Comparing Plastic Card Prices- Apples, Oranges and Lemons

When shopping for a car, the wise consumer collects all the data he can on each vehicle he considers - mileage, petrol consumption, body wear and tear - then he takes these things into consideration when he makes the final decision on which car has the best value. It is not always the car that has the lowest price, but rather the car that has the lowest cost of ownership. Will it need frequent repairs? Will it need to visit the petrol station too often? Will it get me to where I need to go?

The same tactic must also be used when considering and comparing the offerings out there in the plastic card market. A low cost per card price is not always indicative of the overall cost of the project.

Are there set up costs? Is the cost per card inclusive of all of the features needed on the card - including magnetic encoding, personalization, etc? Are there confusing price breaks?

Pricing that seems low at first glance, might actually have charges hidden in the fine print of the quotation. Make sure that when you request a price for a card, that you are getting finished card pricing, because often it can increase your cost per card by as much as 100%, depending on the volume and features you are looking for.

At Cards Plus, we don't have any hidden charges - or minimum quantities for that matter. The only minimum charge is R50.00 for an invoice minimum. All of our cards quotes are for finished card pricing - and if you request a line item charge for an added feature such as personalization, we will notate it, and even figure the finished cost for you.

We have our clients best interest at heart, and we show it by our integrity when we send out our quotation. Give us a chance to provide a quotation on your next project, and we will show you that we have the best solution on the market.

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A Different Angle on Recycled Plastic PVC Cards

In the ever growing environmentally conscious world we live in, awareness as to how we are impacting the world is taking a forefront in our consumerism. Because of this awareness, there is a very strong marketing strategy taking place which urges consumers to "think green" and make choices as to how their purchases impact the world.

Companies, on all fronts, are using this angle to market themselves anew - pushing products that are considered "environmentally friendly" and "green". This designation, however is ambiguous (see our recent post on the "corn card"). In addition, it can be narrow minded, not taking into consideration the overall impact.

A new article has been posted by CR80 News regarding one aspect of the "green movement" in plastic card printing - using recycled pvc plastic-gives a balanced glance at many of the issues involved. Using recycled materials is of course, a responsible approach to good consumerism - "reduce, reuse, recycle", however to make a truly educated decision as to whether to chose recycled plastic over "virgin pvc", one must take into full consideration all angles and implications, then base a decision on these facts. Being bullied and guilted into spending more money for the sake of one companies new marketing angle, is not a responsible way to move the world into thoughtful consumerism.

At Cards Plus, it is our desire to be responsible citizens. We offer a range of plastics to choose from - some more environmentally friendly than others. We also recycle our waste material whenever possible. However, it is not our desire to jump on the newest environmental bandwagon, for the sake of seeming to be "green" when in fact, it is not. Yes, we must be responsible. Yes, we must take care of the world we have been blessed with - but our clients will never be guilted or bullied into putting their hard earned money into a product that does not fit their needs and requirements. This is our committment to them, and to you.

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