Club membership cards can help you strengthen a sense of belonging and reward members for their loyalty with exclusive benefits and access. These cards also allow your organization to identify and connect with members and improve their overall experience.
Creating club membership cards doesn’t have to be hard. You can use PassKit templates to make these cards in no time. Whether you own a gym, social club or another type of membership group, providing digital membership cards adds a personal touch to the experience and makes members feel truly valued.
In today’s article, we will explain the basics of club membership cards, discuss the difference between plastic and digital cards and show you why PassKit is the best digital membership card app for this purpose.
Let’s begin.
What is the purpose of a club membership card?
Club membership cards are like official IDs that show you’re a club member. They let you take part in special events and enjoy benefits unique to the club.
Many clubs offer discounts on services or products, while others provide priority booking and scheduling or access to exclusive events. It’s like having a VIP pass in your pocket!
A membership card also helps you feel connected to the club and its members. It shows you’re part of a community with similar interests, making you want to get involved more actively.
Benefits of club membership cards for organizations
Club membership cards, especially digital ones, offer many benefits to your organization. Here are a few:
- Branded design: A well-designed card reinforces your brand whenever a member uses or shows it.
- Professionalism: Offering membership cards makes your organization look structured and legit.
- Value proposition: Providing a membership card differentiates you from competitors.
- Premium tiers: Cards allow you to create tiered memberships to match different member needs.
- Personalized experience: Personalized membership cards can be linked to member profiles for tailored offers.
- Retention incentives: You can offer renewals or upgrades based on membership card usage.
- Membership fees: You can charge for membership cards as part of your revenue model.
- Discount redemption: It makes member-only discounts, offers or rewards easy to claim.
- Usage tracking: You can track member activity, preferences, and spending patterns.
- Analytics: You can use this data for better decision-making and targeted campaigns.
Club membership cards aren’t just practical – they’re the bridge between your organization and your members, turning everyday interactions into personalized, value-based experiences.
Design rules for membership cards
Effective membership cards are both designed and functional. Here are the key rules to follow.
- Clarity and simplicity: Design your card to be easy to read. Use simple fonts and clear text. Don’t clutter the card with too much content. This way, members can quickly find their ID number.
- Brand alignment: When creating your own cards, use your logo and pick colors that match your brand. Consistency makes members feel part of your club or association.
- Durability and material: Use quality material if you’re printing membership cards so they can withstand daily use. Consider a plastic card, which is more durable than a paper one.
- Security features: Add security elements like barcodes or QR codes for easy access control. This improves security and member experience. Some cards have magnetic stripes or chips for extra protection.
- Digital options: Consider digital cards for convenience. You can easily create, update or customize them. Digital cards offer the same benefits as physical ones without the cost of printing.
Follow these simple rules and you’ll design membership cards that members will love.
Custom plastic membership cards: A popular option
Image source: Helixgram
Custom plastic membership cards are a popular choice for many clubs and businesses. They’re durable and stylish. You can download customized templates for membership cards for free and add member information or a photo for a personal touch.
Plastic membership cards are also versatile. You can use them as IDs or discount cards for gyms, libraries, museums, and similar clubs.
Consider barcodes, magnetic stripes or RFID tech, as these can improve security.
These physical cards are usually manufactured using premium-grade PVC plastic for longevity. You can select colored PVC, clear PVC and even brushed or metal finishes to match your club’s style.
They look good but also come with a few downsides:
- They can impact the environment if not recycled properly
- High-quality cards can be expensive to design, print, and produce
- Lost or damaged cards result in ongoing costs to reissue them
- Printed cards can’t be tracked or updated easily
- Members may lose, damage or forget their cards
- Plastic cards can be duplicated, leading to potential fraud
Lastly, physical cards may feel outdated to tech-savvy members. Today’s consumers often expect digital or app-based alternatives for convenience.
Advanced club membership card features and benefits
Membership management systems make it easy to create a centralized member database. You can store, track and analyze member information such as member numbers, activity history and preferences.
With advanced tools, you can have a seamless onboarding process, efficient member communication and personalized services.
Members can track their activity through membership management software, such as attendance, purchases or redeemed benefits. Adding barcodes or QR codes to cards lets you track member usage in real-time and get insights for decision-making and tailored rewards programs.
Digital membership cards stored in digital wallets give members quick and easy access. These eco-friendly cards eliminate the need for physical cards and offer increased security and functionality. You can also add a unique member number or variable data to make each card customizable and unique.
Adding RFID or NFC to membership cards allows members to make contactless payments or gain secure access to facilities and events. It improves the member experience and streamlines operations by reducing queue times and improving access control.
Loyalty or VIP cards are great tools to reward loyal members with exclusive benefits such as discounts, priority access or special event invites. A signature panel adds an extra layer of personalization to the card.
A dedicated design team can create visually stunning membership cards that match your brand’s identity. Cards with variable data, barcodes or QR codes and unique member numbers are practical and professional.
