What if your customers could unlock rewards and spend a gift card, all from the same digital pass?

That’s the promise of a membership gift card. Instead of juggling separate gift cards, loyalty rewards cards, or email promotions, your customers get one unified, branded experience.

A digital membership card that stores perks, tracks balances, and delivers real-time updates, right on their lock screen.

With Badge, retailers and ecommerce brands can create a single digital pass that merges loyalty benefits and mobile gift card value into one. It’s fully customizable, easy to distribute, and built to support automations like tier upgrades, reward notifications, or balance top-ups, all without needing a separate app.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What a membership gift card is and how it works

• Why combining loyalty and gifting into one pass increases engagement and retention

• How to launch this experience using Badge’s platform, APIs, or no-code tools

• Real-world examples of brands using unified passes to boost performance

Let’s explore how to streamline gifting, rewards, and membership into one powerful mobile wallet pass.

What Is a Membership Gift Card?

A membership gift card is a single digital pass that combines the benefits of a membership card, loyalty rewards card, and mobile gift card—all in one. Instead of issuing separate cards for perks and prepaid balances, you deliver one streamlined, mobile-first experience that lives in your customer’s Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

Think of it as a smarter, more dynamic digital membership card. Customers can:

• Track loyalty status or membership tier

• Redeem a preloaded gift card balance

• Unlock exclusive perks or reward offers

• Receive real-time updates via wallet push notifications

From the user’s perspective, it feels like one branded card that does it all. From your perspective, it’s a unified digital loyalty card that simplifies distribution, improves redemption rates, and adapts automatically.

Real-World Example of Membership Gift Card

A beauty retailer might issue a digital loyalty card that gives members early access to new products and monthly perks. When a customer purchases a $50 eGift card, the same card instantly updates to show their available balance. And, it’s ready for in-store or online checkout.

No new card needed. No extra app to install.

By combining loyalty and gifting into a single membership gift card, you reduce friction, increase visibility, and deliver a seamless mobile wallet experience from day one.

Why Combine Gift Cards with Membership Cards?

Customers don’t think in silos, so your brand experience shouldn’t either. By combining mobile gift cards and loyalty rewards into one digital membership card, you create a seamless, mobile-first experience that aligns with how people shop, engage, and expect value today.

Here’s why this unified approach works:

1. Fewer Steps, Higher Engagement

With a single membership gift card, customers don’t need to juggle separate passes or dig through emails. One tap in Apple or Google Wallet gives them instant access to their loyalty perks and gift card balance. The result? Higher redemption rates, more return visits, and deeper engagement across channels.

2. Real-Time Updates and Reminders

Push notifications keep your brand top of mind, without relying too much on SMS or inboxes. Notify users when:

• Their gift card balance is running low

• A new loyalty perk or offer is available

• Points or rewards are about to expire

Because it all lives on one pass, updates are timely, relevant, and instantly actionable. And, immediately delivered straight to the lock screen.

3. Smarter Lifecycle Marketing

A unified card unlocks new opportunities across the customer journey. You can:

• Reward referrals with gift balance

• Upsell during redemption moments

• Promote limited-time offers tied to membership tiers

All while keeping the experience consistent and personalized.

4. Better Data, Better Personalization

When digital loyalty cards and eGift cards are combined, your data becomes more actionable. You can tailor campaigns based on:

• Membership tier or loyalty status

• Purchase behavior and gift card usage

• Location, timing, or re-engagement triggers

And because everything is tied to one mobile wallet pass, you simplify backend operations while gaining a clearer view of user behavior.

How to Combine Membership and Gift Card Features Using Badge

With Badge, you can turn a standard membership card into a smart, multi-functional digital pass. The mobile wallet solutions platform helps you combine gift card balance, loyalty rewards, and real-time engagement in one seamless mobile membership and gift card experience.

Here’s how the flow works, from sign-up to redemption:

Step 1: The Customer Installs Their Membership Card

When a customer signs up via a website form or an email invitation. Then, Badge automatically generates a unique digital membership card using the userPassUpsert API or a custom integration. The card is added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, where it’s always accessible from the user’s lock screen.

• What they see: A branded digital card saved to their phone

• What you control: Your membership sign-up flow and email/SMS invitation process

• Badge’s role: Auto-issue the pass and assign a unique identifier to each user

Step 2: They Claim a Gift Card Balance

Once installed, that same membership gift card can be updated with a gift card balance, either after the user purchases it directly or receives it as an eGift card. If the user’s identifier matches an existing pass, Badge instantly updates the card with the correct balance via API.

• What they see: Their membership card now shows a stored value

• What you control: Your gift card purchase or gifting workflows, plus user communications

• Badge’s role: Match identifiers and apply the balance to the user’s pass

Step 3: They Receive Smart Notifications

Badge enables push notifications through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. You can notify customers when their balance is low, a new perk is available, or points are about to expire. These updates are delivered directly to the lock screen and can be triggered based on behavior, geolocation, or scheduled campaigns.

