Plastic ID Cards or blank PVC cards are commonly used for photo identification purposes. Examples of use include - Student ID, Membership Cards or Employee ID Cards, Access Cards and Smart Cards.
Proximity Cards, Prox Cards or Keycards are contactless ID Cards, primarily used to control physical access to a building or location. They contain an antenna and electronic chip and are pre-programmed to interface with an access control system. Examples of use include – hotel rooms, high-security areas, corporate offices and parking facilities.
Smart Cards have an embedded memory chip capable of storing and processing data. The main functions of Smart Cards are authentication, storing personal information and storing value. Common uses include - Employee or Student IDs, hotel rooms, healthcare, transportation and entertainment cards.
Magnetic Stripe Cards have an iron-based magnetic stripe in which data is embedded. The stripe is swiped through a magnetic reader to decode the embedded data and authorise a transaction. These cards are commonly used for identity cards, credit cards and for swiping in and out of organisations and hotel rooms. The Magnetic Card is less secure than Proximity or Smart Cards.
