If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the plastic Entertainment Card tucked in your wallet, wondering if it’s good for anything beyond the movie matinees and chain restaurant discounts you’ve used it for over the years, you’re not alone. Last month, I got a frantic call from a small kayak rental shop owner in coastal Maine—her peak summer season was two weeks away, and a group of 50 Entertainment Card holders had reached out asking if they could use their cards to reserve kayaks for a day on the water. She’d never thought to ask, I realized, because most of her area’s promotional partnerships were limited to local ice cream stands and mini-golf courses, not water-based activities. Entertainment Cards
As a supplier of the Entertainment Card program, I hear variations of this question at least a dozen times a week, from small business owners looking to boost off-season revenue to individual cardholders searching for ways to stretch their monthly leisure budgets. The short answer is: Yes, you absolutely can use Entertainment Cards for kayaking rentals—but it’s not a one-size-fits-all arrangement, and there’s a lot that goes into making it work for both rental operators and cardholders. Let’s break this down like I would when walking a new partner through our program at our weekly strategy calls.
First, let’s get clear on what an Entertainment Card actually is, because a lot of people have the wrong idea about it. When we launched our program 12 years ago, we set out to build a community-focused promotional tool, not just another discount coupon book or digital app. Every Entertainment Card is sold to local residents through neighborhood fundraisers, community events, and direct mail—meaning the people who buy them are already invested in the area they live in, and they’re actively seeking low-cost, local leisure activities. That’s a huge selling point for kayak rental shops, especially those that rely on local repeat business rather than just tourist traffic.
Our program’s core rule for participating businesses is simple: you offer a specific, tangible benefit to cardholders, in exchange for a low annual partnership fee that’s way cheaper than any other local advertising channel (think: half the cost of a single small ad in a regional lifestyle magazine, and far more targeted). For kayaking rentals, that benefit can take a few forms, depending on what makes sense for your business. The most common is a 10% to 15% discount on all daily or half-day kayak rentals, no blackout dates (except for extreme weather or holiday weekends when your shop is already at capacity). Some of our partner rental spots go a step further: they offer one free hour of kayaking for every four hours rented, or a free paddle with a two-hour booking.
But here’s the part most rental operators don’t realize when they ask to join: we don’t just add your business to our card or app and walk away. We work with each partner to promote the card’s new offerings to our audience, which is over 200,000 local households nationwide. For a kayak rental shop in Vermont, for example, we send a targeted email blast to every Entertainment Card holder in the state, highlighting the 12% discount on single kayak rentals and the free shuttle service we arranged for cardholders who drive in from Burlington. For a shop in Florida’s Gulf Coast, we run social media posts featuring user photos from cardholders who used their Entertainment Cards to rent tandem kayaks for sunset tours—content that feels authentic, not like a corporate ad.
I’ll be honest: it’s not worth joining our program if you’re only looking to make a quick buck during peak season. Last year, a kayak rental shop in Cape Cod tried to partner with us only to cut the discount by half two months into the season, saying they “couldn’t afford it.” We don’t enforce strict discount rules, but we also don’t promote your business to our audience if you’re inconsistent, because that ruins the trust we’ve built with cardholders. The best partners are small, family-run shops that rely on repeat local customers and want to fill their mid-week slots when most rental businesses are quiet. That’s where the Entertainment Card’s strength really shines: it drives off-peak traffic, not just the busy summer weekends.
Now, if you’re a cardholder asking this question, let’s talk about how to actually use your card for kayaking rentals, because there’s a right way and a wrong way. First, always check the fine print on your specific Entertainment Card, whether it’s the physical book or the digital app. Some cards are region-specific, meaning a kayaking rental in Southern California might be a partner, but the same shop’s location in Arizona is not. That’s a common misconception—our cards are tailored to each local market, so you can’t use yours across the country.
Second, call ahead before you show up. I know how tempting it is to pack up your gear and drive to the rental shop on a sunny Saturday, but a lot of partner businesses don’t advertise their Entertainment Card discount prominently at the front desk, and some smaller operators only process card transactions during regular business hours. Last summer, I heard from a cardholder in Oregon who drove 45 minutes to a rental shop, only to be told they couldn’t use their card because the front desk staff wasn’t trained on the program. It’s a simple fix: a 2-minute phone call to confirm that the discount is available, and that you need to show your physical card or pull up the digital app at checkout.
