Can I Create a Digital Membership Card? (Wrong Question. Here's Why.)

Can I Create a Digital Membership Card? (Wrong Question. Here's Why.)Yes. You can create a digital membership card.

You can also technically perform your own dental surgery with household tools, but the question shouldn't be "can I?" — it should be "should I, and what's the difference between doing this badly versus doing it right?"

Because here's what happens when businesses ask "Can I create a digital membership card?" on Reddit or Google:

They get a dozen terrible suggestions (make one in Canva! Use a PDF! Build it in Photoshop!), they waste 40 hours implementing something that doesn't actually work, and six months later they're back to paper cards wondering why digital "didn't work" for their business.

The question you should be asking is: "How do I create a digital membership card that customers will actually use, that collects data I can act on, and that makes me money instead of costing me time?"

That's a very different question. And the answer will save you from the expensive mistakes most businesses make when going digital.

What Most People Mean By "Digital Membership Card"

When someone searches this question, they usually want one of three things:

1. A static digital card - Basically a PDF or image file that says "Member #12345" with no functionality

2. Something in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet - An actual digital card that lives where customers keep their credit cards and boarding passes

3. A full membership system - Digital cards plus data collection, communication tools, and actual business value

If you want #1, you're wasting your time. That's not a digital membership card—that's a picture of a membership card. It's like taking a photo of your driver's license and thinking you've gone digital.

If you want #2 or #3, keep reading. Because the difference between a $0 solution and a $12/month solution is about $15,000 in annual revenue. Let me show you the math.

The Terrible "Solutions" You'll Find Online

Let me save you some time by listing the bad advice you're about to encounter:

Bad Idea #1: "Design One in Canva/Photoshop"

Someone will suggest you design a membership card in Canva, export it as a PNG, and send it to customers.

What this gives you:

• A pretty picture

• Zero functionality

• No way to track usage

• No data collection

• No communication channel

• Customers screenshotting and sharing with friends (fraud)

Cost: Free
Value: Negative (you wasted 3 hours making something useless)

This is not a digital membership card. This is a JPEG with delusions of grandeur.

Bad Idea #2: "Create a PDF"

Slightly more sophisticated: create a PDF with a unique code for each member.

What this gives you:

• A document that gets lost in email

• No way to verify authenticity

• No data on who's using it

• No way to communicate with members

• Still screenshot-able and shareable

• Looks unprofessional and outdated

Cost: Free
Value: Still negative (4 hours wasted, plus you look amateur)

Bad Idea #3: "Build a Custom App"

Some well-meaning but delusional person will suggest you hire a developer to build a custom membership app.

What this costs you:

• £5,000-15,000 for initial development

• £500-1,500/month for maintenance

• 3-6 months before it's functional

• Every customer has to download yet another app

• 15-20% adoption rate (most won't download)

Result: You've spent £10,000 to create something 80% of your members won't use.

This is the equivalent of building your own email system instead of using Gmail. It's technically possible. It's also spectacularly stupid.

Bad Idea #4: "Use a Generic QR Code Generator"

Create unique QR codes for each member using a free QR generator.

What this gives you:

• A barcode that links to... what exactly?

• No membership card interface

• No branding

• No data collection

• No way to update member information

• Looking like you're running a business in 2015

Cost: Free
Value: Embarrassingly low

What "Digital Membership Card" Actually Means (If You Want It To Work)

A real digital membership card is not a picture, a PDF, or a QR code. It's a dynamic, updateable credential stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet that connects to a backend system managing member data, communications, and analytics.

Here's what that actually includes:

Customer-Facing Elements:

• Card lives in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet (not a separate app)

• Always accessible (can't be forgotten at home)

• Updates automatically (balance changes, new benefits, expiration dates)

• Can't be lost or damaged

• Professional branded appearance

• Scannable barcode/QR for verification

Business-Side Elements:

• Data collection during signup (name, email, phone, custom fields)

• Push notification capability (communicate directly with members)

• Analytics dashboard (who's active, who's churning, redemption rates)

• Ability to update cards remotely (change rewards, extend expiration, add benefits)

• Staff tools to verify and manage memberships

• Integration with your existing systems

This is the difference between a picture of a car and a functioning vehicle.

The Real Economics: Why This Matters

Let me show you what choosing the wrong approach actually costs.

