How Much Do Metal Business Cards Cost?

Metal business cards cost between $230 and $7,900, depending on four things: the metal you choose, the surface finish, the design technique, and how many you order. That's a wide range, so this guide breaks it down with real pricing so you know what to expect before you configure or request a quote.

The short version: a typical metal card order — 100 cards in silver or black stainless steel with laser engraving — runs $475 to $750. That's $4.75 to $7.50 per card. If you're comparing that to premium paper business cards ($0.50 to $2.00 per card), metal is 4 to 10 times more expensive. Whether that's justified depends entirely on how you use them.

For an overview of all metal card options, see the complete guide →.

What drives the price

Four variables determine your total cost. Understanding how each one moves the price helps you build the right configuration for your budget.

1. Metal color

This is the largest single price factor. Every metal card starts as stainless steel. The "colors" — gold, black, rose gold — are PVD coatings applied in a vacuum chamber. Different coatings require different processes and materials.

Our metals fall into three price tiers:

Tier A (least expensive): Silver Stainless Steel and Aluminum. Silver is natural uncoated steel — no PVD process needed. Aluminum is a lighter, less expensive base metal.

Tier B (mid-range): Gold, Rose Gold, and Copper Stainless Steel. These use standard PVD precious-metal-tone coatings.

Tier C (premium): Black, White, and Iridescent Stainless Steel. Black and white PVD require more complex coating chemistry. Iridescent uses a multi-layer interference coating that shifts color with viewing angle — the most technically demanding process.

The difference between Tier A and Tier C at 100 cards is roughly $60 to $120, depending on other options. It's meaningful but not dramatic — don't let cost alone drive your color choice. Choose the metal that fits your brand, then optimize the other variables if you need to adjust the total.

Which metal suits your brand? →

2. Surface finish

Each metal color comes in three finishes: matte, brushed, or mirror.

Matte is the base price. Brushed and mirror cost the same as each other — slightly above matte. The per-card difference between matte and brushed/mirror is small: roughly $0.50 to $1.50 more per card depending on quantity.

This means the finish decision should be purely aesthetic. If you prefer brushed (we recommend it most often — it photographs well and reads unmistakably as metal), the price premium is negligible.

3. Design technique

This is the second-largest cost driver after metal color.

Laser engraving (the base) etches your design into the metal surface. Every metal card includes engraving — it's the fundamental production method.

Adding laser cutouts increases cost by $15 to $200+ depending on quantity. Cutouts require additional laser time and produce material waste. The more complex the cutout shapes, the longer the laser runs.

Adding color printing is the most significant add-on. Full-color offset printing on metal requires a separate production step with dedicated equipment. Adding full-color printing to both sides of the card can add $150 to $1,000+ to the order total depending on quantity.

You can also combine cutouts and color printing on the same card — the costs stack.

4. Quantity

Like all print production, per-card pricing decreases as quantity increases. The first cards in a run are the most expensive because they absorb the fixed setup costs — laser programming, PVD batch preparation, and print plate creation. Each additional card adds only the marginal material and production time.

At 5 cards, you're paying almost entirely for setup. At 1,000, the setup cost is spread thin and material costs dominate. The per-card price at 1,000 is typically 50-60% less than the per-card price at 5.

Real pricing: three common configurations

Rather than abstract pricing tables, here are three configurations that represent the majority of metal card orders we produce. All prices include standard US shipping.

Configuration 1: The essentials

Silver Stainless Steel · Matte · Engraved Only · 0.5mm

This is the entry point. Natural steel, clean matte surface, laser-engraved text and logo. No cutouts, no color printing. The metal itself does the talking.

The 5-card and 25-card tiers exist for people who want to test the product or need a small batch for a specific purpose. The economics improve significantly at 100+, which is where most orders land.

Configuration 2: The popular choice

Black Stainless Steel · Brushed · Engraved + Cutouts · 0.5mm

Black with brushed finish is our most-ordered metal combination. The laser engraving reveals bright steel through the black PVD coating — high contrast, high legibility. Adding cutouts introduces negative space and shadow play that makes the card feel architectural.

At 100 cards, the step up from Configuration 1 (silver matte engraved) to this one is about $145. For most people, that's worth it — the black + brushed + cutouts combination is significantly more visually striking.

