The short answer
An RFID key card holds a chip and antenna that the lock reads without contact when the guest holds the card near it. A magnetic stripe card stores data magnetically and must be swiped. RFID cards cannot be demagnetized, have no stripe to wear, and can carry chips with stronger protection.
How a key card opens a door
Stripe and RFID cards follow the same basic routine. The card itself does not know which room it opens until the front desk writes that information onto it.
The encoder writes the stay
At check-in, the front desk places a blank card on the encoder supplied with your lock system. The encoder writes the room, the stay dates and any extra areas the guest may use.
The guest presents the card
A stripe card is swiped or inserted so the lock's read head passes over the stripe. An RFID card is simply held near the reader on the lock face.
The lock checks it and opens
The lock compares what it reads with its own settings. If the room and dates match, it unlocks. At checkout the card stops working and can be encoded again for the next guest.
Inside a stripe card, the data is recorded as a pattern of magnetized areas along the stripe. The lock's read head picks up that pattern as the card moves past it, which is why the card has to be swiped or inserted.
Inside an RFID card, a small chip is connected to an antenna that runs around the card. There is no battery: the reader's radio field powers the chip, and the two exchange data in a fraction of a second. Contactless cards at 13.56 MHz follow ISO/IEC 14443, which defines that radio link between card and reader.
Because the encoder writes the room data, new cards from a different supplier behave the same at the door as long as they use the same chip or stripe type your system expects.
RFID and magnetic stripe compared
Magnetic stripe and RFID hotel key cards, feature by feature
How it is read
- Magnetic stripe
- Swiped or inserted; the read head must touch the stripe
- RFID
- Contactless; held near the reader (13.56 MHz cards follow ISO/IEC 14443)
Can it be demagnetized?
- Magnetic stripe
- Yes. Strong magnets can erase or scramble the stripe; HiCo resists this better than LoCo
- RFID
- No. The data is held in a chip, not in a magnetic layer
Durability
- Magnetic stripe
- The stripe can be scratched, and repeated swiping wears it
- RFID
- Chip and antenna are sealed inside the card, with nothing exposed to wear
Security level
- Magnetic stripe
- The stripe only holds recorded data; there is no chip on the card
- RFID
- Depends on the chip, from basic MIFARE Ultralight to Ultralight C (added encryption) and DESFire
Encoder needed
- Magnetic stripe
- A magnetic stripe encoder from your lock system
- RFID
- An RFID encoder from your lock system
| Feature | Magnetic stripe | RFID |
|---|---|---|
| How it is read | Swiped or inserted; the read head must touch the stripe | Contactless; held near the reader (13.56 MHz cards follow ISO/IEC 14443) |
| Can it be demagnetized? | Yes. Strong magnets can erase or scramble the stripe; HiCo resists this better than LoCo | No. The data is held in a chip, not in a magnetic layer |
| Durability | The stripe can be scratched, and repeated swiping wears it | Chip and antenna are sealed inside the card, with nothing exposed to wear |
| Security level | The stripe only holds recorded data; there is no chip on the card | Depends on the chip, from basic MIFARE Ultralight to Ultralight C (added encryption) and DESFire |
| Encoder needed | A magnetic stripe encoder from your lock system | An RFID encoder from your lock system |
Neither type is "better" in every hotel. The right card is the one your locks read, and if you are replacing locks, the new locks decide.
The chip in an RFID card is chosen to match the lock. Most hotel locks read 13.56 MHz chips from the MIFARE family, and the exact chip depends on the lock make, model and encoder. Our lock compatibility guide lists the chips the major lock systems most often use.
HiCo vs LoCo magnetic stripes
Magnetic stripes come in two strengths, defined in the ISO/IEC 7811 series of standards. Coercivity is how much magnetic force it takes to write or erase the stripe.
- HiCo (high coercivity, ISO/IEC 7811-6): 2750 Oe on our cards. The standard describes its main benefit as better resistance to erasure.
- LoCo (low coercivity, ISO/IEC 7811-2): 300 Oe on our cards. Easier to write, and easier to erase by accident.
You cannot simply pick the stronger one. The stripe has to match what your encoder writes, so check your encoder settings or send us a card you use today. We supply both in our magnetic stripe and dual-technology cards.
Moving from stripe to RFID
Many properties still run magnetic stripe locks on some doors, or are upgrading floor by floor. The card plan should follow the lock plan.
Confirm the new locks and chip
Tell us the make and model of the RFID locks you are moving to. The make is usually on the lock face and the model is on a label on the encoder. We confirm the chip they read before quoting.
Plan the changeover
If stripe and RFID doors will run side by side, dual-technology cards carry both a stripe and an RFID chip, so a single card works everywhere during the changeover.
Test on your own doors
We send blank test cards with the chip we propose. Encode them on your own system and try them on your doors, lifts and pool gates before anything is printed.
Approve the proof and order
You approve a digital proof of your artwork. Most orders take 4 to 8 weeks from artwork approval; your quote states the delivery date.
Reorder without starting over
We keep your artwork and chip specification on file, so the next order is quick and consistent. Once every door reads RFID, you can switch to RFID-only key cards. See key cards for hotels and resorts for the full hotel range.
Cards with the right chip usually work with the encoder you already have. If you are replacing stripe locks with RFID locks, ask your lock supplier which encoder the new system uses.
Questions buyers ask
Can a phone demagnetize a hotel key card?
It can happen with stripe cards, though the usual cause is a magnet rather than the phone itself: magnetic clasps on phone cases and wallets, bag catches and similar. Keeping the card away from magnets helps, and HiCo stripes resist erasure better than LoCo. RFID cards store data in a chip, so magnets do not erase them.
Can we use magnetic stripe and RFID cards at the same time?
Yes. During a lock upgrade, dual-technology cards carry both a stripe and an RFID chip, so one card opens both old and new doors. Each part is encoded by the matching encoder for that lock system.
What does a hotel key card store?
Hotel key cards are generally encoded with access data such as the room, the stay dates and any extra areas the guest may use. They are not used to hold payment card details. Exactly what is written depends on your lock software, so your lock provider can confirm the details for your system.
