Uses for Membership Cards
Nowadays, most people are likely to have several membership card. In the past, most people would have perhaps had only one such card, usually for the gym. In the modern world, they are likely to be carrying at least three or four.It is not uncommon for people to have one for the gym, one for the video shop, one for their local supermarket and another for a social club of some kind.
Types of Membership Cards
In most cases these membership cars were very be very similar in nature. They are normally credit card sized and printed on plastic. They will bear the logo and branding of the club they are member of.
In addition, they will probably incorporate a magnetic strip. On this strip basic information about the cardholder is held. In some cases, the magnetic strip will be imprinted with access codes. This allows the membership cards to be used to enter buildings using a swipe system.
Sometimes, the magnetic strip will be updated by a till to credit the cardholder’s membership account with loyalty points, which can later be cashed in and used to purchase selected goods or services.
Printing Your Own Membership Cards
Increasingly, clubs are opting to print their own membership cards. They are doing so for several reasons. Firstly, printing their own cards allows them to change the design of their membership cards. This reduces the risk of them being copied by fraudsters.
In addition, clubs have the freedom to print exactly what they want on their cards. This means they can also be used for promotional purposes. It is also far more convenient to print a membership card and hand it to the new member straightaway. There is no more waiting for the cards to come back from the printers and no need to issue temporary cards.
However, by far the biggest reason more clubs and organisations are printing their own membership cards is cost. After an initial investment of a few hundred pounds for a printer, the cost of each card drops to just pence. Good quality blank plastic membership cards are readily available from specialist stationers.
Digital ID sells a selection of blank membership cards for use with most modern ID card printers.
