Metal cards are the latest sensation in the financial industry

The consumer credit card market is poised to see metal cards become the new sensation, with metal programs offering financial institutions the opportunity to win high value cardholders and fuel business growth.

The rising popularity of metal cards has understandably created an eagerness among financial institutions to capitalize on the surging consumer demand and develop their own offering for high value cardholders. The opportunity is hard to ignore – CPI Card Group estimates the target audience for metal cards is nearly 40 million-strong in the U.S. alone.

Metal cards have become a status symbol or a reflection of a high-end lifestyle. Deconstructing what has created this association shows that it boils down to look, feel and value. By exploring and innovating what can be done within those aspects of a card, financial institutions can forge a path to a metal card program that is uniquely reflective of their brand and the image their high value cardholders want to project.

Innovate the look

Creating a differentiated program requires that financial institutions see metal as a starting point – a blank canvas or launch pad to take design aspects to the next level.

Today, financial institutions can take advantage of high-definition printing capabilities on metal, as well as the ability to incorporate printing and manufacturing techniques like silkscreen treatments, to further enhance design. Printing capabilities can be leveraged to produce high resolution designs and styles on metal cards akin to those available on plastic cards.

Appeal to the plunk factor

One particular appeal of metal cards is how they feel and sound when dropped. The satisfaction metal cards provide cardholders when removed from a wallet and dropped on a counter – can be difficult to put into words. While attractive rewards and benefits often drive demand for the product, the card’s physical form can come to symbolize everything a program represents.

Utilizing different metals, financial institutions can literally double down on weight with an encased tungsten card nearly twice the weight of stainless steel cards and four times the weight of a standard PVC card.

Adding the right metal card to your portfolio is easy.  See more details about metal card construction by downloading the Metal Card Infographic.