Click on the links below to jump to the relevant section:
- What are scratch cards made of?
- How are scratch cards made?
- Can you check scratch cards online?
- How are scratch cards distributed?
- Do scratch cards expire?
What are scratch cards made of?
Scratch cards consist of a base made from a choice of materials, including finished card, thick paper, plastic or laminated sheets. A second layer is of special scratch-off layer is then added on top. This coating can be made of either an aluminium-based substance known as rub-removed latex or a glossy and metallic-looking foil.
How are scratch cards made?
Once the design of a scratch card is fed into the printing machine, cards will be produced that carry the standard information — such as contact details, terms and conditions, logos etc. — along with the variable aspects of the game to be found under the scratch-off area.
The cards then go through the foiling/latexing process. This produces a scratch-off area of uniform size and shape on each card.
Can you check scratch cards online?
Many modern-day scratch cards require the player to register online in order to either:
- Find out if they have won
- Pick up their prize
This creates a perfect opportunity to gather valuable data that can be used for marketing purposes. It also allows those who commissioned the scratch cards to track which prizes have been collected.
How are scratch cards distributed?
Scratch cards used as promotional material can be distributed in a number of ways:
- In store. Your pack of scratch cards can be split evenly between the stores that will carry them. When this is the case, the cards can be bought over the counter or handed out as a free gift with a purchase.
Upon request, Purely Digital will split up your run of scratch cards for you, ensuring that a certain number of winning cards is contained within each pack.
- By mail. You may wish to send out scratch cards to your existing customer. This is often done as part of a promotion for new stock, a new store etc.
- On request. Give customers the option of playing your game by including details on how to obtain a free scratch card. This is another means of acquiring useful marketing data.
Do scratch cards expire?
This is entirely down to you. A limit on when people can collect prizes might be required to coincide with the end of a promotion and the beginning of a new one. However, you could leave it open-ended to allow for the maximum amount of marketing value.
Some people may feel aggrieved when they find out that they are no longer able to claim their prize. One way of mitigating bad feelings is to state that all uncollected prizes will be donated to charity after a certain date.
For more about scratch cards, click on the following links:
Designing a custom scratch card: Easy steps to get your campaign into the hands of customers
Scratching the surface: drawing customers to your stall during events
