Tell them that you are looking into having your gift cards printed with a third party printer and that you need to know which track on the magnetic stripe needs to be encoded. The answer you are looking for is "Track 1", "Track 2", or "Both Tracks 1 and 2". On rare occasions, a POS provider requires a Track 3 encoding.

The POS software sometimes expects the data encoded on the magnetic stripe to meet certain requirments. Some POS companies require the data have a certain number of characters, or perhaps they must start or end with a certain sequence of characters. Many have no restrictions.

Many people are under the assumption that the magnetic stripe on a gift card is the vehicle that holds the card's value. This is not the case. Most times, the information on a gift card's magnetic stripe is simply an account number. The card is swiped in a magnetic stripe reader, and the machine reads the card number (as opposed to it being manually typed in). Once it receives that account number on the card, the software will produce the account information on the computer's screen, including the card's value. Procedures for doing this varies between POS providers, but that is a simplistic explanation of what type of information is held within the mag stripe on a gift card.

The gift card dimensions are 3.375 inches wide by 2.125 inches high.

We print Gift Cards compatible with: Aldelo • Aloha • Amber Systems • Amigo • Benseron • Clover • Comcash • Digital Dining • Dinerware • Envision • Ez Dine • Firefly • Focus • Harms Millennium • Hot Sauce • Insight • Jonas • Lightspeed • M9 Creations • Mercury Payment Systems • Micros • Microsale • Microsoft Rms • Mindbody Online • Opticard • Paytronix • Pc America • Pixelpoint • Positouch • Radiant Counterpoint • Resale World • Restaurant Pro • Retail Pro • Revel • Revention • Salesvu • Salon Biz • Salon Iris • Selby Soft • Spabiz • Spa Booker • Vagaro • and many more. Check with one of our representatives if you do not see your point of sale company listed here.

A custom gift card is a plastic version of a gift certificate. A customer purchases the gift card, intending to give it to a recipient who can later redeem it at the business for a gift of their own choosing. It usually has additional features such as a bar code, numbering, or magnetic stripe, which contains data (usually an account number). That data is read by a scanner or mag stripe reader which interacts with point-of-sale software.

The trim size for a custom gift card is 3.375 x 2.125", which is also the standard size for a CR80 credit card size card. If you need to set up your artwork for bleeds, make your canvas 3.625 x 2.375". Within the trim, set up for an interior safety area .125" in from the trim line.

Most custom gift cards have the business branding, contact information, data such as numbering.

Yes we can make a custom gift card to be any size or shape. An additional die creation fee would apply.

Several factors will drive your choice of material. Some card features, such as metallic ink is available only on a certain material. Aesthetics is another factor. Cost and Turnaround time will also guide card material choice.

Yes.

Our minimum quantity is 250.

Absolutely. CardPrinting.com will email you a link to a digital proof for your review and approval before the production of your custom gift card order begins.