Concept Card

Specialising in Plastic Cards For Over 25 Years

7 SECRETS TO CHOOSING A
PLASTIC CARD FOR YOUR NEEDS

Written by Concept Card as a guide for you to achieve

the maximum return from your plastic card project......

1 Establish your expectations (how you want the cards to work for you).

2 Establish your customers' desires (will the cards appeal to them).

3 Determine the 'card type' to meet your expectations & their desires.

4 Determine the physical make-up of the cards.

5 Avoid ending up with 'Dumb' cards (nothing to do with microchips).

6 Don't build in 'redundancy' without a good reason.

7 Avoid the most common error.

The information contained in this report is basic commonsense. For

further nuances and to fine-tune your plastic card project we
recommend that you speak to us. We look forward to speaking with
you and moving forward together on your plastic card project.

MARSH ROAD LORDS MEADOW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE CREDITON DEVON EX17 1EU
TEL: 01363 777567 FAX: 01363 777553 EMAIL: sales@conceptcard.co.uk
 ESTABLISH YOUR EXPECTATIONS:
Keeping in mind the fact that used correctly, the Plastic Card can
be a powerful business tool, ask yourself these four questions:

1. Why am I considering the use of plastic cards?

2. What do I expect to gain from their use?
3. Do I need to use cards to achieve this 'gain'?
4. If so, do those cards need to be plastic?

Bearing in mind that there is no such thing as a 'cheap' Plastic

card, you want to make sure you don't waste your money.

So. You must have a clear plan - we call this your ‘Plastic Card Project’
Not only must you have some idea of the level of return you need
from your Plastic Card project, you also need to ask yourself this:
DO I REALLY NEED PLASTIC CARDS?
Whether you do or not will depend upon the job you require your
cards to do (yes - your cards should work for you).

See the guide below to determine whether or not to use plastic:

TYPE OF CARD PROJECT YES MAYBE NO
MEMBERSHIP CARDS
DISCOUNT CARDS
VIP CARDS
PHOTO I.D CARDS
PRIVILEGE CARDS
LOYALTY CARDS
GIFT/VOUCHER CARDS
ONE-OFF VOUCHER CARDS
AIDE MEMOIRE CARDS
BUSINESS CARDS
CARVERY RECEIPT CARDS
PAYMENT CARDS
CASHLESS SYSTEM CARDS
EVENT TICKETING CARDS
CONFERENCE CARDS
PROMOTIONAL CARDS
ACCESS CARDS
HELPLINE CARDS

If your project isn't featured on this chart, phone us and we will endeavour to help you

CONCEPT CARD
MARSH ROAD LORDS MEADOW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE CREDITON DEVON EX17 1EU
TEL: 01363 777567 FAX: 01363 777553 EMAIL: sales@conceptcard.co.uk
 ESTABLISH YOUR CUSTOMERS' DESIRES
(A little bit of psychology goes a long way)
OK - you’ve decided that launching a Plastic Card Project could bring you
a worthwhile return. Now you need to determine how to 'sell the Ideal’
embodied in your card project.
How will your prospects/customers/members, perceive your project?

To make your card project appeal to your prospects/members etc, you will
need to gain an understanding of what motivates them.

So…… put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself these things:

1. How would I feel or react if I received one of these cards?

Honoured?
Grateful?
Special?
Ambiguous?
Patronised?
Insulted, even?

2. Would I feel that I have been given the card just to get me to part
with my hard-earned money?
Or would it make me feel that owning the card will give me some kind
of worthwhile advantage?
Or, in the case of a membership card, will it give me a sense of ‘belonging’
or make me feel valued and proud of my membership status?

THE GOLDEN RULE IS THIS:

Make sure the recipient thinks that they are gaining the advantage.
The person to whom you give the card must feel that the card has the
potential to do more for them than it will for you.
More detailed advice is available by phone.

CONCEPT CARD
MARSH ROAD LORDS MEADOW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE CREDITON DEVON EX17 1EU
TEL: 01363 777567 FAX: 01363 777553 EMAIL: sales@conceptcard.co.uk
 DETERMINE THE 'CARD TYPE' TO MEET
YOUR EXPECTATIONS & THEIR DESIRES
Broadly speaking, cards tend to fall into two types.
TANGIBLE CARD USE INTANGIBLE CARD USE
These cards have obvious and These cards can work well,
specific usefulness to the but may be regarded with
recipients suspicion
MEMBERSHIP CARDS LOYALTY CARDS
ACCESS CARDS
PHOTO I.D CARDS PRIVILEGE CARDS

GIFT CARDS
DISCOUNT CARDS
CASHLESS SYSTEM CARDS
PAYMENT CARDS VIP CARDS
CARVERY RECEIPT CARDS
VOUCHER CARDS
AIDE MEMOIRE CARDS
HELPLINE CARDS PROMOTIONAL CARDS
CONFERENCE CARDS
BUSINESS CARDS
DELEGATE CARDS

These card types need to be

Any of these card types
should be well received by
the recipients and are the
easiest to plan.
copy-written, designed and
planned with extreme care and
diligence in order to be well
received. See our website
under “card types” for more ideas.

