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How To Organize Gift Cards & Loyalty Cards & Keep Track Of Balances

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Below I've compiled tips from readers about how to store and organize gift cards and loyalty cards, and to keep track of the balances left on them.


Here was the reader question which sparked this whole discussion:

Reader Question:

How do you organize your gift cards to keep track of them? I tend to either completely misplace them and therefore never use the money on them, or use some of it and then can't easily tell how much is left on the card without going through the process of calling the number on the back to get a balance? I would love some tips to make this easier and not be literally leaving money on the table.

Only Make This As Complicated As Necessary For It To Work

One idea for organizing loyalty cards is to punch a hole in the corner of them and add them to their own keyring {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}
The discussion below is mainly geared to those of you who have lots of gift cards for use.

In addition, after some discussion I realized that loyalty cards are also an issue for many people, so I added tips about these cards as well since they can be organized in a similar way.

Some people just don't like gift cards or loyalty cards though, or don't get many of them so it really isn't too hard to keep track of them.

However, the more cards you've got, such as after a holiday or birthday, the more you need an organizational method to keep track of all of them.

Remember That Gift Cards Are Like Cash: If Stolen They're Gone

The final thing to consider when deciding how you want to store and organize these cards is that they're basically the equivalent of cash.

Would you keep hundreds of dollars in cash in your wallet or purse at all times? If you feel comfortable with that, OK.

If, however, you're more like me and wouldn't like to carry around that much cash all the time then really the same thing should apply to the cards as well, which is why, in my list of items not to keep in your wallet, I list excess gift cards.

Here's a quick story from Amie to illustrate this:

Amie said: "I used to keep them neatly in a small zipper pouch in my purse. It was handy and well organized...until my purse was stolen and I lost over $500 in various gift cards! I now keep them in a small box in my desk drawer and only take them when I know I will use them...not as convenient but I learned my lesson...!"

Below I've shared tips and ideas for keeping track of these cards, as well as knowing how much money the card contains at any given time.

Lots of ideas and tips for how to organize gift cards and loyalty cards, whether you've got a few or a lot of these cards {on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Top photo courtesy of of a reader, Maureen, second photo from Helen

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Use A Credit Card Or Business Card Holder For Organizing Them

Card Cubby organizer, for holding gift cards and loyalty cards in your wallet in a mini-file {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}Card Cubby Alphabetized Mini Card File Wallet
{Click here to purchase on Amazon}

Many people shared that they used either a credit card or business card holder to hold all their gift cards in one location.

For example, a reader, Cindy, suggested the Card Cubby shown above, saying, "I found this nice holder called a Card cubby. It has alphabetical dividers so you can alphabetize the cards and there is room to wrap the receipt around the cards and put them in."

Many of these holders are small, and can be put right in your purse, but using them instead of keeping them in your wallet keeps your wallet less cluttered.

Another example is from another reader, Dee Dee, who shared the photo below, saying, "I use the Brighton Twister Photo Album for my credit cards, a separate one in a different color for insurance cards and loyalty/gift cards. Compact to fit in even the smallest of purses but still easy to put your hands on when you need them. I also use another one at home for business cards for companies I use (furnace repair and other maintenance companies, banks, etc.)"

Dee Dee uses the Brighton Twister photo album not for photos, but to organize gift and loyalty cards in her purse {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}


However, if you've got more than about 5-7 cards I would suggest a bigger business card holder that has flippable pages. There are huge ones that are binder size, but those are very difficult to carry around with you, so I don't recommend them for this purpose, unless you plan to keep them at home.

Instead, I would suggest the sleeker thinner versions of business card organizers that hold up to typically 70-90 cards (although I seriously doubt you'd have that many gift card), and which can still be stowed in your purse (well, a big enough purse) to take with you into the store.

Here are some available holders:



BUT, if you want to keep your cards organized, and leave them at home, a larger binder will work quite well. Here's an example from a reader, Jen, who had all these cards in a jumbled mess, originally, in her junk drawer. She said, "Here is the after of the junk drawer. This is where we used to store all membership cards, gift cards, store return credit cards, etc. I bought business card holders for our family binder three ring notebook and put them in there. I found about $400 worth of gift cards and store credit."

Organize gift cards and membership cards using business card holder for a three ring binder {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}


You can purchase binder pages similar to Jen's here:

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Put All Gift Cards On Key Ring To Keep Them Together

Here's another idea for keeping all of these cards together -- punch a hole in the corner of each one and put on a key ring.

