Features / digital membership card

A membership card that lives in your members' wallet.

A digital membership card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet that updates itself when members renew or upgrade, and works for check-in at the door with a QR code or an NFC tap. Built as part of your own app, connected to your membership data.

HCHarbor Club

TierMember

Member Alex Rivera

Member no.1363 8521

Valid until Dec 31, 2026

A member renews. The date updates by itself.

What members get

Their card, right where they look for it.

Always at hand

The card sits in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, one double-click of the side button away, next to their payment cards.

Works without signal

Wallet cards open offline, so the line at the door doesn't depend on the venue's Wi-Fi.

Tap or scan at the door

Members tap their phone on an NFC reader, like paying with Apple Pay, or show a QR code to be scanned.

iPhone and Android

Apple Wallet on iPhone and Google Wallet on Android, from the same membership, with updates they notice on the lock screen.

Standalone or connected

A card on its own is a picture of a membership.

Most wallet card tools create a card and stop there. When the card is connected to your app and your membership data, it stays true as memberships change during the year.

How a standalone wallet card compares to a card connected to your app
When	A standalone card	A card connected to your app
A member renews	A member renews Issue a new card, or update it by hand in the pass tool.	The valid-until date updates on the card within seconds.
A member upgrades	A member upgrades The card still shows the old tier until someone fixes it.	The new tier, perks and design appear on the card automatically.
A membership ends	A membership ends The card keeps looking valid in their wallet.	The card shows it's expired, and the door scanner says so.
Check-in at the door	Check-in at the door Staff look at the card and hope it's current.	Members tap or show a code, and staff see the live membership, name and tier.
Perks and offers	Perks and offers A static list on the back of the card.	Perks, guest passes and offers that match the member's tier.

How it works

From a renewal to the door, in seconds.

Membership changesA member joins, renews, upgrades or cancels, in the app or at the front desk.
Your backendThe app's backend updates the membership and signs a new version of the card.
Apple and GoogleApple Wallet and Google Wallet push the update to the member's phone.
The card updatesThe card in their wallet changes, with a short notification.
Tap or scan at the doorMembers tap an NFC reader or staff scan the QR code, checked against the live membership.

Example

The JACKALOPE Pass.

Jackalope runs action sports festivals and a brand fans follow all year. The JACKALOPE Pass is an annual membership in its app, with tiers, partner perks, member prices in the shop and check-in at venues with a wallet pass.

Members choose a tier in the app, and their pass carries that tier to the door, the shop and partner venues.

Read the Jackalope case study

JACKALOPE Pass tiers and perks in the Jackalope app

What it takes

What a wallet card needs behind it.

Apple and Google accounts

An Apple Developer account with a pass certificate, and a Google Wallet issuer account. Both are in your name, so the cards are yours.

A backend that signs and updates cards

Cards have to be signed and kept up to date when memberships change. This is part of the app's backend, connected to your membership data.

A design within the wallet layouts

Apple and Google set the card layouts. Within them, your colors, logo, fields and barcode make the card feel like yours.

NFC tap, if you want it

Tapping a phone on a reader, like Apple Pay, needs approval from Apple for NFC passes and from Google for Smart Tap, plus compatible readers at the door. QR codes work everywhere from day one, so many clubs start there and add NFC later.

No fees per card

Apple and Google don't charge for wallet cards or updates. The Apple Developer account costs $99 a year, which an app already needs.

Pass tool or your own app

When a pass tool is enough.

Pass tools like PassKit, Passcreator or Cuseum create wallet cards quickly, and for a card on its own they're the cheaper choice. A card built into your app makes sense when it's part of a bigger membership.

A pass tool is probably enough if

You only need a card, not an app.
Memberships rarely change during the year.
Your membership software already exports to a pass tool.
Check-in is a quick look, not a scan against live data.

A card in your own app makes sense when

Members renew, upgrade or pause during the year.
Check-in at the door has to know who is a current member.
The card is one part of an app with perks, events or content.
You want the card, the app and the data in your own accounts.

Checking members in at the door? See member check-in.

Giving members perks? See member perks and loyalty.

Building a membership app? See how I approach membership apps.

Running a studio, gym or club? See fitness apps.

Running events or festivals? See event and festival apps.

Questions

About digital membership cards.

Do members need to download an app to get the card?

No. Members can add the card from a link in an email, a text message or your website. When you also have an app, the card can be added from the app and stays connected to everything else in it.

Does it work on Android?

Yes, through Google Wallet. iPhone users get the card in Apple Wallet and Android users in Google Wallet. Both come from the same membership data, so they stay in sync.

Can the card update automatically?

Yes. When a membership changes, the backend signs a new version of the card and Apple or Google push it to the member's phone. Renewals, tier changes and expiry show up without the member doing anything.

Can the card be used for check-in?

Yes, with a QR code or an NFC tap. Door staff scan the card with a phone or tablet, or members tap it on an NFC reader. Either way it's checked against the live membership, shows the member's name and tier, and flags cards that are expired or used twice.

Can members tap their phone instead of showing a code?

Yes, with NFC. With NFC, members hold their phone near a reader at the door, the same way they pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Apple and Google approve NFC passes per issuer, and the door needs compatible readers. We plan both into the project when you want tap-to-enter, and the QR code stays as a fallback.

What if someone shares a screenshot of their card?

The scanner catches most of it. Because every scan is checked against the live membership, staff see the member's name, and repeat scans of the same card are flagged. For higher security, a photo on the scanner screen or an extra check in the app can be added.

Do Apple or Google charge for wallet cards?

No. There's no fee per card or per update. You need an Apple Developer account, which costs $99 a year and is needed for an app anyway, and a free Google Wallet issuer account.

What does it cost?

Apps start at $20,000. A wallet card is usually one part of a membership app, priced into the fixed price for the project. On its own, a pass tool can be the cheaper choice, and I'll tell you if that's the case.

How long does it take?

It's built alongside the app. Most membership apps launch in two to four months. The wallet card, its updates and the door scanner are part of that timeline, not an extra phase.

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