When talking about membership cards, many people think of the benefits that they provide for an association. Utilizing membership cards is definitely a tool as you can encourage member loyalty through different versions of members cards. Your members will feel special knowing that they have a membership card that is specific to them and their membership type. Membership cards are also a great way to gather customer data and better understand your members. Not only do membership cards provide your association with each of these benefits, but they also provide another way to share your brand with others. Membership card designs are a great way to attract new members and keep current members feeling like they're special.

With your brand in mind, you might be wondering how to pick a membership card design that works best for your association. It is so important to pick a design that fits your association’s style, and so we have found 5 examples of membership card design that are unique and successfully showcase their association's purpose.

Before we get to the neat-o designs, we want to let you in on a little bit of a secret.

You might not even need physical cards.

Key Takeaways

• Membership cards not only provide proof of affiliation but also offer access to privileges and benefits within an organization or community.
• Membership cards have transitioned from physical items to digital formats, along with advancements in technology and accessibility via smartphones or electronic devices, offering convenience, accessibility, and sustainability.
• Premade membership card templates streamline administrative processes, saving time and ensuring a uniform and professional look across all cards.
• When designing membership cards, key elements such as the organization name and logo, member details, membership type and validity, terms and conditions, and policy guidelines must be included.
• Utilizing Microsoft Word's Mail Merge feature provides an efficient way to create personalized membership cards by integrating member data into card templates, simplifying the design process, and ensuring accuracy.

What Is a Membership Card?

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A membership card serves as both a tangible and digital confirmation of an individual's affiliation with a particular organization or community. It symbolizes belonging and grants members access to various privileges and benefits.

Traditionally, membership cards were physical items, often made of paper or plastic, that members carried in their wallets or purses. These cards provided proof of membership and allowed individuals to participate in events and redeem discounts.

However, with the advancement of technology, membership cards have evolved into digital formats. Digital membership cards offer numerous advantages, including convenience, accessibility, and sustainability.

Members can now access their cards directly from their smartphones or other electronic devices, eliminating the need for physical cards.

Benefits of Membership Card Templates

Membership card templates have many benefits, including streamlining administrative processes. The templates can save you a lot of time, especially when you're managing hundreds of members.

Designing individual cards for each member is boring and resource-intensive, potentially taking days or even months to complete.

However, with premade templates, this process is drastically simplified. You only need to insert the necessary information and a photo into the template, and you're all set.

Moreover, this efficiency speeds up the membership registration process and validates a uniform and professional look across all membership cards.

Membership Cards are Going Digital

Did you know that membership cards might not actually be cards anymore?

Two forces of change are sweeping organizations, and that's the eco-friendly stance of most companies and organizations, and as well the need to leverage smartphones to the best of their ability when it comes to user experience. Digital membership cards that exist within a member's smartphone is a strategy and tool that fits perfectly within these campaigns for a neater and greener member experience.

A physical membership card can unlock doors, hold values, check-in members at events, give discounts, and identify the member. All of these things can be re-created in a digital membership card that exists on a member's phone, and then leverages that phone's sensors, cameras, and other gadgets on-board that can re-create a physical card's capabilities as a membership card.

Not only is this easily deployed to members who sign up to your association, but now it's easily managed from as software in the back-end that tracks all of a user's actions taken, as well as revoke permissions for lower tier members or giving special privileges to VIP members.

All this while being green for the environment and cutting out that wasteful plastic build-up.

Interested in adopting digital membership cards instead of printing them out on your own? Book a Demo with us and we'll show you how your organization can adopt digital membership cards today.

1. Simple and Clean

The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Alumni Association created the membership card design shown above, and it works perfectly for their needs. For a classic, large organization this membership card design is both simple and clean to cater to all of its’ members. It is not too flashy or showy because it has more of a focus on being academic and sophisticated.

The colors that are chosen are also perfect for this specific association because they match the school’s colors. When you are choosing your membership card design, be sure to focus on the details such as color because each element makes a difference in how your members will view your association’s brand. This simple and clean design could be perfect for your association with a little tweaking and personalization.

2. Classic yet Creative

The East End Trades Guild has mastered the art of combining the classics with a creative style. While the colors are cool and the font is easily legible, the logo art adds personality to this membership card design. If you feel that your association has room for some creativity, then you should consider looking into nice logo art that could liven up your membership card design. This card does not have too much going on, but it captures the brand of the Trades Guild in a way that would entice a member and tell the story of the association.

3. Textured and Unique

One very unique way to showcase your association’s personality is by creating a textured membership card. The card shown above does a great job of implementing texture as part of their membership card design. Members will feel like this card is not just the usual membership card, but it is special.

