Plastic Identification Cards

These cards do real work. Print full color on the front or both sides, add the security features the card actually needs, and every one leaves the press with a UV gloss finish and softly rounded 1/8" corners. Want to see how they sit next to the rest of the range? Browse the full lineup on business cards printing, or stay here and build yours from the choices below.

The price rewards a bigger run. A set of 125 starts at $264, about $2.11 a card, and the per-card cost keeps sliding as the count climbs toward 10,000, so a full staff rollout or a member drive costs far less per card than a small test batch. Tap any tier below to see the live total and exactly how much each step up saves before you commit.

What Are Plastic Identification Cards?

A plastic identification card is a durable PVC card used to identify a person or grant access, printed at the standard 2.125 by 3.375 inch credit-card size on 30mil white plastic. People reach for them where a paper card would fall apart: employee badges, membership cards, student and library IDs, gym passes, and building access cards. Each card is 30mil thick, the same gauge as a bank card, and prints full color with a UV gloss coat that shrugs off scuffs. If you want a card built more for membership perks, the Plastic Membership Cards cover that, and the Plastic VIP Cards sit right beside them for access and loyalty tiers.

What Size and Material Are Plastic ID Cards Printed On?

4OVER4 prints plastic identification cards at one size, 2.125 by 3.375 inch, the standard CR80 credit-card format, on 30mil white plastic that matches credit-card thickness. Every card is finished with a UV gloss coat and 1/8" rounded corners.

There is one size here for a reason. CR80 is the exact footprint of a credit card, so your cards drop into wallets, badge holders, and card readers without a second thought. Print full color on the front only when the back carries a magnetic stripe or signature panel, or run full color on both sides when you want a photo on one face and instructions on the other. The size, ink, finish, and every add-on are grouped below exactly the way the live configurator presents them, so you know what you can change before you change it.

What Security and ID Features Can You Add?

Plastic identification cards support a magnetic stripe in LoCo or HiCo, barcode numbering in Code 128 or Code 39, a signature panel, sequential numbering and variable data, a scratch-off panel with a PIN, and a lanyard slot punched on the 2.125 inch or 3.375 inch side. Each one is optional, so you add only what the card needs.

This is what turns a printed card into a working ID. Add a magnetic stripe, low-coercivity LoCo for light use or high-coercivity HiCo for daily swipes, so the card opens a door or clocks someone in. Add a barcode with numbering in Code 128 or Code 39 when a scanner has to read it. A signature panel gives the holder a place to sign, and a scratch-off panel hides a PIN until it is revealed. Need to hang the card from a badge reel? Choose a lanyard slot on the short 2.125 inch side or the long 3.375 inch side.

Because every feature is optional, a plain photo ID and a full access card both start from the same product. You are not paying for a magnetic stripe on a card that only needs a name and a face.

Can You Print a Name or Number on Each Card?

Yes. Variable data and sequential numbering print a unique name, ID number, or code on every card in a single run, while the base design stays fixed. Turn on Variable Data and upload a spreadsheet that maps one row per card to print a whole batch of individually numbered IDs at once.

A stack of identical cards is not much of an ID system. Turn on variable data or sequential numbering and each card ships with its own employee number, member ID, or one-off code, while the logo and layout stay the same across the run. Pair it with a barcode so every number scans, or with a magnetic stripe so every card carries its own credential. It is the simplest way to print a numbered set of badges, membership cards, or access cards in one order instead of one at a time.

Already have your artwork ready? Skip straight to a press-ready blank instead. The blank plastic identification card template is built at the real 2.125 by 3.375 inch trim with the bleed and safe margin already drawn in, so your names, photos, and barcodes never crowd the cut. Drop your art in and upload.

How Much Do Plastic Identification Cards Cost?

Plastic identification cards start at $264 per 125, about $2.11 a card, and the per-card price keeps dropping as the quantity climbs toward 10,000, where it falls to roughly $0.25 each. A run of 1,500 is $668.20 and 3,500 come to $1,160.82, so a cheap ID card really comes down to how big a run you order. How many do you actually need? Drag the slider below to set your count and watch both the total and the true per-card cost update live, and find the point where one more step up barely moves the budget.

How Do Plastic ID Cards Compare to the Rest of the Range?

Plastic identification cards are the pick when a card has to identify a person and survive years of use, but they are not your only plastic-card move. If you are weighing a membership card, a VIP tier, or a credit-card-style card with its own magnetic stripe, it helps to see the trade-off in plain numbers. The chart below lines these cards up against their closest siblings, the Plastic Membership Cards, Plastic VIP Cards, and Plastic Credit Cards, so you can compare the starting price on each before you choose.

How Fast Can You Get Plastic ID Cards, and How Do You Proof Them?

Standard production for plastic identification cards runs 10 business days. Because an ID card carries names, numbers, and barcodes that have to be exact, you get a choice at checkout: send the file straight to production when you are confident, or request a free online proof to check the layout, the spelling, and any variable data before the press runs. Every order is backed by 4OVER4's Gold Standard guarantees, so if something is not right, it gets made right.

See the Rest of Our Cards

Plastic identification cards are one stop in a much larger lineup, and you can scan the full print product range any time. If a membership card, a VIP card, or a heavier or lighter plastic would serve you better, the rest of the family is one tap away. Each option shows its own starting price and links straight to its product page, so finding the right fit takes seconds.

Print Your Plastic Identification Cards Today

At 4OVER4.COM, quality comes first, and it's backed by a satisfaction guarantee and 25+ years of printing since 1999. Whatever features you add, these cards are built to feel like a credit card in a hand and hold up for years on a lanyard or in a wallet. Set your quantity, add the magnetic stripe, barcode, or signature panel the card needs, and print your plastic identification cards today.