Provider of plastic card solutions like ID Cards, Loyalty cards, Gift cards, Identification badges, Membership Cards, and Access Key cards.

What clients say about CardsPlus:

"Well, this was a WOW moment for me with regards to the service received from your company. Wow, wow and wow!!!" --Carol
"Thank you for a great journey in creating our brand new identity cards! :)" -- Natalie
"Everyone we dealt with seemed knowledgeable and professional and worked well together as a team."
"Rozelle was very professional and friendly and responded promptly to any queries."
"Thank you very much, I truly appreciate your service." -- Verna
"Thank you very much for your prompt service, I haven't had a supplier that has been so quick and helpful. Kudo's to you and CardPlus." --Hans
"Always a pleasure dealing with your company." -- Penni
"Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! I LOVE it! A million thanks, you've done an excellent job" --Ethel
"Thank you very much you guys are one of a kind." --Maria
"I still cannot believe what a difference your [EDIsecure] card machine makes to our company’s image! Thank you very much for the good service." --Hannelie
"First impressions are lasting impressions, and I can tell you this – you must be wowing clients all over the country, from the funky auto-responder on the website inquiry, right down to your quick response for a quote. Well done and keep it up. SA needs more companies like yours to make us serious contenders in the world economy." -- Carol
"You, (as always), went the extra mile to ensure that I received my cards order, despite the extremely short lead time ...... and that with a smile!" --Lizette
"BEAUTIFUL CARDS thank you!" --Clare
"The cards are fantastic and I can’t wait to get reaction from members." --Football Membership Club
"You guys rock"-- Chris
"[The Sales Team] helped me out with the order and even phoned to follow up on a question I had. Later on I was also very pleased with a guy from the Technical department who helped me out with a problem." -- Marjet
"You went the extra mile to ensure that I received my cards order, despite the extremely short lead time ...... and that with a smile!" -- Event Company
"[The CardsPlus Team] is always on Skype and that helps me a lot, because is easier to communicate with, reliable and mostly cost effective. Every time I have technical problem they are there for me" -- Charles
"Quick as lightning!" -- Feroza
"Very patient and went the extra mile to assist me. Prompt in response as well." -- Charne
"Fantastic to deal with" -- Duncan
"Thank you for making sure that our Printer is always printing!" -- Charmaine
"You are a pleasure to deal with. Always friendly and professional!" -- Robbie
"CardsPlus was very helpful and ensured our delivery was 1 week ahead of time. So we have to say a big Thank you as we could launch product a week earlier." --Dean
"Good communication, understanding and patience. all in all you are the best!"-- Richard
"Your service has saved my life! =) Thanks a bunch!" --Claire
"We are very happy with the service we have received. Thanks again for everything." --Charl
"Your service was impeccable as usual and a great experience. Thank you for your efforts" - Tyrone
"Its so nice to work with a company that focuses on the client , it's been a fantastic experience"--Duncan
"Thanks again so much for all of your assistance. It is awesome dealing with you :) I’ll be in contact soon." --Gavin
"Thanks for the efficient and great service :)" --Khayni
"Great service from Rozelle and her team" --Advertising Agency
"I was impressed by the way that each one did his part so well and everyone knew who is responsible for what. Great team." -- Membership Identification Provider
"The overall service was excellent with each team member fulfilling their roles very well" -- Anon
"The cards were superb! The schools was “wow”ed by them. The kids were extremely happy to see how beautiful, clear and impressive the cards were. Thanks to you and the CardPlus Team for making my company the star." -- Lungi
"Everything was received in good order and the service was excellent as always. It’s a pleasure doing business with you." -- Werner
"The Quality and Service was fantastic...We will definitely keep you updated with our progress. You will be hearing from us very soon. Keep the production ready on your side!" --Elaine
"I wanted to congratulate you guys on your job with the cards. They were done very professionally and really impressed me!" --Jaimie
"Thanks and sorry for not letting you know sooner that I was over the moon. The cards look great, but I was most impressed by your professionalism and service level and the fact that the deadline was met on such a short notice. You have definitely made me a client and kicked dust in the eyes of our previous supplier." --Christine
"I wanted to contact you today to say Thank you so very much for your speedy and wonderful service!! :) We received the cards yesterday- thank you! They are perfect!!" --Lauren
"Thanks again for your great after-sales service" -- Rickus
"A very big thank you for your effort in getting the cards ready for Friday, despite all the unforeseen delays. The cards are stunning and I hope will be a great success story for our company." -- Sylvia
"I have received the cards and they are absolutely beautiful. I have no doubt that the client will love them. Thank you so much." --Verna
"Thanks CardsPlus for the cards. Fantastic Service :-)"-- Club Organiser
"Again you impressed me with your customer driven service. I start believing there is nothing you can’t help with.;) I highly appreciate the spontaneous service." --Philip
"CardsPlus is 100% - no problems – it's nice working with a company with such high professionalism." -- Elaine
"I have received the cards and they look great!!!! We are soo impressed!! :) Many thanks!" -- Natalie
"WOW…….Cardsplus ROCK!!!!!THANK YOU SO MUCH TO you and the production team…………my client is going to think I am marvelous. Thank you for making me look good!" -- Pam
"The cards look stunning!!! My goodness,the client was so impressed!!! Thank you so much!! I'm actually looking at a few other customers who will definitely be interested. Thanks for the email. Your service and quality is excellent!" -- Crystelle
"Your price range are great- the best in the market." --Carol
"Wow!!!! That’s absolutely unbelievable turn-around and service. Thank you." --Jacques
"You handled the project with utmost professionalism from start to finish. I particularly found the experience of dealing with one person through the entire project to be a plus...nowadays we are so used to being fobbed from one person/dept to another...you have a winning formula and winning staff!" --Lizette
"I must say that Lisa {your graphic designer} is a genius and her card is creating a wonderful stir. She is an exceptionally talented young lady!" --Lizette
 Request a quote button
 
