How Much Does A Credit Card Cost To Make?

There are a lot of things that people have wondered but have never asked. Or maybe some things have come up as a bar conversation since you know how deep those conversations can get. Have you ever wondered how much it costs to create a credit card? Well, if you have, you are about to find out.

Billions Of Cards In Circulation

There are billions of credit and debit cards in circulation and billions more being circulated. Of course you are aware of the recent liability shift in 2016 that gave everyone a new card to replace their old one and it seems like a good time to be a manufacturer of credit cards.

Loaded With Technology

There is also a lot of technology that goes into the card itself, or can go into it. There is the EMV chip, the magnetic stripe, the NFC technology for contactless payments, new biometric technology (available outside of the US currently) and of course everyone’s favorite, the hologram. All on a small piece of plastic with raised letters and numbers. 

Just How Much Does It Cost?

So, just how much does it cost to manufacture one credit card? Probably not as much as you think. A credit card costs about $.90 to $1.40 to create though dual interface cards that are equipped with NFC technology cost around $2 to $2.50 to make. There is a good reason why your bank gives you little or no hassle when you ask for a new card.

For a credit card that costs $1.40 you can buy a hot dog at your local quick serve restaurant or an item from your local fast food store’s dollar menu (that may not actually cost a dollar anymore). It doesn’t seem like it buys you much anymore. But it can buy you a credit card! There’s probably a few other things that you can buy for that price, in fact there are. Just head into the local Dollar Store down the street from you and check it out.

You might even use your card to make that purchase.