All guides

How to make a membership card for your club, step by step

Updated 2026-10-08 · MPass

A membership card proves that someone belongs to your club, gives them access to benefits and lets you check them at the door. Here is how to make one in an afternoon, whether you print it or put it in your members’ phones.

1. Decide what the card is for

Before you open any design tool, write down what the card will actually be used for. Most clubs need one or more of these:

• Proof of membership: the member shows it to get into the clubhouse, the pool or the changing rooms.
• Access control: a volunteer checks it at the door of a match, a party or a general meeting.
• Benefits: discounts at partner shops, a free drink, a reduced ticket price.
• Paperwork: some health insurers and employers ask for proof that a member paid their fee.

If the card is used at the door, it needs something a volunteer can check quickly, such as an expiry date in large print or a QR code. If it is only a souvenir, a nice design is enough.

2. Choose the information on the card

Less is more. A card that tries to show everything becomes unreadable. These five fields cover almost every club:

1. The club name and logo.
2. The member’s full name.
3. A membership number, unique to each member.
4. The tier or category: adult, youth, family, supporter, honorary member.
5. The expiry date, for example “Valid until 30/06/2027”.

Optional extras: a photo (useful for gyms and swimming pools), the season, an emergency phone number, or a short list of benefits on the back. Our membership card template guide has examples for different types of clubs.

3. Pick a format: printed or digital

A printed card is familiar and works for members without a smartphone. It also has costs that are easy to forget: printing, laminating, posting or handing out, and doing it all again when someone renews or loses their card.

A digital card lives in Apple Wallet (iPhone) or Google Wallet (Android), the apps already used for boarding passes and concert tickets. Members add it in one tap, it works offline, and when you renew a membership the card changes on their phone by itself. For members without a smartphone, you can still print their card’s QR code.

Many clubs now use a digital card by default and print only on request.

4. Design the card

For a printed card, use the standard credit card size (85.6 × 54 mm), so it fits in a wallet and in standard card holders. See our membership card size guide for print settings. Keep the background simple, use your club colours, and make the name and expiry date the largest text on the card.

For a Wallet card, the layout is set by Apple and Google, so every card is readable. You choose the colours, the logo, the fields and the text on the back. With MPass, you start from a ready-made design for your activity (football, tennis, choir, scouts and 90 others) and add your logo.

5. Number your members

Give each member a number that never changes, even when they renew. A simple pattern works: a prefix for the club or the section, then a sequence (FC-00142, SW-00098). Keep the list in a spreadsheet or your membership software, so you can find a member in seconds.

6. Get the cards to your members

Printed cards: hand them out at the first training session or the general meeting, or post them. Count on a few weeks before everyone has theirs.

Digital cards: send each member a personal link by email, WhatsApp or SMS. They open it on their phone and tap “Add to Apple Wallet” or “Add to Google Wallet”. With MPass, you can import your whole member list from Excel and every member receives their card by email in one go.

7. Check cards at the door

A volunteer looks at the expiry date, or better, scans the QR code with a phone. A scanner shows straight away whether the card is valid, expired or unknown, which a laminated card cannot do. Read how to check members in with a QR code for the details.

8. Plan for renewals

The real work starts at the end of the season. Decide now how members will renew, how you will remind them, and what happens to the cards of members who do not renew. With a digital card, you extend the expiry date and the card updates itself; members who do not renew simply see an expired card. Our renewal reminder email templates can help.

How much does it cost?

A printed card costs paper, ink, lamination pouches and volunteer time, every season. A digital card with MPass is free for up to 50 active cards, with no time limit. Larger clubs pay a monthly fee, with no commission on membership fees. See all prices.

Frequently asked questions

Read next