Cards Unlimited BV

What Cards Unlimited BV does

Cards Unlimited B.V. is a Netherlands-based, privately held B2B card production and fulfillment specialist founded in 2004 and headquartered in Cruquius, near Haarlem. The company designs, prints, personalizes, packages, and mails physical cards — gift cards, loyalty cards, membership and access passes, RFID cards, environmental/waste passes, student passes, savings cards, credit-card-format cards, and keytag cards — for Dutch enterprise customers in retail, municipalities, education, online marketing, insurance, and gym/fitness segments. It self-describes as the No. 1 card supplier in the Netherlands, in operation for over 20 years, and lists Shell/Airmiles, HelloFresh, Primera (340,000+ pass holders), Karwei, Praxis, Kruidvat, Bol.com, TESO, and Virtuagym among its customers.

The operating model is built around an in-house printing facility equipped with three high-speed drop-on-demand inkjet lines, glue sealing machines, and advanced card-mailing machines that read barcodes, magnetic strips, and contactless chips at a personalization rate of up to 25,000 cards per hour and a daily pasting capacity of 150,000–200,000 carriers. Personalization is delivered via thermal printing (scratch-resistant burn-in), high-speed inkjet, and embossing; supporting services include database management for variable-data mailings, gift card packaging (standard, luxury, and personalized), and end-to-end card mailing with personalized letters. A self-service online gift card design tool allows customers to upload artwork and messages directly. Through its DuurzameCadeaukaart.nl initiative (launched 2019), the company is committed to eliminating PVC from all card production by 2025, with eight sustainable material SKUs (Bio-PE from lime and cane sugar, Bio-PVC, PET-G, FSC cardboard, flower seed cards, and elephant grass cards).

Revenue is generated through quote-based custom card orders (standard 3-week lead time, Fast Track 7 working days), card fulfillment and mailing services, gift card packaging, and distribution/after-sales support for Evolis card printers (Zenius, Primacy, Quantum 2, Avansia, €1,250–€1,495 bundled packages), with the company operating as a certified Evolis Repair Center. Information security is governed by ISO 27001 certification (Noordbeek, 2021–2024) and self-attested GDPR (AVG) compliance, with personalized mailings held in closed physical custody until postal pickup by Sandd/PostNL — a relevant differentiator for insurance, health, and municipal contracts. The firm has 11 employees, no external funding, and serves markets exclusively in the Netherlands.

Name

Cards Unlimited BV

Legal name

Cards Unlimited B.V.

Website

https://cardsunlimited.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cards Unlimited BV is a Netherlands-based B2B specialist that designs, prints, personalizes, and mails plastic and eco-friendly gift cards, loyalty cards, RFID access passes, and membership cards for retail, municipalities, education, insurance, and fitness clients across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cruquius

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Card printing and personalization: Core revenue from printing and personalizing plastic cards including gift cards, loyalty cards, membership cards, access passes. Includes various customization options such as logos, colors, barcodes, magnetic strips, and RFID chips.
2. Card fulfillment services: Services including pasting gift cards on carriers, sealing packages, and automated fulfillment processing with capacity of 150,000-200,000 card carriers per day
3. Card mailing services: Complete card mailing services including printing matching letters, attaching cards to carriers, and dispatching to customers via postal services
4. Gift card packaging: Professional gift card packaging including standard, luxury, and personalized options in corporate identity
5. Card printer sales: Sale of Evolis card printers including Zenius, Primacy, and Quantum 2 models along with software, ribbons, and blank cards
6. Database management services: Data entry services and script writing for easy data delivery and card management

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cards Unlimited BV manufactures, personalises, and fulfils plastic and eco-friendly cards for B2B clients across the Netherlands, including gift cards, loyalty cards, RFID/access cards, membership cards, student passes, savings cards, credit cards, keytag cards, and environmental/waste passes. The full-service offering spans design consultation, printing (offset, digital, screen, thermal, high-speed inkjet, embossing), card fulfilment (pasting, sealing), personalised card mailing, gift card packaging, and database management. The company also distributes Evolis card printers and related accessories and is a certified Evolis Repair Center.

