top of page

ISO/IEC 10373-1
ID Card Test Methods: Peel Strength of Card Layers

ISO/IEC 10373-1 90° peel fixture for ID cards by Universal Grip

Downloads: ISO/IEC 10373-1 90° Peel Fixture for ID Cards – Universal Grip Data Sheet (PDF)

Written by Chris Thomas, Universal Grip Company · Reviewed by Frank Bertini · Updated October 31, 2026

ISO/IEC 10373-1 is the international standard that defines test methods for the general characteristics of identification cards: payment, ID, access and transit cards, driving licences and similar ID-1 cards built to ISO/IEC 7810. It covers a wide set of tests, from warpage and dimensions to bending stiffness, chemical resistance and dynamic bending, but for many card makers the test that matters most day to day is peel strength: the force needed to separate a laminated layer, overlay or film from the card body at 90°. That result is how a card shows it meets the delamination requirement of ISO/IEC 7810. The test uses very low forces, a strip only 10 mm wide and a short peel length, so a poorly held angle, a badly cut strip or an oversized load cell can turn a passing card into a failing one, or the reverse. This guide covers the current edition and amendment, the full scope of the standard, specimen preparation, conditioning, angle, speed and machine requirements, the Universal Grip ISO/IEC 10373-1 90° peel fixture, tester choice, procedure, a worked calculation, reporting, common errors and related standards.

ISO/IEC 10373-1 at a glance

  • Current edition: ISO/IEC 10373-1:2020 (third edition, October 2020), with Amendment 1:2023, Clarification of peel strength test method to be used for ISO/IEC 7810 conformance testing. ISO lists the standard as under revision, with a committee draft in development.

  • Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17, Cards and security devices for personal identification.

  • Scope: test methods for characteristics of identification cards according to ISO/IEC 7810 and other card standards. It defines how to test, not pass/fail limits, which sit in the product standards.

  • Peel clauses: 5.3 Peel strength, and 5.4 Peel strength including the edge of the card (added in the 2020 edition).

  • Specimen: the card itself, cut or scored through the layer under test into sections 10.0 mm ± 0.2 mm wide.

  • Peel angle: 90°, with a stabilising plate bonded to the card when the peeled layer is more than 20 % of total card thickness.

  • Peel rate: 300 mm/min is the rate commonly used by equipment suppliers' ISO/IEC 10373-1 methods; confirm it against your copy and Amendment 1.

  • Environment: 23 °C ± 3 °C and 40 % to 60 % RH, with 24 h pre-conditioning where a test calls for it.

  • Result: peel strength in N/mm; ISO/IEC 7810 requires a minimum of 0.35 N/mm for any layer.

  • Related standards: ISO/IEC 7810, the other parts of ISO/IEC 10373, ISO 29862, ISO 8510-1 and ASTM D6862.

What ISO/IEC 10373-1 covers

ISO/IEC 10373-1 is a toolbox. Each test is intended to be performed on its own, so a card does not have to pass through every test in sequence, and the acceptance criteria come from the standard that defines the card. Clause 4 sets defaults that apply to every method: the test environment, pre-conditioning, a default tolerance of ±5 % on equipment and procedure settings unless stated otherwise, and guidance that the total measurement uncertainty be reported and kept below 20 % of the permitted tolerance range. The general test methods in Clause 5 are:

  • Card warpage and card dimensions (thickness, height and width).

  • Peel strength (5.3) and peel strength including the edge of the card (5.4).

  • Resistance to chemicals, and dimensional stability and warpage with temperature and humidity.

  • Adhesion or blocking between stacked cards.

  • Bending stiffness, dynamic bending stress and dynamic torsional stress.

  • Opacity, X-ray exposure, embossing relief height, resistance to heat, and surface distortions.

Clause 6 adds methods for integrated circuit cards: contact dimensions and location, mechanical strength of contacts, electrostatic discharge and stress tests, contact resistance, contact surface profile and a three-wheel test. Magnetic stripe, contactless and other card technologies are tested to other parts of ISO/IEC 10373. Universal Grip supplies the fixture for the peel strength test; the rest of this guide concentrates on that method.