Obviously, don't put all these cards on your main key chain, or you will weigh down and make cumbersome something you use all the time.

However, key rings are quite inexpensive (see some for sale to the right) so just grab one just for these gift cards.

If you've got a lot of store loyalty cards you might want to consider yet another ring for those as well!

One reader, Amanda, said, "I prefer the hole punched on a key ring method. They are easily accessible, and easy to flip through. Less likely to forget what I have also that way."

Are They Easy Enough To Remove This Way?

I've gotten the question of whether this method allows you to remove the cards easily enough.

First, this would work really well for rechargeable cards that you're going to use over and over, and many don't find it to be too much of a hassle.

However, if you are concerned about using a regular key chain for this reason here's another idea from a reader: "I use a ring that is often used to hang a towel on a golf bag. I've also heard the called shower curtain rings. Or if you're in Texas - it's the rings the coupons are hanging on at HEB. These rings are easier to get hole punched cards on than the key rings."

Another idea is to just use a easier to open and close key ring.

A really popular one is called the Lucky Line Key Ring, and you can see it to the left. It screws open and closed so it might work better for this purpose.


You can use this keyring idea for other types of cards as well, such as membership cards, or full size loyalty cards. Here's an example shown by a reader, Santiago.

organize loyalty and membership cards on keyring


Top photo courtesy of youthfulhomemaker

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Use An Index Card Holder With Alphabetical Divider Tabs

For those who do not want to carry all their cards around with them, but instead wish to keep them at home, a common suggestion was to use an index card holder to organize them.

For example, Teresa said, "I use an index card box with alphabetical dividers. File them that way."

Similarly, maddashin said, "My favorite tool for organizing cards is the card caddy. It is large, has an alphabetic index and tons of cards can fit into it. I don't carry around tons of cards because it takes room in my purse but i love it."

Here are supplies you could use (note to make sure to get dividers that fit your holder, the common sizes are 3x5 and 4x6).



Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

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Tips For Organizing Loyalty Cards & Avoiding Keyring Overload

Originally the question from a reader was about organizing gift cards, but I've quickly found out that many people also need help organizing their loyalty cards, and membership cards.

Many of the same ideas that we've been discussing in this article that apply to gift card organization apply to loyalty cards as well, but the main difference is that loyalty cards are more long term.

Often the companies that provide them want the cards to be handy, so they provide both a regular sized card which you can place in a wallet, but also a smaller keychain sized card which they hope you'll just add right to your keychain.

So, that's what most people do to organize their loyalty cards, and honestly, it works pretty well. The picture above, for example, is from a reader, Miranda.

Similarly, here's another example from another reader, Felisha, who also uses a keychain to organize her cards.

organize loyalty cards on your key ring


The issue with loyalty cards and keeping them organized really occurs when we accumulate too many of them.

This is a common problem, because just about every company these days tries to give you one of these cards. Here's what happened to a reader, Erin, who ended up taking many of these cards. She explained, when showing the picture below, "My 'giant pile of crap' has gotten so bad that my husband won't use/carry it with him. I have cards from 4 different states and I rarely use more than 5 cards...it lives at the bottom of my purse."

the danger of loyalty cards is accumulating too many of them


declutter key ring mission
Does this sound familiar? If so, the answer is to get rid of the vast majority of them. If you don't want to completely get rid of them then at least get most of them off your keychain and instead organize them in one of the manners I've suggested above for gift cards. It will work for loyalty cards as well. But you don't need to have all those cards on your keychain!

Instead, your criteria for which ones can stay on your keychain is that you need to use it, in my opinion, at least once a week, perhaps even several times a week. Otherwise, you don't need to fiddle with them every single time you pull out your keys.

Make sure to take the declutter key ring mission if you're struggling with too much on your key ring! Click the link for more tips and instructions. You'll thank yourself every single day when you're not dealing with such a cluttered key ring!

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Ditch The Card & Add To An Electronic Account When Possible

Several readers also suggested getting rid of the actual cards when possible, and just adding them electronically to an account when that is possible.

That means you can't lose them, which is always a good thing, although you might also forget they exist -- so you just have to weigh the pros and cons of this method.

Gretchen said: "I add mine to electronic accounts whenever possible. For example Starbucks cards can be added to my phone app and then my phone is scanned for purchases.

