What type of key cards do hotels use?

Common Hotel Card Types Some hotels use access cards with magnetic strips, ('mag stripe cards' for short). Magnetic stripe cards are also known as 'swipe cards'. But there are other alternatives to hotel access, such as proximity (RFID) cards, access cards with holes, photo ID cards, barcode cards, and smart cards.



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HF 13.56 MHz RFID ISO Cards - Personnel Badges Commonly known as employee badges or hotel room cards, ISO Cards of HF 13.56 MHz are commonly used for access control & security needs. Available with both ISO 15693 and 14443 NFC memory chips and with private labeling, custom art.

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The main difference lies in the range of communication. While RFID can be used to receive and transmit radio waves over distances of 100 metres or more (for active tags, equipped with their own battery), NFC is limited to no more than 20 cm in the best cases. In reality, NFC's range is more like 0 to 5 cm.

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Although there are many types of smart cards, when it comes to hotel smart cards, there are two main types: magstripe and RFID cards. Magstripe cards are the most common type of hotel key card, and they work by storing data on a magnetic stripe that is read by a door lock for hotels.

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If you dropped your card on a hard surface it might have gotten nicked. Scratches, crusted cracker-crumb bits and folds might make it harder for the card to be read. Cards left in the hot sun, rubbed by beach sand in a pocket or stepped on by a dog might look just fine but may have lost the ability to open your door.

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As long as it's a plastic key card, you should be fine keeping the card as a souvenir. The cards are re-coded after each stay and they are very inexpensive for the hotel to replace. If you're staying somewhere with an actual key, please ask in advance.

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The average hotel spend more than $2,000 per month on keycard replacements. Traditionally, hotels have factored this expenditure into their operating costs.

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