Starting a gift card program can have major benefits for your business. With the holiday season in full swing, gift cards can be a great way to reward customers and clients and encourage loyalty in the coming year.

With the new Time and Attendance photo ID systems available today, employee punch cards are a thing of the past. Time and attendance tracking can be easily incorporated into your existing employee ID program with just a few simple components. Time and Attendance systems allow you to create employee ID cards that not only identify employees but also allow you to keep accurate time and attendance logs.

Starting a customer loyalty program can go a long way to building lasting relationships with your customers. It seems like you can’t shop anywhere today without being offered the many perks that come along with signing up for a loyalty card. Whether it’s a frequent scoop card at your local frozen yogurt shop, a card that entitles you to discounts at your favorite clothing store, or a card that gives you access to special sales and promotions at a grocery store, customer loyalty programs offer a way for businesses of all genres to show their appreciation for their customers.

Here at AlphaCard we always appreciate another industry where people understand the importance of holding the right cards. That’s certainly the case within the gaming and casino industry, where player card programs are proving to be a royal flush for gaming operators.

Some things go together perfectly, including the ribbons and cards in our ID Badge Resupply Packs. Over time every ID card program will need new supplies, and it can be time-consuming to pick the right products. Designed to create smooth-running ID card programs, resupply packs take the guess work out of ordering.

Deciding to re-card an entire college is a daunting prospect, but that’s exactly what Emerson College set out to do this year when they replaced their old ID card system with contactless card technology. Located in Boston’s theater district, the school’s eight buildings on campus see thousands of visitors walk by every day. The new contactless system provides the school with increased security and greater flexibility for access control, information management, and cashless payment.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities see a wide range of people walk through their doors including doctors, nurses, visitors and patients. Implementing an ID card program can enhance security by properly identifying staff and visitors while increasing the overall efficiency of operations.

Designing an ID card program is not just an opportunity to streamline company processes by adding functionality and security; it’s also a chance to express the aesthetics of your business or organization. A wide range of design elements to choose from makes it easy to customize an ID card program to the style and needs of any group. Before starting the design process, here are a few key pieces of information to take into consideration:

Casinos may seem like a surprising place to find ID cards given the natural imagery of coins, bills, and chips that are associated with gambling. Casino cards, however, can help casinos and other gaming establishments drive customer loyalty and simplify the entire gambling process for customers.

Non-profit organizations often organize large volunteer operations that they need to be able to coordinate efficiently and cost-effectively. From disaster relief, volunteering in hospitals, or donating time and resources to schools, non-profit organizations operate a range of programs across the country and internationally. ID solutions help create a system for organizing everyday volunteer activities.

Whether both parents or working or just need to run errands for a few hours, churches are often a resource to turn to when it comes to putting children in daycare. Churches not only provide day care during normal church services, but often throughout the week as well. Employing a Church ID System helps ensure parents and daycare administrators that children and employees stay safe and accounted for.

As host to the Washington Redskins during the NFL season and various other sporting events throughout the year, FedExField in Andover, Maryland requires a large team of employees to keep the stadium running. During the off season, when there are no events, the stadium houses about 50 employees during the day. However, when an event rolls around, between seasonal, contract and temporary employees, the stadium workforce can expand to as many as 10,000 employees working for a single event. To secure access points and verify credentials, FedExField stadium operators implemented a new high-tech and biometric employee ID badge system.

Besides burning calories and toning muscles, gyms and health clubs offer a number of different benefits to their patrons when they implement an ID card program to print membership cards. These cards don’t just identify the people in the gym; they perform a range of functions to enhance any cardio experience. Creating a gym ID program has benefits for both gym owners and members because it centralizes and streamlines many of the important processes in a bustling and on-the-move industry.

New York's Suffolk County Sherriff's Department has launched a new Senior ID program as a way to assist elderly residents and medical responders should an emergency situation arise. Each senior ID card includes a photo of the cardholder, along with his or her name, address, blood type and medical history, plus the name and phone number of their physician and emergency contact. ID programs like this are a great help to emergency responders, especially in situations when the individual requiring assistance is unable to communicate.

