Grow Sales With Instant Card Printing Solution
A VAR ensures repeat customers with innovative card printing solutions,
such as instant issuance of credit, debit, and gift cards.
Servicing customers is the key to success in many businesses including retail, hospitality, and banking. The same holds true for VARs and systems integrators providing solutions in those markets. Custom Card Systems, Inc., a VAR that provides niche plastic card solutions to financial institutions, targets its existing customers with improved products and services for card systems. According to Noe Rodriguez, CIO of Custom Card Systems, the VAR currently serves approximately 1,800 customers with various card programs. Its card programs include on-site printing of gift cards, credit cards, and debit cards, as well as loyalty programs, such as rewards based on points earned from card purchases.
“One recent trend in card processing is the instant issuance of cards, which requires many security features,” says Rodriguez. Custom Card Systems’ existing customer, Envision Credit Union in Tallahassee, FL, already issued cards in-house from its primary facility. The credit union president contacted Rodriguez because he wanted to establish instant issuance of bank credit/debit cards for checking account customers. “When banks and credit unions get the checks and debit cards in the hands of customers as soon as they open their accounts, customers have the ability to use the cards immediately and they [bank customers adjusting to the use of cards versus paper checks] feel a greater comfort level with the cards,” says Rodriguez. “The financial institution, in turn, makes money on the customers’ transactions quickly, without the typical two-week delay in debit card issuance. In order to provide these capabilities, we installed the Magicard Prima 2e printer, which prints cards in 30 to 60 seconds, from Ultra Electronics Card Systems, Inc. and our TRISM Instant Card Issuance System, which is Windows-based software that ensures adherence to MasterCard and Visa security standards.” This instant issuance concept could be used in several card issuance situations, such as at the POS (point of sale) and for retail or convenience stores that offer branded credit cards, as well.
Expandable Solution Wins Augmentation, Future Sales
When printing cards in-house, each card costs approximately $1 to print versus $4 or more with an outsourced solution, depending on the volume of cards produced. Therefore, Envision received a payback from its original card solution within 1½ to 2 years. However, the credit union president contacted Custom Card Systems for further enhancements to the system. While reading a magazine, he’d seen that the technology exists to place custom photos on debit cards, and he wanted to provide this capability to his customers.
“The president of Envision not only wanted the custom photos to display on the cards, but he wanted customers to have the ability to upload photos to the credit union through its Web site, then receive the card the following day,” says Rodriguez. “As a result, we used the existing Magicard Prima 2e printer and TRISM software, then added the Datacard 150i Card Personalization printer/embosser. The cards are printed using the Prima 2e printer, then embossed and secured using the Datacard printer/embosser. We worked with Envison’s Web staff to enable the photo upload through the credit union’s Web site.” With the custom photo option, it increased card production to approximately $1.75 per card, which is still much less than the $5 an outsourcer would charge for the option.
In addition to Envision’s custom photo option, it also recommended Custom Card Systems’ solutions to other financial institutions, which resulted in additional sales. These sales were primarily from other financial institutions including banks and other credit unions.
The philosophy of differentiating your business from your competition is necessary in several industries, not only financial services. If you provide gift card, credit card, or debit card printing solutions, offering features and options that allow new and existing customers differentiation can expand your business.