Another common question from cardholders: can I use my Entertainment Card for group kayaking trips, like guided tours? The answer is still yes, but it depends on the partner. Most of our kayak rental partners offer discounts on self-guided rentals, because those are the ones that don’t require extra staff or permits. But some of our larger partner businesses—like outdoor recreation companies that run guided kayak tours for schools and groups—offer discounts of up to 20% for group bookings made with an Entertainment Card. It’s always worth asking, because you might get a better deal than the shop’s regular group rate.
I get asked all the time why kayaking rentals are a good fit for our Entertainment Card program, and it comes down to three things: audience alignment, low barrier to entry, and community focus. Our cardholders are looking for affordable, active leisure activities that they can do close to home, and kayaking is one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities in the U.S. (the Outdoor Industry Association reports that kayaking participation grew by 32% between 2019 and 2023, with most of that growth coming from local, one-day trips rather than multi-day vacations). For rental operators, joining our program doesn’t require any extra inventory or big investments—you just adjust your checkout process to apply the discount for cardholders, and get access to a ready-made audience of people who are already looking for what you offer.
I’ve seen this play out firsthand with a small kayak rental shop in Lake Tahoe. Three years ago, they were struggling to make ends meet, relying almost entirely on tourist traffic that only showed up for July and August. They joined our Entertainment Card program, offering a 15% discount on all weekday rentals and a free life jacket for every cardholder booking. Within a year, their mid-week bookings were up 45%, and they hired two part-time staff to handle the extra demand. Last summer, they told us that 30% of their total bookings came from Entertainment Card holders—people who lived within a 30-mile radius, who would have never found their shop otherwise.
Of course, there are a few caveats that no one tells you about using Entertainment Cards for kayaking rentals. First, most partnerships are annual, so you’ll need to renew your Entertainment Card every year to keep using the discounts. Second, some busy holiday weekends (like Memorial Day or Labor Day) have blackout dates, because rental shops are already at full capacity and don’t need extra foot traffic. Third, you can’t stack Entertainment Card discounts with other promotions, like student discounts or group rates, unless the rental operator specifically says you can. That’s a rule we enforce to keep the program fair for small businesses, who can’t afford to offer multiple discounts at once.
If you’re a kayak rental operator reading this, wondering if our Entertainment Card program is right for your business, let’s be clear: we’re not for every business. If you’re a large resort that only caters to luxury tourists and doesn’t want to offer any discounts, our program isn’t a good fit. But if you’re a local, independent shop that wants to build long-term relationships with your community, fill your off-season slots, and get affordable local advertising, we’re a great option. We work with every partner to customize their offering—whether that’s a flat discount, a free add-on, or a loyalty perk—to fit your business’s unique needs.
If you’re an Entertainment Card holder reading this, and you’ve never thought about using your card for kayaking rentals, it’s time to take a look at your current book or the app. Next time you’re looking for a fun, active way to spend a weekend, instead of shelling out full price for a kayak rental, pull out your Entertainment Card and check if there’s a partner shop near you. You might be surprised how much you can save, and how many hidden local gems you’ll find along the way.
At the end of the day, our Entertainment Card program is built on connecting people with local businesses that make their communities better. Kayaking is more than just a sport—it’s a way to get outside, explore your local waterways, and spend time with friends and family. By linking that activity with our card, we’re helping both small businesses thrive and local residents enjoy more affordable, accessible leisure.
If you’re a kayak rental operator interested in learning more about how our Entertainment Card program can help grow your business, we encourage you to reach out to our sales team to discuss partnership details. For cardholders, if you have questions about using your Entertainment Card for kayaking rentals, you can find up-to-date partner listings on our digital app or contact our customer support team for assistance. We’re here to make the process easy, transparent, and beneficial for everyone involved.
Cards References
Outdoor Industry Association. (2023). Outdoor Participation Report: Kayaking and Canoeing Trends. Outdoor Industry Association.
National Recreation and Park Association. (2022). Local Leisure Preferences Among U.S. Residents. NRPA.
Entertainment Card Program Internal Partnership Data. (2020-2023). Annual Performance Metrics for Outdoor Recreation Partners.
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