Beginning 10 January 2023, all PADI ® Divers and PADI Members will receive a PADI eCard™ instead of a plastic card when they receive a new certification or rating. The only students who will be issued plastic cards are:
The change is a result of feedback from students and PADI Members about the benefits of eCards including:
Many parts of the globe, including the Asia Pacific region and much of Latin America, made the switch to 100% eCards a few years ago. For those new to eCards, below is an overview of the certification process followed by a list of answers to frequently asked questions.
Important note : each student needs their own email address. Shared emails won’t work. When inputting student certification info, make sure every student has a different email address or they will not be able to access their eCards.
Certifications may also be viewed on PADI.com. The student (or guardian) can either:
In addition to eCards, the free app has useful information for divers including:
The PADI App can host, manage and display PADI eCards in 10 languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean and Japanese.
Yes, physical cards are still available for an additional charge (1 online PIC credit). You can bundle the cost into the package price of your course or offer it as an upgrade.
If you want to sell physical certification cards, the price is up to you. You can offer plastic cards at the same price as buying direct from PADI or offer a discount. In 2023, a diver in the US who purchases a card directly from PADI will pay $53, in Canada $60 CAD.
To order a plastic card, click “Process Replacement Cards or eCards” from the OLPC home screen, search for the diver’s information, then select “Choose Plastic” from the dropdown menu when prompted.
Some dive operations have their students’ certification cards delivered to the store. When the student comes in to pick up their card, the business has an extra opportunity to invite the diver to sign up for a class or trip, go fun diving, etc.
Here are a few reasons a diver might want or need a plastic card:
PADI’s online system only allows someone to buy a replacement card for themselves. Any diver (or non-diver) who wants to buy a certification card for someone else must purchase through a PADI Dive Center, Resort or other PADI Member.
All PADI certification cards are made from 70% recycled plastic.
Yes, students will receive the electronic version of the PADI AWARE card. The front graphics display PADI AWARE. However, Members will still need to choose the PADI AWARE card option when processing the student diver’s certification.
Students certified by a PADI 5* Dive Center/Resort or PADI 5* IDC Dive Center/Resort will receive an eCard with the Gold background image along with your store information.
Fixing a misspelled name, wrong date of birth, etc. is easy. Simply contact PADI Customer Relations with the student’s details (see list below) and request an amendment.
If the photo needs to be updated, the student can do that themselves by logging on to account.padi.com. You can also send an updated photo to customer relations.
When contacting PADI Customer Relations about a certification issue, please include the following info:
Once a correction has been made, the student needs to refresh the PADI App to see their updated eCard.
Please note: for a legal name change, official documentation is required. Please use this form to submit appropriate legal documents, such as a marriage document or divorce decree.
Divers 10 to 13 years of age will receive an eCard and can access it through the PADI App or through PADI.com after signing in with a guardian email address.
Students younger than ten will continue to receive plastic cards . This may include participants in a:
Here are a few things to try:
If the steps above do not resolve the issue, contact your local PADI Regional Headquarters.
PADI Americas and PADI Canada: [email protected]
PADI Canada: [email protected]
PADI Asia Pacific: [email protected]
PADI Europe, Middle East and Africa: [email protected]
In your message, please include the following information:
Still have questions?
We’re happy to help. For answers to questions not covered in this article, please contact the PADI Customer Relations department or a member of your PADI Territory team.
