Why we charge carers for our card?
It's to do with costs...
We fully understand and appreciate that caring for someone often places a huge financial burden on a carer’s financial resources.
We don’t feel unpaid carers should pay for any services that support them in their role as a carer. However, we need to charge a small fee in order to support the quality, sustainability and professionalism which encompasses the card we provide.
By implementing a small fee, we can generate revenue that can be reinvested into continuing to improve the services we provide carers.
Production costs
Unfortunately, we can’t escape the fact that there are various costs involved in making our card available to carers. These costs involve; marketing the card, manufacturing the card, delivering the card and administering the card. There are also various IT costs required to operate the CarersCardUK digital platform and app. Our fantastic staff also need to be paid to administer the entire process. When you factor in all of these costs it’s then easy to see just why we need to charge carers for our card.
Keeping the fee low
We will continually strive to keep the price of our card as low as possible. Our ultimate goal is that our card is fully subsidised so that we can provide it for free. Until then, we will have to continue to fund our card ourselves. Not only is any small profit used to continually improve the features and functionality of our card but ultimately help keep the card fee down.
Free carer cards
There are some local organisations that offer their own carer card for free. However, there are some issues that need to be considered with these free cards. Firstly, not all local organisations provide a free card. So, you may live in an area where no free cards are available. Secondly, they tend not to be ID cards but simply a piece of standard card on which you can write your name. Thirdly, our card is a national card which means it can be used wherever you are and not just in the area you live.
So, why should you pay for a CarersCardUK card when there are other free card available? It's simply because our card offers so much more in terms of quality, features, tools, services and discounts. In order to compare our card with other "free" cards we've listed some of the main differences below:
Is the card made of a strong durable plastic composite which will remain structurally intact for a very long time?
Does the card display a digital ID photo of the carer?
Is the card delivered straight to your door without charge?
Does the card display 'In Case of Emergency' contact details
Can you access discounts outside of the area in which you live?
Does the card provide access to hundreds of online discounts
Do you get an app which holds a digital version of your card and other features?
Can you create, share and view your carer plan directly from your card?
Can you unlock more information using a QR code located on the card?
Can you create a circle of care for the person you look after?
Does the card provide access to support & advice from a community of carers?
Does the card provide access to an online source of useful advice, videos and audiobooks to help with your wellbeing?
Does the card provide access to live events?
Does the card automatically enter you into free giveaways?