The peel strength test: what it measures and why

Most ID-1 cards are laminates: printed PVC, PET-G or polycarbonate core sheets, an antenna or chip inlay, clear overlays, and often holograms, signature panels or security films. If any of those layers can be lifted easily, the card can be tampered with, will delaminate in a wallet or reader, or will curl and fail warpage. The peel strength test measures the force needed to separate a layer from the core at 90°, divided by the width of the strip, so the result is independent of strip width. ISO/IEC 7810 then sets the requirement: card layers must have a minimum peel strength of 0.35 N/mm. Where the layer itself tears before it peels, industry practice treats the bond as stronger than the layer; check how your product standard words this.

Peel strength including the edge of the card (5.4)

The 2020 edition added a second peel method that measures layer bond strength at the card edge as well as in the middle area of the card. Edge bonding is where lamination is often weakest and where delamination starts in service. Clause 5.4 has its own apparatus, procedure and report; read it in full if your customer or scheme calls for it, because it is not simply the 5.3 test run closer to the edge.

Amendment 1:2023

Amendment 1:2023 clarifies which peel strength test method is to be used for ISO/IEC 7810 conformance testing. If you test for conformance, buy the amendment with the base standard and align your work instruction to it; older instructions written to the 2006 edition do not reflect either the 2020 changes or the amendment.

Specimens and preparation

The specimen is a finished card, normally ID-1 format (85.60 mm × 53.98 mm, nominally 0.76 mm thick under ISO/IEC 7810). The apparatus listed in 5.3 is simple: a sharp cutting knife, pressure-sensitive fibre-reinforced tape or a suitable clamp, a tensile tester with a chart recorder or equivalent, a gripping device, and a stabilising plate where needed.

  • Cut the sections: cut the card, or score through the layer under test, to produce sections 10.0 mm ± 0.2 mm wide. The figure in the standard shows four test sections across the card.

  • Leave an uncut border: common practice is to keep at least 2 mm uncut around the edge of the card so the 5.3 test measures the body of the card, not the edge.

  • Start the peel: with a sharp knife, cut the layer back from the core by about 10 mm.

  • Attach a pull tab: apply fibre-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape or a small clamp to the cut-back edge of the layer, so the grip pulls on the tab rather than the fragile film.

  • Fit a stabilising plate if needed: when the layer being peeled is more than 20 % of the total card thickness, bond the card to a stabilising plate with adhesive. The plate must not bend, must be at least as large as the card and must stay bonded during the test; the standard's example is a 60 mm × 90 mm × 2 mm aluminium plate.

  • Mark sections and faces: number each section and record which face and which layer interface was tested.

The number of cards and sections per lot is set by the product standard, scheme or customer agreement, not by ISO/IEC 10373-1. Testing both faces, and every interface you can reach, is normal in qualification work.

Conditioning and test environment

Unless otherwise specified, tests are carried out at 23 °C ± 3 °C (73 °F ± 5 °F) and 40 % to 60 % relative humidity. Where a test requires pre-conditioning, the card is held in the test environment for 24 hours before testing. Card plastics are thermoplastics and many overlays use heat-activated adhesives, so peel strength can shift with temperature. Cards straight from the laminator or from cold storage should not be tested until they have conditioned.

Peel angle, speed and machine requirements

The layer is peeled at 90° to the card. The standard requires the angle to be maintained, which is why dedicated fixtures let the card travel sideways as the peel front advances. Equipment suppliers' ISO/IEC 10373-1 methods run at 300 mm/min; because the 2020 text and Amendment 1 govern, confirm the rate in your copy before you lock it into a test program.

  • Forces are small. At the 0.35 N/mm limit, a 10 mm section only needs 3.5 N. Well-laminated cards often peel at a few newtons to a few tens of newtons per section, or the film tears first.

  • Load cell: choose a low-capacity load cell so that 3.5 N sits well inside its accurate range. A 1 kN cell is the wrong tool for this test even if its accuracy is stated as a percentage of reading.