Plastic card printing now 5 days standard!

CardsPlus offers:

 
 
 
Read More on CardsPlus News Blog
Sign up for our newsletter

 

 

Abiding by the law and
being a strong role model in
the industry is important to us.:
             So what is our Code of Ethics?

 

 

 

 

youtube logolinked in


Smart Technology Cards

Frequently asked questions - Smart Cards (Cards with Technology)

In this article you will find the following FAQ:
Select the question you have to jump to the answer or scroll to browse.
Do you have a different question? Contact us!

Barcodes (1D)

 
example of a 1d barcode code 39

QR Tag (2D Barcodes)

 
Example of a QR 2D barcode

Magnetic Stripe Cards 

Magnetic Stripe Cards

MIFARE RFID Cards

 
Example of a MIFARE card

Barcodes
(1D or Linear)

 		 
example of a 1d barcode code 39
 This is an example of a linear barcode
 

How do bar codes work?

Different combinations of bars and spaces are used to encode characters into bar codes. Differences in light and dark and the width of the elements are the variables used for encoding. The bar code reader illuminates the symbol and measures the amount of light that is reflected back. The reader determines the pattern of light and dark or wide and narrow, then compares it to the encoding table for that type of bar code (called a symbology) and decodes the symbol.

How many kinds of bar codes are there?

Hundreds of bar code symbologies have been created, but less than two dozen are widely used. Each symbology has its own pattern of bars and spaces and its own rules for encoding data. There are two basic types of bar codes: linear and two-dimensional (2-D).

Linear codes encode data in bars and spaces in a single line. The U.P.C./EAN symbol is the best-known example of a linear bar code but most companies choose to use a Code 39 or Code 128 barcode on plastic cards.

How are symbologies different? 

Symbologies differ primarily by the type and amount of data that they can hold. Some symbologies offer full alphanumeric encoding, while others only encode numbers. Symbologies may be fixed or variable length. However, size isn’t unlimited, because the symbol must remain compact enough to be recognized by the reader. Two-dimensional symbologies can hold significantly more data than linear codes.

What kind of bar code should I use?

There is a large variety of bar codes available to ensure that you can find a symbology that meets your needs. The most important variables that determine the best symbology are: the amount of data that needs to be encoded, the space available to print the bar code and the type of data to encode.

How much data can a bar code hold?  

Variable-length symbologies can be used to encode only a few characters, if desired, while 2-D codes encode thousands of characters. The data capacity of variable-length bar codes is limited by the size of the symbol, which is in turn limited by the ability of the bar code reader.
 
 

QR Tag
(2D Barcodes)

 
Example of a QR 2D barcode

Scan this QR Tag with your smartphone QR tag reader
for an example of what you can do with 2D barcodes.

 

What is a QR Tag?

QR Tags, also called QR barcodes, 2D barcodes, or quick response codes. 

