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Lion Card vs. Engraven Card vs. Metal Card Studio

Post by Maya Deiss

Oct 06 2026

Three companies will take your plastic card and re-engineer it into solid metal. Same chip, same account, completely different presence. If you are comparing Engraven Card vs Lion Card, weighing Metal Card Studio vs Lion Card, or looking for the best alternative to Metal Card Studio, this guide covers weight, patents, customization, and product range.

Real specs. Your decision.

What Each Company Actually Does

All three transplant the EMV chip and magnetic stripe data from a plastic card into a new metal body. None issue credit, set credit limits, or run rewards. You send a card you already have, and they return it in metal.

How Lion Card Stands Apart

Lion Card is a San Jose, California company founded in 2015 with 50,000+ customers and a decade of production. The conversion process is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,562,194, and the company is BBB A+ accredited with worldwide shipping. Beyond engraved metal cards and full-color UV-printed cards, Lion Card offers Diamond Cards, a design-your-own custom metal card builder, metal luggage tags, and the Cosmic Lumina series of LED payment cards that light up near NFC readers with no battery. Lion Card also runs a white-label card program for fintech brands and financial institutions.

Where Engraven Card Fits

Engraven Card operates from Boise, Idaho, and reports 25,000+ customers. The company holds two U.S. patents (Nos. 12,045,679 and 12,202,293) and offers laser engraving across several finishes, plus a TAP II PAY product line for contactless metal cards. Engraven also sells metal business cards and membership cards.

Where Metal Card Studio Fits

Metal Card Studio is a Canadian corporation based in North York, Ontario, with 6,500+ customers. The company does not list any patents. The catalog focuses on pop-culture and anime-themed premade designs (130+) with a contactless metal card option, and shipping runs from Canada via UPS Express.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here is how all three stack up.

Feature	Lion Card	Engraven Card	Metal Card Studio
U.S. Patent	Yes (No. 11,562,194)	Yes (2 patents)	No
Card weight	28 grams	Not listed	"6x heavier than plastic"
Customization	Engraving + UV color printing	Laser engraving	Laser engraving
LED cards	Yes (Cosmic Lumina)	No	No
Contactless metal card	Planned for Sept 2026	TAP II PAY available	Available
Fintech/white-label	Yes	Not offered	No
BBB accredited	A+	Not listed	Not listed
Starting price	From $99	From $159	From $78
Turnaround (domestic)	5-7 business days	5-6 business days	2-3 days
Card types accepted	Credit, debit, prepaid	Credit, debit	Credit, debit

Five Things to Check Before You Choose

Picking the right conversion comes down to facts.

Patent protection - A utility patent means the USPTO examined and granted the process. Lion Card holds one, Engraven Card holds two, Metal Card Studio lists none.
Card weight - A plastic card weighs about 6 grams. Lion Card's full metal card weighs 28 grams, nearly five times heavier.
Customization depth - Full-color artwork on metal is available only through Lion Card's UV color printing. The other two offer laser engraving or premade templates.
Product range - Only Lion Card offers LED cards, diamond-inlaid cards, metal luggage tags, and a fintech partnership program.
Accreditation - A BBB A+ rating and a decade in business are verifiable trust signals. Check what each company can prove before you ship your card.

The Bottom Line

All three deliver a real metal card with a working chip. The difference is product depth, track record, and what you can verify. Lion Card's combination of 28 grams of stainless steel or brass, UV color printing, LED card technology, a U.S. patent, BBB A+ accreditation, and 50,000+ customers across a decade makes it the most complete option. If you are weighing Lion Card against Engraven Card or Metal Card Studio, start with the widest range and the longest track record. Browse all collections and see what real metal looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you turn a plastic card into a metal card?

You place an order, choose your design, and ship your plastic card using a prepaid label. The company extracts the EMV chip and magnetic stripe data and transfers them into a precision-milled metal body. Your card number, account, and chip stay the same.

How much does a metal card weigh?

A standard plastic card weighs about 6 grams. Lion Card's full metal card weighs 28 grams, nearly five times heavier, and the Tap-and-Pay metal card weighs 19 grams. You feel the difference the instant you pick one up.

Are metal cards safe to use?

Yes. Lion Card does not store, share, or sell card information. All data is used only during the chip transfer and permanently deleted once the order is complete. The checkout uses SSL encryption, and Lion Card never asks for a PIN, Social Security number, banking password, or passcode.

Do metal cards work in every machine?

Metal cards work wherever the original works for chip insert and magnetic stripe swipe. Because the card is rigid metal, it is not recommended for ATMs or terminals that pull the card fully inside. For those, use an exposed-card reader or add the card to Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.

Can a metal card tap to pay?

Full metal cards do not support tap-to-pay on the metal card itself. You can still tap by adding the card to a mobile wallet like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. Lion Card's Tap-and-Pay metal card line is planned for September 2026.

Which metal card conversion company has the lowest price?

Metal Card Studio has the lowest starting price at $78 USD for base designs. Lion Card's preset engraved cards start at $99, with Diamond Cards from $199 and LED Cosmic Lumina cards at a higher tier. Engraven Card starts at $159, discounted from a $199 list price.