  • Data rate: the result is often judged on the minimum force over the evaluated length, so capture data fast enough to resolve dips and stick-slip.

  • Travel: an ID-1 card is under 86 mm long, so each peel is short. Any motorized tester has enough travel; what matters is the evaluation length left after excluding the start and end of the peel.

  • Uncertainty: clause 4 asks for total measurement uncertainty to be reported and considered when judging conformity, so the load cell, width measurement and angle all count.

The Universal Grip ISO/IEC 10373-1 90° peel fixture

The Universal Grip ISO/IEC 10373-1 peel fixture (part ref. UGC-ISO-IEC10373-1-PF) is a low-force 90° peel fixture for testing the layer adhesion of identification cards. The card is held face-down in a frame on low-friction rollers that let it travel sideways as the peeled layer is pulled downward into a small wedge grip, holding the peel angle at 90° throughout the test. See our peel fixtures and peel testing overview.

  • Roller-supported card carriage keeps the peel angle at 90° as the peel front moves across the card.

  • Open frame design gives a full view of the peel front, so you can see tearing, transfer or a layer that splits.

  • Small wedge grip with a serrated jaw clamps the peeled layer securely.

  • Pin-mounted to the load cell for low-force accuracy.

  • Adapters included to suit your load frame, clevis pin or threaded.

  • Load capacity: 100 N standard; other capacities on request.

  • Construction: stainless steel frame and rollers.

  • Specimens: ID-1 format cards and card laminates.

  • Compatible frames: electromechanical universal test machines and low-force frames.

Applications include payment, ID and access cards, card overlays, laminates and holograms, card manufacturing QC, and smart card and passport data pages. When you order, specify the card format, peel strip width, load capacity and test machine connection. Specifications are typical and may vary by configuration; we confirm them at the time of quote.

Choosing a testing machine

Mark-10 motorized testers for card QC

This is a test where a Mark-10 is not a compromise but the natural choice. The F105 motorized tester (100 lbF, about 450 N frame capacity) has a standard speed range of 13 to 330 mm/min, so 300 mm/min sits inside it, with ±0.2 % speed accuracy, 457 mm of travel and 5,000 Hz sampling that catches every dip in a peel trace. Fit a low-capacity force sensor sized to your cards so the 3.5 N decision point is read accurately; we will match the sensor and the fixture adapter when we quote. Larger Mark-10 frames add nothing for this test. See all tensile testers and force gauges.

Galdabini universal testing machines

A Galdabini 2.5 kN benchtop UTM makes sense when the card lab also runs other mechanical tests on the same frame, needs full method programming, audit trails and reports in software, or wants to test cards at temperature in an environmental chamber. As with the Mark-10, the load cell matters more than the frame: specify a low-capacity load cell for peel work. Bigger frames are not needed.

Extensometers and accessories

No extensometer or video extensometer is needed; peel strength depends on force and strip width, and crosshead position is enough to locate the evaluation zone. The useful accessories are adapters for your frame, a sharp knife or scoring guide that holds the 10.0 mm ± 0.2 mm width, fibre-reinforced tape for tabs, and a set of stabilising plates.

Step-by-step: ISO/IEC 10373-1 peel strength (5.3)

  • 1. Pre-condition the cards for 24 h at 23 °C ± 3 °C and 40 % to 60 % RH, and test in the same environment.

  • 2. Decide on a stabilising plate: if the layer to be peeled is more than 20 % of total card thickness, bond the card to a stabilising plate and let the bond settle.

  • 3. Cut or score the sections to 10.0 mm ± 0.2 mm wide, leaving an uncut border, and measure the actual width of each section.

  • 4. Cut back the layer about 10 mm from the core with a sharp knife.

  • 5. Attach the tab: apply fibre-reinforced tape or a clamp to the cut-back edge.

  • 6. Mount the card face-down in the fixture frame on the rollers, with the section to be tested in line with the wedge grip.

  • 7. Clamp the tab in the small wedge grip so the strip runs at 90° to the card without twist.

