“METAL FOR EVERYONE”
You may have seen this statement on our website, and it is our product development North Star! In the early days of metal cards, issuers with metal cards were focused on the top tier cardholders and the top 1%ers. These cards were contact only payment devices and delivered to cardholders who were either private banking clients or willing to pay a high annual fee ($500+) or both. Today with the democratization of payment systems, the rise of Fintechs and NeoBanks and a growing number of manufacturers, metal cards are now taking their place as a key part of many issuers’ card portfolios. And, as this happens more and more, cardholders around the world now carry a card with various amounts of metal resulting in cards of various weights and constructions. That said with an ICMA forecast of 5 billion cards issued annually in the financial sector, only about 40 million or less than 1% of these cards are metal. So, room to grow!
Why Choose ICK?
First and foremost, we are great listeners! At ICK, as we help our customers on their metal card journey, we want to understand who the target audience is going to be and what the brand needs are in getting this card to market. Our metal card portfolio is designed to fit the segmentation and differentiation needs of issuers like traditional banks, credit unions, credit card banks fintechs, and neo banks. It is during the collaborative design process that we mutually agree on the best path forward. ICK brings to the table the experience of producing differentiated metal cards for over 6 years, an established production process and a global perspective on design that allows for clear differentiation. And for many, that choice is ICK’s flagship product, Max Metal™.
Why Max Metal™
ICK created Max Metal after a careful review of current market offerings especially those with contactless payment. ICK recognized that in solving the engineering challenge of integrating contactless antennas with metal card bodies, many metal cards had to give up some key elements such as weights and the metal “ting” when the card hits the table. We believe the sensory benefits of a metal card are integral to providing a great customer experience.
Max Metal was designed with differentiation in mind, and this includes constructions that eliminate the common problem of delamination. So often in the card industry we hear from customers “what’s new/what’s different”. Well in the metal card world, Max Metal is what is new and different!! How?
- A weighty dual interface card at 22 grams that taps on both sides
- A 100 % stainless steel card front and ultra thin pvc back
- A proven, patented contactless antenna solution for metal
- The sound of metal not muted by 3 or more layers of unlike materials
- The use of PVD on the card front for exciting colors and best in class CNC etching
- A global design perspective that combines color, Etching and Laser engraving to create award winning and striking cards.