A Look Inside A Credit Card Embossing Facility

I have done work for a large northwest bank in the US for the past few years. When they contacted me recently to do some work for their bank card division, I felt it was time to see if I could get some plastic out of the deal. So I asked for a tour of the embossing facility – and I also asked for some samples to go in my credit card collection.

This “parent” bank issues Visas and MasterCards for approximately 100 smaller “correspondent” banks. They issue numerous affinity bank cards. They also emboss cards for local merchants and banks. In total, they issue a few hundred different cards. So when I found myself in their vault, with thousands of unembossed cards, it was hard to keep from drooling.

The security surrounding sample credit cards

While touring the facility, I was told about the impressive security regarding the delivery of blank cards from the manufacturers. This bank orders its card stock from two different manufacturers in Los Angeles. The cards are counted before they leave the producer. If the cards don’t travel on a non-stop flight, then a guard must accompany the flight to ensure the cards are not unloaded before they reach their destination. A guard monitors the arrival of the cards and escorts them to an armored car. When the cards reach the bank, they are counted the same day to ensure there is no discrepancy.

When bank employees remove cards from the vault, they always work in teams of two. All cards taken from the vault must be logged out. Unused cards are re-counted before being returned to the vault.

Manufacturing credit cards

Every morning, the embossing facility receives a computer tape and a report. The report tells them how many of each card is to be produced that day and in what order. The blank cards are loaded on a tray and fed through the embosser as the computer tape is read. The embosser has five or six different stations. One station encodes the magnetic stripe on the back. Another colors the raised letters and numbers. Each of the other stations create the individual lines on the card.

While the computer tape is being read, a printer simultaneously prints the cardboard mailer/holder. Prior to insertion in the envelopes, another machine reads the holders and the cards and inserts the cards into the holders’ slots. It makes sure that the account numbers match and that the right number of cards are inserted. When a discrepancy is found, it stops. 

I have been involved in computer work for ten years. I was impressed by the degree of automation in this process, particularly since this facility still had some of their 1960s equipment, which clearly illustrated how far they had come in 20 years. 

The tour and the equipment were interesting, but I could hardly keep my mind off of all those cards. I did receive some very nice samples, but now it’s back to the kitchen table and filling out those applications.

Copyright 1988 by Mark Glover

Contact Us


Got questions about your credit cards?

Wondering if your cards are valuable?

Looking to sell, trade, or donate your cards?

Send us a message

acc_512

Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

American Credit Card Collectors Society