Digital Reykjavík Card
Who hasn't shown up at the pool with the whole family, only to realize the swim pass was left at home? With the digital Reykjavík Card, that problem is a thing of the past.
In brief
The challenge: Access passes for swimming pools, the Ystströnd geothermal beach, museums, and Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo were not available digitally.
The solution: The Reykjavík Card is a personalized digital access card stored in users' mobile wallets.
For whom: All users wanting digital access.
Project status: The digital Reykjavík Card launched for general use in April 2026.
The challenge
Resident demand
Annual and multi-visit pass holders for swimming pools, museums, and other cultural activities have long requested a digital card to replace traditional plastic ones. Many users now pay for goods and services with mobile wallets, and fewer carry physical wallets or plastic cards daily.
Unclear expiration dates
Pass holders had no way to independently check their card's expiration date or usage status. Consequently, users often discovered subscription renewals as unexpected on-site expenses, lacking control and visibility over their accounts.
Unnecessary daily burden on staff
Whenever a user leaves a card at home or questions its validity, staff must look up their ID number. This slows service for single-ticket buyers and delays other transactions. Inconsistent lookup procedures across locations also created uneven service experiences.
What is the Reykjavík Card?
Reykjavík City offers a wide range of cultural and recreational services, including swimming pools and museums, that residents pay to access:. Users can purchase annual and multi-visit passes, previously issued on plastic cards.
In recent years, up to 80,000 such plastic cards circulated in Reykjavík at any given time, with around 10,000 new ones issued annually.
The solution: Digital Reykjavík Card
17 service locations — one access card on your phone
The digital Reykjavík Card launched in spring 2026. It consolidates subscription and access passes for 17 Reykjavík service locations into a single card. The card serves as a personalized access pass, letting each user choose which services to activate and pay for according to the current fee schedule.
A digital wallet solution
The card lives in users' mobile wallets, displaying expiration dates and usage information. Integrating seamlessly into tools users already rely on daily, the digital card eliminates the need to download a new app or learn a new system.
What the digital card looks like
Integration with City systems
- Reykjavík City partnered with PassCreator after a competitive digital wallet solution tender in early 2025.
- Making the solution operational required integration with point-of-sale and service systems, a process that began in fall 2025.
- The integration proved more complex than anticipated, slightly delaying the project.
- Ready for testing by early 2026, the solution launched for general use that spring.
- To help ensure the project's success, fee schedules for swimming pools and Reykjavík Family Park and Zoo were simultaneously simplified, taking effect May 5, 2026.
Results and impact
15,000 new digital Reykjavík Cards issued in just a few months
By early July 2026, the City had issued 15,000 digital Reykjavík Cards, adding 50 to 100 new cards daily. This indicates that both new users and existing cardholders are choosing the digital card over plastic.
Greater convenience for users
Loading the card onto a phone reduces the chance of leaving it at home, preventing the ensuing hassle and staff lookups. Users can also easily check expiration dates and active subscriptions on their phones at their convenience.
Better work environment, greater job satisfaction
Experiencing fewer interruptions, front-desk staff can focus on other important tasks that previously received insufficient attention. Swimming pool staff strongly advocated for the digital pass solution, noting its contribution to greater job satisfaction.
Financial savings and positive environmental impact
Issuing a digital Reykjavík Card costs a fraction of producing a plastic one. Reducing plastic cards also supports the Green Steps initiative and the City's environmental policy.
Story within a story: A simpler onboarding experience for new employees.
- Reykjavík City employs about 11,000 people, many of whom receive subscription passes to City swimming pools and museums as employment benefits.
- Before the digital Reykjavík Card, managers navigated separate application processes for each subscription type. Managers had to enter the employee's ID number and personal details each time, adding multiple administrative steps to every new hire.
- With the digital Reykjavík Card, managers handle everything in one place, and employees receive the card with active subscriptions directly on their phones.
- Assuming a 10% to 15% employee turnover rate at Reykjavík City — consistent with the broader labor market — the digital Reykjavík Card saves managers a significant number of administrative steps.
Next steps
Online self-service
Looking ahead, the goal is for users to purchase and renew the digital Reykjavík Card through online self-service. This would further ease staff workload while making the experience more convenient for users.
Less paper waste
At City swimming pools, for example, staff currently print a paper ticket for every single-visit pass purchased — a ticket users need to open automatic changing room gates. Online self-service would make paper tickets unnecessary for the vast majority of users.
New and exciting services for residents
All residents benefit when the City maximizes its investment in digital solutions and continues building upon them. The wallet solution opens the door to consolidating more City services under the same card, creating a wide range of new service opportunities for residents.