  • 8. Zero the force with the tab clamped but slack, then start the test at the agreed rate (commonly 300 mm/min).

  • 9. Watch the peel front through the open frame, noting whether the layer peels cleanly, tears, splits within the core or lifts an adjacent layer.

  • 10. Stop before the peel reaches the far border so the end effect is not mistaken for low adhesion.

  • 11. Evaluate the trace over the agreed evaluation length (common practice excludes the first and last 5 mm), record the minimum and mean force, and divide by the measured width.

  • 12. Repeat for every section and face, then report.

Calculations and worked example

Peel strength is force divided by strip width: S = F / w, where S is peel strength in N/mm, F is the force in newtons and w is the measured section width in millimetres. Because ISO/IEC 7810 sets a minimum, the value compared with 0.35 N/mm is usually the minimum force over the evaluated length; Amendment 1:2023 is the place to confirm how conformance is judged.

  • Card: ID-1 PVC card with a clear overlay, four sections on the front face.

  • Measured widths: 10.1, 9.9, 10.0 and 10.0 mm.

  • Minimum forces over the evaluated length: 5.2, 4.7, 3.3 and 6.0 N.

  • Section 1: 5.2 / 10.1 = 0.51 N/mm.

  • Section 2: 4.7 / 9.9 = 0.47 N/mm.

  • Section 3: 3.3 / 10.0 = 0.33 N/mm, below the 0.35 N/mm requirement.

  • Section 4: 6.0 / 10.0 = 0.60 N/mm.

  • Verdict: one section is below 0.35 N/mm, so this card face does not meet the ISO/IEC 7810 minimum unless the layer tore rather than peeled at that point.

  • Threshold force: 0.35 N/mm × 10.0 mm = 3.5 N; for a section cut to 9.8 mm it is 3.43 N, which is why each width should be measured.

  • Unit check: 0.35 N/mm × 25.4 mm/in = 8.89 N/in, and 8.89 / 4.448 = 2.0 lbf/in.

Typical results and what to report

Well-laminated polycarbonate cards are often fused so thoroughly that the overlay tears before it peels; PVC laminates and cards with applied films or holograms are more likely to give a measurable peel. Low values usually point to lamination temperature, pressure or dwell, contamination between sheets, incompatible inks in the bond line, or an inlay that does not bond to the core. A trace that dips at the same place on every section often marks a printed area, a chip cavity or the edge of an inlay.

  • Reference to ISO/IEC 10373-1:2020 and Amendment 1:2023, and the clause used (5.3 or 5.4).

  • Card identification, construction and the layer interface tested.

  • Whether a stabilising plate was used.

  • Section widths, test rate and test environment.

  • Minimum (and, if agreed, mean) peel force and peel strength in N/mm for every section.

  • Failure mode: clean peel, layer tear, cohesive split within the core, or transfer of ink or adhesive.

  • Total measurement uncertainty and the conformity statement against ISO/IEC 7810 or the product standard.

Common errors

  • Letting the angle drift. If the card is clamped rigidly, the angle changes as the peel front moves and the force changes with it. The card must travel on rollers.

  • Oversized load cell. Reading 3.5 N on a cell sized for kilonewtons adds error at exactly the decision point.

  • Section width out of tolerance. A 9.6 mm strip is outside 10.0 mm ± 0.2 mm; measure every section and calculate with the measured width.

  • Not cutting through the layer. A score that stops short leaves the strip attached to its neighbours and inflates the force.

  • Cutting into the core. A score that goes too deep weakens the core and can make it tear instead of the layer peeling.

  • Skipping the stabilising plate. A thick layer peeled from an unsupported card bends the card and changes the angle.

  • Gripping the film directly. Thin overlays tear in the jaw; use fibre-reinforced tape or a clamp on the tab.

  • Including start-up and end effects. The first and last millimetres of peel are not representative; evaluate the agreed zone only.

  • Testing too soon after lamination. Cards that have not conditioned for 24 h can give unstable values.

  • Using a 2006-era work instruction. It predates the 2020 edition, the edge peel method and Amendment 1:2023.

