What Is a Digital Membership Card? A Plain-English Guide

A digital membership card is a membership card that lives in the wallet app on your member's phone — Apple Wallet on iPhone, Google Wallet on Android — instead of in their actual wallet as a piece of plastic. It shows the same things a printed card does: the member's name, their membership number, your club's logo and colours, and a barcode or QR code you can scan at the door.

The difference is everything around it. A digital card is delivered by email in seconds, can't be left at home, never needs reprinting when a detail changes, and costs pennies rather than pounds per member. That's why UK clubs, gyms, societies and small businesses are switching in growing numbers.

How does a digital membership card work?

Digital membership cards are built on wallet pass technology — the same system airlines use for boarding passes and cinemas use for tickets. Both major phone platforms support it natively:

• Apple Wallet comes pre-installed on every iPhone. Members tap "Add to Apple Wallet" and the card sits alongside their bank cards and boarding passes.
• Google Wallet does the same job on Android. One tap on "Add to Google Wallet" and the card is saved to their phone.

Your member doesn't install an app, create an account, or remember a password. They receive an email, tap a link, and the card is on their phone — usually within a minute of you issuing it.

What can a club put on the card?

A typical digital membership card carries:

• Your club name, logo and brand colours
• The member's name and membership number
• Membership type (adult, junior, family, social…) and expiry date
• A QR code or barcode for checking members in at the gate or bar

Because the card is digital, you can update it after it's been issued. Renew a membership, fix a typo in a name, or change your branding, and the card already in your members' wallets updates — no reissuing, no postage.

Why clubs are switching from plastic

Three reasons come up again and again:

1. Cost. Printed cards typically cost £1–£3 each once you include design, printing and postage — and that repeats every season and every replacement. Digital cards remove the per-card cost entirely. (We've broken this down in plastic vs digital membership cards.)
2. Admin time. No more ordering runs, stuffing envelopes, or reissuing lost cards. Issue and revoke from a dashboard in seconds.
3. Member experience. A card on your phone is always with you. Lost-card emails stop, and check-in at the clubhouse gets faster.

We've collected the full list in 10 benefits of digital membership cards.

Do members need a special app?

No — that's the point. Apple Wallet ships on every iPhone, and Google Wallet is free on Android (and pre-installed on most handsets). Your club doesn't need to build an app either: a platform like Digital Cards Club generates the passes for both wallets from one card design.

What does it cost to get started?

With Digital Cards Club you can issue your first 5 cards on the free plan — including both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet — with no card details required. The Pro plan (£15/month) covers 100 active cards with CSV member import and full custom branding, and Pro Plus (£49/month) removes the limits and adds an API. There are no per-card fees on any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work without internet?

Yes. Once the card is added to the wallet it's stored on the phone, so it displays (and scans) without a connection.

What about members without smartphones?

Most clubs run a hybrid for a season or two: digital by default, printed on request. Even a partial switch cuts the print run dramatically.

Is it secure?

Each card carries a unique membership number and barcode, and cards you revoke stop being valid at the door. That's more control than plastic, which stays in circulation for ever once printed.