Check out how digital membership cards change member interaction through platforms like PassKit. Let’s discuss why they are a more cost-effective, eco-friendly, and user-friendly business solution.
Why create club membership cards with PassKit
PassKit is a digital membership card software that helps you create, manage and distribute club membership cards for Apple and Google Wallet. It enables you to deliver a modern, hassle-free membership experience.
But that’s just the beginning—here’s why PassKit is the perfect choice for your membership programs.
All-in-one software
With PassKit, you can forget custom app development. Whether creating loyalty membership cards, loyalty reward cards, e-gift cards or digital coupons, PassKit has everything you need to launch and manage your program. No technical or design skills are required – start a free trial and create your first mobile membership card in minutes.
User-friendly interface
Creating professional membership cards is a breeze with PassKit’s intuitive Pass Designer and customizable loyalty card design templates.
Add your logo and customize the colors to match your club’s unique branding and aesthetic. Include member’s name, membership level, tier points, expiration date, QR code and any exclusive benefits or offers associated with their membership.
You’ll save time and deliver your members high-quality QR code membership cards in minutes.
Seamless integration with digital wallets
PassKit’s templates are fully compatible with Apple and Google Wallet, ensuring your members can access their scannable membership cards anytime, anywhere—no more plastic cards to carry, break or lose.
Multichannel distribution
Send your membership cards to your members via email, SMS, social media, website or other marketing channels to reach and engage with them wherever they are. Stay in touch through push notifications and increase foot traffic through location-based alerts.
Integrated workflows
PassKit integrates with popular CRM and POS systems to streamline your workflows and make member management and data tracking easier than ever.
Read the following articles to learn more:
- Salesforce CRM integration
- Zoho CRM integration
- Marketo integration
- WooCommerce integrations
- ActiveCampaign integrations
- Emarsys integrations
Sign up for a free 45-day trial today and experience the simplicity and power of PassKit!
How to measure your membership card program success
To measure the success of your membership card program with PassKit, start by tracking the key metrics. Count the total number of members enrolled. It will give you an idea of how attractive the program is to new members.
Next, count the number of cards saved to mobile wallets like Google or Apple Wallet. It will tell you how many members find their cards convenient. Also, count the number of cards removed from these wallets or deleted entirely. It will indicate dissatisfaction or lack of utility.
Look at your distribution sources. It will show you which channels are bringing in new members. More members from a particular source means you know where to focus your marketing.
You can track how members use different features to see which ones they like the most. For example, are they using their cards to get special services? You can see trends and where to improve by looking at this data regularly.
This information lets you adjust your membership program to fit your users specific requirements.
Increasing member engagement with a membership card
Use clever hacks to turn a basic membership card into an interaction and loyalty powerhouse. Here are some practical ways to get people engaged:
- Geolocation triggers: Use geofencing with digital membership cards to send location-based offers or reminders when members are near your venue or partner locations.
- Gamification: Add progress trackers and point milestones or challenges to the card to get members to use it more often.
- Real-time notifications: Send members expiring rewards, new offers or upcoming events directly to their digital wallet so they can engage on the go.
- Contactless features: Add NFC or RFID for tap-and-go functionality so members can check in, redeem benefits or make payments.
- Partner with others: Expand benefits by partnering with other businesses so members can get exclusive discounts or rewards outside your organization.
- Dynamic card design: With digital cards, designs are updated seasonally or for special events to stay relevant.
- Reward member advocacy: Add features to reward members for referrals, social media shares or reviews directly through the membership card.
Adding extra hacks to membership cards can turn them into a hub for your organization. Instead of just being something members carry, the cards can help keep members interested, loyal, and happy over time.
Conclusion about club membership cards
Club membership cards are a way to connect with members and get them to come back. Digital membership cards make managing benefits easier than ever. Members can download them to their phones and access perks without a physical card. And they’re eco-friendly!
The design of the card is important. A good design makes it look and feel valuable. The right membership card system for your business is key to long-term success. Different systems have different features, so you need to find the right one.
PassKit is a modern solution that combines convenience with innovation. With the best approach to club membership cards it can be a powerful tool to grow and maintain a loyal customer base.
Start a 45-day free trial to experience the platform.
FAQs about club membership cards
Let’s answer the most common questions about membership cards for clubs.
How do I make membership cards for my club?
Creating membership cards means designing a card that reflects your club’s brand. You can use customer loyalty software like PassKit to create, manage and distribute your cards. It provides all the features you need to set up your membership program in minutes.
What are the three types of club membership cards?
- Basic membership cards: Limited access and benefits.
- Premium membership cards: Best features and exclusive benefits.
- Temporary membership cards: Suitable for short-term or trial membership.
How do I create a membership card?
You can create a membership card using a card printer or an online service. Enter the member’s details, select a template, and print the card with full color printing and optional add ons like a matte finish for a professional touch.
Many services like PassKit offer the option to generate a digital version for mobile use.
What are membership cards called?
Membership cards are known as loyalty cards, club cards or ID cards. Different organizations may call them different names, but the purpose is the same: to give members exclusive access and benefits.
