--- title: "Memberships" url: https://getstell.com/passes/membership description: "Gym, club and venue memberships: always current, a tap at the door." --- # Memberships A membership pass puts the member number, status and validity on the phone, synced to the paired watch and available offline. It is always current, because the pass updates itself when the membership does. ## What the pass does ### Issued from your member system Passes are created from the member records you already hold and delivered through a link or QR code at sign-up, in a welcome email or from your app. Each pass is bound to one member's account at issue. ### Checked in at the door Members identify with an NFC tap on a reader or turnstile, or by scanning the QR code or barcode on the pass. Both routes resolve to the same member record, so front-desk and self-service entry work the same way. ### Status that stays true Renewals, upgrades and freezes are pushed to the pass as they happen. A member never carries a pass that says the wrong tier or an expired date, and a change message can tell them what changed. ### Lifecycle without admin When a membership ends, the pass can expire and archive itself out of the active list. The portal tracks installs and check-ins, and template updates restyle every live pass at once. ## How it works ### 01 / ISSUE Generated from the register Number, status, validity and name come from the member record you already keep, not from a spreadsheet maintained beside it. ### 02 / DELIVER Handed over at sign-up A link in the welcome email, a QR code at the desk or a button in your app puts the pass in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet in one tap. ### 03 / ADMIT Read at the door An NFC tap on a reader or turnstile, or a scan of the code, resolves to the member record. Staffed and self-service entry work the same way. ### 04 / RENEW Updated, not reissued Upgrades, renewals and freezes are pushed to the pass as they happen, so nobody arrives holding a pass that says the wrong thing. ## What is on the pass ### Top left: Your brand Logo text and artwork make the membership recognizable in a wallet list that also holds boarding passes and coffee cards. ### Top right: Valid through The header field, read first on the pass face. On a membership it answers the question the front desk actually asks. ### Center left: Status or tier Gold, premium, student. The level decides what the member is entitled to, so it sits where it is read first. ### Center right: Member identity Name and member number, bound to one account at issue, which is what makes a shared pass a policy decision rather than an accident. ### Footer: Member since The small line that makes a membership feel like a membership rather than a receipt. ### Bottom right: Tap or scan A contactless mark for readers and turnstiles, a QR code or barcode for the desk that scans. The same pass answers to both. ### Below the face: Featured actions Book an appointment or open the membership benefits straight from the pass on iOS 27, without asking for an app install first. ## What it replaces The plastic membership card: Reprinted at every renewal; Left at home on the day it is needed; Says whatever it said the day it was printed; No way to reach the member holding it. The membership pass: Issued once and updated for every renewal; On the phone, and on the paired watch; Status and validity that change when the membership does; A lock-screen message when something needs saying. ## Where it fits ### Gyms and studios The membership pass is the key: a tap at the turnstile, a status that reflects the freeze or the upgrade, and a class booking one tap from the pass. ### Museums and attractions Annual pass holders enter with a tap, and a lapsed membership stops opening the gate on the day it lapses rather than at the next reprint. ### Clubs and associations Member number, status and validity in one pass that cannot be left at home, issued straight from the member register at sign-up. ## Messaging ### Renewals that do not depend on an inbox An automation on inactive days or a scheduled campaign reaches the member through the pass they already carry, before the lapse rather than after it. ### Segments by status Build a segment from tier, last visit, wallet type or the tags on the contact, and see the estimated reach before anything sends. ### Reach without an app install A campaign surfaces on the lock screen through the pass itself, so reaching members does not depend on an app being installed and kept. ## Questions ### What happens to the pass when a membership expires? The pass is updated to reflect the expiry and can leave the wallet's active list automatically. If the member renews, the same pass is updated rather than reissued. ### Does a membership pass work without an internet connection? Yes. The pass and its code are stored on the device, so members can identify at the door with no connection. ### Can members use the pass on a smartwatch? Yes. Passes follow automatically to a paired Apple Watch or Wear OS watch. ### Can a membership pass be shared between people? Passes are bound to one customer's account at issue, and sharing controls let you decide whether a pass can be passed on. ### Can a membership pass open a turnstile? Where the turnstile has a reader that supports Apple VAS or Google Smart Tap, the pass is read with a tap. Barcode and QR readers work the same way with the code on the pass. ### How do members get a new pass if they change phone? The pass follows the wallet account to the new device. If a member needs a fresh copy, the add link can be sent again and the same membership is bound to it.