Scenario: Gym with 500 members

Option A: DIY "Digital Card" (PDF/Image approach)

• Time investment: 20 hours designing and implementing

• Your time cost: £400 (at £20/hour)

• Result:

  • No data collected

  • No communication channel

  • No analytics

  • 30% of members lose/forget their card within 3 months

  • Zero ability to drive retention or upsells

• Incremental revenue from "membership system": £0

Option B: Custom App Development

• Development cost: £8,000

• Monthly maintenance: £800

• App store fees: £200/year

• Marketing to drive downloads: £1,000+

• Result:

  • 18% of members download the app

  • Half of those never open it again

  • You've spent £10,000+ to reach 50 members effectively

• Incremental revenue: ~£2,000/year (from the 50 who use it)

• Net: -£8,000+ in year one

Option C: Proper Platform (Like Perkstar)

• Setup time: 30 minutes

• Monthly cost: £12-25

• Result:

  • 85% of members add card to Wallet (one tap, no download)

  • Push notifications reach all members instantly

  • Automated churn prevention catches at-risk members

  • Can promote classes, upsell personal training, drive referrals

• Incremental revenue: ~£12,000/year

• Net: +£11,700 profit in year one

The difference between free and £25/month is £11,700 annually.

Not because the paid platform is magic. Because it actually does what a digital membership card is supposed to do: collect data, enable communication, and drive revenue.

What Apple Wallet/Google Wallet Integration Actually Means

Most people know they want their membership card in Apple Wallet because they've seen Starbucks cards, airline boarding passes, and gym memberships there. But they don't understand why that matters.

Here's why:

Adoption Rate: 4-5x Higher

Separate app: "Download our app from the App Store, create an account, enter your information, verify your email..."
→ 15-20% completion rate

Apple Wallet: "Tap here to add to Wallet"
→ 80-90% completion rate

That's not a minor difference. That's the difference between 100 members using your digital system and 500 members using it.

Can't Be Lost

Physical cards get lost. Apps get deleted. Files get buried in email.

Apple Wallet cards are always there, right next to their credit cards and boarding passes. The customer would have to intentionally delete it—which they won't, because why would they?

Push Notifications That Actually Work

App notification open rates: 10-15%
Apple Wallet notification open rates: 70-80%

Because Wallet notifications appear differently—they're treated more like text messages than app spam. And because the card is something customers actually use, they pay attention to updates.

This is how you run promotions that actually drive traffic.

Professional Appearance

A PDF membership card says: "We're too cheap to do this properly."
An Apple Wallet card says: "We're a modern business with professional systems."

Perception matters. Your membership card is a touchpoint. Make it look like you know what you're doing.

The Three Viable Approaches (Ranked)

If you're serious about creating digital membership cards that work, you have three real options:

Tier 3: Generic Wallet Card Creators

Platforms like PassKit, PassSlot, etc. Let you create basic Apple Wallet cards.

Pros:

• Cheaper than custom development (£30-80/month)

• Creates real Apple Wallet cards

• Better than DIY approaches

Cons:

• Usually limited to basic cards (just a barcode and logo)

• Minimal analytics

• Limited customization

• No built-in membership features

• You're still figuring out most of the system yourself

Best for: Tech-savvy businesses with simple needs and time to spare

Tier 2: Membership Management Platforms

Full membership management systems that include digital cards as a feature.

Pros:

• Complete membership management

• Often includes billing, scheduling, etc.

• Professional infrastructure

Cons:

• Expensive (£100-300+/month)

• Overkill for most businesses

• Digital cards are often an afterthought in these systems

• Steep learning curve

Best for: Large gyms, country clubs, complex membership organizations

Tier 1: Purpose-Built Digital Loyalty/Membership Card Platforms (Like Perkstar)

Platforms designed specifically for digital membership and loyalty cards in Apple Wallet/Google Wallet.

