CPI Card Group announced the acquisition of the operating assets of ID Data Cards, Ltd. This transaction will allow CPI to strengthen its secure card production, personalization and fulfillment capabilities worldwide and offer its financial card and prepaid card customers a unique global solution. ID Data Cards Ltd, formerly a subsidiary of the TALL Group of Companies in the UK, is a leading provider of secure financial cards and commercial cards and produces more than 1.5 million items each week for the financial, retail, leisure and government sectors. ID Data has secure card manufacturing and personalization accreditation from Visa and MasterCard.

Demand for prepaid, EMV, contact and contactless payment cards in the financial market has increased significantly over the past several years. With the addition of ID Data, CPI is ideally positioned to benefit from all the growing opportunities in the UK and Europe for prepaid, banking and other smartcard based applications.

“Through this acquisition, CPI will combine its expertise with that of ID Data’s to offer increased card production and services capabilities and deeper global solutions for our customers as well as the customers of ID Data,” said Steve Montross, President and CEO of CPI. “We are also excited to now have secure card and personalization capabilities to address the needs of the participants in the UK and European financial markets and to support our global customers whose activities extend to these markets.”

ID Data and CPI’s UK business provide very complementary card solutions for their respective customers. CPI is the European leader in closed loop prepaid cards, having shipped more than 100 million gift cards in 2011. ID Data manufactured 42 million secure cards and commercial cards in 2011 for organizations in the banking, retail, leisure and government sectors. The combined businesses will have manufacturing capacity of over 450 million cards per year and have a major presence in the prepaid, banking, retail and government markets.

“CPI provides a solid strategic foundation to further grow the business,” said Martin Ruda, Group Managing Director, The TALL Group of Companies. “Given that CPI Card Group has been around for 30 years in this business, they can bring significant experience to the table in terms of service, solutions and knowledge for ID Data clients.”

“We are delighted to have achieved a sale of the assets of ID Data to CPI,” said David Green, Associate Director, RSM Tenon. “The transaction is the culmination of weeks of hard work by CPI, the TALL Group of Companies, RSM Tenon and their advisers and provides a welcome opportunity for growth and investment in the business.”