Members of a legislative oversight committee in Charleston, West Virginia have come up with an interesting new use for ID cards. The committee has created an ID card program for lawmakers who require quick access to prisons and jails in order to investigate complaints or follow up on other issues. In the past, some lawmakers have been denied admission or delayed in their attempts to conduct surprise inspections. The new card program eliminates these problems and allows for immediate access to those with a special ID card.

Students and staff at American University may soon be able to ride DC trains and buses using their school ID cards. A pilot program is in place to test American University student IDs that are compatible with the SmarTrip tap-and-enter technology currently used for Washington DC Metro riders.

VA Hospitals across the country are rolling out a high tech employee ID badge program that aims to reduce identity fraud while protecting personal information. The VA Hospital in Big Springs, Texas is the latest to hop on board. Each card features an encrypted chip that holds important info such as fingerprints and government employee verification. The cards also certify that the employee has received a full background investigation.

Several thousand transit riders in Miami were lucky to get their hands on special commemorative Super Bowl cards last week, good for trips on local-area buses and trains. The collectible cards work just like normal smart card transit passes, only with a colorful design featuring the official NFL and Super Bowl XLIV logos.

University ID cards often perform a variety of functions beyond simple identification. One of the more common applications is integration with meal plans and cashless payment. Indiana State University is just one of many schools now providing students with the ability to use their school ID cards for not only dining hall meals, but also off-campus feasting.

Lawnwood Skate Park in Fort Pierce, Florida has been steadily growing in popularity since its grand opening a year and a half ago. Skaters flock to the park in droves to shoot in and out of its winding concrete bowl, and grind effortlessly (or not) down a myriad of ledges and rails. Because the park draws such a crowd, county officials began requiring all riders to have photo ID cards in order to help them enforce rules and prevent vandalism.

Sheppard Air Force Base, a large training facility located in Wichita County, Texas, is implementing a new ID card system that aims to significantly improve security. They call it the Defense Biometric Identification System (or DBIDS), and it's being used not only at Sheppard, but throughout the Air Force's Air Education and Training Command, as well as other Department of Defense facilities.

In an effort to crack down on identity theft, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs created a new identity card for veterans to prevent scams and protect confidential information. The new ID program will safeguard benefits and services that all veterans are entitled to after their military service.

Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York is readying a new health care smart card program set to launch in early 2010. The project involves issuing over 110,000 smart cards to patients of the center. Each smart card will carry the patient's demographic information plus important medical information such as medical conditions, medications and allergies.

Oklahoma's Cleveland County Courthouse is launching a new photo ID program in response to several recent security breaches involving people bringing in weapons or potentially dangerous objects. The new ID system aims to make it easier for deputies to screen courthouse visitors and search all bags being brought into the building. To do this, the east door of the courthouse will now be open only to courthouse employees and attorneys carrying an ID card issued by the Sheriff's Department.

It's not uncommon for colleges and universities to integrate their student ID cards with the local public transit system. Having one card act as both student ID and bus pass adds convenience, and it's a great way to encourage students to use public transportation more frequently. At Western Washington University, a project lead by the school's Sustainable Transportation Program aims to create an “all-pass” that combines these two elements. The new ID cards would include two magnetic stripes: one for housing and dining, and one for transit.

Over in New Delhi they've found a unique use for ID cards that's so innovative, we don't even have an industry page for it yet: Tiger identification. But when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Not only are these big cats predators, but they're also at risk. Creating a photo ID system to keep tabs on each tiger helps to strengthen tiger conservation at the ground level, while enabling authorities to closely track their movement.

Washington State is moving towards a new ID card system to verify eligibility for Medicaid. The Department of Social and Health Services announced that they are switching to as system of plastic ID cards for Medicaid clients similar to those used by private health insurance companies. The free cards will be mailed to Medicaid clients starting in November. Along with the new cards come a computer payer system called ProviderOne will be launched, which will reimburse doctors, clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes for medical assistance services.

