Connection Card Pro Check-Ins

Overview

The system records attendance for children, students, and adults at services, classes, small groups, and events. Staff can use a computer, tablet, or the Connection Card Pro mobile app, while kiosks let attendees check themselves in with a plastic card, phone number, or photo. That choice suits churches mixing staffed entry with self-service, though kiosk workflows depend on having a suitable device.

Customizable name tags and optional parent pickup tags support children’s programs, with printing for Dymo LabelWriter 450 and 550 models, including Wireless models, and Brother QL-810 and QL-820 series. Churches with other printers should account for that compatibility constraint. Reports can be customized for the organization, groups, services, events, or classifications, making the product more useful than a basic attendance counter when leaders need views at different levels.

Key features

• Flexible check-in: Covers children, students, and adults at several kinds of church gathering, using staff-operated devices or kiosks. This is a practical fit for congregations with different entry routines.
• Name tags and pickup tags: Customizable tags, including optional parent pickup tags, add a useful workflow for children’s check-in. Printing is limited to the supported Dymo and Brother series.
• Attendance reporting: Reports can be tailored by organization, group, service, event, or classification, supporting both broad and activity-specific review.
• Integrations: Mailchimp can receive contact exports, and Slack can receive crew notifications and channel updates. These are focused connections rather than a broad integration suite.
• Security and permissions: The maker says it follows PCI DSS guidelines, does not retain donors’ card and account details on its servers, encrypts transfers with SSL, and backs up data across multiple secure data centers. Configurable roles cover more than 30 permission types, useful for churches dividing administrative responsibilities.

Pricing

Ministry Lite is free forever and includes 250 contacts, three admin users, 1 GB storage, and 1,000 emails per month. It is a useful starting point for a small ministry, but the contact, user, and storage limits make it a poor fit once records or administrators grow.

Ministry Core costs $29/mo, or $23/mo billed annually ($278 / yr), and includes 1,500 contacts, unlimited admin users, and 5 GB storage. It is the entry paid option for a church that has outgrown Lite but can stay within those contact and storage limits. Ministry Plus costs $49/mo, or $39/mo billed annually ($470 / yr), for 4,000 contacts, unlimited admin users, and 10 GB storage; it suits a larger congregation needing more room without unlimited contacts. Ministry Unlimited costs $99/mo, or $79/mo billed annually ($950 / yr), and provides unlimited contacts, unlimited admin users, and 25 GB storage, removing the contact ceiling while retaining a stated storage cap.

The pricing page also gives prices from September 26: Ministry Core at $40/mo for 1,250 contacts, Ministry Plus at $70/mo for 2,500 contacts, Ministry Pro at $100/mo for 5,000 contacts, and Ministry Unlimited at $150/mo for unlimited contacts. These terms differ from the other plan prices and limits, so buyers should confirm which pricing applies before choosing a tier. Any plan can be tried free for 30 days, with no credit card required at signup.

Platforms

Connection Card Pro offers a web interface for desktop, laptop, or tablet, plus iOS and Android apps. That gives churches a browser-based option alongside mobile check-in.

Who it's for

The product is aimed at church plants, small ministries, growing and established churches, and multi-site or large churches. It is strongest for organizations that value attendance reporting, supported tag printing, and multiple check-in methods. Churches seeking a general-purpose event check-in tool, or those whose printers fall outside the supported models, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Staffed and kiosk check-in accommodates different entry flows, including card, phone-number, and photo-based self-service.
• Pro: Custom reports span organizations, groups, services, events, and classifications, while optional pickup tags address a specific children’s-program need.
• Pro: The free plan includes 250 contacts and 1,000 monthly emails, and the 30-day trial applies to any plan without a credit card at signup.
• Con: Lite is limited to three admins and 1 GB storage, while paid tiers continue to impose contact and storage limits except for the unlimited-contact tier.
• Con: Tag printing depends on a short list of Dymo and Brother printer series, which may constrain churches with different hardware.

Alternatives

• Church Central Cloud is worth considering for churches comparing a freemium option whose free plan covers up to 10 members, one branch, 500 one-time emails, and 2 GB storage.
• Planning Center may suit churches that want to compare separate free Calendar, People, and Services plans, including unlimited database and reporting in People.
• Subsplash Church App is an alternative for churches considering its free Subsplash Giving plan, where card and ACH processing fees apply.
• TimelyChurch is another freemium option; its Free Forever plan covers up to 100 people and 500 MB storage.
• ACTS is a free alternative with attendance and activity management, membership management, and accounting and financial reports.
• MosesTab Worship Planning offers a free plan with unlimited members, one admin, one group and ministry, five events, three forms, and 500 MB storage.
• FellowshipOne is another church software option for buyers comparing alternatives.
• B1 Checkin is a free alternative with no trial and a B1 Church plan described as covering everything without tiers or per-member pricing.
• Compare more options in Church Check-In Software and Church Scheduling Software.

Verdict

Connection Card Pro Check-Ins is a strong fit for churches that want attendance capture, reports, and supported name-tag and pickup-tag printing together, with several ways to check people in. Its main reason to choose it is that combination; its main reason to look elsewhere is the plan ceilings on contacts and storage, along with printer compatibility limits. Small ministries can start free, while larger churches should compare the paid tiers carefully against their contact and storage needs.