Metal, Wood, and Antibacterial Features... The Evolution of Plastic Cards

Shinhan Card Introduces Antibacterial Card with Antibacterial Film Coating

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Card plate materials are evolving beyond plastic. Not only are materials such as wood and alloys becoming more diverse, but cards with antibacterial functions have also emerged. Amid the flood of online-only cards, differentiated materials are stimulating the desire to collect.

According to the card industry on the 29th, Shinhan Card will introduce an antibacterial card (tentative name) to reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses. The antibacterial card is coated on both sides of the card plate with an antibacterial film that is 99.9% effective against bacteria and viruses. Shinhan Card plans to first apply it to cards used daily, such as the Metropolitan Discount Transportation Card and the Electric Vehicle Charging Discount (EV) Card, and then expand its application to other products in the future.

The antibacterial card was first introduced domestically by IBK Industrial Bank. In August, IBK released the credit card "Daily With," which has an antibacterial film coated on the card surface. This month, they also launched the "IBK Moomin Check Card," which combines characters with antibacterial functions.

This year, the card industry has been rapidly releasing online-only cards as the non-face-to-face economy has been activated due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

However, preference for physical cards remains high. The competition among card companies to differentiate plate materials targeting consumers' desire to collect is becoming increasingly fierce.

Shinhan Card coated rough ink on the plate of the car-exclusive product "My Car Card," released in July, to give it the feel of a luxury car seat material. The "Shinhan Card Deep Eco," released last year, was made with eco-friendly certified wood material for the card plate. This minimizes environmental impact when the card is discarded after its validity period expires.

Samsung Card has been offering the "American Express Gold" metal plate card since July. American Express Gold is a premium card with an annual fee of 300,000 KRW. By paying an issuance fee of 55,000 KRW, customers can receive it in metal material.

Hyundai Card has applied special materials to premium cards from the past. Hyundai Card has used titanium, liquid metal, and copal as plate materials for premium cards. Currently, they are using duralumin, an aluminum alloy used in aircraft, for the plate. It is characterized by being lightweight yet strong. Special plates are only available for premium cards such as Black, Purple, Red, Green, and Korean Air The First.

An industry official said, "It is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate products by card benefits alone," adding, "Competition over card materials and designs that stimulate customers' desire to collect will continue to be fierce."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.