The new school year is brining changes to dining services at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Once confined to the on-campus dining halls, students can now use the revamped program to eat at popular restaurants off-campus with a simple swipe of their student ID cards. The Rensselaer Advantage Dollar works like a debit account, allowing students to add money to their student IDs and use them at the off-campus eateries.

First-year students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh are quickly learning that their new student ID cards are much more valuable than the plastic they're printed on. Like many colleges and universities, Carnegie Mellon has found a way to expand its photo ID program, allowing students to use their cards for a wide range of functions and applications. Some of those convenient uses include keyless access to dormitories, debit card functionality, and the cards even serve as bus passes.

European soccer fans continue to make their way into our blog. It's no secret they're passionate about their futbol clubs, but occasionally that excitement can lead to violence and hooliganism. This explains the recent rise in ID card programs that aim to enhance security at soccer matches across the pond.

The Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office is starting a new program that issues free ID cards to Chesapeake residents age 55 and older. Seniors often have given up their driver’s licenses and the new program aims at replacing that crucial piece of identification. The new IDs also ensure that seniors receive the range of discounts and services they are entitled to from deals at restaurants to reductions in fares on public transit.

The Connecticut Sun have become the first WNBA team to replace paper tickets with special cards for season ticket holders. A number of other professional sports franchises, including the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the Orlando Magic, have also made the move to ticket cards. The Sun's new season ticket pass is the same size and shape as a normal credit card. The cards offer several advantages over paper tickets. They reduce waste, are very difficult to counterfeit, and they offer flexibility, as games can be added or deleted electronically and they can be integrated with special discount programs.

The Transportation Security Administration has created a new national standard for biometric screening of flight crews. The new ID requirements will work to improve security, while also expediting the screening of flight crews at airports. These standards allow for the nationwide expansion of “CrewPASS,” a biometric ID system designed for pilots and crews. With CrewPASS, flight crew members are required to have unique biometric components on their credentials.

In an effort to cut down on violence amongst unruly fans at soccer and basketball games in Greece, the country is set to introduce a new system of personalized tickets and ID cards for its sporting leagues. Starting this season, tickets issued for home games of the Atromitos, Ergotelis, Levadiakos, and Panionios football clubs will feature personalized ID information including the card holder's name, attendance record, seat number, and a bar code.

EagleCard holders at Morehead State University just got a lot more privileges. More than 220 new contactless card readers have been installed around campus. Students and administrators are seeing the benefits of the new system. Student ID cards can now be used for access control, eating in dining halls, vending machines, copying and printing, and laundry.

In response to increasing security risks, hospitals are implementing programs that make it easier to identify who is walking through their doors. With more than 4,000 visitors everyday, hospitals in the Cottage Health system in California are taking extra security precautions and employing a visitor identification badge system.

Students at Salt Lake Community College are seeing the benefits of their student ID system. Many services are available to them when they flash their OneCard. Upon registration, each student is issued their ID card with their name, picture, and student ID number printed on the card.

The Indian district Giridih is launching a new ID program offering special identity cards and a welfare guidebook to the disabled. This program is one of the first of its kind in the nation. The ID cards and guidebook detail many services and promotions available to the disabled in an easy access package.

England's Bristol City Football club is introducing a new smart card program that will award loyalty points to fans who frequently attend away games during the upcoming season. Yes, this is the world of European Football (don't call it soccer), where faithful followers demonstrate unbridled fanaticism by traveling with their teams. The rewards program is just one way the club is taking advantage of their new smart card ticketing system, in which fans can purchase "season cards" containing electronic tickets.

Organizations in Ozark, Missouri are teaming up to bring the Missouri Child Identification Program (MO CHIP) to their community. The new program aims to speed up the recovery process through multiple forms of identification in the unfortunate event that a child goes missing.

A new employee badge system will soon be in place for the emergency responders of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This new ID system will standardize badges issued to law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and non-government agencies that are potential responders in emergencies. The new ID program is being put in place to help organize and manage the chaos that often happens at emergency scenes, by creating greater accountability for the emergency responders on the scene.

