Here are 1-3 brief analogies for CPI Card (PMTS):

• Think of them as the "Foxconn" for financial payment cards, manufacturing them for banks and payment networks.
• They are essentially the "TSMC" for the physical debit and credit cards that banks issue, specializing in their production.
• Imagine them as the "ADP" for the physical production, personalization, and fulfillment of banks' payment cards, providing a specialized B2B service.

• Financial Payment Card Production: This involves the design and manufacturing of various financial payment cards, including EMV, non-EMV, metal cards, and private label credit cards.
• Card Personalization and Fulfillment Services: These services encompass applying individual cardholder data to cards, packaging them, and ensuring their secure delivery.
• Instant Issuance Services: This service enables financial institutions to print and issue personalized payment cards on-demand directly to customers in real-time.
• Tamper-Evident Security Packaging Services: Primarily for prepaid debit cards, these services provide specialized packaging designed to indicate any unauthorized access or alteration.

Major Customers of CPI Card (PMTS)

CPI Card Group Inc. (PMTS) primarily sells its products and services to other companies within the financial services industry. The company's major customers, as described, fall into the following categories:

• Issuers of debit and credit cards (e.g., banks and other financial institutions)
• Prepaid Debit Card program managers
• Community banks
• Credit unions
• Group service providers
• Card transaction processors

The provided company description does not list specific names of customer companies.

John Lowe, President and Chief Executive Officer

John Lowe was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of CPI Card Group in January 2024. He previously served as the company's Chief Financial Officer from 2018 through 2021, and later as Executive Vice President, End-to-End Payment Solutions. Prior to joining CPI Card Group, Mr. Lowe spent eight years at SquareTwo Financial Corporation, where he most recently held the position of Chief Financial Officer. His early career involved work within the Capital Markets and Audit practices at Deloitte.

Terra Grantham, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy and Growth

Terra Grantham was appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer in February 2026, while also maintaining her role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and Growth. She has been with CPI Card Group for nearly nine years, holding increasingly senior roles in finance, strategy, and product, including Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis and Strategy, and Vice President, Strategy and ESG.

Peggy O'Leary, Chief Commercial Officer

Peggy O'Leary was promoted to Chief Commercial Officer in February 2026, overseeing all customer-facing functions across the enterprise, including sales, marketing, business development, and client operations. She joined CPI Card Group in 2015 and has previously led the company's Prepaid and Digital businesses, serving as Executive Vice President, Prepaid and Digital Solutions, and Chief Development and Digital Officer.

Toni Thompson, Chief Operating Officer

Toni Thompson was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in February 2026. In this role, she is responsible for operational performance, supply chain strategy, quality, safety, and corporate sustainability, with a focus on optimizing efficiency and improving margins.

Rob Dixon, Chief Digital Officer

Rob Dixon was promoted to Chief Digital Officer in February 2026, where he leads CPI Card Group's digital operations within the U.S. payments ecosystem, including the Software-as-a-Service instant issuance business and other digital solutions.

The key risks to CPI Card Group Inc.'s business (PMTS) are:

1. High Customer Concentration: CPI Card Group Inc. faces significant risk due to its concentrated customer base. In 2025, one customer accounted for approximately 16% of its total revenue, and the top 10 customers collectively represented more than half of the company's revenue. The loss of one or more of these major clients could lead to a substantial decrease in revenue and materially impact the business.
2. Intense Competition and Technology Shifts: The payment card industry is highly competitive, with CPI Card Group Inc. competing against a mix of global conglomerates and specialized payment card manufacturers. The industry is also undergoing significant technological shifts towards digital payments, artificial intelligence, and alternative payment solutions offered by fintech startups and large technology firms. This dynamic environment necessitates continuous innovation and adaptation, posing a risk to CPI Card Group Inc.'s market share and profitability if it fails to keep pace with these advancements.
3. Substantial Indebtedness and Liquidity Risk: CPI Card Group Inc. carries substantial indebtedness, with significant debt maturities in 2029. This level of debt can limit the company's financial flexibility, increase its vulnerability to interest rate changes, and restrict the availability of cash flow for strategic investments and business growth. A failure to service or refinance this debt could lead to severe financial distress.

The increasing adoption of digital wallets and mobile payment solutions (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay) which reduce the reliance on physical payment cards for transactions.

