ADA switches to digital membership ID cards in 2020

Come 2020, the ADA is making its membership cards available online and will no longer mail physical cards in an effort to improve convenience, according to the Association.

Members can still print their card. However, the cards will now be accessible via smartphones and other digital devices anytime, anywhere. In addition, ADA members will continue to receive their ADA membership window decal through the mail.

MEMBERS: Log into ADA.org/MyADA to choose to print your own cards at home or save it to your smartphone’s virtual wallet.

“It adds a new level of convenience,” said Dr. Karin Irani, ADA Council on Membership chair. “We all have our phones within arm’s reach, and now you can easily add your membership card directly to your Google or Apple wallets. It’s always available.”

Member cards are often used to verify a dentist’s ADA member number at state and local society events, to register for continuing education, receive discounts on purchases from the ADA Store and access other ADA member benefits.

In the past, Dr. Irani said, she had taken a picture of her paper membership card so she could have it available on the phone.

“This makes life so much easier,” she said. “Why not save some trees while we are modernizing our organization.”

The transition to electronic membership cards technically starts following the ADA FDI World Dental Congress in San Francisco, as members can start renewing their memberships for 2020 after the House of Delegates closes.

According to the Association, benefits of switching to eCards include allowing members to access their card anytime and anywhere; digital cards can’t be lost or stolen; and reducing waste by not printing physical cards.

“It’s one less card to carry,” said Dr. Patsy Fujimoto, a member dentist from Hawaii, adding that the ability to add the card in the “wallet” feature in her phone makes access convenient. “This will make it so much easier for anyone who needs to access the membership-only sections of the ADA website.”

Members will be able to access their eCards in their MyADA profile on ADA.org. By logging into ADA.org/MyADA, members can choose to print their own cards at home or save it to their smartphone’s virtual wallet.