New student ID cards are being deployed at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, New Hampshire. The new ID system allows students to use their IDs in the school’s cafeteria to purchase food. They can also be used in the school’s vending machines.

A new smart card system at The Memorial Hospital in North Conway, New Hampshire was just installed to assist with access and tracking of patients and their medical records. Smart cards aid the process of admission, identifying the patients and also giving patients access to their own medical records, where they can add to their own records. The cards carry information about individual patient demographics, insurance, and medical history. The pre-storage of the information on the smart cards allows for immediate admission into the hospital, speeding along the process.

It's official, Polish students love smart cards. In a recent poll of Polish students in high schools and colleges, 80 percent love the functionality and versatility of their electronic ID cards. They also found the design of the cards aesthetically pleasing. This resounding approval comes after Poland started deploying the student smart cards in large quantities in 2007. As of now 115 high schools and universities are using the smart ID card program, with another 300 schools expected to follow suit in the near future. The card, which allows secure access to school facilities, works on public transit, and functions as a digital wallet, is used by 1.1 million users every day.

Chicago’s St. Xavier University unveiled a new bike sharing program with environmentally friendly goals in mind. The Green Bike Program allows students and faculty to check out bikes using their Cougar cards. Bikes are unhooked from their docks with a swipe of an ID card and renters are allowed to use them for as they need them. Bikes are then returned to their docks. At the moment, rentals are free. In the fall the university plans to make the program free for the first 15 minutes and then 60 cents for every 15 minutes after that. The university hopes that students will ride the bikes in between classes and on errands instead of jumping in their cars and driving, thereby reducing the impact on the environment.

Zebra has added to its line of printers with the introduction of the Zebra QuikCard ID Solution. This all-in-one system is designed with small to mid-sized businesses in mind and is an easy solution for entry-level card applications. Zebra touts the new system as an answer for those who don’t have that much technical expertise, which makes it a practical addition to many office environments.

For the first time, organizers of the World Cup issued RFID cards in efforts to increase security. Evolis ID card printers were used at checkpoints to create cards for credentialed guests including coaches, athletes, members of the press and VIP attendees. Card readers at each of the event’s 16 checkpoints were then used to determine which guests had clearance to enter certain areas of the event. Prior to implementing the new technology, World Cup organizers had relied on a system of colored badges, which indicated different levels of clearance.

Colorado State University is introducing a new student ID card, the RamCard, which can now be used as part of the university’s new keyless entry system for university buildings. Several of the university’s buildings have already been equipped with the new keyless entries and there are plans to expand the new system. The keyless entries cost about $2,000 per building, and buildings across campus are being equipped as university funding becomes available. Students are able to use their RamCard to gain entry to buildings after hours such as the computer lab. This new service is just another in a long list of amenities that the CSU student ID card offers. The RamCard can also be used for eating in dining halls and the student center food court, athletic events, banking, and laundry facilities in the residence halls. Current students can trade in their current ID cards and upgrade to the new RamCard for free.

Some schools in the UK will soon be rolling out proof-of-age cards to help cut down on underage drinking. In Herts County, where a reported 40 percent of 16 to 24 year olds don't have a driver's license, the cards can be used to verify age when purchasing age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco. Police prefer that young people carry the proof-of-age ID cards rather than their passports.

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential card (or TWIC) is something we've mentioned a few times in the past. This is the new, high-tech identification card that's slowly being phased into a number of U.S. ports. But this week, ports in New England will be the first to officially require all workers to carry the cards, which act as another layer of protection for areas considered to be vulnerable to terrorism.

Zebra ID card printers will be used by Vail Resorts to produce RFID-enabled ski and snowboard passes for the coming season. They're calling it an "easy-scan" system because the ski passes will provide instant authentication of lift pass holders when they arrive at the slopes. Zebra P330i card printers will print and encode the RFID cards.

Starting next fall, students at Penn State University will no longer have to present paper tickets to watch their beloved Nittany Lions football team take the field. The University is preparing a new program in which ticket information will be stored on student ID cards. The student ID card will actually carry the football ticket, and will be the only way for students to enter the stadium. This allows students to manage their tickets electronically, and makes it less likely that football tickets will be lost, since students usually carry their university ID cards at all times.

