Hotel key card questions, answered plainly

We supply cards chip-matched to Saflok, Onity, SALTO, VingCard (ASSA ABLOY), Kaba/dormakaba, Miwa, TTLock and most other RFID hotel locking systems, plus HiCo/LoCo magstripe cards for legacy swipe locks. Compatibility is confirmed with free test samples in your own doors before production.

RFID cards contain a chip and antenna and are read contactlessly by tapping; magstripe cards store data on a magnetic stripe and are swiped. RFID is the modern standard — more durable and re-encodable without wear — while magstripe remains the cheapest format for hotels still running swipe locks.

It depends entirely on your lock brand and generation. As rough guidance: many Saflok and SALTO systems read MIFARE Classic® 1K; Onity RFID locks commonly use MIFARE Ultralight® variants; VingCard systems span several MIFARE® types by generation. Never order from guesswork — tell us your lock model or send a working card and we will identify it precisely.

Coercivity — the magnetic strength of the stripe. HiCo (~2750 Oe) resists accidental erasure and suits cards encoded once; LoCo (~300 Oe) is standard for hotel keys because front-desk encoders rewrite them constantly and the lower write energy suits high-frequency re-encoding. Most hotel systems specify LoCo; we confirm against your encoder model.

Mobile keys exist, but properties running them still issue physical cards for guests who prefer them, for families, and as backup when phones die — which is why card volumes remain steady even at mobile-key hotels. We supply the physical side of hybrid programs.

No. We match chip type, material and printing so cards work in your system, but encoding of room access data happens at your property through your locking software. We do not duplicate encoded security data — a policy that protects you as much as us.

Ask — unprinted sample packs are free, you cover only the courier. We include the chip types your lock system candidates require so your maintenance team can verify reads on real doors. Printed samples with your artwork are available for a small fee before large runs.

From 100 pieces for standard PVC cards, from a few hundred for wooden and specialty cards, and from 500 for printed sleeves. Small properties are welcome — MOQ exists to cover press setup, not to exclude boutique hotels.

Four things, in order: chip type (a DESFire® card costs several times a basic LF chip), material (magstripe < PVC RFID < paper < bamboo < wood), finishing (foil, spot UV, embossing add per-piece cost), and volume (unit prices step down meaningfully at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000+). Send those four data points and quoting takes hours, not days.

Standard production is 7–10 working days after artwork approval; rush service can compress to 3–5 days. Express courier adds 3–7 days door-to-door worldwide; sea freight is available for very large programs. For a season opening, allow 3–4 weeks end to end to keep margin for proofs.

Yes — we archive your artwork, chip spec and color standards. A reorder is one email: quantity and any date changes. Most clients are on their third or fourth cycle with zero re-setup.

Yes. Wood, bamboo, paper and degradable-PVC cards carry exactly the same chips as standard PVC — the lock reads the chip, not the material. Every eco order is still sample-tested in your locks first.

Waterproof paper if cards leave with guests and budget matters; degradable PVC if you want zero operational change with a documented claim; bamboo for warm looks at mid volume; real wood when the card is part of the brand experience and may be kept as a keepsake.

Yes — FSC® chain-of-custody documentation for certified wood orders and independent ASTM D3826/D5208 degradability test reports for degradable PVC. We encourage procurement teams to request these from any supplier making green claims.

PVC cards should enter your property’s plastic recycling stream where accepted; wooden and paper cards can join paper/organic streams after snapping out the inlay area if your waste program requires it; degradable PVC is engineered for landfill conditions specifically. We can advise per material and region.

Print-ready PDF, AI or high-resolution layered files at 85.5 × 54 mm plus 3 mm bleed, with fonts outlined and colors specified as PMS or CMYK. No designer? Send your logo and brand colors — our prepress team builds proofs at no extra charge.

With a PMS code we hold deviation to roughly 10% or better; with a physical reference card in hand we typically match within about 5%. Brand-critical colors are proofed before the full run.

Yes — sequential numbering, barcodes, QR codes, printed UIDs and encoded serials are all standard. Casinos and membership programs use this heavily; hotels mostly for staff cards and audit trails.

DHL, FedEx and UPS express with full tracking for standard orders; air or sea freight for pallet-scale programs. We prepare commercial invoices and HS codes correctly so customs is boring — the way customs should be.

Bank transfer (T/T) is standard, typically with a deposit at order and balance before shipment; established repeat clients can discuss terms. We invoice from the manufacturing entity with full documentation for your accounting.