Advantages of Plastic Cards
Plastic products are more durable than paper ones, and that's why image-conscious companies prefer them. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Does your firm have a laser printer? You can use that printer to personalize thin plastic cards. Thicker, credit card-style cards are ideal if you seek durability and a more distinguished look. Either way, plastic cards are a great way for you to separate yourself from competitors.

One main advantage of plastic cards is they can be encoded with magnetic stripes, enabling you to capture and analyze information such as purchasing behavior and buying history. Cards with magnetic stripes pull this data together when it matters most—during the transaction.

Gift cards with magnetic stripes are some of the hottest cards on the market because they can be used repeatedly until entire card amounts are spent. You don't have to refund cash, as you often do with paper certificates. Plus, the cards are durable and more easily carried by shoppers.

Why Gift Card Programs Are Popular
Compared with paper gift certificates, gift cards are considered more efficient, convenient and flexible tools for increasing revenue. Stores don't have to refund cash, and the cards are durable and easily carried by shoppers. Coral Gables, Fla.-based ValueLink, a gift-card processor, says retailers that implemented gift-card programs for the 1999 holiday shopping season experienced 15 percent to 46 percent growth in sales volume, compared with their paper gift certificate programs in 1998.

That growth is fueled by two major benefits of plastic gift cards: While most paper certificate programs yield cash as change, plastic cards keep the money on the card-in other words, with the store. Also, plastic cards are more secure. A high-tech color printer can make a passable copy of a paper certificate, and blank certificates are ideal targets for dishonest employees.

Membership Cards
A library recently was opposed to buying 4-color plastic cards until it realized it could include an image of a lighthouse on the front. (The library is close to one.) The buyer ordered plastic cards that included the library's logo, contact information, the lighthouse image, instructions for mailing lost cards back to the library, and a matte finish on the back so cardholders can sign them easily. The library got dozens of compliments from members, and when other libraries in the area saw the new cards, they rushed to improve their own. Plastic cards can help you lead the way.

You're already using plastic cards?
Consider getting new ones for your best customers/members, who deserve special recognition. Those cardholders could be entitled to increased discounts and other perks. Plus, your regular customers/members who see the cards will ask how they can get the new card, too.

The Skinny on Smart Cards
Smart cards, arguably the most technologically advanced plastic cards on the market, store huge amounts of data and can be updated regularly. Embedded with microchips, smart cards often retain cash amounts or more complex information, such as an individual's medical history or driving record. According research firm Frost & Sullivan, U.S. smart card makers shipped 14.4 million units in 1999. That number is projected to rise to 114.7 million by 2006.

A Good Line to Use:
"Your company wants repeat customers. Customers want discounts and rewards. Plastic frequent-shopper cards help both sides."

Stats:
41 percent of buyers said loyalty benefits influenced where they shopped, a 5 percent increase over 1999. (Standard Register's 2000 National Consumer Survey of Plastic Card Usage)

43 percent of buyers who had loyalty cards said they shopped more often at retailers whose loyalty cards they owned. (Standard Register's 2000 National Consumer Survey of Plastic Card Usage)

The number of participating households in frequent-shopper programs has doubled over the last four years (AC Nielsen)

7.9 billion plastic cards were manufactured in 1999. (ICMA Card Manufacturing Global Market Survey 2000)

The plastic card market value worldwide reached $4.5 billion last year. (ICMA Card Manufacturing Global Market Survey 2000)

Call [your company name] for all your plastic card needs. We help you select the card thickness that is right for you, and we test your cards extensively to make sure they print without a hitch. Your plastic cards set an image that reflects on you and your entire company. Why trust them to anyone else?