Comparison
PVC card printer vs. printing service
Should you buy a card printer or outsource production? Detailed comparison.
The true cost of a card printer
The initial investment is just the tip of the iceberg. Consumables, maintenance, operator — the TCO is often 3 to 5 times higher than the purchase price.
PVC card printer
- Investment: €2,000 to €15,000
- Print ribbons: €0.20 to €0.80 per card
- Blank cards to store and order
- Regular maintenance and calibration
- Dedicated operator for each print run
- No built-in NFC encoding (separate encoder)
- No shipping logistics
- Scalability limited by machine capacity
Printags — printing as a service
- Zero initial investment
- Subscription from €19/month, all-inclusive
- No stock, no consumables to manage
- No maintenance, zero downtime
- 100% automated via REST API
- NFC encoding integrated into production flow
- White-label shipping built into the production flow
- Unlimited scalability via global network
The right question
Is your business printing cards?
If the answer is no, you don't need a printer. You need a service that prints for you, automatically, on demand, white-label.
That's exactly what Printags does. One API, a network of qualified printers, and your customer receives their card without ever knowing it's us.
Ready to ditch your printer?
Create your account and send your first order. No investment, no commitment.