Also Barnes & Noble will allow me to add their gift cards to my online account as well (maximum of three at a time). Because I'm a teacher, these are the majority of gift cards that I get."

Similarly, Laurie said, "Did you know that for Amazon gift cards you can put the credit on your account for future purchases? I like to do this ASAP so I don't misplace the cards."

Several Apps Also Available For Electronically Organizing Loyalty Cards & Gift Cards

Similarly, several readers have mentioned apps that can organize these cards for you.

I have not personally tried these, so I'm not endorsing them, just passing along information from other readers who suggested them. I would love to hear more detailed thoughts about these apps though, so if you've used one please share your app review here and I'll add it to the site.

The first one was mentioned by a reader, Donna, who provided the screen shot above of the app she uses, CardStar. She said, "iPhone for me. Sometimes it won't scan and then they have to punch numbers in. All in all though, I like it on the phone."

Another app mentioned for gift cards is called Gyft. A reader explained, "Gyft allows you to put all your GYFT cards on your phone and then you always have them with you!"

Finally, two readers mentioned the KeyRing app. One reader stated, "There is an app called Key Ring. Take a photo of each loyalty card. Stores on phone. Clerk scans. What could be easier?"

Further, Janice M. said, "For all those shoppers rewards card my sister turned me onto a free APP called Key Ring. So far it has worked great."

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How To Keep Track Of Gift Card Balances Easily

Gift cards have real money on them, but often we don't use all of it at once.

No one can deny, however, that it is a big pain in the rear end to have to call the number on the back of the card to find out the current balance of it.

So, after you partially use a card, but haven't quite finished it up yet, don't just slip it back into your wallet or other organizer right away.

Take just a moment and add some information to the card so you can easily know how much money you have left.

There were two popular ways readers did this, each with their pros and cons, which I'll discuss below.

Write Balance On Card With Sharpie:

The most popular answer, by far, for keeping track of the balances for these cards was just to write it on the back of the card with a sharpie or permanent marker that you carry in your purse.

In fact, my mother does this. It works really well. She suggests the thin markers, for ease of writing more legibly in a small space.

Eventually the sharpie ink can wear off if you've got the cards in a place with lots of area for them to rub on something, but it would have to stay in your purse for a long time for that to happen. At least in my house we use our gift cards faster than that.

Can Also Keep Track Of Whose Card It Is This Way

Also, a reader, Anne Marie pointed out that you can also use a sharpie to keep track of whose gift card it is in your house. For example, I've got three kids and they might all get a Target card for a birthday present. I need to then keep track of both the balance but also which child has how much on their card.

Anne Marie suggested, "I have 5 kids and myself to keep track of so I have a school box, and sharpie to keep them organized. Names and amounts."

Wrap The Receipt Around The Card:

If, however, you don't want to carry around a sharpie (and I get why if you're the mother of small children like I am and don't want to risk a disastrous coloring session) there are other options as well.

Currently, I personally wrap the receipt from the previous purchase around the card. The receipt, at the bottom, typically says the current balance and you can reference that.

Just remember that with age many of the inks on these receipts fade.

In addition, if you're using a business or credit card holder for organizing your gift cards, these receipts wrapped around them can make it difficult to place the cards in the organizer.

Do You Have Ideas Or Pictures To Share?

organize coupons challenge
Basically, I think that about covers the ways to organize your gift cards.

However, I'm always pleasantly surprised how creative people can be in how they get things done, so if you've got another tip or a picture of your system to share I'd love to see it.

You can share your tips and pictures here and I'll add the best ones to the page.

Further, if this has inspired you to get more organized in your life I'd love it if you'd join the 52 Week Organized Home Challenge.

We tackle gift card organization as part of the organize coupons challenge.

Want To Do More Decluttering Missions? Get Started With Declutter 365 Today!

Declutter 365 missions: 15 minute missions for your entire home

Once you declutter one type of item in your home I bet you'll want to declutter some more. After all, decluttering gives you a great reward for even a small investment of time and energy.

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I've done the hard work of breaking down these tasks into smaller more manageable steps for you, so you don't get overwhelmed or worry you're forgetting a task, and you can go at the pace you want, whether that's fast or slow.