Product overview

Cards Unlimited BV is a Netherlands-based market leader in the production and fulfillment of plastic and eco-friendly cards, serving B2B customers across retail, municipalities, education, insurance, and fitness sectors. The product portfolio centres on physical card products (gift cards, loyalty cards, RFID cards, membership cards, access passes, student passes, keytag cards, savings cards, and credit cards) complemented by a suite of card production services including printing, personalisation (thermal, high-speed inkjet, and embossing), card fulfillment, card mailing, and gift card packaging. Cards Unlimited also distributes Evolis card printers (Zenius, Primacy, Quantum 2, Avansia) as a certified Evolis Repair Center, alongside accessories such as RFID wristbands, RFID drops/keyfobs, card holders, and name badges. An online gift card design tool enables customers to self-service card orders. The company operates an in-house printing facility with three high-speed drop-on-demand inkjet lines, glue sealing machines, and advanced card-mailing machines, supporting standard delivery of 3 weeks and a Fast Track Service of 7 working days for smaller quantities. Through its DuurzameCadeaukaart.nl initiative, Cards Unlimited is committed to eliminating PVC from all card production by 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gift Cards (Cadeaukaarten) Plastic or environmentally friendly gift cards in credit card format, customisable with corporate branding, barcodes, and personalisation, supplied to B2B clients for resale or promotional use.
• Loyalty Cards (Klantenkaarten) Plastic or eco-friendly loyalty cards supporting customer data collection, purchase tracking, and personalised marketing campaigns, with barcode and RFID options and CRM integration.
• RFID Cards Contactless access cards using RFID/NFC technology for remote reading and writing of data, supporting access control, check-in systems, and contactless payment applications.
• Membership Cards (Ledenpassen) Plastic identification and membership cards personalised with member names and barcodes, supplied to gyms, associations, and subscription-based organisations.
• Environmental and Waste Passes (Milieu- en Afvalpassen) Customisable passes for municipalities that enable resident access to waste recycling centres and environmental centres, supporting efficient waste management operations.
• Student/School Passes (Studentenpassen) Plastic ID cards for educational institutions used for student identification, library access, printer access, and external discount programmes, with annual reprint workflows.
• Savings Cards (Spaarkaarten) Cards supporting loyalty savings programmes where customers accumulate points or value over time, redeemable for discounts or gifts, including partner card functionality.
• Access Passes (Toegangspassen) RFID-enabled access control cards for managing entry to buildings, parking facilities, gyms, events, and public transport.
• Credit Cards Plastic cards in standard credit card format (53.9 x 85.7 mm, ISO/IEC 7810:2003 ID-1) with options for embossing, magnetic strips, and personalised data.
• Keytag Cards Mini-format customer cards designed to attach to key rings, customisable with logos, barcodes, and unique designs, including M6 and euro lock variants.
• Card Printing Service Professional card printing using offset, digital, and screen techniques, including metallic inks, scented inks, matt/glossy varnish, lenticular cards, hot stamp foil, holographic graphics, and Loco/Hico magnetic strip encoding.
• Card Fulfillment End-to-end card distribution services including pasting cards on carriers, package sealing, and automated quality control, with daily capacity of 150,000-200,000 card carriers.
• Card Mailing Automated mailing services using advanced machines capable of reading cards with barcodes, magnetic strips, and contactless chips, supporting up to 4 cards per carrier, Z-/C-/V-fold letters, and personalised cover letters.
• Gift Card Packaging Professional gift card packaging including standard backing cards, luxury packaging, fully personalised designs, and environmentally friendly options, with automated sealing machines.
• Card Personalisation Variable data personalisation using three technologies: thermal printing (scratch-resistant), high-speed inkjet (up to 25,000 cards/hour), and embossing, linked to database management for cover letters and barcodes.
• Online Gift Card Design Tool Web-based tool enabling customers to design personalised gift cards by uploading images and messages, setting card value, and placing orders, with Cards Unlimited handling fulfilment, printing, shipping, and order confirmations.
• Evolis Card Printers Range of professional card printers from Evolis including Avansia (high-definition), Zenius (compact, entry-level), Primacy (high-speed, medium-to-large series), and Quantum 2 (1,000+ cards/hour), supplied with software, ribbons, and blank cards.
• RFID Wristbands RFID-enabled wristbands for event access, payments, and participant tracking, scannable up to 8 metres, reusable, and custom-printable with corporate branding.