Not only does the design look unique and interesting, but on a basic level, it feels different to touch which physically separates it from all of the other cards in your member’s wallet. An interesting texture does not always have to be as creative as the one in this example. Your association could use a sleek material like this black metal and do more simple design and the textured card would still be nice to your members.

4. Elegant and Sleek

Another great membership card design would be choosing something very elegant and sleek to communicate your association’s exclusivity. This type of design with a modern font and simple, classic colors would show your members the brand that your association is going for. If you want to have a card for members that have the highest or best membership subscription, this membership card design will make them feel one of a kind. The Covette Clinic does a great job of designing a membership card that communicates luxury, so their members will feel like even their membership card design is consistent with a luxury brand.

5. Gold Member Card

The last membership card design that your association should take a look at is any type of “Gold Card” design. The idea of having a gold card, the highest of them all, will give your members a feeling of pride when they use this card. They do not just have a simple, regular member card, but they are a “gold member” and it shows on their card. This example from OneWorld exclusive gold club is just one example of an association that uses a gold card system. Because gold is associated with wealth, this color communicates to its members that they are of high status.

What about Digital Membership Cards?

Choosing what membership card design your association should use can be tough, but hopefully, these different examples will give you some ideas as to what could be best for you! There are numerous benefits of providing your members with a physical membership card, which is why we suggest that you come up with a great membership card design to make your physical card stand out to your members. Physical memberships are not only a tangible reminder of membership but they also practically allow your members to complete transactions. while serving as a status symbol in some cases.

Although physical membership cards are extremely valuable, we are moving into a technological age where everything can be stored on our phones. With this in mind, your association might want to consider using a digital membership card so that your members can access their account and their membership card on their mobile device. Your association can even create a digital membership card design that matches the physical card and the brand in general so that there is consistency in your association's style!

Membership cards are just one piece of the overall membership engagement puzzle, so don't forget to catch up on our blog about membership benefits ideas that can get them excited and helping your organization grow.

6 Elements You Should Include on Your Membership Card

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When designing a membership card, there are several must-have elements to include:

1. Your organization's name and logo: This helps to identify the issuing entity clearly and reinforces brand recognition.
2. Member details: To personalize the card, include the member's name, membership number, and any other relevant identification information.
3. Membership type and tier: Clearly indicate the type of membership (e.g., standard, premium) and any associated tiers (e.g., bronze, silver, gold) to communicate the benefits and privileges.
4. Validation of the card tenure: Include the start and expiry dates of the membership to indicate its validity period.
5. Terms and conditions: Provide a concise summary or reference to the terms and conditions governing membership rights, responsibilities, and usage guidelines.
6. Do's and don'ts or policy violations: Outline specific rules, regulations, or guidelines that members must adhere to, along with potential consequences for violations.

However, incorporating these elements into the design can help you create a comprehensive and functional membership card that effectively serves its purpose.

Using Microsoft Word for Membership Card Templates

One easy way to create a membership card is using Microsoft Word. You can efficiently generate personalized membership cards by harnessing the power of Word's Mail Merge feature.

Follow these simple steps to streamline the process and create professional-looking cards in no time.
 

• Prepare Your Data: Organize member information in a spreadsheet.
• Open Word: Launch Microsoft Word.
• Start Mail Merge: Click "Mailings" > "Start Mail Merge" > "Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard."
• Select Labels: Choose "Labels" as the document type.
• Select Label Size: Pick a label size matching your card dimensions.
• Select Recipients: Use an existing Excel list containing member data.
• Insert Merge Fields: Place placeholders for member info on the card template.
• Preview: Review how merged data will appear.
• Complete Merge: Print immediately or edit individual cards.
• Print: Load label sheets and print your membership cards.

Elevating Membership Card Design by Introducing Innovation, Theme, and Sustainability

Always try to infuse a unique touch into your membership cards to make them stand out and attract potential members. Here are a few ideas to enhance your membership card designs:

• Hidden Messages or UV Printing: Incorporate hidden messages or designs that are revealed only under certain lighting conditions, such as UV printing, to add an element of intrigue and exclusivity to your membership cards.
• Themed Designs: Upgrade your membership cards by creating themed designs that resonate with specific seasons, holidays, or events. Tailoring the design of the cards to match the mood or theme of the occasion adds a personal touch and makes the cards more memorable for members.
• Sustainable Design: Demonstrate your commitment to environmental responsibility by incorporating sustainable design elements into your membership cards. Opt for eco-friendly materials such as recycled paper, biodegradable plastics, or plantable seed paper to minimize environmental impact.

Interested in diving deeper into digital membership cards? Book a Demo and we'll show you how members can benefit from our membership engagement platform today.