12 Top Benefits of Digital Membership Cards for Organizations

Here's something interesting: the global digital membership card market is projected to grow from $178.5 million in 2024 to $381.7 million by 2033. That's an 8.8% annual growth rate.

But here's what really caught my attention.

During the pandemic, adoption of digital membership cards jumped by 70%. And unlike most pandemic trends that faded, this one stuck around.

Why? Because digital membership cards solve real problems that have frustrated membership organizations and their members for decades.

If you're running a nonprofit, association, club, gym, or alumni group, you've probably dealt with lost membership cards, expensive printing costs, and members showing up without proof of membership. Digital membership cards address all of these issues, and quite a few more you might not have considered.

In this guide, I'll walk you through the 12 biggest benefits of digital membership cards, backed by real data and insights from organizations that have made the switch.

What Are Digital Membership Cards?

Before we dive into the benefits, let's get clear on what we're talking about.

A digital membership card is a virtual credential that members can store on their smartphones, typically in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Think of it like a digital boarding pass or concert ticket, except it proves membership in your organization.

Digital Membership Cards vs Physical Cards

Here's how they stack up:

Physical Cards:

• Easily lost or forgotten
• Require printing and mailing
• Can't be updated without reissuing
• Cost money per member
• Environmental impact

Digital Cards:

• Always on member's phone
• Delivered instantly via email
• Update automatically in real time
• Minimal distribution cost
• Eco-friendly

Where Digital Membership Cards Live Today

Most modern digital membership cards integrate with platforms members already use:

Apple Wallet - For iPhone and Apple Watch users, cards sit alongside boarding passes and credit cards.

Google Wallet - Android users get the same seamless experience on their devices.

Member Portals - Many organizations also offer web-based access for members who prefer not to use wallet apps.

The beauty? Members don't need to download yet another app. They use tools already in their pocket.

Learn how Join It digital membership cards work

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12 Top Benefits of Digital Membership Cards

Let's get into the real advantages. These aren't theoretical, they're based on actual outcomes from organizations that have made the switch.

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1. Instant Membership Access After Sign-Up

Remember when new members had to wait weeks for their card to arrive in the mail?

Those days are over.

With digital membership cards, new members receive their credentials immediately upon joining. One museum membership manager noted that members can download their card "within seconds of joining online," which proved invaluable especially during COVID when offices were closed.

The impact: Better first impressions, immediate access to benefits, and members who actually feel like members from day one.

According to museum professionals using digital cards, instant delivery was one of the top benefits they noticed right away.

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2. Members Never Lose Their Membership Card

Here's a simple truth: people rarely forget their phones.

Physical membership cards? Those get lost constantly. They fall out of wallets, get left at home, or simply disappear into the void.

Digital cards solve this problem elegantly. As one content writer put it, a digital card is "always with them as long as they have their phone."

Real-world impact: Dramatically fewer replacement requests, less admin work for staff, and members who can actually access their benefits when they want to use them.

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3. Lower Costs and Less Waste for Organizations

Let's talk numbers.

A nonprofit that switched to digital cards saved on printing 3,000+ plastic cards per year. That's thousands of dollars in printing, materials, and postage. For organizations just getting started, even a QR code generator, no sign up needed can be an early step toward moving away from physical cards before adopting a full digital membership card system.”

But the savings go beyond money. One organization estimated they reduced plastic waste by 89% after switching most members to digital cards. Another calculated they avoided hundreds of pounds of CO2 emissions by eliminating card mailings.

The breakdown:

• No printing costs
• No postage or shipping
• No plastic or PVC materials
• Fewer support tickets for lost cards
• Staff time freed up for member engagement

For many organizations, these savings can be reallocated to programs that directly benefit members.

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4. Real-Time Updates Without Reissuing Cards

This might be the most underrated benefit.

With physical cards, any change requires printing new ones. Member upgraded their tier? New card. Membership renewed? New card. Updated their name? You guessed it.

Digital cards update automatically. When a member renews, their expiration date changes instantly. When they upgrade, their tier status refreshes. No reprints, no extra costs, no waiting.

One membership director noted the only issue was that renewing members didn't get a notification when their card updated, showing just how much members expect this real-time functionality.

Read how digital membership cards stay up to date automatically

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5. Faster Event and Venue Check-Ins

Anyone who's managed event check-ins knows the pain of long lines and manual lookups.

Digital cards with QR codes change everything.

A small business owner shared on Reddit how using QR codes with Google Sheets for member tracking "saved them a ton of time and made access management way more organized" compared to manual processes.

What this looks like in practice:

• Scan a code in 2 seconds vs 30+ seconds of manual lookup
• Automated attendance tracking
• Shorter lines, happier members
• Real-time check-in data

Sports teams, museums, and gyms are seeing significant improvements. One gym reported that manual lookups decreased by 75% after implementing digital card scanning.

