Why our carers card isn't free

We completely understand why many carers feel their card should be free.

Caring can place a real strain on finances, and if we could give every card away at no cost, we absolutely would. This page explains—openly and kindly—why there is a small fee and how we work to keep it as low as possible.

Two Carers Card UK members holding their Carers Card

Our shared goal

We believe carers shouldn't have to pay for recognition. Our long-term aim is to offer the card for free through sponsorships and subsidies. Until we secure sustainable funding, we charge the minimum we can to cover essential running costs while maintaining a quality service.

In short: £8 helps keep the service running today—so we can keep pushing for a future where the card is fully subsidised.

What your £8 helps to cover

Staff time to support and verify carers
Secure servers, storage and maintenance
Insurance and compliance
Card production (materials and printing)
Packaging and postage

How we give more back

Access to discounts, offers and perks to help stretch budgets
Regular free giveaways for our community
Ongoing improvements based on carer feedback

Many carers recover the £8 several times over through savings and perks.

Our commitment to you

We exist to recognise, support and reward unpaid carers. We keep our price low, protect quality, and remain transparent about costs. At the same time, we're actively pursuing funding and partnerships to remove the fee entirely in future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't the card free right now?

Without external funding, we must cover essential costs (verification, support, secure systems, insurance, card production and postage). £8 allows us to operate responsibly and reliably while we work towards subsidies.

Will you make the card free in future?

That's our goal. We're actively seeking sponsors and partners to subsidise the cost. Until then, we keep the price as low as possible and reinvest in services that help carers.

Do carers get value back?

Yes - through discounts, offers, perks and regular giveaways. Many carers save more than the £8 fee over time.

Why not reduce quality to make it cheaper?

We won't compromise on reliability, data security, or support. A lower-quality card would not serve carers well. The £8 price keeps standards high while we pursue funding to remove the fee.

More FAQs