RFID Cards and Key Fobs (HF | NFC)

RFID cards, also called NFC cards, and key fobs for HF | NFC are the standard credentials for access control, employee ID, loyalty and membership cards and cashless payment. They operate at 13.56 MHz under ISO 14443 and ISO 15693, are read by any NFC reader and can be printed, encoded and numbered for your project. IDCRAFT supplies cards and key fobs from CT and ACS: standard cards with price and availability in the IDCRAFT Shop, special formats and project quantities on request.

RFID cards: chip, material, personalisation

The chip decides: MIFARE Classic 1K for simple access systems, MIFARE DESFire EV3 for secured applications, NTAG213 for NFC interaction with smartphones and ICODE SLIX under ISO 15693 for library and logistics processes. Our transponder comparison shows which chip fits which job. Card bodies come in PVC, PC, PET-G and Teslin; the CT RFID Cards are available printed, encoded and with fast delivery. For authentication at the PC, the ACS PocketKey NFC Card (FIDO2) and the cryptographic ACS ACOS5-EVO smart card (PKI) add security functions.

NFC key fobs and RFID key fobs: ABS, epoxy, PVC

Key fobs are the rugged alternative to the card: the CT ABS Keyfob with IP66 for access control, the CT Epoxy Keyfob for harsh environments with chemicals and up to 90 °C, and the CT PVC Keyfob as the economical standard. All form factors are available with several chip types and can be customised with logo, colour and serial number, by laser engraving on ABS and epoxy. Typical uses are access, time recording and authorisation at charging points; volume pricing is available from project quantities on request.

Printing and personalising RFID cards

Blank or printed: RFID cards in PVC, PC or PET-G are printed offset for large runs with logo and layout from file, or by thermal transfer and retransfer for small runs with photo, name and number per card. Numbering, barcode or QR code, magnetic stripe and hologram security features are added as required. The chip is encoded before delivery (UID, NDEF data for NFC, custom data structures, keys for DESFire), with a UID list for your system on request. Printed cards are quoted within one business day, samples first.

RFID cards for access control and employee badges

For access control and employee badges the chip matters more than the card body. MIFARE Classic is enough for simple door systems but is no longer considered secure because its Crypto-1 cipher has been broken. The current standard for new installations is MIFARE DESFire EV3 with AES encryption and separate applications on one card: access, time recording, canteen and print release share a single badge. Existing installations with LEGIC or HID readers need cards with the matching chip; tell us the reader system and we check compatibility in advance. As an employee badge the card is printed with photo, name and personnel number. Matching readers: NFC readers for doors, terminals and PCs; system advice under RFID access control.

RFID cards as charging cards (e-mobility)

Charging cards for charge points and wallboxes are RFID cards under ISO 14443: the charge point reads the chip's UID and reports it as an identifier (idTag or IdToken) to the backend, which grants authorisation via OCPP. For public and semi-public charge points a MIFARE Classic or DESFire card with a fixed 7-byte UID (the 4-byte ID of older Classic cards is not guaranteed to be unique) is usually sufficient; fleets and company car parks use the same card as their access control. What matters is a unique, non-random UID per card, the UID list for the backend and card printing with logo and card number. IDCRAFT supplies charging cards encoded and numbered for operators, fleets and residential sites, from small runs.

Chips compared: which chip for which card

• MIFARE Classic 1K/4K: ISO 14443 A, 1 KB or 4 KB memory, Crypto-1. Inexpensive and widespread, now advisable only for existing systems without security requirements.
• MIFARE DESFire EV2/EV3: ISO 14443 A, 2 to 8 KB (EV3 also 16 KB), AES-128, several applications per card. The standard for access, time recording and payment.
• NTAG213/215/216: NFC Forum Type 2, 144, 504 or 888 bytes of user memory, readable by any NFC smartphone. For loyalty cards with a link, product information and marketing.
• ICODE SLIX/SLIX2: ISO 15693, 896 or 2,528 bits, bulk reading and longer range. For libraries, laundry and containers.
• UCODE (UHF): EPC Gen2, range of several metres. For vehicle cards at barriers and car parks; UHF cards and hybrid cards with an HF chip on request.

How to order

• Standard cards from stock – MIFARE Classic 1K, DESFire EV3 8K, NTAG213 and ICODE SLIX: price and availability in the IDCRAFT Shop.
• Printed cards and key fobs – tell us layout, chip, encoding and quantity; we quote within one business day and send samples.
• Complete access system – matching HF | NFC readers and advice on RFID access control from a single source.

→ Request a quote or samples

Our HF | NFC cards and key fobs at a glance