We’ve all had that moment—at the gym, in line for coffee, or checking in somewhere—when we realize we left our membership card at home. As customers, it’s a small hassle or minor disappointment. But for businesses, it’s a missed opportunity to spark meaningful engagement.
It’s no wonder leading brands like Starbucks, Third Space, and Costco have all embraced digital membership cards. These virtual solutions keep your brand top of mind for members, acting as the perfect lever to boost customer retention, unlock data-backed insights, and optimize the customer experience.
What might surprise you is just how simple it is to create a digital membership system. By leveraging QR Codes, you can offer a streamlined, user-friendly solution without the complexity—and here’s how.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
How QR Codes for membership cards work
QR Codes, or Quick Response codes, are scannable barcodes designed to hold digital information. You’ve likely used them to quickly access a website or download an app, but they can also store membership details.
Instead of scanning a physical membership card upon entry or a loyalty card at checkout, you can store that same information in a QR Code. Members can access their codes directly from their smartphones—in their Apple or Google Wallet, via your company app, or even from an email. This means their membership is always just a tap away; no more digging through a wallet or bag to find it.
But digital membership cards don’t just make life easier for your customers—they can also improve your bottom line. We’ll explore how in the next section.
Benefits of using QR Codes for membership cards
Just like with digital business cards, using QR Codes for your membership cards offers tons of benefits. So if you’re debating whether digital membership cards are right for your business, the answer is probably yes. Here’s why.
Easy access for members
Today’s customers expect everything to be fast, easy, and tailored to their needs. A digital membership card is a simple but powerful way to meet those expectations. It eliminates common pain points associated with plastic cards and ensures your customers have instant access to their membership details, perks, and discounts right on their devices, ready to use whenever and wherever they need it.
Beyond practicality, offering a digital membership card sends a clear message: Your brand values your customers’ time and embraces modern, customer-first solutions.
Real-time updates
Tiered membership programs are one of the best ways to boost revenue and keep customers coming back. Using Dynamic QR Codes for your membership cards makes managing these tiers simple.
For context, Dynamic QR Codes are editable and trackable. Unlike Static QR codes, they let you update the linked URL or data without reprinting materials and codes.
Say a Silver-tier member wants to upgrade to Gold. Instead of issuing a new card or QR Code, you simply update the link on the backend, and they’ll be upgraded in mere seconds.
Because Dynamic QR Codes are trackable, you can also see how members interact with your program at each tier. So, if a promotion isn’t working, you can update the code, or if one tier isn’t engaging enough, you can tweak the offers.
Cost and environmental savings
Enterprises spent a staggering $121.4 billion on printing costs in 2023. Switching to digital cards is a straightforward way to reduce this expense, eliminating the costs of printing and reissuing physical cards entirely.
On top of that, going digital can help your brand’s reputation. The majority of consumers prefer to buy from eco-conscious brands—and going digital is a quick-win way to showcase your commitment to reducing plastic waste.
Better interactivity
A great loyalty program can do wonders for revenue and customer retention. Yet, many companies struggle to engage customers effectively with their rewards and offers. This is where QR Codes come in yet again. These codes can be embedded with personalized rewards, creating a seamless and enticing experience for your customers.
A gym might use QR codes to offer members free guest coupons that are redeemable with a quick scan. Or a coffee shop could reward loyalty by embedding a free coffee perk into the code, ready for customers to unlock after, say, every tenth purchase.
What makes these interactive codes so effective for boosting loyalty is their simplicity. Customers don’t need to sift through emails or remember to bring a voucher—everything they need is tied to their unique code and ready to use, making the customer experience truly frictionless.
Practical applications of QR Codes in membership systems
So far, we’ve mentioned gyms and coffee shops as two use cases for QR Code loyalty cards. But that’s just the start. Take a look at this list for a whole range of business applications:
- Retail loyalty programs: QR Codes can link directly to a member’s loyalty account, allowing them to track points, redeem rewards, or unlock personalized offers at checkout.
- Club memberships: For clubs and sports societies, QR Codes can provide contactless access to events, exclusive content, and facilities.
- Hospitality loyalty programs: Hotels and restaurants can use QR Codes to activate subscriber perks like room upgrades, free WiFi, or restaurant discounts.
- Event memberships: These codes can grant entry to ticketed events and provide exclusive offers for repeat attendees. They can even act as networking tools if you embed your members’ QR Codes with phone numbers and email addresses, similar to a vCard QR Code.
- Wellness and beauty: Fitness studios, spas, and nail salons can use QR Codes to manage memberships and share perks—like offering a free session to loyal clients.
How to implement QR Codes for membership cards
Ready to get started? Here’s how to make a QR Code for your membership cards in just four easy steps.
Choose a QR Code generator
To incorporate QR Codes into your membership system, you need to choose a QR Code generator. Look for one that offers Dynamic QR Codes, as these are crucial for providing flexibility and personalized offers to your members.
If you already use a customer relationship management (CRM) system, ensure that the QR Code generator you choose can integrate seamlessly with it. This integration will help automate and streamline member management, allowing you to update member details, track engagement, and deliver personalized experiences directly from your CRM.
The Bitly marketplace offers integrations with popular CRMs and other business tools, making it easy to incorporate QR Codes into your existing workflows.
Design user-friendly QR Codes
Now comes the fun part: designing your QR Codes to fit seamlessly with your brand.
Whether you need QR Codes for a small business or a massive enterprise, tools like Bitly give you full control over customization, allowing you to adjust the shape, call-to-action, and color of your QR Codes to match your brand’s guidelines. You can even place your logo in the center of the code, making it instantly recognizable and on-brand.
Communicate the transition to existing members
Once you’ve tested your QR Codes to ensure they work as expected, it’s time to roll them out to your customer base with a well-thought-out launch strategy.
Work closely with your marketing team to develop a campaign that educates your members about the transition to a digital membership system. A combination of emails, texts, and flyers can be used to communicate the new process and the value it brings.
In your communications, focus on the simplicity of the new QR Code system. Explain how easy it is for members to scan their codes and access their membership details, rewards, and perks, and highlight the convenience of not having to worry about physical cards.
Monitor and optimize usage
As we’ve noted, one of the best things about Dynamic QR Codes is their trackability. With Bitly Analytics, for example, you can see valuable data points like when, where, and how many times your QR Codes have been scanned.
This data is invaluable for understanding adoption rates. Are members scanning the codes right away, or is there a gap in engagement? Knowing this can help you refine your rollout strategy—whether that means adjusting your messaging, offering additional incentives, or finding new ways to promote the QR Codes.
As you start integrating rewards and freebies into your QR Codes, your analytics capabilities become a golden tool. By analyzing the data, you can identify which rewards are most appealing to your members and which ones may need to be adjusted or replaced, enabling you to tailor your loyalty program to best meet your members’ needs.
Upgrade your membership program with QR Codes
QR Code membership cards are fast becoming a must-have tool for businesses that want to boost customer loyalty, build brand affinity, and simplify operations. These codes take the complexity out of managing memberships and rewards, condensing them into one simple scan. For both businesses and consumers, QR Codes offer a seamless way to unlock the full potential of membership programs.
With the Bitly Connections Platform, creating eye-catching, data-backed QR Codes has never been easier. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, you can quickly create Dynamic, branded QR Codes in just minutes. These codes can be integrated with your CRM, making it effortless to connect with your members and build better brand connections.
Ready to take your membership strategy to the digital level? Get started with Bitly for free today.
