In today’s consumer-driven world, co-branded credit cards have emerged as a significant trend. These cards have captured the spotlight as consumers increasingly seek products that align with their personal identities and brand loyalties. According to Javelin Strategy & Research, co-branded cards now make up a substantial 62% of consumer credit card offerings, highlighting their growing prominence in the market.
As co-branded cards continue to gain traction, the need for sophisticated personalization and production techniques has never been greater. This is where International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) member Atlantic Zeiser comes in. Specializing in the manufacturing of financial cards, ID cards, driver’s licenses, health care cards, voter cards and commercial cards, the company offers a range of modular components and secure software platforms. Their offerings include contact and contactless chip encoding, UV color and black-and-white inkjet printing and laser marking. The company excels in applying sensitive variable data onto diverse card materials, ensuring both data integrity and personalization.
A Vision for the Future: PERSOSMART
Gaël Murat, Senior Commercial Director at Atlantic Zeiser, emphasizes the company’s foresight in recognizing the evolving needs of the co-branded card market. “At Atlantic Zeiser, we saw the shift toward co-branded cards early on and developed the PERSOSMART system to address these changing demands,” Murat explains.
The PERSOSMART system is a game-changer in the world of co-branded card production. Designed to handle the complexities associated with co-branded cards, it offers exceptional efficiency and high-resolution printing capabilities. This system excels in merging intricate designs that incorporate both banking and retail brand elements, ensuring that every card is not only functional but visually striking. Additionally, PERSOSMART accommodates various materials, including traditional PVC and more sustainable options like recycled PVC and metal, aligning with the growing emphasis on environmental responsibility.
Showcasing Innovation
Atlantic Zeiser recently highlighted its cutting-edge solutions at the Seamless Middle East and Seamless North Africa events. These conferences provided a platform to demonstrate how Atlantic Zeiser’s innovations are setting new industry standards.
“At Seamless Middle East, we showcased the PERSOSMART system’s ability to deliver high-quality, full-color edge-to-edge printing,” Murat notes. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding our drop-on-demand inkjet printing technology, which produces brilliant colors and exceptional print quality.”
The PERSOSMART system stands out for its agility and efficiency, revolutionizing traditional card production methods. “Conventional approaches often involve high overhead costs due to large inventories of pre-printed card stock,” Murat explains. “With PERSOSMART and its drop-on-demand ProfFlo technology, we reduce these costs significantly by minimizing card stock requirements and enabling on-demand printing.”
This on-demand capability allows financial institutions to swiftly adapt to market changes and introduce new co-branded card designs with minimal lead time. The system’s ability to manage intricate details, such as logos and cardholder information, in a single pass ensures that the final product is both accurate and in line with the brand’s identity.
Efficiency and Flexibility: The MAILMASTER System
At Seamless North Africa, Atlantic Zeiser introduced another innovation, the MAILMASTER system. This solution is designed to streamline card mailing processes, particularly for co-branded card programs.
“The MAILMASTER system efficiently handles various small orders in one production run, processing up to 3,000 envelopes per hour,” Murat describes. “Its compact design, combined with the ability to work with both pre-printed carriers and dynamic printing during operation, makes it highly practical. It supports multiple production parameters through Rainbow Deck applications, further enhancing its versatility.”
Staying Ahead of the Curve
As competition intensifies in the card personalization market, Atlantic Zeiser remains committed to innovation and understanding its clients’ evolving needs. “We invest heavily in research and development to ensure our products not only meet current demands but also anticipate future trends,” Murat says.
The company is continually refining the PERSOSMART system to enhance its flexibility, security features, and compatibility with emerging card materials. This focus on innovation, paired with a commitment to sustainability and customer-centric design, ensures that Atlantic Zeiser’s solutions deliver real value and maintain the company’s leadership in the industry.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Horizons
Excited about future possibilities, Atlantic Zeiser is planning further enhancements to its existing systems, with a particular focus on integrating advanced data management capabilities and expanding the range of supported materials. “We are also exploring new markets and partnerships to broaden our reach, especially in regions where demand for co-branded cards is on the rise,” Murat reveals. “Our goal is to continue providing solutions that empower our clients to offer personalized, high-quality products while maintaining efficiency and sustainability.”
As co-branded cards become increasingly central to consumer credit offerings, Atlantic Zeiser’s innovations are set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of card personalization. With a commitment to excellence and a forward-looking approach, the company is well-positioned to meet the demands of a dynamic market and drive the next wave of card personalization advancements.
Murat will present Elevate Your Card Personalization Experience with Agility and Creativity during CardTREX, ICMA’s premier European event, which will take place at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG in Heidelberg, Germany from October 29-30. The presentation will focus on how the ever-increasing demand for card personalization, driven by consumers’ desire for unique and personalized products, presents new challenges for card issuers. Murat will discuss solutions that offer flexibility, efficiency and high-quality output.
More Insights on Card Trends
For more than 30 years, ICMA has represented the interests of the card manufacturing industry—which includes manufacturers, personalizers, issuers and suppliers—as its leading global association.
Throughout the year, ICMA members have the opportunity to share insights and knowledge by giving presentations during ICMA webcasts and events. The association’s main event is its annual Card Manufacturing & Personalization EXPO. The 2025 EXPO will take place from May 12-15 in Orlando, Florida.
ICMA offers regular educational opportunities, including ACE-Manufacturing, ACE-Personalization and ACE-Advanced Technologies training and exams at the ICMA EXPO. ICMA also offers ACE-Commercial training, which provides sales, marketing, customer service and other key personnel at ICMA member companies with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of card manufacturing.
Learn more about the benefits of ICMA membership.