There's a new medical ID card program up and running in New Jersey with a very important mission – to save lives. A project of Monmouth County, the medical alert program is especially helpful for individuals with medical conditions such as autism and Asperger's syndrome that make it hard for them to communicate. The ID cards will contain the necessary information for the right medical help to be called upon in the event of an emergency.

Medicaid customers in the state of Kansas will soon receive permanent medical ID cards in place of the paper IDs that were previously issued each month. The new medical ID cards will be durable, made of PVC plastic like your typical credit card, and won't have to replaced.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles is using the State Fair as a way to stress the importance of State ID cards for children. While the department has offered child ID cards in the past, the push has become stronger thanks to a new “ID R KIDS” initiative. A public safety booth at the Ohio State Fair will help to make more parents aware of the program.

Currently, Chinese Customs staff members and officers have paper identification badges. Paper IDs work for some - but for officers who are constantly on the go, keeping China's booming ports safe - they can be a bit of a letdown (to say the least). That's why about 4,400 new smart ID cars were issued to Customs and Excise Department officers this Tuesday.

One of the worst things about going to the hospital, aside from whatever medical condition you're suffering from, is the endless paperwork you have to fill out once you get there. A number of hospitals, including New York's Mount Sai Medical Center are now turning to smart cards as a way to cut down on the paperwork, speed up registration times, maintain more accurate records, and most importantly, quickly identify patients.

The idea of a smoking card might sound like a strange idea, but in Japan, where a whopping 53 percent of the male population smokes, it seems to make perfect sense. Tobacco makers, retailers, and vending machine operators across Japan now require all buyers to use a special smart card when purchasing cigarettes from machines. The card aims to prevent underage buyers - those under the age of 20 - from acquiring cigarettes.

Students and summer youth employees in Washington D.C. will soon receive new SmartTrip One Cards good for travel throughout the entire Metro transit system. Initially, the One Card program was designed to provide District residents with access to certain facilities such as parks and recreation centers, and libraries. Now, with the cards doubling as SmarTrip cards, students will be able to use a single ID to ride the Metro and access their schools and workplaces.

City employees in Abilene, Texas will soon be required to carry ID badges to enter and move through city buildings. Abilene is in the process of setting up a card-based access control system that will secure all city buildings. Phase 1 of the project, which involves issuing employee ID cards, is now underway.

Recent security breaches, including a well-publicized incident involving ID fraud at the O'Hare Airport, have caused Congress, airports, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to push for biometric identification for airport employees nationwide. While airports have issued employee ID badges for years, the focus is now shifting towards biometrics, and the inclusion of fingerprints and iris recognition in all airport worker credentials.

In Singapore, a new ID card program is about to launch that aims to protect those suffering from dementia. The cards will be distributed to dementia patients so that members of the public can contact the patient's family if he or she found lost or wandering around.

The days of simply showing student ID cards to attendants at Middle Tennessee State University's rec center are over. Under a new ID card program aimed at higher security, upwards of 23,000 MTSU students are required to trade in their current ID cards, which simply had magnetic stripes, for new Blue ID Cards, which enable biometric featuers in order to ensure higher security.

In an effort to build multiple functions into a single ID card, the Washington DC city government has unveiled the “One Card.” The photo ID serves as a resident's ID card, while also allowing the holder to access public services at locations such as libraries, pools, and parks. Additionally, the card can function as a student ID, and there are plans to integrate the One Card into the Metro public transportation system. It will also be used as an access card for DC government buildings and programs.

Laundry can be low on the priority list for many college students, with students quoting pressing food and video game issues that supersede clean clothes - but now Drury University students have no excuses for their dirty laundy. New ID card readers on the school's washing machines and dryers in their laundry facilities were recently installed to streamline the laundry payment process.

A Latino community group in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is building a new ID card program in an effort to improve communications with emergency service providers. The cards are not considered official documents, but include each resident's name, photo, birth date, address, and phone number. For those who speak very little English, the cards will also include the phone number of a friend who can help translate for police when Spanish-speaking officers are not available.

