Key Cards | How-to Guides for running your business from Business.com

Hotel keys have gone the way of rotary telephones, luggage stickers and luggage trunks—vintage collectibles. Taking their place are magnetic key cards, which let visitors gain entry into hotel rooms. Key cards have become commonplace in the lodging industry. Many other businesses and industries use security key cards to limit access to company buildings or to certain areas within company buildings. Key cards provide several benefits over traditional keys including:

Cost effectiveness: Key card systems eliminate the need for re-keying locks when a guest or an employee has taken off with or lost a key.
Security: In the hotel industry, security key cards are not marked with room numbers.
Limiting Access: Security key cards can be used by companies that want to prevent non-employees from entering the premises or that want to restrict admittance to specific areas.
Marketing opportunities: Advertising key cards enable you to print information on your key cards to promote your brand or advertise services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hotel key cards

Hotel key cards have a magnetic strip on the back that is programmed each time a guest checks in. Magnetic key cards work only on the guest's room lock and only for the duration of their stay.

I recommend: Allegheny Printed Plastics offer customized hotel key cards that support most standard magnetic stripe based lock system including Saflok, Ving, Miwa, Inhova, Gibraltar, Kaba and Tesa. Key Mart offers generic “welcome guests” key cards and custom imprinted hotel key cards along with key card sleeves and envelopes. Short Run Plastic Cards offers short run quantities from 500-10,000 on printed key cards with magnetic stripe encoding.

Key card systems go green

Some manufacturers are offering key cards made using green manufacturing practices or key cards made from recycled or biodegradable materials.

I recommend: Signature Cards offers key cards made from corn or from recycled plastic. CPI Card Group makes an effort to recycle materials in the manufacturing process of key cards and offers biodegradable PVC magnetic key cards.

Special event key cards

Hotels often partner with special events and conventions to offer custom printed key cards that commemorate the event. Sporting events and conventions can also use custom printed magnetic key cards in place of paper tickets.

I recommend: Plasticard Locktech International makes magnetic key cards for special events such as meetings, shows, conventions, sporting events, weddings and festivals. Newline Enterprises produces low volume custom key cards for special occasions.

Advertising key cards

Restaurants and businesses can partner with nearby hotels to offer co-op advertising on key cards.

I recommend: Global Media Group offers key card advertising programs in which advertisers pay for the cost of the key cards. KeyAd helps advertisers find hotels that will place pre-printed advertising key cards in the hands of hotel guests.

Locks that work with key cards

Before you invest in key cards, figure out which key card locks to purchase. Most key card locks come with their own controllers, programmers and software that enable you to program the magnetic key cards.

I recommend: Maglocks.com offers swipe card locks for hotels, hospitals and dorm rooms and front desk swipe card controllers and programmers. VingCard Elsafe has a variety of locks and and software that work with magnetic key cards.

Security key cards keep your business secure

Key card systems limit access to your establishment and eliminate the need to change the locks if an employee loses a key, resigns or is terminated. Security key cards come in magnetic stripe or proximity varieties. Magnetic stripe key cards are swiped through a card reader. Proximity key cards are waved in front of a key card reader.

I recommend: Zebra Card Printer Solutions offer smart key cards that incorporate a photo ID with a proximity card. Keri Systems Incorporated offers proximity key cards, magnetic stripe key cards and proximity key tags. See the Business.com directory for more access control products and services,

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Make sure you get the right thickness for your key cards to fit in your key card locks. Most key cards come in 20 mil, 24 mil, 29 mil and 30 mil thickness.
Before you choose a provider for magnetic key cards, you'll need to make sure that they make magnetic key cards that can be programmed for your key card locks.
Hotels can offer customized key cards as an additional benefit to groups and events that use their space.

The official source of Key Cards is the Key Cards page at Business.com

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