Card system (season card, membership card, etc.)
What is important when you need a new card system, and what should you be aware of. In this blog post we try to get around some of the most important things.
What is a card system?
A short system can cover many things, and can be small; systems with one type of card, and larger systems that can cover many different types of cards. Some systems can make physical cards, others can make digital ones and several systems can make both.
Examples ofå cards you can make in a card system could be
- Årscard
- Season card
- Membership card
- Employee card
- VIP card
In this blog entry we look at; what things you should pay attention to; when you have to choose a card system, and we look at; all the important things you need to know to get a problem-free everyday life with the system.
Which features do you need?
We look here atå what features you might need in a short system, så you are well prepared, whether you need a year card, season card, membership card or something else entirely.
Barcodes onå card
If you must use cards that must be able to be validated, så it requires that the system can place a barcode on the the map.
In many systems you can control it for the different card types, så some cards may have it and others not.
The barcode makes it possible to scan cards from e.g. point of sale systems (POS), computers with barcode scanners and from smartphones with the built-in camera.
Be attentive to; about
- The barcode can be generated and printed automatically on card
- Whether you can choose it from and to; different types of cards
- That the barcode can be scanned from smartphones (with built-in camera)
- That the barcode can be scanned from computers with scanners (without special hardware or software installed)
- That the barcode can be scanned from POS/cash register systems
Card scanning (validation)
In addition to a barcode på the card, så it requires that the selected system has a scanning system built in.
The scanning system validates the barcode and tells whether it is valid. It can, for example, used for entering parks, special events, checking membership status and much more.
If you øwant this, så can it be smart to buy a card system that also has a ticket system and a webshop.
Listed below are some of the things you need to investigate
- That a validation system/scanning system is included
- That the barcode can be scanned from smartphones (with built-in camera)
- That the barcode can be scanned from computers with scanners (without special hardware or software installed)
- That the barcode can be scanned from POS/cash register systems
- That it is internet-based, så you are not hardware dependent
- That the scanning system is reliable and fast
- That you can control settings for scans
Physical cards vs. digital cards
You must find out whether it must be a physical card, e.g. plastic card, or whether it should be a digital card that you show on; eg. smartphone.
Digital maps require the user to get an app or a URL where the map is on; Then call; the user can easily show his card.
Physical cards require the system to be made carefully; you can print plastic cards on card printer and that the system can handle this entire process. Read more under the item card management in the administration
Different types of cards
Most people who use card systems will have different types of cards - maybe not to start with, but certainly; over time.
It can be e.g. based on age (child, ordinary, senior, etc.), membership status, internal/external, employees, VIP and much more
There is therefore also some things you should be aware of; that the system must be able
- Make sure you can create different types of cards
- Ensure that you can register various information on the different cards
- Employee cards and seasonal cards have e.g. often do not need the same information
- Make sure you can choose what is displayed on; the card for each card type
- You often want to register more, e.g. address, postal code and city, but not show the whole på the map
- Good options for extra things, e.g.
- Number the card applies to
- Default settings that are pressed that can be controlled
- Possibility of bringing guests for periods (marketing)
Purchase of cards from website / webshop
Another thing youå must think about is the integration with your website or webshop.
Here it can be a big advantage to choose a system that has both website/CMS, webshop, ticket system and card system, as you see; can get the best possible integration.
It is important that if it is a card that is being sold, that you sell; alsoå can have them as a product in your webshop, så they can be easily sold and marketed.
Here there is also; some things you need to be aware of
- Can products be created based on types of cards (you can sell them all)
- Can you choose which types measure; sold in the shop
- Can you fill in card information on the webshop
- Can you upload a picture onå the webshop
- Can the image be rotated and zoomed soå it will be correct
- Opportunity to approve conditions and the Personal Data Act
Another smart thing is to ensure that the user alsoå can update the map from the website with e.g. new phone number, address, etc.
Så can you ensure information is always up-to-date
Card renewal from website / webshop
If your cards are some that must/can be renewed - e.g. Year card, season card, membership card, etc. it should preferably be something that you can easily do via the webshop.
