Odds are that if you are in the market for a challenge coin company, then you are looking for a means of commemorating a special event or showing appreciation to a specific group. Challenge coins capture team spirit, mission and history. They are designed to be a meaningful gift that binds the values of a team of people together, uniting them with a common purpose.
Picking the right company as a partner will ensure personalizing your custom coins is a fun experience! Follow these three easy steps, and you will find the best company to meet all of your challenge coin needs! Before getting started, ask yourself about a deadline for the project. Once that has been settled, you can get started on choosing the perfect challenge coin company.
Step 1 — Make sure they can meet your deadline
Graduations, weddings, company outings and fundraisers all have set dates, and if your challenge coins arrive late, it defeats the whole purpose. Know your deadline and make sure that the company you choose can deliver with time to spare.
Making challenge coins takes time. Artwork needs to be handcrafted, revised and approved, and production cannot start until a mold is created for the coins. If you jump right in without talking about your deadline, then you may find there is not enough time.
Ask about shipping methods and see if they have a general turnaround timeframe. Suppliers should have a general idea of how long shipping within a specific country should take, and they should know how long their production process takes. Taking these two factors into consideration, and assuming there are no snags in the process, will tell you whether they’ll be able to hit your deadline.
Also, ask the company about what kind of delays can hinder the process and stop your coins from arriving on time. This could be anything from holidays shutting down production to large orders being processed alongside your coins. At the end of the day, keeping up a consistent stream of communication with the challenge coin company will keep the process moving and help you meet any deadline.
Step 2 — Find out about shipping costs
Meeting a deadline can rely on shipping more than anything else. Again, before diving into artwork and getting quotes on orders, it is a good idea to ask about a company’s shipping options. Many challenge coin companies offer free shipping, however, not all “free shipping” is the same.
Standard free shipping combined with production time means that your coins may take up to 12 weeks to arrive. So, not only is it important to know if a coin supplier can meet your deadline, but it's also important to know what it will cost to meet your deadline. The situation can end up like those infomercials you see on TV: Get this great deal for just $19.95! (plus shipping and handling). It might look like you’re getting a good deal, but prices skyrocket when you need coins sooner than that 12-week window.
Step 3 — See what services are included without a financial commitment and look for examples of their work
As mentioned above, many challenge coin suppliers say they offer free shipping but that does not mean it will be overnight shipping. It just means they will get it to you … eventually. To find out what other services a challenge coin company will offer without a financial commitment, you need to think about the steps that go into making a custom coin.
- Creating artwork — Is artwork free, or is there a charge associated with designing new concepts and receiving proofs?
- Artwork revision — Is there a limit to the number of revisions that can be made to artwork without incurring an additional cost?
- Pricing quotes — Are quotes free? Is there a charge for getting multiple quotes on different sized orders?
- Shipping — Is there an option for free overnight shipping?
- Quality guarantee — Is there a guarantee on the quality of products, or an insurance option you can add to a purchase order?
Once you know what services a supplier is offering, take a look at their actual products. Plenty of examples should be available for customers to view so they can get an idea of craftsmanship and quality. It certainly is not the same as holding a coin in hand, but you should be able to get a general idea of their capabilities and experience. You can also read about what others think about a company if there are any reviews or testimonials available.
So, how do you pick a challenge coin company?
Easy!
- Know your deadline.
- Find out if they can meet your deadline.
- Ask about overnight shipping and turnaround times.
- See what services are included without committing to an order.
- Check out the quality of their products by looking over some examples.
Don’t feel like you need to scour every website to find the perfect supplier. Most challenge coin companies have this kind of information readily available, you just need to take stock and move on to the next candidate. As a general rule of thumb, these are some standards you should base your search on:
- Artwork should only take 48 hours to deliver after a request has been sent.
- There should be no limits on revising coin design.
- Quotes should always be free.
- Free priority shipping should be included.
- A free quality guarantee should be included.
A quality guarantee shows confidence in products and has the client’s best interest in mind. You should move on if a supplier does not meet these criteria because there are definitely some that do.
If you are looking to get started now, feel free to check out Signature Coins! For over 15 years, we have been perfecting our craft and setting the standard for other providers to follow! Our customer service and product quality are unmatched in the challenge coin market. But don’t just take our word for it! Check out some customer reviews or take a look at some examples of our work and get inspired!
We hope all of this information helps you decide how to choose the right challenge coin company, even if you choose not to partner with us. Searching for a challenge coin company is the same as searching for someone to help bring a vision to life. Whether you need coins for a party, a charity or just to boost the morale of your team, we are excited to help in any way that we can.