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Lots of ideas and tips for how to organize gift cards and loyalty cards, whether you've got a few or a lot of these cards {on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Top photo courtesy of wazimu0

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Related Pages You May Enjoy

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Comments for How To Keep Track Of Gift Card Balances Easily

Click here to add your own comments

post it notes for balances
by: Diane

I keep them in my purse in a credit card wallet with a small sticky note on each one and change the amount on the sticky note when I use any of the money off a card.

old coin purse
by: Dixie

My wallet only holds the bare necessities, so I also carry an old coin purse that I use for gift cards and store loyalty cards. And I always write the balance on the gift cards with a sharpie.

just keep in wallet
by: Shannon

I only usually have a few so I keep them in my wallet and write the balance on them with a Sharpie.

keep together with hair tie
by: Michelle M.

I write the balances in permanent marker on the card and keep them together in my purse with a hair tie around them. That way I always have all of them and they don't crowd my wallet.

accordion file in car
by: Beth

I keep them in an accordion file in my car, otherwise I'm likely to forget them when I want them. Also balance goes right on with Sharpie-the last thing I need is more receipts around!

keep in my car
by: Laurie

I keep the more likely to be used cards in a pocket folder in my car. My hubs is always telling me not to leave them there. But the cards that are less likely to be used I keep in a file folder in my file box in the office.

what I do with small balances
by: Katy

If there is a small balance for a store I rarely use? Hand card to next person in register line. I don't want to carry around .50 for two years -I don't want to waste it either. And I can make someone's day!

small balances
by: Katy

I love the suggestion that if the balance is small (especially for a store far from home or rarely shopped at) to pass the card on to the next person in line. Will make their day AND I won't carry around 68 cents for two years before realizing it expired.

photo box
by: Nancy

I bought a photo box at Michaels!

reminder on phone
by: Jane

I set up reminder on my phone so that when I enter location phone dings & says remember Gift Card! Works really well, especially for the restaurants and places I don't go to often.

use colored circle stickers for tracking balances
by: Anonymous

I write the balance on a colored circle sticker like people use to price items at a garage sale. I can cross it out and write a new amount when I use the gift card.

My way to track the balance
by: Nancala

I write the balance on the back, in pencil, on a piece of blank address label sticker. Just big enough to show the info I need. After I use the card, I erase and write the new balance. This works great with gift card balances, reward point balances (ex: Subway) and I even use it for my NYC MetroCard (subway and bus fare card). When you have 2 or more, it's impossible to tell which is which! Well, I can now. :)

Jane's reminder on phone is CLEVER
by: Karen F

I think JANE's reminder on phone is especially clever.

my suggestions for organizing
by: J Gray

Keep cards in the the card /photo section(s) of a 2nd wallet you can grab if you're going out. Keep the balance handy- but not with the card - by saving the last receipt of use. A page, or small notebook with the balance(s), maybe kept in the back of your auto service notebook.

$5 or less
by: Jackie

I can't speak for other states, but it’s worth noting that Washington State's gift card law allows you to cash out when the balance drops to $5 or less.

sticky notes for recording balances
by: Anonymous

My mother and I use small sticky notes attached to the card to record the available balance. You can write and cross out and they stick well. You can also use a small piece of tape to adhere the non-sticky side.

how I finally organized my gift cards
by: Anonymous

I punched a hole in each gift card and put it on a binder ring. The ring then goes into the zippered part of my purse so that I can access the cards as necessary. I made sure that I didn't punch a hole in any part of the magnetic strip or the numbers on the card.

keyring trick good for many types of cards
by: Christina

My dad misplaced his driver's license a few years ago (left it in his winter jacket - in Tennessee - then went back to Wisconsin for the summer!) and had quite the hassle trying to figure out where it was and getting it replaced. His solution was to punch a hole in the corner of his license and put it on his key ring. This has the added benefit of making sure that he's never caught driving without his driver's license!

We need a tutorial!
by: Curious

Jane - how did you program your phone to notify you when you entered a certain store that you had a gift card for that store??? Thanks.

where I keep my loyalty cards
by: Sally

I keep my loyalty cards on keyring attached to the ring on the outside of my purse. They are in Alphabetical order.

Jane is brilliant!
by: Karin

My husband uses Siri to remind him to do things when he arrives home, so I asked him for help on implementing Jane's idea. There are multiple ways to do it. If a place is in your contacts already, Siri is the fastest and easiest. Hold the HOME button and ask Siri, "Please remind me to use my gift card when I arrive at ______." Siri will create it and ask you to confirm it.