Some of the things that are important when renewing a card are
- Administrator must be able to choose which types of cards can be renewed
- The owner of the card must be able to use the existing information from the card
- The owner of the card must be able to &change selected information
- The owner of the card must be able to renew the image or keep the existing one
- The renewal must be able to be sold in the webshop as a product
Short management in the administration
The administration of cards is alsoå super important. There are many things you need to be able to do here, and with physical cards there must be even more options and automation, especially; you can make and hand out cards super easily.
Here are some of the things to be aware of
- Good overview of maps
- Good search options in maps (and the option to scan a map)
- Good division of the different types of cards
- Option to create maps in the administration (incl. image)
- Option to renew cards directly in the administration
- Option to disable maps
- Option to delete map
- Option to edit map information
- Option to change image
- Lås map view; that cannot be changed by it
- Save internal messages onå the card (which can be seen by staff)
- See when they were last there (e.g. the last 20 times)
If you have physical cards, you must also look at following
- Option to print cards on card printers (not hardware specific)
- Option to print all cards sold on an order with a click
- Possibility to set up screens where people can fill in map information themselves and take a picture (make maps on the spot - preferably hardware independent)
- Easy card management and print kø
Statistics on card
One of the last, but alsoå important thing is that there are good statistics. Here, it is both important to have statistics on cards, scans and sales - such as; you can easily get an overview.
This overview is easiest to obtain; if the system contains all systems described in this blog entry, i.e. both webshop, ticket system/scanning system and card system.
Some of the things that are important in the statistics are
- Statistics for both sales, scans and cards
- Sales statistics that show both quantity and price and count together based on; products
- Possibility to create your own sales groups that are counted together (e.g. all tickets, cards, etc.)
- Scan statistics showing all types of scans
- Scan statistics based onå user
- Scan statistics based onå location (e.g. different ticket offices)
- Possibility to create your own scan groups that are counted together (e.g. all tickets, cards, etc.)
- Card statistics showing scanned cards
- Card statistics showing printed cards
- Bank overview showing sales and returns
- Possibilities to connect with other services
Safe, stable, fast and with good support
The last point here is not about the system itself, but more about the service around the system.
It is important to choose a supplier who has high security and who delivers a fast and stable system that you can count on.
In practice, it can be a good idea to do; according to a SaaS (Software as a Service) system rather than e.g. open source (such as Wordpress or Magento). På in this way you ensure that no 3rd party plugins have been used which make the system slow or insecure, and in the worst case breach the GDPR by sending data from the system outside the EU. In SaaS systems, the system can easily talk to other products via e.g. plugins, but those who make the system have ensured all plugins are safe, and keep them updated. You can thus get a guarantee for higher security, and at the same time the company knows the system inside and out.
Make sure to choose a system that is constantly updated in terms of security, ease of use, functions, technical search optimization, etc. Then call; the system is always up to date.
It can be an advantage to choose a Danish-developed system which also; sold abroad. Then call; you ensure that it is adapted to Danish conditions and Danish rules, while at the same time it can be adapted to foreign requirements and languages.
It alsoå a good idea to choose a system where you can follow; made special adjustments - på that way you ensure that you don't outgrow it and have to start over.
Finally, you must ensure that there is proper support. Often the way to get made adaptations or få fixed something very long through many people with different titles before it reaches the person who has to fix it. It also meanså long delivery time and more expensive prices. By choosing a supplier with a shorter path to those who make the corrections, such it is often both cheaper, faster and better, with less chance of misunderstandings.
Flex4B: One system for everything
A good offer for a system that lives up to all of the above, and on top of that has many more features, is the Flex4B system supplied by Flex4Business ApS.
The Flex4B system is a well-functioning SaaS system that contains both CMS , Webshop, ticket system and card system. The systems can be sold together or separately. It is thoroughly tested and the customers of Flex4Business ApS make many many thousands of cards every year. The experience has meant that the system is optimized and ready for use, and the flexibility of the system means that adaptations can still be made to the individual customer.
The system has - in addition to all the things described in the blog post - lots of plugins and integrations, a large webshop with all features, a large ticket system where all types of tickets can be sold and the option to set up the design yourself or to make one in collaboration with us according to your wishes. There are also plenty of opportunities for additional sales, marketing and the use of social media.
The Flex4B system is secure and constantly updated. It is fast and stable and is hosted in modern hosting center with all features.
If you want more information without obligation, så use one of the options below
