An affiliate is an organisation, event or venue that charges a fee and officially registers to participate in the Companion Card program.
In summary, affiliates agree to:
issue one ticket, at no charge, to cardholders who have bought a ticket and require attendant care
display the Companion Card logo in a prominent position and/or in promotional material, where possible
abide by the terms and conditions.
Benefits of becoming an affiliate
The card helps the business and community sectors meet disability anti-discrimination legislation.
It is not a discount scheme, concession or benefit. It allows for fair ticketing for customers that require attendant care to be able to attend a venue or event.
By becoming a partner, you’re registering to support people with a significant or profound, permanent disability.
These are people that have proven they need high-level care support to access most community activities or venues.
Some of the benefits of becoming an affiliate are:
a positive public image for your organisation or business
including the human rights of people with a disability into your policies or practices
access to an additional, untapped market
a listing on the Companion Card website
evidence that you're taking steps to remove discriminatory policies or practices.
It is free to join.
How it works
You decide on how you want to process a Companion Card request.
Booking and ticket practices for companion tickets should not be more difficult than the standard practices of your venue or activity.
It’s good to offer more than one option for payment, collection or queries. This helps meet the varying cardholders’ accessibility requirements, including online, telephone and in-person.
Who can get a Companion Card?
The potential for misuse of the card is minimised by a robust application process, including:
applicants must have a health provider/support worker sign their application form and photo
all applicants must have a relevant professional sign their application form. They must declare the information is correct.
all applications are verified.
Companion Cards are printed with an expiry date on the bottom right-hand corner. After this period all cardholders will need to renew their card.
Card security
The Companion Card has been designed with a number of security features.
The card uses the same technology as Australia’s “plastic” banknotes. This makes it virtually impossible to reproduce.
The Companion Card program was the first in Australia to utilise this technology. It provides advanced forgery protection.
You can use the features to verify cardholder information for telephone bookings and distributing tickets.
You can also choose if, or how, you wish to include these security features into your ticketing policies and practices. Full details of security features are provided to you when you join.
Once we receive your application, your registration will be processed in around 2 weeks. We’ll send you a welcome pack that includes information and promotional support materials, namely:
Companion Card logos
point of sale stickers
information about card security features.
Your business details will also be listed on this website.