If a place is not already in your contacts, I found it easier to open the Reminder app (built-in) and type in the reminder myself. There is an option for when to remind you. Location is an option! Turn it on and it'll take you to the Maps app (built-in).

Love the location idea!
by: Samantha-Anne

I found this to help set up a location reminder: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/set-location-alerts-iphone-reminders/

I will definitely use this on my iPhone. I'm going to see if I can ask Siri to set it up too. But it's 3:30am and I don't want to wake up my husband so I'll try it later this morning. lol

I use KeyRing to keep track of all cards in my wallet including loyalty cards, health insurance cards, library card, etc. For the important cards it is just a copy in case I lose the original. For the other cards, like loyalty cards or any that I get a little tab card for, I put the card in KeyRing and then shred the tab card. I have found that some cards are just easier to use with the actual card than to use KeyRing so I keep the card. I also use KeyRing to keep business cards organized and so I can toss the business card.

Location alert works in Reminders app
by: Samantha-Anne

I did check to see if the Location alert works in the Reminders app on my iPhone and it does. I have an iPhone 5c with IOS 8.3. I also checked to see if I could use Siri to set up a location alert and I can. Woot! I can see this being very helpful. Thanks!

phone reminder
by: Debi

I was wondering the same thing about phone reminder. There's probably an app for that.

iPhone app Stocard
by: Anonymous

Stocard is an app that stores most of my card right on my iPhone. Saves a lot of room in my wallet :)

Question for Jane
by: Anonymous

What App gives you reminders when you enter a locations? and how do you enable it? I'm pretty excited to find out. Thank you Jane.

Skip the sharpie, get a wet erase!
by: Raven

I only ever have four or five on me, so they sit all together on one side of my zip wallet. I tend to transfer cards I get onto the one I use the most so that I don't have a dozen cards for each location. Then I keep an expo wet erase marker in my bag. It lets me write the balance, but unlike sharpie, I can wipe it off with a damp paper towel. It's how I track the cards I use often, like my Target card, which is the only way I spend money there since Target is the devil and you walk in for deodorant and walk out with $400 worth of stuff and no deodorant.

Android and IOS apps
by: Anonymous

I use an app called Key Ring. It allows me to scan in my rewards cards and have them all available with me on my phone. Much easier than carrying a slew of cards.

just tell you phone number instead
by: Pam

I have found that most all of the cards that you carry from stores will have your phone number attached to the card. I don't carry the cards, I just give my phone number and it will bring my discount member card number up for the cashier and I do not have to carry all those cards.

electronic accounts
by: Jamie Winter

Another app is called 'Looppay", it organizes credit cards, gift and loyalty cards.

Love Card Star
by: Dawn

I love Card Star. I rarely go anywhere with out my phone so having Card Star on there has helped a lot and it sometimes will recognize that I am in that store/restaurant and it will be listed first so I don't have to go searching through the whole list.

Key Ring App
by: Anonymous

I found the key ring app several months ago and have been using it regularly. It scans beautifully and I no longer have to keep up with my loyalty cards on my real key ring. I love it.

I don't carry most loyalty cards
by: Ruth

Most of the loyalty cards I have are linked to my phone number. Usually, when I'm asked for my loyalty card, I give my phone number, and it's the same as producing the card, without carrying or flipping through all those cards. I also have an app on my phone to store my loyalty cards - their bar codes can be scanned from the app, too. It's called keyring.

just give the business your phone number and stop carrying the cards
by: Anonymous

You do not need to carry all those loyalty cards around if you are registered with the business when you are ready to check out give your phone number and it works the same as having the card because the card is under your phone number.

Phone app
by: Allsirius1

The app Stocard works well. Enter card info on the app. All cards available when you have your phone with you. Life changing for me!

What about taking a picture of them?
by: Anonymous

Couldn't you just take a pick of the loyalty cards and note the phone number or whatever authentication they ask for at the time of issue? Then you would have them on your phone.

mobile app pocketzee
by: Meg

I used to carry around all the gift cards, loyalty cards all the time until a co-worker recommended this app called pocketzee. It really saves my day of shopping, that I store gift cards, loyalty and even coupons, along with barcode and photos.

