Panini America Partners with Cypheme for Anti-Counterfeiting Stickers
Panini America is one of the world's leading trading card manufacturers, holding official licenses across the NBA, NFL, WNBA, NASCAR and several major soccer leagues. Known for premium releases like National Treasures, Panini wanted collectors to be able to confirm the authenticity of a box or a case, no matter who sold it to them. They were in dire need of a reliable way to identify and remove counterfeit sports cards from circulation.
Executive Summary
Panini America’s anti-counterfeiting partnership with Cypheme adds a scannable layer of security to the company’s highest-end products and display boxes. Collectors, breakers, shops, and distributors can now confirm authenticity within seconds, even when a product changes hands several times before it reaches them.
- Collectors get an instant way to confirm whether a box or case is genuine
- The secondary and aged inventory market becomes riskier for counterfeiters
- No app download required; all you need is a smartphone camera
The Challenge
Sealed cases and boxes of high-end trading cards often pass through several hands before reaching a collector, shop, or breaker. Once a product leaves Panini’s direct distribution, buyers have had no reliable way to confirm what they’re holding is real.
That gap matters most with aged inventory and secondary-market purchases, where a box might sit around for months before resale. Counterfeit sports cards erode collectors' trust and divert revenue from Panini and its authorized partners. Panini needed a way to protect its highest-value releases without slowing the pace at which those products move through the market.
The Solution
Panini America partnered with Cypheme, an AI-driven anti-counterfeiting technology provider, placing secure Noise Print labels on high-end products and display boxes. Each sticker carries a unique, impossible-to-duplicate identifier tied to a verification system through Panini’s own website.
Implementation
With Cypheme’s technology, Panini America’s anti-counterfeiting effort gained a few key advantages:
- Users can verify sports cards with a smartphone camera, with no dedicated app needed
- Scanning the Noise Print label opens a landing page confirming authenticity or flagging a tampered product almost instantly
- Works no matter where or from whom a collector purchases the item
- Shops, breakers, and distributors can check aged or secondary market inventory before buying
2023-24 Panini National Treasures NBA became the first release to carry the new stickers, launching the program on January 8, 2025. Panini has continued to roll out the technology across additional high-end releases since then.
Results
By integrating Cypheme’s anti-counterfeiting technology into its packaging, Panini America gave the trading card supply chain a fast, reliable way to rule out counterfeit sports cards before money changes hands.
Collectors buying aged or resold inventory now have the same confidence as someone purchasing straight from Panini, strengthening trust in the brand at every point of sale.
Securing the Next Era of Sports Card Collecting
The sports card market has seen renewed growth in recent years, and with that growth comes more opportunity for counterfeiters targeting high-value releases. Panini America’s anti-counterfeiting partnership with Cypheme shows how a legacy brand can protect what collectors care about most: knowing that what they’re holding is real.
Cypheme’s Noise Print labels were the perfect solution for Panini America’s concerns, since the custom stickers devised are small enough for easy integration, yet resilient to tampering or imitation.
The success of this integration can resonate throughout the broader landscape collectibles and artwork, protecting the interests of connoisseurs across industries.
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Explore the potential for AI-powered anti-counterfeiting solutions to protect your products and recover lost revenues for your brand. Read our case studies and contact us to set up a free demo for your company.