What Cardhouse s.r.o. does

Cardhouse s.r.o. is a Czech private limited company (s.r.o.) headquartered in Ústí nad Labem that has operated continuously since 1994 in the niche of identity verification and plastic card production. With 8 employees, the company functions as an authorized multi-brand distributor and certified service provider for plastic card printing systems, holding the exclusive Zebra Card ZASP certification in the Czech Republic for warranty and post-warranty servicing of Zebra printers. Its customer base spans enterprise accounts across healthcare (Bulovka, Olomouc, Český Krumlov hospitals; VZP), manufacturing (Benteler), petroleum (ORLEN Unipetrol), airports (Praha Airport), retail (Bidfood, FAU), and financial services (Monet+), alongside SMB and individual buyers served through an e-commerce storefront with Czech and Slovak storefronts.

The company's core technology spans the full stack of secure card issuance: direct-to-card thermal transfer printing at 300 DPI, retransfer (indirect) printing at 600 DPI, laser engraving for high-security personalization, UV ink printing for hidden security elements, holographic lamination, embossing, and encoding for chip and RFID cards (MIFARE, DESFire, NFC). It distributes printers from Zebra, Evolis, Matica, HID Fargo, Qualica, KIS Global, and Edikio, supported by CardPresso software, signature pads, card readers, ribbons, plastic blanks, and ID accessories. Adjacent offerings include plastic price tags and buffet tags for retail and food service, identification wristbands for events, kiosk-integrated card printing, and identification solutions for government employees, municipal police, and volunteer firefighters.

Revenue mechanics combine one-time hardware sales (desktop printers from CZK 17,500 to industrial retransfer units above CZK 145,000), recurring consumables (ribbons CZK 450-1,725), one-time and annual software licenses (CardPresso CZK 1,800-11,000), and services (installation, training, calibration, repair, and an emerging printer rental program). GTM is hybrid: a sales-led motion with technical consultation for enterprise and government projects, layered with a self-serve e-commerce storefront covering Czech and Slovak markets. Distribution is direct-to-end-customer and channel-based via manufacturer authorizations; no resellers or third-party integrators are publicly disclosed. The business model inherently generates a mix of upfront hardware revenue and ongoing consumable/services annuity from the installed printer base.

Name

Cardhouse s.r.o.

Legal name

CardHouse s.r.o.

Website

https://cardhouse.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cardhouse s.r.o. is a Czech multi-brand distributor and certified service provider (sole Zebra ZASP-certified in CZ) of plastic card printers, consumables, and ID issuance solutions, serving healthcare, government, manufacturing, retail, and enterprise customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Card Printing Equipment and ID Solutions

NAICS

Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser) (IMALAOAD)

Keywords

• Plastic card printers
• ID card solutions
• Card personalization systems
• Secure identification products
• Card printing consumables

Headquarters

HQ city

Ústí nad Labem

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Card Printers and Hardware: Sale of plastic card printers including brands like Zebra, Evolis, Matica, HID Fargo, Qualica, and KIS Global. Products range from entry-level desktop printers to high-volume industrial solutions with retransfer technology.
2. Consumables and Supplies: Sale of ribbon cartridges, retransfer films, cleaning supplies, and plastic card blanks. Consumables represent recurring revenue from the installed printer base.
3. ID Card Software: Sale of specialized card printing software including CardPresso in various editions (XXS, XS, XM) for designing and printing ID cards.
4. Technical Services and Support: Printer service and repair, installation, training, calibration, and technical consulting for ID card systems. Includes certified warranty and post-warranty service for Zebra printers.
5. Printer Rental: Rental of card printers for organizations with temporary or seasonal card printing needs.
6. Custom Card Manufacturing: Production and printing of custom plastic cards for organizations requiring pre-manufactured identification cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cardhouse distributes and services plastic card printing solutions, supplying ID card printers from multiple manufacturers (Evolis, Zebra, Matica, HID Fargo, KIS Global, Qualica, Edikio), consumables (color ribbons, plastic cards, RFID chips), CardPresso design software, and accessories. The company provides complete ID card production workstations with security features including lamination, UV printing, laser engraving, chip/RFID encoding, and biometric signature capture. Supporting services include installation, training, calibration, technical support, certified warranty repair, custom card manufacturing, and printer rental.

