Think of ordering custom challenge coins like baking a cake. At first, all the ingredients and steps might seem daunting. You might think, "Where do I start and what should I do when?" But with a clear recipe and some guidance, you can create something truly special. At Badges And Medals, we've helped thousands of organisations successfully order high-quality challenge coins, and we’re here to help you do the same.
In this blog post, you'll learn the four simple steps to effortlessly order your custom challenge coins. By following our proven process, you'll avoid the common pitfalls and ensure a smooth, stress-free experience from start to finish. Read on to get started!
How To Order Challenge Coins: A Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: Figure out the basics
The first step is to make sure you have a clear understanding of what you need.
To do so, take the following steps:
How many challenge coins do you need?
First, think about how many challenge coins you need.
If you’re unsure how many to order, here are a few helpful tips:
- Ask around your organisation to see how many people might want a coin.
This can be done through a quick email survey, a sign-up sheet, or during meetings. Make sure to explain the purpose of the coin and why it’s being created to generate interest and accurate responses. Gathering this information will give you a better understanding of the demand and help you avoid ordering too few or too many coins.
- Consider the purpose of the challenge coins.
Are they for a single event, or will you be using them regularly? If it's the latter, you should order more in one go. This is because buying in bulk is cheaper per coin than buying several small orders. For example, if you order two lots of 25 coins from Badges And Medals, the cost is US$8.60 per coin. But, if you order 50 coins at once, the price drops to US$3.50.
- Consult with your supplier.
Suppliers like Badges And Medals can offer personal advice based on their experience with similar organisations. They can provide insights on typical order quantities and help you determine an appropriate number.
When in doubt, it’s always better to overestimate slightly than to find yourself short. Spares are useful for last-minute guests or if a challenge coin is damaged or lost.
What is your budget?
Alright, so you've figured out how many challenge coins you need. Now, let's talk about the budget.
Knowing your budget is important because it helps guide the decisions you'll make later on. For example, if you're on a tighter budget, you will know from the get-go that you should avoid certain design features, such as making your challenge coins larger.
Plus, having a budget in mind can help you negotiate better deals with challenge coin suppliers. When you know exactly how much you're willing to spend, you can communicate this to your supplier and work together to get the best value for money.
Not sure how to figure out your budget? No worries. Start by thinking about how much you're comfortable spending on one challenge coin. Let's say you're OK with spending US$5 per coin. If you need 100 coins, your budget would be US$500. Simple, right?
Remember, your budget is a limit, not a goal! If you end up spending less, that's a win!
When do you need your challenge coins?
If you need your custom challenge coins by a specific date, you'll want to figure out the best time to place your order. But if you don't have a set deadline, you can skip this step.
Making custom challenge coins takes about 30 days from start to finish. This includes the time it takes to design the custom coins, make them, and ship them to you.
However, not all orders are created equal. Complicated designs take up to five days longer to make. Shipping times can also vary depending on where you live and the time of year. For example, your coins may take longer to arrive during the school holidays.
To help you figure out the best time to order your challenge coins without guessing, use our free calculator. Just enter your event date and the calculator will tell you your perfect order date. This way, you'll have everything ready for your event!
Step 2: Brainstorm challenge coin designs
Even though most suppliers - like us at Badges And Medals - can create a design for you, having ideas can speed up the process and make the final product better.
Your ideas don’t have to be perfect; even a drawing on paper will help.
Here’s an example of a simple collage you might send your supplier:
Questions to ask before starting your design:
To get started on the right foot, it helps to ask yourself a few important questions.
These questions will help you stay on track and make sure that your challenge coin design turns out just right. Plus, answering them might even spark some great ideas!
- What is the purpose of the challenge coin? Whether it's to recognise hard work, promote your organisation, or unite a team, your purpose should guide your design choices. For example, if the purpose of your challenge coin is to recognise someone's achievements, consider adding personal touches like their name.
- Who is the intended recipient? Consider the age, interests and tastes of the recipients to make your challenge coin more personal and relevant. For instance, if the challenge coin is for bartenders, then perhaps you could add in a bottle opener.
- What size coin do you want? Most challenge coins are 50mm wide, but bigger coins allow you to show more detail, while smaller coins are easier to carry around.
- What colours, text or symbols are important to your organisation? Think about if these can be added to your design to give it more meaning. For example, if you're designing a coin for a fire brigade, you might include colours associated with fire.
- How will the coin be presented? Many people focus on the coin design but overlook its presentation. Most coins come in plastic sleeves, which can be underwhelming. Consider whether you want boxes or plastic capsules instead.
- How can you make your challenge coin stand out? Consider what unique materials, shapes, or designs you could use to make your coin pop. Or, for a list of ideas, read our article, 'Top 11 Challenge Coin Design Ideas [With Examples]'.
Where to look for design inspiration:
Once you've answered these questions and have a solid understanding of what you want from your challenge coin, it's time to dive into some design inspiration.