The United Arab Emirates is the newest country in a long line of nations to establish a national ID card program. National ID cards help identify citizens and also may guarantee services like healthcare, or serve as a driver's license. The difference with the new UAE national ID card? ATM functionality.

From Missouri to Utah, parents are learning that it never hurts to be too cautious. Last year’s infamous Michael Devlin kidnapping and child abuse case has spurred a resurgence of child identification database and ID card creation in Missouri, where Devlin held Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby captive in his Kirkwood, MO apartment. While Hornbeck and Ownby were fortunate enough to escape with their lives, the abuse they suffered has left parents wondering what they can do to protect their children—or, at the very least, help get them home safely and quickly—from the nightmare of child abduction.

The homeless citizens of Oklahoma City may have more efficient and helpful services in the near future, thanks to an ID card developed by the directory of the city's Homeless Alliance. The ID card program, called the Homeless Management Information System, will store the demographic information of homeless people who commonly use city services.

Aside from being randomly searched, losing your toiletries under the strict no-liquid policy, and having your airline conveniently drop your luggage in say, Kathmandu instead of Kalamazoo, traveling with a pet is one of the more stressful traveling experiences. There's the weight limits, the exact measurements of the traveling crate, making sure that a pet will be safe and comfortable in the cargo hold or cabin, and finally, waiting out the anxiety of a long plane ride.

Students at Sioux City's West High School must now carry ID cards with them at school after administrators got tired of breaking up hallway fights. Assistant principal Jacque Wyant says the ID cards, along with several other security measures, has reduced the number of physical fights on school grounds. But the ID cards aren't just for security. The ID cards work in conjunction with the school's new freshman mentoring program and the transformation of a locker bay that was once a popular spot for altercations into a student lounge for upperclassmen.

When you're a college student living in the dorms, your ID card can quickly become a center of your universe. That simple ID card can serve as the key to your room, the key to your mailbox, your way to check out library books and other materials, and most importantly - your meal ticket. ID card programs for colleges and universities often incorporate payment options into their student ID cards, which can make mealtime easier for everyone - until their ID card is lost or stolen.

Increasing worries over homeland security and protection have spawned many debates about preventative measures. The upcoming presidential election and current events have made us familiar with some of the most popular ones - airline security measures like liquids bans and a fence along the US-Mexico border, for instance. But, Indiana representative Mark Souder says that one of the most important security measures the United States can have is the ability to track and record biometric information - not just for visitors into the country, but for normal ID cards like drivers licenses, and that security of our ID cards is intrinsically linked to the security of the country.

Those little rewards cards are everywhere - grocery stores and membership clubs pass them out and customers use them to get discounts and special deals when buying groceries and other everyday households.

India's ESI (Employee State Insurance) Corporation has announced that it will soon be issuing smart cards to provide employees with health and medical benefits, among others, to employees who fall under the care of ESI. Currently, the ESI oversees the care of about 9 million employees and 30 million beneficiaries all across India.

Employee ID cards have become a fact of life for many workers - a permanent addition to work clothes or a uniform, ID badges help identify employees to customers, clients, and in larger offices, fellow employees. Multi-purpose ID cards with magnetic stripes or smart card functionality can also be used for access control, building security, parking, time and attendance, even meals in company cafeterias. ID badges are one of the cheapest and most effective forms of security for any business or organization - but widespread implementation has been a bit more difficult, due to the necessary development of a good ID card policy.

Autism, a developmental disorder that affects a certain spectrum of brain operation, is a widespread condition that affects many people around the world. Cases of autism vary widely from person to person, and interaction with an Autistic person can sometimes be rough. The Welsh town of Gwent has an autistic population of over 2,000; people who work and have families like everyone else. In order to improve communication and reduce risk for conflict, Gwent has introduced an ID card program for Autistic people that encourages communication during times of emergency (such as hospital stays) and alerts caretakers, law enforcement officers, and first responders to any issues they must be aware of when dealing with an autistic person.