Product overview

Cardhouse s.r.o. is a Czech company established in 1994, operating as a leader in identity verification and plastic card production. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of plastic card printers from multiple brands (Evolis, Zebra, Matica, HID Fargo, KIS Global, Qualica, Edikio), along with consumables (ribbons, cards), accessories (readers, RFID/NFC devices, signature pads), and specialized solutions (price tags, employee IDs, government IDs, food labeling). Services include manufacturing, printing, printer rental, installation, training, calibration, technical support, and repair services. The company provides various printing technologies including direct-to-card (DTC), retransfer printing, laser personalization, UV printing, lamination, chip encoding, embossing, and biometric signature capture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastic Card Printers Desktop and industrial card printers from brands including Evolis, Zebra, Matica, HID Fargo, KIS Global, Qualica, and Edikio. Includes both direct-to-card (DTC) and retransfer printing technologies for organizations of all sizes needing secure ID card production. Prices range from approximately CZK 17,500 for entry-level desktop printers to over CZK 169,000 for high-volume industrial solutions.
• CardPresso Software Specialized card design and printing software available in XXS, XS, and XM editions for designing and printing ID cards. Licensed from CZK 1,800 (XXS) to CZK 11,000 (XM) without VAT. Available as annual or perpetual license.
• Plastic Cards and Consumables Plastic card blanks in white, chip, magnetic stripe (HiCo/LoCo), and specialty formats. Color ribbons and retransfer films for card printers from all supported brands. RFID chips including MIFARE Classic and DESFire. Consumables range from CZK 450 for cleaning kits to CZK 1,725 for premium color ribbons.
• Custom Card Manufacturing and Printing Service Production and printing of custom plastic cards as a managed service for organizations requiring pre-manufactured identification cards without investing in their own card printing equipment.
• Card Printer Rental Rental program for organizations with temporary or seasonal card printing needs, allowing them to access card printing capabilities without capital investment. Pricing on monthly subscription basis, contact sales for specific rates.
• Installation and Training Professional installation and training services for card printing systems to ensure customers can operate their equipment effectively from day one.
• Card Printer Servicing (Evolis and Zebra) Certified warranty and post-warranty service center for Evolis and Zebra plastic card printers. CardHouse is the only Zebra Card ZASP certified provider in the Czech Republic, offering repair, spare parts, phone support, and loaner printer programs.
• Technical Support and Repair Technical support and repair services for card printers, including remote troubleshooting, courier pickup for small devices, and on-site service technician visits.
• CardHouse Péče (Extended Care Program) Extended care and maintenance program providing ongoing preventive maintenance and support coverage for card printing equipment.
• Plastic Price Tags (Cenovky) Durable plastic price tags for retail, food service, and commercial applications. Printable on card printers. Costs less than CZK 7 per double-sided tag including all required product information, saving approximately 30 minutes per production cycle compared to traditional laminated paper labels.
• Plastic Buffet Tags Plastic cards for labeling food items in buffets and self-service restaurants, including allergen and product information.
• Identification Bracelets RFID and barcode-based identification bracelets for amusement parks, hotels, events, and entertainment facilities for both entertainment and security applications.
• Card Readers and Sensors Card readers and sensors from ACS, Elatec, HID Fargo, and Identiv for reading and verifying chip and RFID cards. Supports MIFARE, iCLASS, and other contactless standards.
• Signature Pads Signature capture pads (Sigpad) for biometric signature recording on ID cards, enabling enhanced verification capabilities.
• Kiosk Card Printers Kiosk-integrated card printing solutions for self-service card issuance in retail, hospitality, and event environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves approximately 30 minutes per price tag production cycle compared to traditional laminated paper labels
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, primary, secondary and supporting.

