Digital Membership Cards

[PaulSB]

I wondered if anyone has experience of replacing physical membership cards with a digital card held on a smartphone? Two main questions. How did the membership react and any suggestions on good apps etc?

 

[Milkfloat]

Are you asking for a cycling club or major retailer and are you looking for just a digital card or a whole membership management solution? Final question - do you really need a membership card at all?

 

[Beebo]

I suspect that the vast majority will accept it. Some will not. Will you leave an option for them to retain a physical card?

 

[roadrash]

What is the reason for wanting digital over a physical card, is there something that a physical membership card doesn't do , im of the , if it aint broke , dont fix it brigade

 

[Electric_Andy]

No actual experience I'm afraid, but on my phone it will store as many cards as you want. You just bring the card up and scan it, same as you would in store. No pro's/cons that I can think of, except that you don't have to get all the physical cards out of your wallet. I'm weary of these cards now though, as with some (Morrisons) I haven't received any vouchers for many months, possibly a year. No doubt a lot of them have lowered their divvy points and hope those saving them "digitally" will not notice

 

[Arrowfoot]

It's age dependent. For small clubs, its the chore of creating a programme just for it even though there are apps that do it. The easiest thing to do is to continue to issue physical cards and those who are are keen to carry a digital copy can do snap shot with the phone camera.

Clubs that that want to save postage can take a snap and post it via email.

Cannot even remember when I showed a membership card for anything. I think we locked into the membership card mindset and cannot get out of it. Clubs already have an online registry of all paid up members so the card is not necessary.

 

[Drago]

I don't have a smartphone, so proudly tote CUK, ALSAR and Illuminati membership cards.

 

[PaulSB]

Are you asking for a cycling club or major retailer and are you looking for just a digital card or a whole membership management solution? Final question - do you really need a membership card at all?

Sorry, I was thinking about this at 4.30am!!

It's for a cycle club. In a membership survey the majority stated they would be happy to accept a digital card.

We do not need a management solution just to be able to issue 200+ membership cards.

Do we need membership cards? It's a good question. There are times when we need to validate an individual's membership, not many but it does happen. Our members do receive discount at local retailers but how widely used this is cannot be measured.

Why change? Simply because organising the production and mailing out of 200+ named and numbered cards is a major hassle. We used to have a small local supplier who would produce batches of 10-15. That option is no longer available and we have to order all the cards in one hit. Subs are collected in December and dribble in until end February which means cards don't get printed and distributed till late March.

The easy solution is a card without name or number but I'm uneasy about this.

 

[mistyoptic]

Why change? Simply because organising the production and mailing out of 200+ named and numbered cards is a major hassle. We used to have a small local supplier who would produce batches of 10-15. That option is no longer available and we have to order all the cards in one hit. Subs are collected in December and dribble in until end February which means cards don't get printed and distributed till late March.

The easy solution is a card without name or number but I'm uneasy about this.

Until recently, I was a member of an association in Portugal.

Their approach was to have a "static" card, imprinted with my name and membership number, and a replaceable sticker on the card which indicated the expiry. Each year, I simply received a new sticker. Peel the old one off the card and replace it. Simples.

Don't know if it would help in your situation?

EDIT: image attached. The date is an adhesive sticker

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Why have membership cards at all? They are rarely used. If a club member wants to know if someone is a member there are ways within the club to solve this. Retailers never ask for cards; usually the only question asked is are you a club member?
If you only sell club clothing to members then that's an easy way to identify them on the road.
But really why bother? It just smacks of 1960's attitude to rules and regulations. Committees. Special resolutions. AGM/EGM and little people bragging about how important they are.

Pay your subs and you are in. End of. Let the empire builders do their thing.

 

[Milkfloat]

Your use case says just drop the membership card completely. My local club have done it, no problem at all. The retailers we got discount with gave discount to pretty much anyone that asked anyway and the one cafe that still wanted proof were given the option of a list of names or just show a bit of club kit.
If you put it to the members that is cost £x to have membership cards that comes out of their fees then I don't think you will have any problem at all.

 

[stephec]

Is there a need for any type of card?

I was a member of the Lancashire Road Club for a few years and never had any kind of card, and I've been a member of my running club for five years and never had a card from them either.

I do have a card from English Athletics that states that I'm a registered athlete though. 😂

 

[flake99please]

I have been using StoCard (iOS) for a few years now. It hasn’t given any reason (yet) to not recommend.

 

[Drago]

I've got a Bull**** Police card, and a Federal B*** Inspector card.

 

[stephec]

Can you still get ones for The Tufty Club?

And not forgetting the Denis the Menace Fan Club as well. 😂