customer or visitor signatures in business environments, sold as a complementary accessory to the card and printer line. Targeted at retailers, visitor desks, and back-office operations needing paperless signature capture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Custom Plastic Gift Cards increase sales 35-50%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EvoliscoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized reseller of Evolis plastic card printers including the Badgy series, Primacy, and other models. Evolis printers use dye-sublimation and thermal transfer technologies for high-quality card printing.
• Fargo (HID Global)coreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized reseller of Fargo card printers including the DTC series. Fargo printers are known for direct-to-card printing solutions for ID badges and access cards.
• Zebra TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized reseller of Zebra card printers including the ZXP Series 7 and ZC350. Zebra printers are known for high-volume professional card printing solutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ID Wholesaler: ID Wholesaler is one of the closest direct competitors, selling ID card printers, ribbons, blank and custom printed plastic cards, and badge accessories through a similar e-commerce and inside-sales model. The product catalogs, target customers, and brand partnerships (Fargo, Zebra, Evolis) overlap heavily with Plastic Card ID.
• Discount Plastic Cards: Discount Plastic Cards is a small business-focused competitor that sells custom printed plastic cards (gift, loyalty, membership, fundraising) directly online. Its target customer, product mix, and price-driven positioning are highly similar to Plastic Card ID's custom card business.
• Plastek Group: Plastek Group manufactures custom plastic cards (gift, loyalty, membership, key tags) and offers card printing services and fulfillment. Like Plastic Card ID, it competes on custom printing, quick turnaround, and full-service card production for SMB and mid-market customers.
• ColorID: ColorID sells ID card printers, supplies, and credentialing solutions to universities, corporations, and government. It overlaps with Plastic Card ID's ID badge, printer, and supplies business, particularly in the corporate and education segments.
• ABCorp (American Banknote Corporation): ABCorp is a plastic card manufacturer with a long history in gift, loyalty, and financial cards, offering both custom printing and secure card production. It is a scaled peer to Plastic Card ID in the custom plastic card printing category, particularly for retail and financial-services end customers.
• Total Card Inc. Total Card is a plastic card manufacturer and printer producing custom and stock plastic cards (gift, loyalty, membership, ID) at production scale. It overlaps with Plastic Card ID's custom printing business and serves comparable verticals like retail, schools, and membership organizations.

Broad incumbents

• HID Global: HID Global (parent of Fargo) manufactures card printers, RFID/contactless credentials, and secure ID solutions. It is both a supplier to Plastic Card ID (Fargo printers) and a broad incumbent in the secure ID and access control market that competes for larger enterprise deals.
• Brady Corporation: Brady Corporation's ID division sells card printers, badge supplies, and identity solutions to enterprise and government, comparable to Plastic Card ID's printer and supplies offering. It is a broader incumbent with a wider product portfolio and enterprise sales motion.
• Zebra Technologies: Zebra Technologies manufactures the card printers that Plastic Card ID resells (ZXP Series 7, ZC350) and also sells direct to enterprise customers. Zebra is a broad incumbent in the on-demand card printing market and represents both a key supplier and a partial competitive overlap.
• Evolis: Evolis manufactures the Badgy, Primacy, and other card printers that Plastic Card ID resells. As an OEM, Evolis competes indirectly with Plastic Card ID by selling direct to enterprise customers and through other distributors globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Plastic Card ID