Configuration 3: The full production

Gold Stainless Steel · Brushed · Engraved + Cutouts + Full-Color Printing (Front) · 0.5mm

The premium combination. Gold metal, brushed surface, engraved contact details on the back, full-color brand imagery printed on the front, with strategic cutout accents. This is the metal card that gets photographed and posted on Instagram.

This is our most expensive standard configuration. At 100 cards, $710 is a significant investment for business cards — but $7.10 per card for a gold metal card with full-color artwork and laser cutouts is a hard thing to find anywhere else at this quality.

How metal compares to premium paper

Context matters. Here's what high-end paper business cards with specialty finishes cost for comparison:

32pt Cotton with Gold Foil (both sides): ~$350 to $500 for 500 cards ($0.70 to $1.00 per card)

16pt Soft Touch with Raised Spot UV: ~$180 to $300 for 500 cards ($0.36 to $0.60 per card)

48pt Cotton with Letterpress + Edge Painting: ~$500 to $800 for 500 cards ($1.00 to $1.60 per card)

At 500 cards, metal runs $1,330 to $2,470 ($2.66 to $4.94 per card) — roughly 3 to 7 times the price of premium paper.

The comparison isn't apples-to-apples because the products serve different purposes. Paper cards are for volume networking. Metal cards are for selective, high-impact handoffs. Most of our customers who order metal also have paper cards — they carry both and use each where it fits. More on when each makes sense →

Ways to bring the cost down

If you want metal but need to manage the budget:

• Start with silver steel, matte finish, engraving only. This is the least expensive combination at every quantity tier and still unmistakably metal — the weight and temperature tell the story regardless of color or finish. At 100 cards, $475 is a reasonable investment for a card that will genuinely change how people respond to you.
• Choose 0.5mm over 0.8mm. The thinner option costs 10-15% less and still feels substantial. The 0.8mm option is genuinely heavy — impressive, but not necessary for the metal card experience.
• Skip color printing if your design doesn't need it. A clean engraved-only card with cutout accents can be more striking than a busy color-printed one. Removing color printing saves $50 to $500+ depending on quantity.
• Order 100 instead of 250. Metal cards are kept, not discarded. A box of 100 metal cards can last a year or more if you're selective about who receives them. The per-card savings at 250 don't justify double the order if you won't use them.
• Add a QR code instead of printing your URL. A laser-engraved QR code costs $30 flat (any quantity) and eliminates the need for printed web addresses. Clean, functional, and it saves space in the design.

What's included in the price

Every metal card order includes:

Laser engraving of your design — text, logo, line art, contact details. This is the base production method, included at every price tier.

Digital proof before production. We send you a rendering of your card showing exactly what will be engraved, cut, and printed. Nothing goes to production until you approve it.

Standard US shipping. Included in all pricing shown on our site and in this guide.

File review and setup. If your design files need adjustments for metal production (and most do), we handle that. No additional charge. See file requirements →

Getting an exact price

The fastest way to see pricing for your specific combination: use the product configurator →. Select your metal, finish, thickness, and add-ons — the pricing table updates live with totals and per-card costs at every quantity tier.

For projects outside the standard configurator — multiple names, quantities over 1,000, unusual dimensions, or combinations of techniques you're not sure about — request a custom quote →. We'll put together options and pricing within a few hours.

Common pricing questions

Is there a setup fee?

No separate setup fee. Laser programming, PVD batch preparation, and print plate creation are built into the per-card pricing. What you see in the configurator or quote is the total — no hidden fees.

Does NFC add to the cost?

Yes. Adding an NFC chip adds approximately $2 to $4 per card depending on quantity. At 100 cards, expect roughly $200 to $400 in additional cost. Learn about NFC metal cards →

Can I get a discount for a large order?

The per-card price already decreases significantly at higher quantities — that volume discount is built into the pricing tiers. For orders above 1,000 cards, request a quote → and we'll provide custom pricing.

Do you offer samples?

Yes. Order a sample pack → to see and feel the different metals, finishes, and techniques before committing to a full order.

How does pricing compare to other metal card companies?

We don't publish competitor price comparisons — pricing changes frequently and depends on too many variables. We will say: our metal cards are produced by the same specialty manufacturers used by several well-known metal card brands. The quality is equivalent. Where we differ is in design guidance, file preparation, and the rest of the product ecosystem — if you later want paper cards with foil, or NFC cards, or embossed cotton, we do all of that too.