How to Add a Barcode to a Loyalty Card
Barcodes on loyalty cards sound technical. They are not. The barcode is just a machine-readable version of a number — usually a customer ID or card number. Your POS system, loyalty app, or scanner reads the barcode and looks up that number in your database to identify the customer and update their points or rewards.
The barcode itself does not store loyalty points. It just stores an ID. Your software does the rest.
Step 1 — Decide your numbering scheme
Before you design anything, decide what number format your loyalty system expects. Common options:
- Sequential numbers (e.g. 0001 to 1000 for your first batch)
- EAN-13 formatted numbers (13 digits, includes a check digit)
- Your own proprietary format matching your POS or app
Step 2 — Choose your barcode symbology
The most common barcode types used on loyalty cards in the UK:
Code 39: capital letters and numbers, and the default on most of the cards we supply. It takes more room than Code 128, so it suits a shorter number.
Code 128: letters, numbers and symbols, and more compact, so it suits a longer number. Use it if your till or software asks for it.
EAN-13: the standard retail barcode format, 13 numeric digits. Required if your system expects EAN.
ITF-14: numeric only, often used in warehousing. Less common for loyalty cards.
Interleaved 2 of 5: numeric only, compact. Used in some specific retail environments.
Step 3 — Generate the barcodes
If you need one barcode (same number on every card): generate it in Adobe Illustrator using a barcode plugin (Barcode Producer, ID Automation), or use an online generator like barcode.tec-it.com. Export as vector (SVG or EPS) and place in your artwork.
If every card needs a unique barcode (variable data printing): you need to supply a data file — usually a CSV with one number per row — and the printer will use variable data printing (VDP) to apply a unique barcode to each card. Not all card printers offer VDP; confirm before you order.
Do not generate barcodes as low-resolution images. Barcode scanners need sharp, high-contrast lines. Always use vector barcodes or raster at 600 dpi minimum.
Step 4 — Sizing and quiet zones
Barcodes need clear space around them — the quiet zone — to scan reliably. Do not place text, images, or design elements right up to the barcode edge.
Minimum bar height on a loyalty card: around 8-10mm. Width depends on the data length. Test scan your artwork proof before approving the full print run. On a 54 x 29mm key tag the room is tighter: our guide to designing a key tag shows how much barcode fits.
Step 5 — Test before you print
Get a printed proof and scan it with the actual scanner or app your customers will use. Do not assume it will work. Barcode scanning failures on finished cards are expensive and embarrassing. Test the proof, confirm it scans correctly, then approve the run.
Ready to order?
We print loyalty cards with barcodes — static or variable data — manufactured in England with free delivery within Great Britain. Confirm your barcode format and number range with your loyalty system supplier first, then get in touch or get a quote and we will take it from there.
View our loyalty card printing options