The size of a standard credit card is 3.37 inches wide by 2.125 inches high. In milliliters it would be 85.6mm wide by 53.98mm high. The size is the same for debit cards, ATM cards, and drivers license, etc.

How thick is a credit card?

0.76 mm (0.312 inch)

The credit card thickness may vary slightly from card to card. It depends if it is made from plastic, like most standard cards, or metal, which are usually the more luxury cards. Some plastic cards are a little thinner and the metal ones are sometimes slightly thicker, but there is a standard nominal thickness for all cards, and that is the 0.76mm mentioned above.

Thickness is also measured in Mil, not to be confused with millimeters. A mil is 1000th of an inch, so that would make a credit card 31 Mil.

Summary of credit card dimensions

Why are all credit cards the same size?

The credit card size is standardized by international organizations like the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) meaning that all credit cards, not only in the US, but internationally, are all the same size. One reason for this is so that you won’t have to worry when buying a wallet or credit card holder that some cards will get lost in the pockets while others won’t fit in. But the main reason the ISO created this standardization, known as ISO/IEC 7810: ID-1 (this size is also known as CR80) was so that all cards should fit into all ATM and credit card machines. If not for this, every vendor would need many different machines to accommodate each size card. Imagine the chaos! That’s why the ISO, which has 162 country members, made these guidelines that credit card issuers must adhere to.

The four different ISO standardized ID sizes

Although all bank cards and most ID cards are of the dimensions listed above, known as ID-1, the ISO also has 3 different ID sizes used for different sorts of ID. Below is a list of all four sizes and what they’re used for:

• ID-000 25 mm x 15 mm, ( 1 x 0.6 inch.):   Cell phone sim cards 
• ID-1 85,60 mm x 53,98 mm, (3.4 x 2.1 inch.):  All bank cards and most ID cards
• ID-2 105 mm x 74 mm, (4.1 x 2.9 inch.): Visas and some European ID cards
• ID-3 125 mm x 88 mm; (4.9 x 3.5 inch.): US government ID cards

Which material are credit cards made from?

Most credit cards are made with a plastic called PVC (it’s a mix of polymer and vinyl acetate to be more specific). This material is flexible yet durable enough to sustain the abuse that credit cards endure. In recent years, credit card issuers started using for some cards various metals like titanium, stainless steel, and even gold.

How much does a credit card weigh?

The plastic credit cards may weigh as little as 5 grams but the metal cards weigh a lot more. For example, the Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X cards weigh about 16 grams.

Considering the flexible spending power, points and competitive bonuses the credit cards have to offer, it is definitely a great example of the popular saying that “ Good things come in small packages.”