There are many places to turn to for ideas, such as:
- Your brand style guide.
A brand style guide is a document that outlines how your organisation should be presented. It includes rules for your logo, colours, fonts, and images, and sometimes even tells you the language you should use in emails. Each brand style guide is unique to each organisation. This makes it a great source of inspiration for your challenge coin! The guide helps you match your coin's design to your organisation's look and feel, making it instantly recognisable. It also gives you design recommendations - like colours and font types - that you can use on your coin, so you don't have to come up with them on your own. Plus, the guide often includes your mission statement and values, which can inspire the theme or messaging of your coin, adding more meaning to it. For example, if your mission statement is "Forever Evolving", you could add a spinning disk to your challenge coin to symbolise continuous progress. - Challenge coin suppliers.
Who better to inspire your challenge coin design than the people who craft them day in, and day out? Once you find a supplier you like, head to their social media pages to see what designs they've posted. Alternatively, check out their website - many coin suppliers post their work on their website. - Social media.
If you don’t have a specific organisation or supplier in mind, don't worry! Social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are packed with design ideas. Just type "challenge coin" and explore the wealth of images and ideas. - Your surroundings.
When in doubt, look about! For example, if you’re a firefighter, the Maltese Cross - a symbol you see daily - might inspire the coin's shape. Keep an open mind! It's in these small details that unique designs are born.
Step 3: Find a challenge coin supplier
The next step is to choose a reliable supplier who designs and makes custom challenge coins. Aim to do this about 37 to 40 days before your event, if you're hosting one.
How to choose a challenge coin supplier:
There are many suppliers out there, so here's how to narrow down your list:
- Look for companies that can bring your design ideas to life. There's no point in partnering with a supplier who can't make it happen.
- Make sure the supplier's pricing aligns with your budget. Request a free quote and ask about any extra costs, such as shipping fees, to prevent any surprises later.
- Check the quality of a supplier’s work by requesting samples or viewing their past products online. Make sure that their design standards meet your expectations.
- Investigate a supplier's reputation by reading customer reviews and case studies. This can help you find red flags that may conflict with your event's goals.
- Choose a supplier whose values align with those of your event. For example, if sustainability is important, choose a supplier that has sustainable manufacturing.
- Check if the supplier has a product guarantee or refund policy. These policies protect you if your custom challenge coins arrive broken, wrong or late.
- Look for companies with a long history in the industry. They have had longer to refine their skills, often resulting in better designs and faster production times.
- Reach out directly to suppliers to discuss your specific needs. This can help you gauge how quickly they respond to inquiries and how well they answer questions.
Step 4: Place your challenge coin order
Now that you've chosen a reliable supplier and picked a design, it's time to place your order. To be safe, order your custom challenge coins 37 days before your event.
(However, if your design is more complicated, add another three to five days.)
Why 37 days, when we mentioned earlier in this post that it takes 30 to make custom challenge coins? We recommend 37 days as it gives you a week as a backup in case there's a delay in production or shipping. After all, it's always better to be safe than sorry!
How to place a challenge coin order:
1: Contact your supplier
The first step is to get in touch with your supplier. Most suppliers have an email address or contact form on their website which you can use. Here's what they need to know:
- Your order requirements: Remember the questions you answered in steps 1 and 2? Now is the time to put that information to good use. Here's a quick refresher:
- How many challenge coins do you need?
- What is your budget?
- When do you need your challenge coins?
- What are your design ideas?
- Your contact details. Let them know the best way to reach you.
- Your delivery address. Let them know where to send the order.
You could also include the following information in your email if you have it:
- Your brand guidelines. This helps suppliers align your design with your values.
Otherwise, move on to the next step!
2: Receive your free quote
Your supplier will whip up a quick, free quote and send it over. The quote includes a detailed breakdown of what your order will cost, aside from your shipping charges, which are sometimes calculated on the day the awards are posted.
Once you accept the quote, the supplier moves on to the fun part - your design!
3: Receive your free award design
This is when your supplier’s designers bring your ideas to life. Or, if you already have a fully realised design, they will move it to their design programs.
They will then send a mock-up to you for approval. Don't hold back on feedback; the design process is about collaboration. Here's an example of what you might receive:
Most suppliers will design your challenge coin for free.
4: Place your order
Here comes the grand finale of your ordering journey – actually placing the order!
Once your design is just right, tell your supplier that you're ready for them to make it.
Still have questions?
We hope this detailed walk-through has left you with a crystal-clear understanding of how to order challenge coins. By breaking down the process into four simple steps, we've taken the guesswork out of getting started and made everything simple for you.
At Badges And Medals, we’ve helped countless organisations through this process, ensuring they get the custom challenge coins they envisioned. If you still have questions or if you're ready to place your order, don’t hesitate to reach out. We're only a message away. Just fill out this short contact form to talk to the Badges And Medals team today.