• What they see: Timely, relevant messages from your brand

• What you control: When and why notifications are triggered

• Badge’s role: Deliver ad hoc or automated push campaigns

Step 4: They Redeem with Ease

Customers can redeem their digital gift card or loyalty rewards in-store or online. Badge dynamically displays redemption details, such as barcodes, QR codes, PINs, or custom fields, on the pass itself. You can even use geolocation to automatically surface the card at the right place and time.

• What they see: A scannable or tappable pass that’s ready to use

• What you control: Your redemption systems and logic

• Badge’s role: Render real-time data on the pass and support redemption via API or webhook

Examples of Membership Gift Cards in Retail and Ecommerce

Forward-thinking brands are already using membership gift cards to unify loyalty and gifting. And the results speak for themselves.

Here’s how different industries are turning fragmented touchpoints into one powerful digital membership card experience:

Retail: Membership Card with Reloadable Gift Balance

A fashion retailer issues a branded membership card offering early access to new collections, exclusive discounts, and loyalty perks. When a customer receives a mobile gift card, the value is automatically added to the same pass.

• The pass shows available gift balance

• Badge sends push reminders before sales end

• Redemption happens in-store via QR scan

• The balance updates in real time through Badge’s API

This single pass acts as both a loyalty rewards card and gift card, streamlining the customer journey and increasing redemption rates.

Food & Beverage: Loyalty + Stored Value in One Card

A national coffee chain combines their loyalty and gift card programs into one digital pass. Customers earn points per visit while spending from a prepaid eGift card, whether self-purchased or gifted.

• The card surfaces automatically near store locations via geolocation

• Badge sends wallet-based notifications for expiring rewards or new offers

• All perks and balances are updated dynamically on the same digital loyalty card

This approach reduces friction while driving frequency and customer retention.

Ecommerce: Tiered Membership with eGift Card Integration

An online beauty brand offers tiered membership cards: Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with escalating perks. Customers can send eGift cards to friends, and the credit loads directly onto their recipient’s digital membership card.

• One pass delivers membership perks, gift value, and promo alerts

• Users receive order updates and tier upgrade notifications

• Badge powers the entire experience through real-time lock screen messages

By unifying loyalty and gifting, the brand builds a personalized, mobile-first experience that drives both acquisition and retention.

Why Combining Membership and Gift Cards with Badge is a Smarter Strategy

Customers expect more than just convenience, they want experiences that feel seamless, personalized, and mobile-first. By unifying gift card value and loyalty perks into one digital membership card, brands can meet those expectations while reducing operational complexity behind the scenes.

Instead of managing separate apps or fragmented systems, you can deliver a single, branded experience that lives in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. With Badge, that pass becomes dynamic, from balance updates to push notifications to in-store and online redemption.

Whether you’re:

• Scaling your eGift card program

• Enhancing a loyalty rewards card experience

• Introducing a tiered membership card with stored value

• Or looking to personalize engagement across the customer lifecycle

Badge gives you the tools to make it happen, all through one connected platform.

👉Talk to us to explore how a membership gift card strategy powered by Badge can help you drive retention, increase redemption, and deliver a better mobile experience.

Badge Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a membership gift card?

A membership gift card is a single digital pass that combines loyalty rewards (like points, tiers, or perks) with redeemable gift card value. Instead of managing multiple cards, users get one mobile-first experience—stored in their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.

Can I combine loyalty rewards and gift cards into one digital pass?

Yes. With Badge, you can create a unified digital membership card that holds both loyalty program details and a gift card balance. The pass updates in real time and supports seamless redemption and engagement.

How do digital membership cards work with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet?

Once issued through Badge, a digital membership card installs directly into Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. It can:

• Display updated loyalty status and gift card balance

• Send push notifications to the lock screen

• Support in-store or online redemption via QR code, barcode, or PIN

All without requiring a separate app.

How do I update a user’s gift card balance on their membership card?

You can update the mobile gift card balance using Badge’s userPassUpsert API or a custom integration. If the identifier matches an existing user pass, the balance syncs automatically—whether the card was purchased or received as an eGift card.

What are the benefits of combining gift cards with loyalty cards?

Combining gift cards and loyalty rewards cards into one pass:

• Reduces friction for users

• Increases redemption and engagement

• Supports real-time personalization

• Simplifies backend systems with unified tracking

• Drives better lifecycle marketing across channels

How do I add a membership card to Apple Wallet?

To add a membership card to Apple Wallet, users simply click the pass installation link provided by Badge. Once installed, the pass can be updated dynamically with points, balances, and real-time lock screen notifications.

How do I add a membership card to Google Wallet?

To add a membership card to Google Wallet, users install the pass via a branded link from Badge. The card is saved to their Android device and can be updated with gift card credits, loyalty perks, and location-based offers—automatically and in real time.