Ordering Physical Cards
Overview
The card ordering process involves:
- Submitting your card design.
- Approving proofs during the manufacturing process.
Ordering process
The ordering process differs based on whether you order on-demand or premium cards.
On-demand cards
The typical card ordering process for on-demand cards is as follows:
- Finalized card design received from card program
- Design approved by card manufacturer
- Card program receives proof from card manufacturer
- Card program approves proof
- Card network approval
- Quality assurance (QA)
- Pre-product order notification sent
- Program live
Premium cards
The typical card ordering process for premium cards is as follows:
- Finalized card design received from card program
- Receive and approve sales quote
- Receive and approve proof
- Submit proof
- Card manufacturing begins
- Card personalization begins
- Receive personalization proofs
- Approve proof
- Final approval
Lead and shipping timelines
Lead times refer to the timeline in which specific steps in the card order process take place. Shipping timelines are based on the shipping method used to ship cards to account holders. Lead and shipping timelines are subject to change.
For more information on shipping methods for both on-demand and premium cards, see Shipping Method.
On-demand cards
Typical lead and shipping times for on-demand cards are as follows:
| Step | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Proof creation | 2 days from receiving the card design in the correct format |
| Brand approval | ~2-5 days from submission |
| Card manufacturing | ~1 week after proof creation; cards printed same day on-demand |
| Activation labels | 1 week |
| Processing | 48-hour SLA after receiving the card file |
| Expedited processing | Same day if card file submitted by 5 AM PT cutoff. Use SAME_DAY enum . Additional fees apply. Contact support@highnote.com. |
Premium cards
Typical lead and shipping timelines for premium cards are as follows:
| Step | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Proof creation | 2 days from receiving the card design in the correct format |
| Brand approval | ~2-5 days from submission |
| Card manufacturing | 6-18 weeks from brand approval (depending on card selection) |
| Packaging materials | ~8 weeks upon final proof approval |
| Activation labels | ~8 weeks plus shipping |
| Processing | Same day or next day after receiving the card file |