Learn more about member check-in with digital cards

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6. Higher Member Engagement Through Mobile Wallets

Here's something most people miss: digital membership cards aren't just static IDs.

They're an engagement channel.

Because cards live in wallet apps, organizations can send push notifications that appear right on members' lock screens. These have a 50% higher open rate than email and 7× the click-through rate, according to industry benchmarks.

How organizations use this:

• Renewal reminders that actually get seen
• Event invitations with higher response rates
• Limited-time benefit alerts
• Location-based notifications near partner locations

The key is using this power wisely. Members appreciate relevant, timely updates but will tune out if you spam them.

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7. Improved Renewal Behavior and Retention Signals

Digital cards make membership status visible every time members open their wallet app.

That constant visibility helps in two ways:

First, members can clearly see their expiration date. No more "I didn't realize my membership expired" excuses.

Second, organizations can track engagement signals. Did a member download their card? Are they using it? When was their last check-in?

Organizations leveraging these insights report up to 75% improvements in membership retention by addressing issues before they impact renewal decisions.

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8. Better Security Than Physical Cards

Physical cards are easy to share or duplicate. Anyone can pick up a lost card and use it.

Digital cards tied to smartphones add multiple security layers:

Device-level biometric locks (Face ID, fingerprint), operating-system safeguards that protects from malware, and secure wallet environments that are far harder to compromise than physical cards

• Device-level biometric locks (Face ID, fingerprint)
• Photos on cards for visual verification
• Dynamic QR codes that can't be screenshot and reused
• Remote deactivation if a phone is lost

This is especially important for gyms and clubs worried about unauthorized access. As one digital solution provider notes, requiring the card on a member's personal device "makes it much harder to pass phones around" compared to lending plastic cards.

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9. Cleaner, More Efficient Admin Workflows

Remember the pre-digital workflow?

Design cards, send to printer, wait for delivery, stuff envelopes, buy postage, mail them out, handle returned mail, field "where's my card?" calls.

Now? Click, send, done.

One G2 reviewer highlighted that eliminating printed cards and automating fulfillment allowed their team to "dedicate our time to the rest of our to-do lists."

Time savings add up:

• No bulk card print runs
• No manual mailing processes
• Automated card distribution
• Self-service for lost cards
• Fewer support tickets

That's hours per week that staff can spend on member engagement instead of administrative tasks.

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10. Built-In Inclusivity for Non-Smartphone Members

"But what about members without smartphones?"

Great question. And it's one that organizations have solved.

Most digital card platforms allow admins to download and print physical versions of digital cards for members who need them. This means you can offer a modern, efficient system for the majority while still accommodating everyone.

One museum noted they "still have folks that do not use smartphones or apps, so we email them their card or even issue paper if needed."

The transition is smooth because it's flexible, not forced.

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11. Stronger Branding and Professional Member Experience

Digital cards can be customized to match your organization's branding far better than physical cards ever could. If you’re refining how your brand appears across member touchpoints, exploring logo design ideas can help ensure your digital membership card feels consistent and professional.

Advanced platforms let you:

• Add your logo and brand colors
• Include hyperlinks to resources
• Display tier-specific designs
• Update visuals without reprinting

Members notice. A professionally designed digital card that matches your organization's brand creates a modern, polished impression.

Plus, you can add useful links right on the card itself like your event calendar, member benefits page, or community guidelines. Members access these with a single tap.

See how Join It digital membership cards can be customized

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12. Actionable Data and Usage Insights

This is where digital cards really shine for data-driven organizations.

Every interaction with a digital card creates data:

• Download rates
• Check-in frequency
• Benefit usage patterns
• Geographic attendance data
• Engagement trends

A gym using this data might notice members who visit only once monthly and create targeted campaigns to encourage more frequent visits. A museum could see which reciprocal partner locations members visit and tailor offerings accordingly.

Organizations implementing seamless CRM integration report 67% reduction in manual data updates and 92% fewer data errors.

The key insight: you move from guessing what members value to knowing what they actually use.

Learn how events and attendance tracking work with digital cards

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Common Challenges That Can Limit These Benefits

Let's be honest. Digital membership cards aren't perfect, and the transition isn't always seamless.

Here are the real challenges organizations face:

Member Adoption Hesitation

Not everyone embraces new technology immediately.

During rollout, some members (especially older demographics) may resist the change. They're comfortable with physical cards and worried about the digital version.

The solution: Offer both options during transition. Provide clear instructions. Consider "help desk" sessions where members can get one-on-one assistance. One museum ran "Genius Bar" style help for the first months, where members could come in and get help adding their card to their phone.

Most importantly, emphasize the benefits from the member's perspective. It's not about your convenience, it's about theirs.

Communication and Expectation Gaps

When members are transitioned without clear notice or confusing instructions, frustration follows.

