FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary benefits for card manufacturers, personalizers, suppliers, issuers, manufacturers’ representatives and affiliate and consulting members are education, networking and industry access. ICMA achieves this through a wide range of member services and benefits including publications, exhibit and attendee discounts to the annual EXPO and CardTREX, awards and certification programs, industry/member news e-newsletters, standards representation and reports, training and webcasts, public relations, an online member directory and more. 

ICMA’s membership is for companies, and therefore the benefits can be used by all employees of your company. However, your membership only applies to your particular office location, and any other branch location must join separately. There is a branch membership available for a reduced fee as long as one location of your company maintains a full membership.
ICMA members come from more than 40 countries worldwide, representing every continent and market region in the world.
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Education on the manufacturing of cards can be obtained via CardTREX and our EXPO, as well as the articles in ICMA’s magazine, Card Manufacturing. Additionally, a comprehensive study guide is available for those taking the ACE exams, however, you must qualify and sign up to take the exam to get the study guide. ICMA also offers an on-demand ACE-Commercial training, which provides sales, marketing, customer service and other key personnel at your company the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of card manufacturing as well as typical customer questions and challenges. Elevate your marketing team with ACE-Commercial!

ICMA offers training webinars for members who want to learn more about the different aspects of card manufacturing. ICMA’s Card Industry Training & Education (CITE) Program gives individuals — whether new to the business or those who have limited exposure to the full breadth of the industry — a basic understanding of the history, scope and technologies involved in the global card industry, including sections on general card manufacturing, personalization and technology applications. Card Basics for Card Issuers is a training video for card issuers — a tutorial on the manufacturing and personalization of cards to support an issuer’s knowledge base for card procurement.
ICMA's annual Card Manufacturing & Personalization EXPO and CardTREX event offer exhibit and sponsorship opportunities (discounted rates for members). Suppliers can also submit abstracts for consideration to present at these events. Card Manufacturing magazine accepts articles, product releases and advertisements. Suppliers can also showcase their products and services in advertisements on our website and in our e-newsletters.
ICMA maintains standards representation on ISO and ANSI committees and working groups via an official representative, who authors card standards reports (free for members) and standards articles in Card Manufacturing magazine.
ICMA members must refrain from discussing the financial aspects of their business pertaining to disclosure of prices, profits, commissions, discounts, purchase agreements, contracts, costs or any other matter which could be construed as causing injury to a competitor or of unreasonably restraining trade.