At ID Management Systems we are able to offer a wide range of access cards to suit any specific requirement or budget – but what exactly are access cards and what are the options available?

Essentially, as their name suggest, access cards are plastic cards that will grant you access to location. As the mechanism by which they operate varies from card to card, the options for an access card are quite diverse, and include the following:

Proximity Card

Basically a proximity, or “prox” card carries an inherent antenna which “communicates” a card number to a reader, for example a door access device. This means that prox cards are extremely effective and easy to use, whilst being suitable to a wide variety of situations. On the negative side, however, they are “read only”, which means that they have limited functionality when compared to Smart Cards.

Magstripe Card

If you want to store significant information on an ID card (such as age or sex) then you might consider a magnetic stripe or “magstripe” card, which carries a magnetic stripe capable of encoding a significant level of information. Whilst they are now widely used for things like drivers licenses, you may need a special magstripe reader and encoder to make the most of their functionality.

Smart Cards

If you want the functionality of a prox card combined with “writable” functionality, you could opt for an ultra-modern smart card: the perfect card to meet the unique and multifaceted demands of modern industry.