Zebra 104523-813 HICO PVC 30mil Retransfer-Ready Blank ID Cards
Overview
The Zebra 104523-813 is a 500-card box of 30mil PVC blank ID cards engineered for high-coercivity (HICO) magnetic stripe encoding and retransfer printing workflows. If your organization runs a retransfer card printer — where the image is first printed onto a film and then laminated onto the card surface — these cards are matched to that process. The 30mil thickness puts them at standard CR80 ID card gauge, compatible with the vast majority of enterprise badge printers on the market. Manufactured in the United States and supplied through the Zebra Card Media division, the 104523-813 is the straightforward answer when you need a reliable, consistent blank stock for high-volume employee badge, access credential, or visitor card programs.
Key Features
- 30mil PVC construction: Standard CR80 card thickness (the same gauge as a credit card) means these blanks feed cleanly through enterprise card printers without jam-prone flex or curl. Thinner stocks cause skew errors in high-throughput hoppers — 30mil eliminates that variable.
- HICO magnetic stripe: High-coercivity encoding requires 2,750 Oe or higher write strength at the encoder head, and these cards are rated for it. HICO stripes are far more resistant to accidental erasure from everyday magnetic fields — wallets, phones, security wands — than LOCO alternatives. For access control badges and employee credentials that need to survive months of daily use, HICO is the correct choice.
- Retransfer-ready surface: The card surface is prepared for retransfer (reverse transfer) printing, where a full-color image is printed onto a clear film first, then thermally bonded to the card face. This produces edge-to-edge print coverage and noticeably sharper image quality compared to direct-to-card methods, and significantly better durability on the print surface itself.
- 500 cards per box: A full box supports mid-to-large initial badge issuance runs or ongoing replenishment for active badging programs without the per-card cost overhead of smaller packs. For sites issuing 25–50 badges per week, one box covers a 10–20 week supply.
- US country of origin: Manufactured domestically, which matters for government facility programs, federal contractors, or any deployment operating under TAA or domestic sourcing requirements for consumable supplies.
- Zebra Card Media product family: Sourced directly within Zebra's card media line, these blanks are matched to Zebra's retransfer printer specifications — not third-party stock that may introduce thickness tolerances or surface chemistry variations that cause print defects or encoder errors at scale.
Integration & Compatibility
The 104523-813 (often searched as 104523 813) is designed for use with Zebra retransfer card printers, including models in the ZXP Series 8 and ZC Series retransfer families. The 30mil HICO format is also broadly compatible with retransfer printers from other major manufacturers that accept standard CR80 card stock with HICO mag stripe. Before committing a full box to a new printer model, run a small test batch to confirm your specific encoder head's write current is calibrated for HICO coercivity levels — most enterprise retransfer printers ship HICO-ready, but field-reconfigured units sometimes retain LOCO encoder settings. Pair these cards with Zebra-recommended retransfer film and cleaning kits to maintain consistent print quality across the 500-card run. For broader Zebra card media options — including cards without mag stripes, alternate thicknesses, or pre-printed designs — see the full Zebra catalog or browse ID card printers and card printer supplies for compatible consumables. If you're planning a new badging deployment, review our ID card system buying guide for printer selection and card stock pairing guidance.
What's in the Box
- 500x Zebra 30mil HICO PVC retransfer-ready blank ID cards
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are the 104523-813 cards compatible with direct-to-card printers, or only retransfer printers?
A: These cards are specifically designated retransfer-ready, meaning the surface chemistry and coating are optimized for retransfer (reverse transfer) printing processes. While the 30mil PVC core is physically similar to direct-to-card stock, using retransfer-optimized blanks in a direct-to-card printer may produce suboptimal adhesion or print quality. Match the card type to your printer's process for best results.
Q: What does HICO mean, and why does it matter for access control badges?
A: HICO stands for high-coercivity, referring to the magnetic stripe's resistance to being erased or corrupted by external magnetic fields. HICO stripes require a stronger magnetic field to write (typically 2,750 Oe), but once encoded, they hold data reliably even near everyday magnets. For access control credentials that employees carry in wallets alongside credit cards or near security equipment, HICO is the preferred choice over LOCO (low-coercivity) stripes.
Q: How many cards come in a box of 104523-813, and what does that weigh?
A: Each box contains 500 cards. The packaged weight is 5.55 lb, and the box dimensions are 16.70 in (L) × 4.00 in (W) × 2.10 in (H).
Q: Are these cards made in the United States?
A: Yes. The country of origin for the 104523-813 is the United States, which can be relevant for government or federal contractor procurement programs with domestic sourcing requirements.
Q: Can I use these cards with non-Zebra retransfer printers?
A: The 30mil CR80 form factor and HICO mag stripe are industry-standard specifications accepted by most enterprise retransfer card printers. However, Zebra Card Media stock is formulated to Zebra's printer specifications. Compatibility with other brands' retransfer printers is generally high for the physical card, but verify with your printer manufacturer that the surface coating and card tolerances are supported before running a full production batch.
Q: What is the UNSPSC code for the 104523-813?
A: The UNSPSC code is 55121802, which classifies this product under blank identification cards.
The detail that most buyers overlook on the 104523-813 is the retransfer-ready surface designation — this isn't generic PVC stock. If you drop standard direct-to-card blanks into a retransfer printer, you risk adhesion failures on the transfer film bond, which shows up as peeling or blistering on high-use credentials after a few weeks. Specifying the correct surface treatment upfront saves a quality-control headache downstream, and at 500 cards per box this is exactly the quantity tier that makes sense for a mid-size enterprise badging program running continuous issuance.
Technical Highlights:
- 30mil thickness: Consistent with CR80 standard — the same gauge as a payment card — which means reliable hopper feeding in enterprise card printers designed around that tolerance. Variance in off-brand stock is a common root cause of encoder misreads and jam events.
- HICO magnetic stripe: High-coercivity encoding is the right call for any credential that lives in a wallet or near other magnetic media. LOCO stripes encode faster but erase easily — the wrong tradeoff for a badge expected to last a year or more of daily swipes.
- US country of origin: Documented on this SKU, which matters if your procurement policy requires domestic sourcing for consumables — particularly relevant on federal facility or cleared contractor programs.
Deployment Considerations:
- Confirm your retransfer printer's encoder is set to HICO write current before running the first batch. Printers that have been previously used with LOCO stock sometimes retain the lower write setting, which results in encoded stripes that read intermittently and fail over time.
- The packaged box is 16.70 in × 4.00 in × 2.10 in at 5.55 lb — plan storage accordingly if you're holding multiple boxes as buffer stock. Card stock should be stored in a stable temperature and humidity environment to prevent warping that causes feed errors.
The 104523-813 is the right consumable for a corporate or government campus running a Zebra retransfer printer for employee and contractor badge issuance — particularly where HICO durability and US-origin documentation are non-negotiable procurement requirements.