Two-dimensional codes encode data in an additional dimension. The two principle types of 2-D codes are stacked and matrix symbologies. Stacked symbologies resemble multiple linear symbols stacked on top of each other. Matrix symbologies feature blocks or lines in a grid or geometric pattern. There are also hybrid 2-D symbologies and other variations.

Why add QR codes to marketing material?

This type of barcode can be decoded using a smartphone with a QR code reader.  QR codes have proven to be very useful in marketing and convenience related applications adding an additional level of engagement from the consumer.

 
 

Magnetic Stripe Cards 

 
Magnetic Stripe Cards
 

What is a "Track"?

The magnetic stripe found on the back of the magstripe cards has a possibility of up to three areas or "tracks" of data for the ISO standard, identified as tracks 1, 2 and 3. Each track has a different encoding format. Track one contains up to 79 alphanumeric characters. Tracks 2 and 3 contain only numeric characters; 40 and 107 characters respectively.  We have an outline of the track restrictions in our Downloads area.  The track for JISII cards (a Japanese standard) shall be located in the area including two lines 6.3 mm and 11.7 mm from the top edge of the magnetic card but the encoded width in this track shall be more than 6 mm wide.

What are HiCo and LoCo?

Hi-Co (high coercivity) is a type of magnetic stripe tape made up of magnetic particles that can stand under difficult operating environments the particles will not be easily effected when closing to a magnetic field. When high-co magstripes come into contact with magnetic fields such as a telephone handset , the information on the stripe is not altered, unlike lo-co. cards which are subject to erasure. Since the two types of stripes are made up of very different material, it is necessary to use an encoder specifically made for the type of stripe you are encoding.

Do I need a special reader to decode HiCo cards?

All stock magnetic stripe readers you purchase from CardsPlus will offer both HiCo and LoCo reading capabilities.
 

MIFARE RFID Cards 

 
Example of a MIFARE card
 This is what a MIFARE cards looks like internally.
 
What is MIFARE?

MIFARE technology is a 13.56 MHz contactless technology that is owned by Philips Electronics. MIFARE is often considered to be a "smart card" technology. This is based on the ability to read and write to the card. In reality, MIFARE is simply a memory card (as opposed to a processor card).

The MIFARE contactless smart card and MIFARE card reader/writer were originally developed to handle payment transactions for public transportation systems. With a short read-range, MIFARE was uniquely suited to perform increment/decrement functions. Although contact smart cards could also do the job, contactless readers are faster and easier to use, and there is virtually no maintenance on the readers, or wear and tear on the cards.

How many applications can be performed with one MIFARE card?

Up to 15 different applications can be stored on a MIFARE card, and these applications will be separate and secure from one another by using unique keys (passwords) for each sector. The only requirement is that the various application providers must cooperate in the programming of the MIFARE Applications Directory (MAD), and that the keys to this directory must be available to all application providers.

How do I print on a MIFARE card?

Because of the delicate nature of this type of technology, certain print methods are not recommended. Any print method where the print head touches the card is too harsh for the technology and will damage the card (and may compromise the printer too).

Manufacturer recommendation for contactless chip cards is offset printing and retransfer printing as these are the only methods will not reduce the lifespan of the card or damage the technology within the card.

Each contactless card has a fine antenna and a small chip sandwiched between the sheets of plastic. When printed on a standard Direct to Card printer, the card is heated once each time a colour is printed on the card- a total of 5 times for the standard full colour card. The rate that the metal antenna cools down is different than the rate that the plastic cools, making the antennae brittle and thus, the life of the card is reduced.

We recommend using EDIsecure's XID8300 for the most reliable and cost effective retransfer solution.

What variants does MIFARE offer?

The MIFARE name (derived from the term MIkron Fare Collection System) covers seven different kinds of contactless cards. These are the most popular 3 types in South Africa.

MIFARE Classic
  • employ a proprietary protocol compliant to ISO/IEC 14443-3 Type A, with an NXP proprietary security protocol for authentication and ciphering. You can expect 1k or 4k memory. 
MIFARE Ultralight
  • reduced-cost ICs that employ the same protocol as MIFARE Classic, but without the security part and slightly different commands. There is 512 bits (64 bytes) of memory available.

MIFARE DESFire

  • are smart cards that comply to ISO/IEC 14443-4 Type A with a mask-ROM operating system from NXP. You can expect  2, 4 and 8 KB of memory available.
 

 

 

 

 
 

Latest News

Most Read Content