• RFID Drops (Keyfobs) Compact RFID keyfobs for access control to buildings, parking garages, and meeting rooms, with the RFID chip fully enclosed; supports RFID (up to 8m, one-way) and NFC (up to 10cm, two-way).
• Name Badges Reusable plastic name badges for identification at events and workplaces, customisable with photos, logos, barcodes, and QR codes, available in plastic, Bio-PE, and Bio-PVC materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 340,000+ Primera pass holders achieved, exceeding initial expectations of 150,000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• m-wisecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2013Strategic technology partner for Primera's loyalty program launch in February 2013. m-wise provided the platform to link, analyze, and convert transaction data into actionable campaigns for over 340,000 Primera pass holders.
• VirtuagymcoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred supplier partnership for gym passes. Virtuagym's membership administration package with check-in module uses Cards Unlimited's RFID passes, drops, and bracelets that work with Virtuagym's RFID reader. Cards Unlimited supplies the physical cards while Virtuagym provides the reader technology.
• IntersolvecoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration for access passes focusing on privacy and security. Intersolve provides a modular platform for access cards and payment applications, including transaction processing for Museum Card at affiliated museums. Cards Unlimited produces the physical access cards.
• GiftFor2 BVmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for experience gifts and gift cards including Klus Cadeau, Bloemen Cadeau, and Huis & Tuin Cadeau. Cards Unlimited handles production while GiftFor2 manages concept, contracting, design, and retail sales. Partnership involves tight deadlines and multiple products in one production run.
• 123TCScoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware supplier partnership for Praxis gift cards. Connection with 123TCS software was a requirement for Praxis. Cards Unlimited produces gift cards that integrate with 123TCS's software system.
• Sandd/PostNLminorOthersPostal service partners for card mailings. Personalized mailings are placed in completely closed space until picked up by Sandd and/or PostNL for delivery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Evolis: French card printer manufacturer and Cards Unlimited's existing technology partner. Evolis produces desktop and industrial card printers (Zenius, Primacy, Quantum) that overlap with Cards Unlimited's printer resale and on-site production capabilities.
• Magicard: UK-based manufacturer of card printers and ID card issuance solutions. Comparable product overlap in card printer hardware and the broader plastic card production ecosystem that Cards Unlimited serves.
• Nitecrest: UK-based plastic card manufacturer producing gift cards, loyalty cards, and payment cards for global retailers. Closest direct peer in the B2B gift and loyalty card production segment where Cards Unlimited operates.
• Brady Corporation: US-based manufacturer of identification solutions including cards, labels, and RFID. Comparable B2B focus on printing and identification products, serving industrial and safety end markets similar to Cards Unlimited's customer base.
• Identiv: US-listed provider of RFID and identification solutions, including contactless cards and access credentials. Directly comparable in the RFID and access-pass segment where Cards Unlimited is also active.
• Mühlbauer Group: German manufacturer of card personalization systems and document production equipment. Comparable in card personalization technology and serves similar end customers in government and commercial card issuance.

Broad incumbents

• Zebra Technologies: US-listed provider of card printers, RFID solutions, and identification products. Direct product overlap with Cards Unlimited's card printer resale and RFID offerings, but serves a much broader enterprise portfolio globally.
• IDEMIA: French global leader in identity, payment, and security cards. Adjacent in card production but focused on government-grade secure documents and payment cards — much larger scale and different end market mix.
• Giesecke+Devrient: German family-owned specialist in bank card production, SIM cards, and secure identification. Overlaps with Cards Unlimited's card manufacturing capabilities but operates in heavily regulated payment and identity segments.
• HID Global: Global leader in access control cards, RFID, and secure identity solutions owned by ASSA ABLOY. Overlaps with Cards Unlimited's RFID and access-pass product lines but operates at vastly larger scale with security-focused offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cardsunlimitednl
• Instagraminstagram.com/cardsunlimitednl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cards-unlimited-bv

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Cards Unlimited BV