Plastic cards
Plastic Business Cards
Custom business cards printed on solid 30 mil PVC — the exact thickness and feel of a credit card. White, black, full color, frosted or clear, printed edge to edge on one or both sides, with rounded corners, metallic ink, magnetic stripes and NFC chips available on the same card body. Printed in our Boston shop.
- 30 mil CR80 — credit-card thick
- Waterproof and tear-proof
- Digital proof on every job
- Free US shipping over $75
Plastic Business Cards - White or Black PVC, 30 mil
from $12.50
Plastic Business Cards - Color PVC, 30 mil
from $13.75
Plastic Business Cards - 20 mil White PVC
from $122.50
NFC Business Cards
from $15.00
Specs at a glance
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | CR80 — 3.375" x 2.125" (85.6 x 54 mm), the credit-card footprint |
| Thickness | 30 mil (0.76 mm) standard; 20 mil (0.51 mm) for a lighter, lower-cost card |
| Material | Solid PVC — waterproof, tear-proof, does not crease or fray |
| Colors | White, black, full-color PVC, frosted translucent and clear |
| Finishes | Gloss, matte, frosted; metallic gold and silver; spot color |
| Corners | Square or 1/8" die-cut rounded corners |
| Add-ons | Magnetic stripe (HiCo/LoCo), signature panel, barcode, slot punch, NFC chip, variable data |
| Printing | Single or dual sided, full bleed |
| Artwork | Upload your file and the live preview shows trim, bleed, safe area and rounded corners before you order |
Plastic vs paper business cards
| 30 mil PVC | 16pt paper | |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 30 mil (0.76 mm) | 16 pt (0.41 mm) |
| Water resistance | Fully waterproof | Absorbs and warps |
| Lifespan in a wallet | Years | Weeks to months |
| Cost per card | Higher | Lowest |
| Best for | High-ticket sales, memberships, VIP, credentials | Conferences, bulk handouts, frequent reprints |
| Writable surface | Matte, frosted or signature panel only | Uncoated and matte stocks |
It gets kept, not tossed
A plastic card feels like something worth holding onto. People file it with their credit cards instead of dropping it in a drawer, so your number stays in the wallet years after a paper card would be gone.
It survives the real world
Waterproof, tear-proof and crease-proof. Trades, marine, food service, gyms and anyone whose card lives in a work pocket get a card that still looks new months later.
It doubles as a credential
The same 30 mil CR80 body takes a magnetic stripe, a signature panel, a barcode or a slot punch — so one card can be a business card, a membership card and a door credential.
It signals price point
High-ticket sales, private clients, VIP and founding-member programs use PVC because the card itself tells the recipient what tier they are in before they read a word.
Plastic business card questions
How thick are plastic business cards?
Standard plastic business cards are 30 mil (0.76 mm) — exactly as thick as a credit card, the CR80 size defined by ISO/IEC 7810. We also print a lighter 20 mil PVC card when you want the plastic look at a lower cost per card.
Are plastic business cards waterproof?
Yes. Solid PVC does not absorb water, tear, crease or fray. A plastic card that goes through a wash cycle comes out the same as it went in, which is why they hold up for years in a wallet.
What finishes can I get?
Gloss, matte and frosted (translucent) are the standard finishes. Add-ons include rounded corners, spot color, metallic gold or silver printing, signature panels, magnetic stripes, slot punches for lanyards and embedded NFC chips.
Can you print white ink on a clear or black card?
Yes. Clear and frosted cards need a white underlay behind any artwork that should stay opaque, and black cards take white, metallic gold and metallic silver. Send us the file and we will tell you exactly what will show.
Can plastic business cards be written on?
Not with a standard ballpoint pen on a gloss card — the ink beads up. Ask for a matte or frosted finish, or add a signature panel, if staff need to write appointment dates or member numbers on the card.
What is the minimum order for plastic business cards?
Printed PVC business cards normally start at 100 cards and price down steeply from there through 250, 500, 1,000 and up. For a handful of sample cards, NFC business cards run from a single card.
How long do plastic business cards take to print?
PVC takes longer than paper because the layers are laminated and cured before the cards are die cut. Plan on a longer turnaround than a paper card order, plus extra time for magnetic stripes, NFC chips or variable data such as names and numbers.
Do you send a proof before printing?
Yes. Every custom card job gets a digital proof, and we hold the job for five business days waiting on your response before it moves to production. If your artwork is final you can tick Skip Digital Proof at checkout and we print immediately.
Not sure which card to order?
Tell us the quantity, whether the card needs a stripe, chip or punch, and how it will be used — we will price the run and flag anything in your artwork that will not print the way you expect.