Pros:

• Affordable (£12-50/month based on needs)

• Purpose-built for this exact use case

• Apple Wallet AND Google Wallet support

• Rich feature set: data collection, push notifications, analytics, automation

• Quick setup (under an hour)

• Scales from 10 members to 10,000 members

Cons:

• Monthly cost (though ROI is 50-100x)

Best for: 95% of businesses asking "can I create a digital membership card"

What Perkstar Actually Offers (Since That's Why You're Reading This)

Look, you found this article by searching "can I create a digital membership card." You want to know your options. Let me be direct about what a platform like Perkstar gives you:

8 Different Card Types:

• Traditional stamp cards

• Points-based rewards

• Tiered memberships (Bronze/Silver/Gold)

• Visit-based systems

• Spend-based systems

• Time-limited memberships

• Hybrid combinations

• Custom configurations

Real Data Collection:

• Unlimited custom fields (not locked into preset data)

• Name, email, phone, birthday, member number

• Any business-specific info you need

• Stored securely, accessible instantly

Push Notifications:

• Automated birthday messages

• Membership renewal reminders

• Promotion announcements

• Event notifications

• "We miss you" churn prevention

• Custom campaigns

Analytics That Matter:

• Active vs. inactive members

• Redemption rates

• Visit frequency

• Revenue attribution

• Churn prediction

• Member lifetime value

RFM Automation:

• Automatically identifies at-risk members

• Sends win-back offers without manual work

• Tracks behavior patterns

• Prevents churn while you sleep

Staff Management:

• Multiple logins with different permissions

• Track who issued cards, processed redemptions

• Team accountability

• Audit trails

Integration:

• Apple Wallet (iPhone/Apple Watch)

• Google Wallet (Android)

• Works on all devices

• No app download required for customers

Cost: £12-50/month depending on features needed

Compare that to:

• £0 for a useless PDF

• £10,000+ for a custom app 80% of people won't download

• £100-300/month for overly complex membership software

How to Actually Do This (The Right Way)

Step 1: Choose a proper platform

Don't DIY this unless you enjoy wasting time. Use a purpose-built platform. Perkstar is designed for this. So are a few others. Pick one that offers Apple Wallet integration at a minimum.

Step 2: Define your membership structure

What does membership include?

• Access to facilities?

• Discounts on services?

• Points per visit?

• Exclusive events?

• Tiered benefits?

Step 3: Set up your card (takes 20-30 minutes)

• Choose card type

• Add your branding (logo, colors)

• Define what data to collect at signup

• Set up automated messages (birthday, renewal reminders)

• Configure staff access

Step 4: Test it yourself

Add the card to your own phone. Go through the signup process. Issue yourself some rewards. Make sure it works and looks professional.

Step 5: Launch to existing members

Send one email/text: "We've upgraded to digital membership cards! Add yours to Apple Wallet with one tap."

Include a QR code or link. 80-90% will convert within two weeks.

Step 6: Use it for new signups

When someone joins, they scan a QR code and their membership card is instantly on their phone. Takes 10 seconds. Looks professional. They can't lose it.

Total time investment: 2-3 hours including testing.

Compare that to 20+ hours designing PDFs or 3-6 months building custom apps.

The Bottom Line: Stop Overthinking This

"Can I create a digital membership card?"

Yes. But the question is meaningless without asking: will it actually work?

You can create a PDF. It won't work.
You can design a PNG. It won't work.
You can build a custom app. It'll cost £10k+ and most members won't use it.
You can use a generic solution. It'll be better but still limited.

Or you can use a purpose-built platform designed for exactly this problem.

Perkstar (and a few legitimate competitors) exist because thousands of businesses asked "can I create a digital membership card?" and then wasted months on bad solutions before realizing there's a better way.

The membership card isn't the hard part. The hard part is:

• Getting high adoption rates (85%+ vs. 15%)

• Collecting usable data

• Enabling communication with members

• Preventing churn automatically

• Measuring whether it's working

• Making it look professional

• Doing all this without hiring developers

That's what you're actually paying for. Not the card itself—the infrastructure that makes the card valuable.

£12-25 per month is not an expense. It's an investment that returns £10,000-20,000 annually in improved retention, automated marketing, and member engagement.

The real question isn't "Can I create a digital membership card?"

It's "Why haven't I already?"

Ready to stop researching and start implementing? Visit Perkstar and create your first digital membership card in under 30 minutes. Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, analytics, automation—everything you actually need, nothing you don't.

Still comparing options? Talk to a real human about your specific membership structure. We've helped gyms, salons, clubs, and hundreds of other businesses make this exact switch. The conversation is free. The implementation is easier than you think.