• Zebra TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized reseller and certified Zebra Card ZASP (Zebra Authorized Service Provider) partner. CardHouse is the only company in Czech Republic certified to perform warranty and post-warranty service on Zebra plastic card printers. Provides comprehensive support including phone support, spare parts, and loaner printer programs.
• EvolisprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Evolis card printers including Zenius, Primacy, Primacy 2, Agilia, Avansia, Badgy, Quantum, and TattooRW models. Also distributes Evolis consumables, cleaning supplies, and accessories.
• Matica TechnologiesprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Matica card printers including MC series (MC110, MC210, MC310), XID series (XID8300, XID8600), and S5000 models. Offers full range of Matica consumables and service support.
• HID FargosecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized reseller of HID Fargo card printers including HDP5000 and HDP5600 retransfer printer series. Distributes Fargo consumables and accessories.
• QualicasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of Qualica card printers including RD-N, RD301, and RD5000 models. Provides entry-level and mid-range printing solutions with UV security printing capabilities.
• KIS GlobalsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor of KIS Global Swiftpro card printers (K30 and K60 models). Offers 600 DPI high-resolution printing solutions for organizations with quality requirements.
• NXP SemiconductorssupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing MIFARE chip products including MIFARE Classic, MIFARE DESFire, and related RFID components. CardHouse distributes NXP-based chip cards and provides guidance on MIFARE product selection.
• CardPressosupportingTechnology or IntegrationSoftware partnership for CardPresso ID card design software. CardHouse distributes CardPresso licenses (XXS, XS, XM editions) and provides implementation support for card printing software integration.
• ElatecsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing TWN4 multi-technology card readers/coders for integration with Zebra ZC350 printers. Elatec readers support MIFARE, iCLASS, and other contactless standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Identiv: Provider of physical security and secure identification products including RFID readers and credentials that complement or compete with CardHouse's card reader portfolio. Identiv also has a growing identity solutions business with some overlap in the credential ecosystem.

Direct peers

• CardLogix: Provider of smart cards, card printers, and credential personalization solutions to government and enterprise customers. Operates a comparable model combining card personalization services with hardware distribution and software offerings.
• Allcard: Czech-headquartered distributor of card printers, consumables, and ID solutions operating in the same geography as CardHouse. Allcard is the closest direct peer given the overlap in product range, customer verticals, and country focus.
• ABS Identification: UK-based specialist distributor of card printers, ID software, and consumables serving small and enterprise customers. Operates a comparable B2B reseller model with installation, training, and service offerings similar to CardHouse's.

Broad incumbents

• Zebra Technologies: Global manufacturer of card printers (ZC100/300/350, ZXP Series 7/8/9) and the parent of CardHouse's most strategic partnership. Zebra is a broad incumbent whose products CardHouse distributes and services under the exclusive ZASP certification.
• Entrust: Identity security and card issuance solutions provider (formerly Datacard) offering high-volume card printers, software, and personalization services. Entrust is a broad incumbent that competes with CardHouse's product partners at the high end of the market.
• HID Global: Identity and access management solutions provider whose Fargo card printer line (HDP5000, HDP5600, HDP8500) is distributed by CardHouse. HID operates broadly across physical access, logical access, and identity solutions.
• Evolis: French manufacturer of plastic card printers (Zenius, Primacy, Agilia, Avansia, Quantum) distributed by CardHouse. Evolis is the second-largest card printer brand and competes directly with Zebra in the same product categories CardHouse serves.
• Matica Technologies: Manufacturer of secure card issuance systems including MC series and XID retransfer printers. CardHouse is an authorized distributor of Matica products and Matica directly competes with Zebra and Evolis in the enterprise card printing market.

Others

• NXP Semiconductors: Semiconductor manufacturer whose MIFARE chip technology underpins much of the contactless smart card ecosystem that CardHouse's chip encoding services enable. NXP is an ecosystem/technology partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardhouse-s-r-o-

Compliance2 records

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 Cardhouse s.r.o.