How to Send Membership Cards by Email (the Right Way)

Email is still the best way to get a membership card onto a member's phone — it reaches everyone, costs nothing, and lands the card one tap away from their wallet. But there's a right way and a wrong way. Here's how to send membership cards by email so members actually add them, and your message doesn't vanish into spam.

Why email beats every other channel

You could print a QR code, post a link on Facebook, or text everyone. Email wins because it's personal (each member gets their own card link), universal (everyone has an email address), and actionable (the add-to-wallet button is right there). A platform like Digital Cards Club sends each member a unique link, so the card that arrives is genuinely theirs — with their name, number and QR code.

How the one-tap add works

When a member opens the email on their phone and taps the link, they land on a page that detects their device: an Add to Apple Wallet button on iPhone, Add to Google Wallet on Android. One tap and the card is in their wallet — no app, no account, no password. That low friction is the whole point; every extra step loses people.

Keeping the email out of spam

The card's no use if the email never arrives. Good platforms handle the technical side (authenticated sending domains, SPF/DKIM) for you — Digital Cards Club sends from a verified domain so messages land in the inbox. On your side, a few things help:

• Warn members it's coming. A one-line heads-up in your newsletter — "your digital membership card arrives by email this week from Digital Cards Club" — dramatically improves open rates and stops members deleting it as unknown.
• Ask them to add the sender to contacts if your club emails a lot.
• Send in daylight hours midweek; club emails opened on a Tuesday morning do better than a Friday night.

What to do about non-openers

However good the email, some members won't open it. Two reliable fixes:

1. Resend to the members who haven't installed. You can see who they are (see tracking membership card usage), so this is a targeted nudge, not a spam-everyone blast.
2. Put a QR poster at the clubhouse. Members who ignore email but turn up on match day can scan it and add their card on the spot.

A good distribution message

Keep it short and human. Something like:

Hi [name], your [Club] membership card is ready — tap the button below to add it to your phone's wallet. It shows your membership details and the QR code we scan at the gate. Any trouble, just reply.

Clear, personal, one action. That's what gets cards installed.

The bigger picture

Email distribution is one step in moving your club to digital cards — the full plan is in how to digitise your club's membership cards. To try the whole flow, start free, add yourself as a member, and email the card to your own inbox — you'll see exactly what your members will get. Pricing starts at £0 for 5 cards.