Members-Only Cards & Invite Codes

What is a Members-Only card?

A regular card is public — anyone who scans your QR code or opens your link can install it. A Members-Only card works differently: it's a guest list, not a public sign-up page. Only the people you invite can install it.

Every member gets their own one-time invite code. If someone forwards their link or sends a screenshot of their code to a friend, it won't work for anyone but them — each code is tied to one person and can only be used once. That's what makes Members-Only cards a good fit for private clubs, VIP tiers, staff perks, or paid memberships where you want to control exactly who gets in.

Not sure which type fits your business? See Card Types Explained. You can turn any card Members-Only (or back to public) later from the Members only toggle on its Setup tab.

Two ways to invite members

Whether you can generate invite codes in bulk depends on one setting: data collection.

Data collection ON → generate a batch of invite codes

If your card asks members for their details (name, email, etc.) when they install, you can generate a batch of invite codes up front — a stack of unique codes that aren't tied to anyone yet. Members fill in their own details when they enter their code and install the card.

This is the fastest option when you're distributing codes all at once — flyers, a countertop QR sticker, a receipt insert, or a mailing list. From the Customers page: Generate Codes → set how many codes you need, how long they stay valid, and (optionally) a batch label to keep track → Create codes. You can download the batch as a CSV to print or share.

Data collection OFF → add each member with their name first

If your card doesn't collect details on install, codes can't be generated blind — there'd be no way to know who's who. Instead, you add each member yourself first, with at least their name, and Passtastic creates their invite code as part of that. You then send them the code.

This isn't a limitation — it's how a members-only card stays genuinely controlled: every code is already tied to a real person on your list before it's ever sent out, so you always know who's on your guest list.

Testing your own card

Try the invite flow yourself before inviting anyone else. Right after you publish a Members-Only card, the activation screen walks you through adding yourself as a test member: you add yourself as the first customer, get your own invite code, and use it to install the card — exactly what your members will experience. You'll see both sides: the code you'd hand out, and what a member sees when they enter it.

Handing a code to a member

From the Customers page:

1. Add the member (Add Customer) or generate a batch of codes (Generate Codes) — whichever matches your data collection setting above.

2. Open the member's row. Use Copy code to grab just the code, or Copy invite link to grab a link with the code already built in — use whichever is easier for your channel (text, email, printed card).

3. Send it however suits you — text, email, WhatsApp, or handed over in person.

4. Use the Invited filter on the Customers page to see everyone you've sent a code to who hasn't installed the card yet — your at-a-glance follow-up list.

Common questions

A member says their code doesn't work. Codes are one-time use — if they already installed the card once, the code is spent. Open their row and use Regenerate to issue a new one (this invalidates the old code immediately).

"To generate a batch of invite codes, turn on data collection..." This message means your card doesn't collect member details on install, so Passtastic can't generate anonymous codes. Either turn on data collection for the card, or add members one at a time with their name (see above).

My plan limits how many codes I can generate at once. Trial and lower-tier plans cap batch size. Upgrade your plan to generate larger batches.