Over the past 10+ years we have had many clients who want to allow their employees, members, or associates to order their own cards. As a result, we have learned a lot about their needs, and we’ve developed a wide range of tools to help them implement this service with minimal hassle. A representative sample of our clients who avail themselves of our individual card ordering service includes sports associations, online universities, alumni associations, professional networks, staffing agencies, and even government licensing agencies.
They all want to allow authorized individuals to order their own cards, online, without having to take up valuable administrative staff time. We offer a range of options to these organizations, even enabling some to set up the service with no coding whatsoever. For others that have access to web developers, and want to integrate the service into their website, the tools we have developed make this a relatively simple process requiring just an hour or two.
For example, we can give customers a simple link to put on their website, allowing authorized individuals to click to order a card. They are then taken to our website, and we can also receive any non-modifiable data (such as student ID number, or training program, etc.). The individual sees the client’s banner, and is invited to enter any further information required. He/she then uploads and crops his preferred photo for the card, and sees an image of the card, as it will be printed, displayed on the screen. If the card looks good, they then enter the mailing address where the card is to be sent.
Another option is to include a small snippet of code on the client website, which allows the user to stay on the website while entering the required data and uploading and cropping the photo. This allows an even more customized experience that aligns with the organization’s graphics and user interface. A higher degree of customization is possible, though a small amount of web developer effort is required from the client.
In all cases, the card is printed and mailed within 24-hours. The individual, and the client, both receive email confirmations with an image of the card to be printed. One option includes the printing of a personalized letter to accompany the card. Another option allows each individual to pay for the card they’re ordering at the time of order, by credit card, at a pre-determined fee set by the client.
For certain clients, we mail out an accessory, such as a lanyard or a badge holder, with each card. This allows the individual to be able to immediately use the ID card, without the time or expense of going to a local office supply store to purchase the accessory they need. This is one further way we alleviate the organization’s administrative staff of unnecessary responsibilities.
Acquiring high-quality photos which are appropriately sized and cropped to meet professional ID card requirements is always a concern. We facilitate this through an easy-to-use web-based upload tool which allows individuals to choose their best shot, while still conforming to organization requirements (such as no sunglasses, front-facing, full frame-fill, etc.). We can also automatically send an email to individuals which includes a link allowing them to securely access a web page to upload and review their photo. Then, after the card has been produced, we can make the photos available to the organization for other purposes, such as inclusion in a directory or their HR records.
Some of our clients issue annual cards to their members, ensuring that identity is always current and never outdated. InstantCard facilitates this process by maintaining all data in our secure, online data base, which can be used year after year. A simple update of the template, changing the year to the current year, makes re-issue of badges a breeze.
If you are interested in removing the many headaches associated with producing student or member cards, ask about InstantCard’s Individual Card Ordering service. We can take care of all the hassles you should be concerned about: ensuring data integrity, acquiring quality photos, managing administrative support, handling mailing logistics, etc. We’ve done this for many, many other clients, and we look forward to doing it for you!