CPI Card Group Inc. (PMTS) addresses several key markets related to financial payment cards and integrated card services, primarily within the United States. Here are the addressable market sizes for their main products and services:

Financial Payment Cards (Overall)

• The global financial payment cards market size is estimated at approximately $184.25 billion in 2026, with a projected growth to $276.19 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.60%. North America accounts for a significant portion, holding a 35% share of the global market.

EMV Cards

• The global EMV card market size was valued at around $26.74 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $65.68 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 9.40% between 2025 and 2034. The North American EMV payment cards market is well-developed and is projected to maintain a dominant share of approximately 20-22% of the global market from 2026 to 2035.

Metal Cards

• The global metal credit cards market was valued at approximately $2.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $21.03 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 24.4%. Another estimate places the global market at $3.125 billion in 2024, projected to reach $12.103 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 14.5%. The USA metal credit cards market is the largest regional hub for premium credit card adoption, accounting for nearly 38% of all global metal card issuance.

Private Label Credit Cards

• In the U.S., private label store credit cards generated $201.20 billion in purchase volume in 2023. The U.S. private label credit card (PLCC) industry is expected to see expansion through 2025, with a nearly 10% anticipated rise in purchase volume and card outstandings. The PLCC industry in the U.S. is forecasted to reach $377.8 billion in purchase volume and $163.9 billion in receivables by 2027.

Card Personalization and Fulfillment Services

• The global card personalization services market size was $3.79 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $4.1 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 8.2%. It is projected to reach $5.54 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 7.8%. Another source values the global card personalization solutions market at approximately $4.5 billion in 2024, anticipated to reach around $8.8 billion by 2033, reflecting a CAGR of about 7.2% (2025–2033). North America was the largest region in the card personalization services market in 2025 and currently dominates the card personalization solutions market.

Here are 3-5 expected drivers of future revenue growth for CPI Card (PMTS) over the next 2-3 years:

1. Growth in Contactless Cards: CPI Card Group is experiencing strong sales growth in contactless cards, including metal cards, which has been a significant driver for its Debit and Credit segment. This trend is expected to continue contributing to revenue growth.
2. Expansion of Instant Issuance Solutions: The company's Software-as-a-Service-based instant issuance solutions continue to show strong performance and double-digit growth. CPI Card Group remains a leading provider in this area, with solutions installed across thousands of financial institutions, indicating ongoing demand and potential for further growth.
3. Contribution from Arroweye Acquisition and Synergies: The acquisition and successful integration of Arroweye Solutions, a provider of on-demand payment card solutions, significantly contributed to revenue in 2025. CPI Card Group plans to leverage its market position to generate further sales synergies from this acquisition.
4. Penetration into the Closed-Loop Prepaid Market: CPI Card Group has entered the closed-loop prepaid market and anticipates this business to ramp up significantly in 2026, opening new business avenues and broadening its customer base.
5. Growth in the Integrated Paytech Segment: The company has reorganized its operations to focus on an Integrated Paytech segment, which includes digital solutions like push provisioning for mobile wallets and payment card fraud solutions. CPI Card Group is targeting greater than 15% revenue growth for this segment in 2026 and plans significant investments to accelerate its market penetration and growth in technology-driven solutions.

Share Repurchases

• CPI Card Group executed $9 million of share repurchases in 2024.
• The company had an existing authorization to purchase up to $20 million of its common stock through open market or privately negotiated transactions, expiring on December 31, 2024.
• In March 2024, CPI Card Group entered a new agreement to continue its share repurchase program with Parallel49 Equity ULC, where it will buy shares from Parallel49 at a 3-to-1 ratio compared to open market acquisitions from other shareholders during April to June 2024, with a cap of 325,000 shares.

Share Issuance

• A secondary offering was completed in 2024.

Outbound Investments

• Major investments in 2025 included the acquisition of Arroweye for $45.8 million.
• The company made a $10 million equity investment in Karta in 2025, with $2.5 million upfront cash.

Capital Expenditures

• Capital expenditures were $18 million in 2025, double the prior year's level.
• The increase in capital expenditures in 2025 included spending related to a new secure card production facility in Indiana.
• Expected capital expenditures for 2026 are projected to be similar to 2025, with a shift in focus from physical plant to increased technology investments, particularly for the Integrated PayTech segment.