Comparing two vendors side by side

Did one scan better on IDVisor?

So I finally got around to running a side-by-side comparison of two vendors I've been testing over the past month. I'm not gonna drop names here since I know the sourcing rules are strict, but honestly I think the community can still get some value out of the general experience. I'll call them Vendor A and Vendor B for now.

Ordering Timeline
For Vendor A I placed the order late one night and got a confirmation within maybe two hours. They shipped the next business day and it landed in 12 days. Vendor B took about 18 hours to confirm, then another three days before they marked it shipped — arrived on day 20. So yeah, Vendor A was noticeably faster end-to-end.

Packaging & Stealth
Both got through without issues. Vendor A used a standard bubble mailer with a thin cardboard insert inside — no real bend protection but the ID itself was fine. The return label was just some random local business name. Vendor B went overkill: double layered cardboard, vacuum sealed Mylar bag inside a regular envelope, with a generic "documents enclosed" outer. Both were stealthy enough, but Vendor B is the clear winner if you're worried about customs or nosy roommates.

Communication & Support
Vendor A responded to my follow-up about UV within half a day — short replies but always within 24 hours. Vendor B took over 48 hours on my first message, then another 36 on the second. Not terrible, but noticeably slower. Neither pushed upgrades or anything, which I appreciated.

Value for Money (VFM)
I'm rating this based on what you get for the price. Vendor A was cheaper, but the quality is more "fast fashion" — looks fine from a distance but up close the microprint is a bit fuzzy and the feel is slightly plasticky. Vendor B cost more, maybe 25-30% more, but the material is spot on to my reference state ID, the raised text has actual depth, and the weight feels correct. For me, Vendor B wins on VFM since I plan to use this long-term, but if you just need a quick backup or something for casual use, Vendor A is decent for the price.

Specific Pros & Cons

Just to break it down: Vendor A's pros are fast turnaround, cheap price, and good communication. Cons? The template dimensions are slightly off — a millimeter short on width — weak UV pattern visibility, and the hologram shifts a bit too much compared to real ones. Vendor B's pros are excellent physical feel, correct weight and thickness, very accurate perfs and microprint, and awesome stealth packaging. Cons: slow shipping, pricier, and harder to get hold of support when something goes wrong.

Honestly, overall I'm keeping Vendor B in my back pocket as my go-to for serious use, but Vendor A is fine for short trips or if you're on a tight budget. I'd say it depends on your risk tolerance and how often you're planning to flash the ID. Hope this helps someone deciding between two tiers.

Which state? Some templates are harder to get right than others.

Material weight is underrated as a quality indicator. Good catch.

Side-by-side testing is the gold standard for vendor evaluation.