Guides · 2 min read
Metal card vs plastic card: what is the real difference?
Weight, feel, durability and how you pay. An honest comparison, including the one trade-off.
Both cards carry the same chip and pay the same way at the counter. So what do you actually get when you move to steel? Here is an honest side-by-side.
| Plastic card | Metacards steel card | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | PVC plastic | Stainless steel |
| Weight | About 5 g | 27 g |
| Design | Printed by the bank | Laser-engraved design of your choice, in 9 finishes |
| Wear | Bends, cracks, print fades | Does not bend or crack; engraving is cut into the steel |
| Chip, number, PIN | Yours | The same chip, number and PIN |
| Card machines and ATMs | Insert or tap | Insert |
| Tap-to-pay | Usually yes | No |
The feel
The first thing people notice is the weight. 27 g of steel lands on the table with a sound no plastic card makes. It is the reason most of our customers buy one.
The look
A plastic card looks like everyone else's. A steel card can carry a design you chose, your logo or your name, engraved front and back. See pre-made designs or design your own.
Durability
Plastic cards bend in a back pocket and the printing wears off the edges. A steel card keeps its shape, and the engraving is cut into the metal, so it does not peel.
The one trade-off: no tap-to-pay
Steel blocks the tap signal, so you insert the card instead of tapping it. You can keep tapping with your phone. Read more in will a metal card work at ATMs and card machines?
Who should get one?
If you like things that feel well made, want a card that says something about you, or are looking for a gift that nobody else will give, steel is worth it. If you only ever tap to pay, a plastic card may suit you better, and we would rather tell you that now.
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