One organization sent out digital cards but a member complained it came two months after expiration with poor explanation of whether physical cards were being phased out.

The solution: Announce the digital card program well in advance. Clarify if it's replacing physical cards or just an additional option. Provide simple how-to guides. Be transparent about data usage.

Frame the change as a service improvement, not a unilateral switch.

Operational Edge Cases

Technology can fail. Phones die. Scanners malfunction. Internet goes down.

The solution: Have backup verification methods. Train staff to look up members by name if the scanning system is down. Consider offline grace policies. Test scanners with various phone models before events.

The Reddit wisdom applies here: "the more complicated they make the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the works." Keep backup plans simple and accessible.

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What Real Users Are Saying About Digital Membership Cards

Let's hear from people actually using these systems.

Insights from Reddit

On r/nonprofit, organizations are asking about affordable digital card solutions. The conversation reveals that pricing transparency is a real issue, with many vendors wanting "a meeting" instead of posting prices upfront.

On r/Costco, members initially questioned whether digital cards would actually scan, but quickly confirmed they work fine: "I lost my card and now use exclusively the app, works fine."

The r/sca community had privacy concerns when their organization rolled out digital cards without clear opt-in communication. The vendor eventually responded on Reddit to clarify data practices, showing that transparency matters deeply to members.

Insights from Forums and Communities

Museum professionals on the AAM forum praised digital cards for cost savings and guest pass tracking. One noted, "Member card fulfillment had always been quite a chore, now our team can focus on other member engagement tasks."

British Mountaineering Council members on climbing forums had mixed reactions, with some frustrated by poor communication about whether physical cards were being replaced.

What These Conversations Reveal

Digital cards work well when:

• Communication is clear and early
• Members understand what data is collected
• Support is available during transition
• Both digital and physical options exist initially

They create frustration when:

• Changes are sprung on members suddenly
• Privacy practices aren't transparent
• No accommodation exists for non-smartphone users

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How Digital Membership Cards Compare Across Organization Types

Different organizations get different benefits. Here's how it breaks down:

Nonprofits & Associations:

• Primary benefits: Cost savings, sustainability messaging
• Key use case: Instant delivery to remote members
• Success metric: Budget reallocation to programs

Gyms & Fitness Clubs:

• Primary benefits: Fast check-ins, reduced card sharing
• Key use case: Daily entry verification
• Success metric: 75% reduction in manual lookups

Museums & Cultural Institutions:

• Primary benefits: Guest pass tracking, reciprocal benefits
• Key use case: Visitor check-in and attendance data
• Success metric: 90%+ member adoption

Professional Societies:

• Primary benefits: Event attendance, branding
• Key use case: Conference check-ins
• Success metric: 20% increase in event participation

Alumni Groups:

• Primary benefits: Engagement touchpoint, networking
• Key use case: Campus access and event invitations
• Success metric: Higher survey response rates

The pattern? Every organization type finds value, but the specific advantages vary based on how members interact with the organization.

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Why Many Organizations Choose Join It for Digital Membership Cards

When organizations evaluate digital membership card platforms, they look for a few key things.

Apple and Google Wallet Integration: Members want cards that work with the tools they already use, not another app to download. Join It's digital cards integrate seamlessly with both major wallet platforms.

Real-Time Synchronization: When a member renews or updates their profile, their card should reflect those changes immediately. Join It's system ensures cards stay current without manual intervention.

Admin-Friendly Distribution: Bulk sending cards via email, automatic delivery in confirmation messages, and easy re-sending through member portals all reduce administrative burden.

Customization Options: Organizations on premium plans can add hyperlinks, custom branding, and specialized features that make cards both functional and on-brand.

Built-In Member Experience: From instant delivery to easy check-in, Join It's system is designed around what members actually need: quick access to their credentials and benefits.

The result? Organizations report significant time savings, cost reduction, and improved member satisfaction.

Create a free Join It account to explore digital membership cards

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Final Thoughts: Why Digital Membership Cards Are Becoming the Standard

Look at the trajectory: 52.9% of the global population already uses digital wallets. Among US adults ages 18-26, that number jumps to 91% using mobile wallets as their primary payment method.

This isn't a trend. It's the new baseline.

Membership organizations that embrace digital cards now are meeting members where they already are. Those that wait are falling behind member expectations.

The benefits are clear: ✓ Instant delivery and access ✓ Reduced costs and environmental impact ✓ Real-time updates and communication ✓ Better security and data insights ✓ Smoother operations and happier members

The challenges are manageable with proper planning and communication.

And the future? It's moving toward even more integration, AI-powered personalization, and wallet-based experiences that blend physical and digital interactions seamlessly.

The question isn't whether to adopt digital membership cards.

It's whether you're ready to give your members the modern experience they already expect.

See if Join It is a good fit for your organization

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