If you really think about it, you'd have to admit that the plastic security card has had an enormous effect on just about every aspect of our lives in the UK. Whether we take them for granted or consider them an unwarranted intrusion into our existence, plastic security cards can be used to perform valuable services. These services include giving us the right to view our credit card or bank accounts, proving that we're licensed to drive a motor vehicle, granting us access to members-only retail establishments, identifying us as legitimate employees of a company and identifying us as a customer loyal to a specific store or retail outlet, thus qualifying us for "members only" discounts and rewards. A plastic identification card like an employee ID badge also helps to keep our workplaces secure.

A plastic ID card is often encoded with information specific to its owner and many contain a picture that makes it virtually impossible for the card to be used by any person other than the owner. For super-secure applications, printed plastic cards can also contain fingerprints or iris scans that make it very difficult for intruders or imposters to gain unauthorized access to a secure location. Because illegal duplication of plastic ID cards is always a possibility, there is a special type of plastic stock that has pre-printed security text printed on it that's visible only under ultraviolet light.

Microtext is another security feature that is very difficult for forgers to duplicate. Microtext can be as small as 5 thousandths of an inch (0.125mm). Most card printers currently available cannot print this tiny text and this is a good deterrent to card forgery.