Card Issuing Services

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) remains the dominant raw material and feedstock for standard payment card bodies due to its cost-efficiency and compliance with physical durability and structural norms required for payment processing systems.

The upstream supply chain for payment cards is undergoing a significant transition toward sustainable alternatives like recycled PVC (rPVC) and PETG to address environmental challenges associated with standard PVC disposal, such as toxic emissions during non-ideal incineration.

The production of functional EMV smart cards relies heavily on metallic feedstocks, specifically copper for chip modules and Near Field Communication (NFC) readers, along with essential thin-film metals like gold and nickel for external finishing and pathways.

Upstream semiconductor components for smart cards, including logic and micro-component integrated circuits, exhibit high geographic concentration, with Taiwan historical commanding over 60% of global manufacturing capacity, making card-issuing services vulnerable to regional supply disruptions.