Credit cards are the most versatile tools in the world; everyone has found a great solution to complete their purchases or payments quickly and without too much hassle.
If you have used many credit cards, you have probably noticed that they have a standardized size; they all have the same dimensions because they use a flat machine to print the information. Therefore, they can all maintain the same size.
Credit card dimensions
Currently, all credit cards measure 3.37 inches or 85.6 millimeters wide by 2.125 inches or 53.98 mm high. Standard size for all credit cards has been in place for several years because it is simpler for merchants to deal with.
If this standardized size did not exist, stores would need many readers to accommodate all types. Thanks to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and its guidelines, it is possible to have exact models for each card.
In total, there are 162 member countries in ISO and ISO/IEC 7810#ID-1, which establishes the guidelines that the dimensions of their credit cards must comply with. In other words, the size is standard in most countries where you travel, so it is easy to use them in these places.
Materials of manufacture
To differentiate each credit card, you can use different materials. The colors and letters used to place the description can also distinguish easily. Among the most common materials used to design the cards are the following:
- Gold: exclusive credit cards have elegant designs and are entirely different from the rest. Most of them are gold-plated.
- Metal: people who want to spend with style have metal credit cards, they are heavier options, and the look is highly elegant.
- Plastic: the most common credit cards are plastic. They do not enjoy the elegant and important look of metal or gold credit cards. For many people, this is the only option.
What is the thickness of each?
As part of the ISO/IEC 7810 standards, where the standards for credit cards are specified, all credit cards must maintain a thickness of 0.76 millimeters; an inch would be 0.0312. The actual thickness of a credit card can change depending on the extruded text.
It can also change depending on the material of construction used in the card design. For example, an Apple credit card is made from titanium, and its thickness is approximately 0.0325 inches.
Some plastic credit cards are even up to 0.036 inches thick, depending on the type of card purchased.
How was the credit card size standardized?
Bank of America issued the first card is 1958, the size chosen for credit cards today. Although it is not the same, it is very similar.
So, we can say that Bank of America decided the size, and the changes made were made to adapt to the present day.