Prox and Smart Cards

Proprietary Formats

If you would like the added security of getting proprietary cards using a proprietary format (35-bit for prox cards and 40-bit for smart cards), Plastic Card Solutions can help. PCS can set up a proprietary card from HID's "Corporate 1000" program or from programs offered by other card suppliers. Contact us for the details associated with these programs.

Advantages of Smart Cards (13.56 MHz) 

When comparing cards, the newer smart cards (13.56 MHz) offer certain advantages to the older Prox cards(125 kHz). These include:

• Greater security
• mutual authentication―two-way communication in which a card and a reader prove their legitimacy in such a way that both parties are assured of the others’ identity
• key diversification―the process whereby a unique key is generated from a common master key; integrity of an entire population of cards is not compromised if one card is “hacked”
• encryption―the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable except to those possessing special knowledge (usually referred to as a key)

• Greater data storage

• Potential for mobile capability (near field communication)

• Certain cards can be less expensive than Prox cards

Card Credentials We Offer

Plastic Card Solutions offers a complete line of card credentials. Cards can be provided blank or pre-printed with artwork supplied by the customer.

• Magnetic stripe cards
• high and low coercivity
• two and three track stripes
• cards can be blank or pre-printed
• cards can be encoded with provided information

• Prox cards (125 kHz proximity chip and antenna);
  card can include mag stripe and/or contact smart chip
• HID prox
• Generic prox (cost effective alternative)

• Smart cards (13.56 MHz contactless smart chip & antenna);
  card can include mag stripe and/or contact smart chip
• HID iClass
• MiFare cards
• MiFare DesFire EV1 cards

Optional Formats

Keyfob and circular tags are also available formats in addition to the common CR80 size (3-3/8 inch by 2-1/8 inch) credential format.