Table of Contents
Introduction
Membership cards play a crucial role in providing a quality experience to customers and boosting loyalty. As an association manager, creating membership cards that reflect your brand and provide exceptional value to your members can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have a background in graphic design. In this blog, we will introduce you to 10 online tools for creating unlimited membership cards that are beginner-friendly, require no professional design skills, and best of all, they are absolutely free! Let’s dive in.
The Importance of Membership Cards
A membership card serves as the identity proof of your members’ subscription to your association. It typically includes their membership levels, issue and expiration dates, and other relevant information that validates their subscription for a given period. Membership cards can be linked to systems that collect user activity information and are often offered by associations as part of their membership programs. These cards are used to check in members at events and may also function as loyalty cards, enabling members to benefit from promotions and discounts.
Different Types of Membership Cards
Membership cards are available in two main forms: physical and digital. Physical membership cards are made of plastic or other durable materials and contain the member’s credentials, a barcode, and a magnetic strip or chip that stores information such as an ID number. These cards can be used for identification purposes, unlocking doors, and more. On the other hand, digital membership cards are stored electronically and can be accessed and used through digital devices. They offer convenience, easy management, and cost savings.
Benefits of Digital Membership Cards
Switching to digital membership cards offers numerous benefits for both associations and their members. Firstly, digital cards can be securely stored on members’ smartphones, eliminating the risk of loss or damage. They can also be easily used for online verification or discounts without the need for physical scanning. Additionally, digital cards allow members to gain hassle-free entry to events and venues. They save time and money for associations by eliminating the need for printing, mailing, and distribution. Digital membership cards are also more environmentally friendly, as they reduce paper waste. Overall, the switch to digital membership cards provides significant value and impact for both organizations and their members.
1. Canva
Canva is one of the best free online tools for creating digital membership cards. It offers an easy drag-and-drop interface that allows for fast and professional card creation, making it popular among beginners. As a cloud-based platform, Canva allows for easy collaboration and sharing of card templates and designs with your team, increasing efficiency. It offers thousands of design templates suitable for all types of associations. There are three basic formats available: landscape, portrait, and square. The best part is that Canva’s free version has no download limits, so you can create as many cards as you need.
Create a membership card using Canva
2. Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a widely used tool for document creation, but many people are unaware of its card designing features. It has all the tools you need to make and print membership cards, and you don’t even need to sign up for an online account. You can create cards from scratch or use templates to make the process easier while still maintaining a personalized feel. There are three methods for creating membership cards in Microsoft Word: using online templates, using the table tool, or using the label format in the mailing section.
Try Microsoft Word for card design
3. Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark offers professional card design features for creating membership cards. It is an integrated set of design tools that allows you to create a polished card even without any design skills. Its drag-and-drop design process makes it easy to customize card templates with a wide range of color schemes, backgrounds, and layouts. You can experiment with different options and elements, such as adding or removing photos. Adobe Spark has a large collection of card templates suitable for a variety of membership organizations. You can download and print the cards immediately after customization.
Design membership cards with Adobe Spark
4. VistaCreate
VistaCreate is a free web-based tool that allows you to create membership cards quickly and easily. It features a web-based editor that allows users to edit the design at a granular level, including text, logos, images, overlays, color palettes, and more. The tool has a drag-and-drop interface that caters to both amateurs and professionals. One of the unique features of VistaCreate is its asset library, which allows you to store fonts, logos, and color codes for future use. It also provides a wide range of fonts, elements, and vector art for creating membership cards for any type of organization. You can download your cards in PNG, PDF, and JPG formats, making them perfect for social media use. The PDF format is also available if you wish to print your cards.
Begin designing with VistaCreate
5. Business Card Maker
Business Card Maker is the best tool for those looking to create simple membership cards using ready-to-use templates. It has an interface similar to Canva and offers easy-to-use tools. The tool features only three elements: the background, a logo section, and member details. On the left panel, you’ll find numerous ready-made templates that you can edit by simply clicking on their elements. One of the best things about Business Card Maker is that it’s free and doesn’t require registration.
Design membership cards with Business Card Maker
6. EasyIDCard
EasyIDCard is a 3-step online tool for creating basic membership cards. It is extremely user-friendly, and all you need to do is create a free account to build and download your card. It provides customizable templates for creating membership cards for all industry associations.
Create membership cards with EasyIDCard
7. Visme
Visme is another popular destination for unique membership cards that reflect your brand. In Visme’s template library, you can find a variety of business card templates and edit them online using a full-featured graphic design tool. The library offers both free designs included in the free account and a blank template designed to fit a membership card. With the blank template, you can build your own membership card from scratch. The best thing about Visme’s templates is that they include both the front and back sides, allowing you to add additional information such as a QR code. The artboard in Visme offers a variety of components that you can use to modify a template or create a unique design, including vector graphics, maps, tables, theme colors, font pairs, and more. You can also upload your own logo to the card using the photo element.
Design membership cards with Visme
8. Jukebox Print
Jukebox Print is a free tool for creating membership cards that doesn’t require registration. The site offers hundreds of pre-built templates for cards, including both the front and back sides. It provides simple elements on the artboard such as text, lines, background, images, and shapes. If you’re looking for inspiration beyond the premade layouts, Jukebox also offers a blank template that allows you to build your membership card from scratch.
Create membership cards with Jukebox Print
Conclusion
Creating membership cards doesn’t have to be a daunting task, even if you don’t have a background in graphic design. With the free online tools mentioned above, you can easily create unlimited membership cards that reflect your brand and provide value to your members. These tools offer user-friendly interfaces, customizable templates, and a wide range of design options. Whether you prefer Canva, Microsoft Word, Adobe Spark, VistaCreate, Business Card Maker, EasyIDCard, Visme, or Jukebox Print, you can find the perfect tool for your association’s needs. Start creating your membership cards today and enhance your members’ experience!
In addition to the above tools, Glue Up’s all-in-one membership management software also allows you to create loyalty cards for your members with a self-generated QR code. This saves hours of manual data entry and provides an exceptional membership experience. To learn more about Glue Up and its features, contact us today!