Pocketzee app
by: Melinda

I have been using Pocketzee for couple of months and I love the way the app arranges and organizes the coupons and cards merchant-wise. It also gives you other features like hot deals, etc. Useful to me.

loyalty key ring
by: Anonymous

I actually have a separate keyring that i keep my loyalty cards on and carry with me. Not that heavy and not a lot of space taken up. I had cards that faded when carried on key ring that was used in an auto.

Use a sharpie
by: KK

My method has always been to wrap the receipt around the card until I clean out my wallet, then I add the amount to the card using a Sharpie. The best thing happened the other day when I used a gift card at Marshalls. The store clerk wrote the remaining balance on my card FOR ME with a Sharpie! All on her own accord! I was quite impressed and thankful.

Use post it notes
by: Debbie

Post It brand has "super sticky" post it note. I'll write the balance of the card over the sticky area and then cut it out and put it on the front of the card. I can either write over it, or put another tiny sticker on the card if there is still a balance.

Use an app
by: Anonymous

I have been putting all of my loyalty cards on an app on my smart phone. It generates a barcode that can be scanned at stores along with storing a photo of the front and back. I hate carrying around a lot of extra stuff in my wallet or my keys and this works wonderfully. It is also great for storing cards you don't use often (grocery store near my in-laws' home in another state for example). I've been using this for years and have never had a store not accept my electronic card. The app I use is called key ring but there are other apps available.

Key to phone number
by: Angie D.

Even when my loyalty cards are organized and with me, it's still a hassle to pull them out when I'm trying to place items on a conveyor belt, watch the screen, and then pay. I love that most loyalty cards allow you to connect a phone number. Of course, there are drawbacks to allowing companies to have your phone number (as in unsolicited telemarketing) but it makes it easy for my Husband and Son to simply enter one designated phone number when they check out. We can all use the same accounts and rack up even more points. This works at nearly every store we shop, and they also get the lowest price and any coupons I've digitally stored on the cards. You can delegate some of your shopping!

Weight on key ring
by: Anonymous

Be careful to not add too much weight to your key ring. We have had ignition problems because of that.

Check bank card balances
by: Anonymous

Check bank cards for their policies. I recently lost the $95.00 off a Visa gift card. They deducted $5.00 a month because I wasn't using it. Luckily the credit union it was purchased from helped me out with it. I thought I was ok because I had never activated it, but that didn't make any difference.

Hole in driver's license
by: Dee

Great ideas, but check out rules in your state before punching a hole in your drive's license to put on a key ring. In North Carolina the hole makes the license invalid, even though no info was punched out. It works great for gift cards though.

Use phone number
by: Becca

I have my loyalty cards all associated with my cell phone number, that way I no longer have to carry any of those cards on a ring. Some stores call this an alternate ID for their loyalty program.

Use app
by: Melissa

I use an app for all of my loyalty cards. It's called Key Ring. You can even take pictures of the front and backs of the cards. You can share cards with other members too. So I share all of my cards with my husband. Once we get one, I put it in and share it with him. It's magic! I started getting rid of some of our cards that we use less frequently but I keep our main stores.

App makes it esay
by: Kristina

I have an Apple Iphone and have downloaded the app called CardStar. With this app I was able to download each and everyone of my loyalty cards. When I'm at the store I just pull the app up on my phone and click on the store and then the store scans my phone and I'm good to go without carrying all those cards. Genius!

I use an app too
by: Pam

I use an app that stores them and I no longer have to carry them or have them make my keys bulky. I use key ring. As far as the gift cards, I keep them at my mail station and take them out when I'm heading to that specific store.

Variation
by: Ginger Grapefruit

I keep loyalty cards on a keyring, attached to one silver loop of a foldover black clip, also known as a cow clip or banker's clip. I have hand sanitizer in a small plastic container that has a built-in molded open area at the bottom, which I also thread onto a second key ring. I attach this key ring to the silver loop of the banker's clip.

I can then clip the entire works anywhere I wish in the purse, but usually choose the far top end of the zippered middle compartment for easy access.

Key Ring App
by: Vicki

I've used the app "KEY RING" for a few years now and i love it! I had so many cards that it was getting a little hard to handle. I now scan in loyalty cards, library cards (for me and my daughter), hotel reward club cards, Insurance cards (to have the info quickly if I need to fill paperwork out), and some ID cards that I don't carry with me unless I need them like the Library of Congress or National Archives.

If your library has a scanner, the app may not work to scan but you can still go to the check-out desk to use your number.

