Discount cards are becoming very popular among groups and organizations for fundraising. They are a great way to include local businesses and raise money for your cause while offering something that will continue to benefit the community as well.

Creating a discount program can seem overwhelming, but don't worry, I am here to help guide you! Here are five simple tips to help you put together a successful discount program.

1) Get a Plan

You will want to come up with a plan of action from the beginning to stay organized and to ensure that all parties involved know what is happening. Here are some questions that you should consider asking yourself before you get started:

• What is your budget for the project?
• How much will you sell the cards for?
• How many businesses will you include in the card?
• Do the businesses need to pay to participate?
• When do you want to have the cards arrive by?
• Who is going to sell them?
• When will the discount card expire?

After you answer all of these questions, create a form including the necessary information to supply to vendors. You can also include spaces for them to fill out information on their offer and contact details.

2) Contact Local Businesses

It's essential to try to prep before speaking with potential vendor partners. This will help make the conversation as simple and easy as possible. The vendors will know what to expect, and the collection of information will be effortless.

As mentioned above, some organizations have the companies pay a fee to advertise on the card. It's a win-win situation! They get more business from people using your card, and you have a new way to subsidize the program, so the price per card that you are selling can be more cost-effective.

Once you figure out the logistics of your program, it's time for you to reach out to local businesses. I have compiled a list of potential questions that you include in a list of questions:

• Do they want to offer a discount or a free item?
• Will they honor the offer multiple times within the lifespan of the card? (If they would like to offer the item only once they can either use a hole punch or a marker to cross the promo off.)
• Will they provide a logo for the card?
• Will they hand out any cards as part of the promotion?
• Do they have space for a sign stating that they are a participating vendor?

3) Send in Artwork and Discounts

While you are working with your businesses, create a folder in your email. This folder will be for you to save all of the artwork that you receive from your vendors. It will help save you a lot of time collecting files to send in. Besides the artwork, there is quite a bit of information that you will need to gather.

The information needed to print your cards:

• Name or logo of your group/organization.
• If you have specific colors, please supply PMS colors, if possible.
• Expiration date.
• List of offers from merchants that have supplied one.
• Terms and conditions that you are putting on your cards.
• Card quantity.
• Type of card (standard white, clear, key tag, combo card, etc.)

The best way to provide this information is to create a document with the offers. Then, create a zipped file, including your logos and artwork. Finally, you can send this zipped file to your representative via email or via WeTransfer.com.

4) Finalize your Card Order

This step is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Verify all information (photos, logos, text, offers) on your digital proof.
2. Make changes (if needed).
3. Approve the design and wait for your shipment to arrive.

5) Start Selling and Take Notes

Make sure to take notes on what worked and what changes you would like to make for the next year. Here is a list of some questions that you could ask yourself:

• Did you order enough cards?
• Did you charge enough per card to meet/exceed your goal?
• Do you want to make more?
• Were there enough vendors?
• Were there too many vendors?
• Did people enjoy the offers listed?
• What additional offers can you list?

Now that you have the basics of setting up your discount card program it is time to speak with one of our amazing representatives that will help you get the ball rolling. If you need design ideas, view our Plastic Discount Card sample gallery here.