Credit card carriers and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Single-sheet, multi-panel carriers for receiving and retaining credit cards during credit card issue and mailing procedures. Cards may be inserted in the carriers manually or by machine. Plural carrier forms are preferably provided in a continuous fan-folded web, and individual carriers are separable therefrom at perforations between subsequent and/or adjacent carriers. The carriers have special slits or slots for retaining one to four cards singly, or double that in a piggy-back manner, in vertical or horizontal configurations. Carriers also have a plurality of panels which assist in retaining the cards by wedge trapping during manual or machine issue processing (inserting, collating, verification and stuffing) and mailing operations. Carriers also carry verification and/or identification information thereon relating to the account, e.g., name, number of cards, account(s) number(s), credit limit, address, debit usage criteria, and the like, in one or more forms which may be read visually, electro-optically, mechanically, optically, electromechanically, magnetically and/or electronically. Carriers are specially adapted for production by sheet-fed glued, or roll-to-fold, high-speed web printing procedures. Imprinting of verification and/or identification indicia may be done by any impact or non-impact procedures, e.g., by drum, line, or computer-controlled, non-impact, spray-type printers.