One great bonus to using the app is that some of the stores like A.C. Moore have a coupon attached when you bring up the card.

I use this app almost every day and it's free!

Emailed coupons
by: Chantel

My biggest problem is keeping track of coupons or gift cards that I receive by email. Does anyone have a suggestion for how to keep track of those?

Samsung Pay App
by: Almost retired

Besides using the Samsung Pay app for purchases with charge or debit cards, gift cards can be entered and used from the app. I have been using the Key Ring app for loyalty cards for years, but discovered that those cards, too, can be added to the Samsung Pay app. I love the Pay app because it is convenient to just carry my phone into a store, and because I earn points toward Visa gift cards each time I make a purchase. I think the most fun part of using the app, though, is that young people running the cash registers are amazed that it works, and impressed that a not-so-young person showed them something new!

where I keep my cards
by: Chris

I keep my gym membership card as well as my loyalty cards on a key ring and locate it in my glove box. My gift cards are in an old wallet that I keep in my car door. This works for us. If we decide at the last minute to go some place where I have a gift card, I always have it. I keep a sharpie in the car and always write the balance on the card.

Stocard app
by: Nancy

There are multiple apps for your phone to put loyalty cards on. I use"Stocard". Makes it unnecessary to carry the cards. Also, vendors are glad to look it up by using your phone number.

Key Ring app
by: Tracy

There is an app called Key Ring that you can take a photo of your loyalty card and it organizes on the skin your phone when you go to check out works well.

Stocard App
by: Andrea

I love having all my cards accessible to me through my iPhone app "Stocard." It's free, keeps the most-used loyalty cards at the top, is searchable and lists them alphabetically. Also, it has pictures of the cards to make it super easy to find the one you're looking for. With upgrades to store scanners I haven't had one not scan in a long time. Since I always have my phone with me I always have all my loyalty cards, without the extra weight or for digging through my wallet.

Also, this is something my husband can be on board with.

Loyalty Cards App!
by: Anonymous

Regarding loyalty cards: use the Keyring app. It’s free and keeps all your cards in one place. No more cards!! Also, you can often just give/key in your phone number at stores.

give them your phone number!
by: Anonymous

You don’t even need the card for most businesses. You can give them your phone number, so I only carry library key chain card. All the rest can stay home.

I file the cards, and use my phone number at the store
by: Debbi

I don't carry any loyalty cards in my wallet. Your phone number is affiliated with your card and you can just punch it in at the register. I keep the actual cards in alphabetical order in a file folder in my file cabinet.

App for loyalty cards
by: Susan

I, too, was victim to holding too many loyalty cards. My phone is android, I searched play store and found an awesome FREE app to manage my cards.

The app has a blue background, and looks like a key ring with loyalty cards on it.

The have preset stores, and the ability to add a card for a location not listed.

No worries about needing ability to scan it, you have the ability to take a photo of the front/back of the card, allowing you to scan at your favorite place.

I have been using it for years, never once had a problem. No limit to amount t of cards you can add, edit, delete, etc.
Trimmed my wallet items down to bare minimum.I suggest you try it!

Keep in old wallet
by: Amy

I keep mine in an old wallet that has tons of places for cards/pics. I sort them by eating out, activities, home, and hobby. I may or may not keep the balance on them. I just pull out where I’m going and find out at check out. I don’t buy to use the card. I use the card to buy what I want or need. That means I have many at one time, but they stay available at home. We routinely look through the eating out cards when we’re thinking about a meal out each week.

Key Ring App
by: Martha B.

I don't carry physical loyalty cards anymore. I use an app called KeyRing to do that for me. With the app, you scan the front and back of the card. A digital image is stored by the app that displays the bar code of the card--which can be scanned by the store. You also have access to the original scanned images of the front and back of the card. All cards are sorted alphabetically. So when I go to the store, I open the app, look for the card and I can instantly scan my loyalty card. I've used the app for years and I'm very pleased with it.

loyalty card organizing tip
by: Anonymous

I use the app called "Key Ring" on my phone. All I have to do is scan each card (front and back) and it will save to the app. When you're in the store just choose the card you need on the app and they can scan it right from your phone. It has saved me a lot of space in my wallet.

loyalty card app
by: Anonymous

I used to keep them in my wallet but then transferred them all to an app on my phone. Very easy to do, I always have them with me, and my wallet is so much lighter!

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