Can Security and Sustainability Co-Exist?
The problem with traditional gift card security
For years, retailers have faced a difficult trade-off: improve gift card security or improve sustainability.
As fraudsters develop increasingly sophisticated methods to target exposed gift cards, brands are under pressure to strengthen programme security. At the same time, consumers expect businesses to reduce waste, lower environmental impact and demonstrate meaningful progress against sustainability goals.
Historically, achieving both has been difficult. Many security solutions relied on plastics, foils or complex materials that were effective at preventing fraud but challenging to recycle. More sustainable alternatives were often viewed as less secure. The result was a choice that retailers shouldn’t have to make.
Traditional Paperboard Solutions
Paperboard gift cards are already one of the most sustainable card formats available. They are widely recyclable, can be sourced from certified materials and help retailers reduce their reliance on plastics.
However, securing paperboard gift cards has traditionally relied on scratch-off foil panels used to conceal PIN numbers and activation data. While effective, these foils introduce additional materials into the product and can present challenges from both a sustainability and security perspective.
As gift card fraud has evolved, fraudsters have become increasingly adept at removing and replacing compromised foils, making tampering more difficult to detect. This has led retailers to look beyond traditional PIN protection and towards solutions that prevent access to sensitive card data in the first place.
Security and Sustainability Can Co-Exist
Modern tamper-evident carriers take a different approach.
Rather than protecting the PIN, they protect the entire card. By securely sealing the gift card inside a paperboard carrier, critical information such as barcodes remains concealed until purchase. Any attempt to access, remove or manipulate the card leaves visible signs of damage, making interference significantly easier to identify.
This approach tackles one of the most common forms of gift card fraud by preventing access to the data fraudsters are actively targeting, rather than simply concealing part of it behind a foil panel.
Because the barcode itself is protected, there is no requirement for traditional foil-based security features.
The Certus solution
PaperBurstTech® is one example of this approach in practice. The design securely seals a paperboard gift card inside a carrier, creating a solution that combines tamper-evident security with a recyclable paperboard format.
Each carrier is produced using water-based adhesives, FSC®-certified and other controlled materials, and is verified using our SecureAssure® camera inspection system, which confirms the correct application of adhesive on every carrier. This provides additional quality assurance, helping to maximise security while reducing waste by identifying any issues before products leave production.
There is also a secondary sustainability benefit. Preventing fraud reduces the need for replacement cards, reprints and additional fulfilment activity, helping to minimise unnecessary waste throughout the programme lifecycle.
Protecting Programmes for the Future
As gift card programmes continue to grow across retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, the need for secure and sustainable packaging solutions is becoming increasingly important.
PaperBurstTech® demonstrates how thoughtful design and manufacturing innovation can help brands protect their programmes, safeguard customers and maintain trust, without compromising on sustainability.
At Certus Card Group, we continue to invest in technologies and solutions that support retailers and partners across the entire card lifecycle, from manufacture and personalisation through to packaging, fulfilment and distribution.