Business Cards Cost

How Much Do Business Cards Cost?

Low: Sometimes Free

Medium: Usually $6-$45 for $100-500 Cards

High: Can Run $25-$100+ per 250-500 Cards

Business cards are an effective and easy way of handing out contact and other information about a company or an individual. They can range from a simple black-and-white layout that conveys basic contact information (name, phone number, etc.) to a custom-designed, multi-colored card that represents you and your company in a unique and memorable form.

Typical costs:

Some online printing companies offer a small batch (usually 100-250) of free business cards (shipping costs are extra) to first-time customers, although these are usually on extremely inexpensive paper with the printing company's name across the back.
Create your own business cards with your computer using blank business card forms by companies such as Avery, which sells packs of 100-400 blank business cards (usually 8-10 cards on an 8-1/2x11-inch sheet) for $6 -$35, depending on the type of printer (inkjet or laser) used and the color and quality of the blank paper. BelightSoft.com provides an overview for choosing ready-made business card blanks.
Online services such as VistaPrint let you plug your information into a standard layout or customize a standard layout for about 10 -$45 (plus shipping costs) for 250-500 cards, although extras such as premium paper, foil accent, printing both sides or adding an existing company logo can bump the total cost to $50 -$100 or more.
Copy stores or quick print companies often offer standardized fill-in-your-details business cards or you can provide your own business card on computer file; costs run $25 -$65 or more for 250-500 cards, with the higher costs for options such as additional ink colors, specialized or premium papers. For a more custom card from scratch, most stores provide basic business card layout and design for $25 -$100 or more depending on location, the complexity of the project and the number of revisions.
Hiring a graphic designer to create a company logo including business card design can run $500 -$2,000 for just the design. Cards with custom colors , unusual cut edges, foil accents, full-color or special colors, or premium paper at a high-end print shop starts around $100 -$300 for 250-500 cards, but can go quite a bit higher depending on the complexity of the design and printing process, and the quality of materials.

What should be included:

Business cards represent an individual and/or a company. While it's important that they be readable and memorable, they also need to be appropriate for a particular industry -- a professional financial advisor wouldn't want to use a cartoonish typeface on a business card. Typically a card should include an individual and company name, address, website, email and phone number(s); they can also include a slogan or tagline. The National Business Association provides business card tips.
Dimensions vary elsewhere, but in the United States standard business card dimensions are 3-1/2x2-inches. Although some business experts suggest varying the size to make your business card stand out, other caution that an unusual size or shape might make your card not fit in a standard rolodex or other systems people use to store business cards. BusinessKnowHow.com lists common business card blunders.

Shopping for business cards:

Business cards don't necessarily have to be boring -- QuickSprout.com displays 51 extremely creative custom-designed business cards. Watch for business cards that you particularly like, and ask the people handing out those cards who designed them and where they were printed. ThePrintGuide.com gives tips for choosing a printing company.
Online printing companies such as 123print.com or VistaPrint.com will lead you step-by-step through the process of creating and ordering business cards either by adapting their standard layouts or sending them your own design.
Blank business cards forms to use in your computer printer are available from office supply stores such as Staples and Office Depot. A paper company offers guidelines for selecting the right typestyle, logo and other elements on your business card.