ISO/IEC 10373-1 vs other peel standards and related card standards

  • ISO/IEC 7810: defines the physical characteristics of identification cards and sets the 0.35 N/mm peel requirement that ISO/IEC 10373-1 is used to verify.

  • Other parts of ISO/IEC 10373: test methods for specific card technologies, such as magnetic stripe cards (part 2), integrated circuit cards with contacts (part 3), proximity cards (part 6) and vicinity cards (part 7).

  • ISO/IEC 18745: physical test methods for machine-readable travel documents, relevant to passport data pages.

  • ASTM D6862: 90° peel resistance of adhesives between a flexible and a rigid adherend; a similar geometry for bonded joints at higher forces, and the closest ASTM page on our site.

  • ISO 8510-1: the ISO 90° peel test for flexible-to-rigid adhesive assemblies.

  • ISO 29862: peel adhesion of self-adhesive tapes, with a 90° method in Annex B that also uses a moving-plate fixture.

  • ISO 4578: floating-roller peel resistance for high-strength adhesive bonds, a different geometry for stiff, thin adherends.

  • ASTM D903: 180° peel strength of adhesive bonds, sometimes used for overlay films tested on their own.

Equipment summary

ISO/IEC 10373-1 FAQ

What is ISO/IEC 10373-1?

ISO/IEC 10373-1 is the international standard for test methods covering the general characteristics of identification cards, such as warpage, dimensions, peel strength, chemical resistance, bending stiffness and dynamic bending. It defines how to test; pass/fail criteria come from ISO/IEC 7810 and other card standards.

What is the current edition of ISO/IEC 10373-1?

The current edition is ISO/IEC 10373-1:2020, the third edition, published in October 2020, with Amendment 1:2023 clarifying the peel strength test method to be used for ISO/IEC 7810 conformance testing. ISO lists the standard as under revision.

What does the ISO/IEC 10373-1 peel strength test measure?

It measures the force needed to separate a layer, overlay or film from the card core at 90°, divided by the width of the strip, giving peel strength in N/mm. It verifies the delamination requirement of ISO/IEC 7810.

What is the minimum peel strength for an ID card?

ISO/IEC 7810 requires a minimum peel strength of 0.35 N/mm for any card layer, which is 3.5 N on a 10 mm strip or about 2.0 lbf/in.

How wide are the peel strips?

The card is cut, or the layer is scored through, to produce sections 10.0 mm ± 0.2 mm wide. The figure in the standard shows four test sections across the card.

What peel speed is used for ISO/IEC 10373-1?

Equipment suppliers' methods for ISO/IEC 10373-1 run at 300 mm/min. Confirm the rate in your copy of the 2020 edition and Amendment 1:2023 before fixing it in a test program.

When is a stabilising plate needed?

When the layer being peeled is more than 20 % of the total card thickness. The card is bonded to a rigid plate at least as large as the card, for example a 60 mm × 90 mm × 2 mm aluminium plate, so it does not bend during the test.

What changed in the 2020 edition?

The 2020 edition added a peel strength test including the edge of the card (5.4), which measures layer bond strength at the card edge and in the middle area, and added electrostatic tests, while removing the ultraviolet light and static magnetic field tests.

How does the Universal Grip fixture hold the 90° angle?

The card is held face-down in a frame on low-friction rollers that let it travel sideways as the peeled layer is pulled downward into a small wedge grip, so the peel angle stays at 90° throughout the test.

Is a Mark-10 tester accurate enough for ID card peel testing?

Yes. Forces are only a few newtons, and a Mark-10 F105 runs 300 mm/min within its standard speed range with ±0.2 % speed accuracy and 5,000 Hz sampling. The key is fitting a low-capacity force sensor matched to the test.

What if the layer tears instead of peeling?

A tear means the bond is stronger than the layer at that point. Industry practice treats this as meeting the peel requirement, but record the failure mode and check how your product standard or scheme words it.

Need a fixture, grips or a complete test system for ISO/IEC 10373-1? Contact Universal Grip with your material, specimen size and machine connection and we will quote the right setup.

bottom of page