Custom playing card help center & FAQ.
Answers to the most common questions about custom playing card printing — file setup, stocks and finishes, turnaround, MOQs, shipping and reorders. See our per-deck pricing tiers or talk to a print specialist.
Ordering
What is the minimum order for custom playing cards?
Our minimum order quantity (MOQ) is 15 decks for any custom playing card or tuck box configuration — one of the lowest MOQs in the U.S. printing industry. Per-deck pricing drops sharply as quantity climbs: 15 decks runs about $18.99/deck for our Classic tier, 100 decks drops to around $7.69/deck, and 1,000 decks falls below $3/deck. There is no order ceiling — we regularly press runs of 25,000–100,000 decks for enterprise clients. Request a quote with your exact quantity, stock and finish to see live tiered pricing.
Can I get a free playing card sample pack before I order?
Yes — we mail a free Mr. Playing Card sample pack anywhere in the United States. The pack includes a physical card from every one of our five stocks (280 GSM economy, 300 GSM standard black-core, 310 GSM premium linen, 310 GSM deluxe black-core, and waterproof 100% plastic), plus a printed tuck box on 350 GSM 16 point C2S coated cardstock so you can feel the finish and weight before committing. Email hello@mrplayingcard.com or use the contact form and we'll ship one within 1–2 business days.
Do you charge a setup fee?
No setup fees, no plate fees, no minimum design charge. The quoted per-deck price is the per-deck price. Optional add-ons such as custom tuck boxes, foil stamping, edge gilding, shrink wrap, jewel cases, window boxes and rush production are quoted line-by-line and added to your total — never hidden.
Production
How long does it take to print custom playing cards?
Standard turnaround is 2 weeks from proof approval for any quantity up to 5,000 decks — the fastest in the market. Larger runs (5,000+) typically need 15–25 business days. Rush production is available — most jobs can ship in 5–7 business days for an additional rush fee, and we have completed emergency 72-hour runs for trade shows and product launches. Time starts when you approve the digital proof, not when you place the order, so respond to proofs quickly if you have a hard deadline.
What card stock options do you offer?
Five stocks across paper and 100% plastic: 280 GSM economy (light, good for prototypes and short-life promos); 300 GSM standard black-core (the playing-card industry default, opaque, durable); 310 GSM premium linen black-core (our most popular — embossed air-cushion finish for fanning and riffling); 310 GSM deluxe black-core (heaviest paper, used for casino and tournament editions); and waterproof 100% plastic (washable, rip-proof, used for pool, beach and bartending decks). Every stock can be paired with our standard, linen or premium finish coatings.
Do you offer design help for custom playing cards?
Yes — every order includes a free file review by our in-house design team. We check bleed, safe-zone, color profile, dieline, image resolution and trim alignment, and we'll send your files back with fix notes at no charge. If you don't have a designer at all, we offer paid design services from rough sketch to print-ready artwork — typical turnaround is 3–5 business days for a 54-card deck plus tuck box.
Shipping
Where does Mr. Playing Card ship to?
We ship anywhere in the United States with free standard ground shipping included on orders over 50 decks. Smaller orders (15–49 decks) ship via UPS or USPS at calculated rates. International shipping is available on request — most jobs ship via UPS Worldwide Expedited; we collect duties and brokerage fees upfront so there are no surprise charges on delivery.
Can I split-ship my order to multiple addresses?
Yes — common for wedding favors, corporate gifts and roadshow events. We can split a single order into up to 25 destinations at no extra setup cost; each destination is shipped under a separate tracking number. Just send the address list as a CSV or spreadsheet with your order. Pallet and freight shipments are available for orders over 5,000 decks.
Payment & policies
When do I pay and what payment methods do you accept?
All orders are paid in full at proof approval. For some large orders we take a 50% deposit to hold material until the proof is approved to print, with the remaining balance due upon proof approval. We accept all major credit cards, ACH bank transfer, wire transfer, and checks. All transactions are processed in USD.
What is your reprint and quality guarantee?
If your decks ship with a defect that's our fault — color drift outside our calibration tolerance, miscut beyond ±1/32", binding/print errors, packaging damage — we reprint the affected portion at no charge. Standard printing practices allow for +/- 10% overs/unders. In the event we are short on your order, we will credit the unit cost of a deck back to your card or final invoice. The same applies for overs — we will charge the unit cost of a deck to your credit card. Refer to our terms and conditions page for full guidelines. Customer-supplied artwork issues (low-resolution images, RGB color profiles, incorrect dielines) caught after proof approval are not covered, which is why our free file review and digital proof step exist.
Ready to print your custom playing cards?
15-deck MOQ. Free file review. Digital proof before press. Printed in Orlando, FL.