InstantCard is an online service for producing photo ID cards on-demand. Cards can be ordered in batches, or one-by-one. There is no penalty in either cost or delay for ordering cards one at a time. This allows the service to be smoothly integrated into your daily operations via simple web services calls.

There is an extensive array of benefits to be gained from using an online card ordering service like InstantCard. We have developed a sophisticated set of web services, using industry standard WSDL (Web Services Definition Language) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) calls. These APIs can be called directly from your website, or from your application environment. The full range of card options are available through the web services, allowing for a seamless experience for your users. They will no longer have to manage separate data bases, and separate processes, to order their photo ID cards. Any they will not have to wait to accumulate a batch of cards, since cards can be ordered as required, even one-by-one.

In additional to standard cards, there are a wide range of card options available, including barcode, magstripe, rfid, and smart cards. The InstantCard program provides a wide range of card design options, and a gallery of sample designs can be viewed here. Through web services, clients can access an unlimited number of custom, pre-defined templates, each one for a different category of personnel.

Examples of how our clients have already implemented online web services include:

Corporate: Interfacing the HR management system, based on SAP or Oracle, to allow managers to order cards directly from the HR system
Association: Automated ordering of membership cards from the membership management system
Training Software: link within the training management system to allow the ordering of a credential card upon course completion
Online University: link for remote students to order their student ID cards directly, uploading their own photos
Home Health Care: API which allows the ordering of a new employee identification badge (smartcard) directly from the personnel management module

Outsourcing the production of employee ID badges provides a wide range of benefits to most corporations. Use of Web Services can make this process completely seamless for your users. If you are planning to implement an ID card program in your organization, you should carefully consider whether outsourcing makes sense for your company. Most companies with a typical card production profile find that, when they make a cost comparison, an outsourced service is far more economical. Savings can be up to 75%, relative to purchasing of in-house equipment.

Use of web services avoids the necessity of asking users to manage a separate, parallel data base of personnel records just for ID cards. All data is managed centrally, and no additional card production software is required.

Among the range of InstantCard clients, first and foremost are the multi-site corporations which gain flexibility, accountability, and significant cost savings through the use of APIs. Their personnel identification cards are produced the same-day, and automatically delivered to the exact location where they are required. Use of APIs eliminates all the logistical hassles (card printing, supplies, mailing, training, etc). The IT departments of all corporations are very familiar with the simple WSDL language we use, and can generally implement the required web services functions within a day or two. We have set up a simple Service Discovery Protocol which publishes the services available.

Please don’t hesitate to ask us to receive a copy of the WSDL documentation, which explains all the calls and functions available to access our ID card production service from a remote website.

ID cards are often used to present training credentials, so that people who have completed a professional training or certification program can easily show their qualifications. In fact, InstantCard has developed a unique, online credential verification service which allows anyone to check the current validity of credentials with a cellphone. We are able to produce photo ID cards with individualized QR Codes or Microsoft Tags, which allow users to validate and verify information related to the person – training records, health records, medical information, background data, etc. The use of QR codes allows access to cloud-based data base in real-time, so information printed on the card is never out-of-date. Anyone, anywhere with a smart phone can access virtual pages of information on the individual using a simple user interface.

InstantCard provides a one-stop shop for all your ID badge requirements. We help guide you through the whole process, including guidelines for card layout and artwork. We provide guidance and assistance with taking your staff pictures, and publish guidelines for taking staff ID photos. And last but not least, we offer extensive customer support services, including live online support to help our clients quickly overcome any obstacles to producing their ID cards. We can provide your tech team with sample programs and code snippets to speed up the implementation cycle. We are actively seeking companies to join our partner program, which offers many advantages to firms where id cards are complementary to their core business. Most of our partners benefit from the web services interface, since they are able to automate the data communications process. We would be happy to provide free samples, so you can see that we use the latest, most advanced card printing technology available on the market. In fact, you may submit your card design data online and we will set you up with a test account so you can produce a sample card based on your custom requirements.

InstantCard was founded with only one objective in mind – to provide the online ID card services which is the absolute fastest, easiest-to-use, and cheapest service available. We have a strong set of corporate values, always putting the customer first. Since we deal every day with confidential personnel data, we have a very strong privacy policy, but we are always pleased to speak with anyone who wants to learn more about us. If you don’t find the answer to your questions among our FAQs page, you may contact us at any time to discuss your specific ID card requirements. InstantCard is convinced that our Web Services offering, allowing clients to interface directly to our servers via standard APIs, is absolutely unique in the industry. As a result, our complete set of web services allows your staff to order their cards online via a browser, from your website, or from within your application. The Web Services options is an extremely easy way for our clients to integrate photo ID card production directly into their daily operations.