The use of plastic cards for identification has been the majority in the last 25 years, all of us have or use plastic cards for loyalty cards, membership, banking, for access control etc ... Instead, the use of digital cards or virtual hosted in digital Wallets are a current trend that provides multiple benefits compared to PVC or Plastic cards.

These are the main differences and advantages of a digital card compared to a plastic or PVC card:

1.- Dynamic Content.- Once a plastic card is printed, we can no longer modify it, that is, if we want to change any data or content on the card, we must issue a new card. In the case of a digital card, all the content is dynamic and we can modify it remotely at any time, even having issued and sent the digital cards to the users. We can modify any text on the front or back of the card as well as the images.

2.- Interactivity.- Digital cards allow the user to interact with it from the mobile device, either by dialing a phone number, opening an email editor or clicking any of the links to the card's URLs to open a googe docs, any internet address or even whastapp (more info in this post: https://idenge.com/es/blog/section/conocimientos/post/como-abrir-whatsapp-desde-una-tarjeta-digital-en-el -wallet)

3.- Security.- In order to have access to a digital card, we must first have access to the mobile or cell phone, which in most devices has facial, biometric or pin code recognition, giving it greater security.

4.- Backup.- What happens if we lose our plastic card? Well, we have to call the issuer to send us a new card. On the other hand, in a digital card housed in a wallet, said card is stored in the Wallet and in the backup of the phone, so if we lose the phone we can recover our cards. In IOS the backup is in our Apple account while in Gpay it is in our google account while in Passwallet we can use backup both google and Dropbox.

5.- Geolocation.- If we have geolocation activated, digital card users can receive important information about the services and offers of their membership when approaching a specific point set by the card issuer.

6.- Push Notifications.- We cannot communicate with a plastic cardholder; instead, if we can send push notifications to the users of digital cards. (More info in this post: https://idenge.com/es/blog/section/conocimientos/post/conoce-las-6-reglas-basicas-para-una-eficaz-gestion-de-las-notificaciones-push

7.- Virality.- Through a digital card, we can invite and send a provisional card to our friends or family so that we viralize our membership or loyalty system. Obviously, the provisional card has no validity or relevant data until authorized by the issuer.

8.- Interaction.- With a digital card we can interact with external elements (access control, readers ...) through a barcode, QR code and shortly NFC. Plastic cards have a greater range of interactions because we can add magnetic stripe, contact chip, RFID to the same as digital cards ...)

9.- Sustainability.- Digital cards, unlike plastic ones, do not generate any type of waste nor have they consumed any type of energy for their manufacture, making them a much more sustainable and better element for the environment.

10.- Self-management.- With a QR code printed on a display or on a website, digital users can scan the code and provisionally register in any membership or loyalty program and automatically receive their digital card instantly without the need for intervention No one else's.

For more information contact us at idenge@idenge.com