Gain the advantage by discussing your project with one of our

project advisors.
We are only a phone call away.

CONCEPT CARD
MARSH ROAD LORDS MEADOW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE CREDITON DEVON EX17 1EU
TEL: 01363 777567 FAX: 01363 777553 EMAIL: sales@conceptcard.co.uk
 DETERMINE THE PHYSICAL MAKE-UP OF THE CARDS.

Cards can be: ISO Bank card standard (laminated)

Surface printed PVC
Clear plastic
Press-Polished (for certain barcodes)
Composite (plastic overlays with a paper core)
Full ISO with magnetic stripe

TYPE OF CARD 1 2 3 4 5 6
DISCOUNT
LOYALTY
PRIVILEGE
VIP
VOUCHER
PROMOTIONAL
BUSINESS CARD
CONFERENCE / DELEGATE
MEMBERSHIP
ACCESS
PHOTO I.D
GIFT CARDS
CASHLESS / PAYMENT
CARVERY RECEIPTS

This chart is only a guide - it’s not ‘hard and fast’.

For more guidance, feel free to phone us.

CONCEPT CARD
MARSH ROAD LORDS MEADOW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE CREDITON DEVON EX17 1EU
TEL: 01363 777567 FAX: 01363 777553 EMAIL: sales@conceptcard.co.uk
 AVOID ENDING UP WITH ‘DUMB’ CARDS
We’re used to the term “smart card”, but when it comes to getting a
return, a card doesn’t need a micro-chip to be‘smart’
How ‘smart’ will your cards be?
If they don't increase your profits or at least bring some benefit,
they will be ‘dumb’ cards.

A DUMB CARD IS THE RESULT OF A BADLY PLANNED CARD PROJECT.

Don't spend loads of money on a ‘fancy’ card that doesn’t meet the
needs/desires of your prospects.
Spend your money wisely by planning carefully - a little more time
will save a lot of money - we’ll help you.

USE SOME OF OUR TIME TO SAVE SOME OF YOUR MONEY.

DON’T BUILD IN REDUNDANCY WITHOUT

A GOOD REASON
A card will become redundant
if it has any kind of ‘end by’ date.
3
ARY 18 25 4 1

A calendar card can work well as a

4 11 19 26
JAUN
21 28 5 12 20 27
5
7 14 29 6 13 21 28
6
Mon 1 8 15 22 30 7 14 22 29
7
Tue 2 9 16 23 31 18
Wed 3 10 17 24 1 8 156 23
29
Thu 4 11 18 256 2 9 1 7 24 BER
19 2 3 10 1 OCTO
Fri MBER

promotional give-away, but once the

5 12
SEPTE 22 29
7
Sat 6 13 20 2
Sun U ST25
AUG
15
1 8 16 23 30 1
18 2 9
JULY 28 4 1112 19 26 3 10 178 2425 2
3
7 14
21 5 20 27 11 1
Mon 1 8 15 22 30
29 6 13 21 28 4 12 19 26 4
Tue 2 9 16 23 31 7 14 22 29 5 13 20 27 5

year is up it’ll be thrown away.

5 6 28
Wed 3 10 17 24 1 8 1 23 30 7 14 21
Thu 4 11 18 256 2 9 16 24 31
Fri 5 12 19 2 7 3 10 17
Sat 6 13 20 2
S u n

The best reason for an expiry date is on membership

cards to bring in next year’s subscriptions.

AVOID THE MOST COMMON ERROR

Don’t order too many cards.
It’s true that the more cards you order the less you will pay per card, but
if you end up only using some of them - you are throwing money away.

This is not as daft as it sounds...... It happens all the time.

Don't ‘work in the dark’. Call on our

experience to get the utmost from your project.

CONCEPT CARD
MARSH ROAD LORDS MEADOW INDUSTRIAL ESTATE CREDITON DEVON EX17 1EU
TEL: 01363 777567 FAX: 01363 777553 EMAIL: sales@conceptcard.co.uk