Card Access Systems & Readers
Card and key-fob readers that replace metal keys with credentials you control.
Card and fob access
Card and fob readers let staff and residents tap to enter, while you keep control of every credential. Lost a card? Disable it instantly — no re-keying.
- Proximity card and key-fob readers
- Instant add and revoke
- Works across multiple doors
- Audit which credential opened which door
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a card is lost?
You disable that credential instantly — no need to re-key locks or replace anyone else's card.
Can readers cover multiple doors?
Yes. A single system can manage many doors with different permissions for each person.
Choosing the Right Credential: Cards, Key Fobs, and Mobile Access
Not every card or fob is the same, and the type you choose shapes how secure and how convenient your system will be. The oldest credentials, like 125 kHz proximity cards, are inexpensive and widely compatible, but they transmit a simple unencrypted number that can be copied at a kiosk or with a cheap handheld cloner. Newer 13.56 MHz smart credentials use encrypted, mutual-authentication technology that is far harder to duplicate, which is why most current commercial readers in the Bay Area are built around them. If you are specifying a new system, it is worth starting on a modern, encrypted platform rather than retrofitting old prox cards you will want to replace later.
Beyond the card format, you also choose the physical form factor. Each option fits a different part of your team, and most businesses mix several across one system:
- Key fobs: durable and easy to carry on a keyring, ideal for field staff, drivers, and anyone who does not want a card in a wallet.
- Cards: double as a printed photo ID badge for offices, schools, and front-desk check-in.
- Mobile credentials: the phone becomes the key over Bluetooth or NFC, so there is no plastic to lose and access can be issued or revoked remotely.
- PIN keypads and biometrics: useful for high-security doors or as a second factor layered on top of a card or fob.
- Wristbands and adhesive tags: convenient for gyms, pools, and equipment where a card is impractical.
What Affects the Install and How to Prepare
The reader on the wall is only the visible part of a card access door. Behind it sit the door controller, the lock hardware, power, and the wiring that ties them together, and each of those drives the scope of the work. A single glass storefront door with an electric strike is a very different job from a fire-rated stairwell door that must fail safe and release on a building alarm, or an exterior gate that needs weather-rated hardware and a longer cable run. Door condition matters too: a frame that is out of alignment, a door that does not close fully on its own, or an existing lock that is worn will all affect how reliably the electronic hardware latches and reports, so those are worth checking before new readers go in.
A few details, gathered ahead of time, make the assessment and the install go smoothly. Knowing them up front helps us recommend the right readers and locks the first time and gives you an accurate picture of the work for each door:
- How many doors you want controlled now, and which ones you may add later, so the system is sized to grow.
- Whether each door is interior, exterior, fire-rated, or a gate, since that decides the lock type and whether it should fail-secure or fail-safe.
- Roughly how many people need credentials and whether different groups need different access by door or by schedule.
- Whether you want the system managed on-site or from the cloud so you can add and remove users from anywhere.
- Any existing access equipment, alarm panels, cameras, or intercoms you want the new readers to work alongside.
- Whether you need an audit trail of who entered which door and when, which is often important for commercial and shared-tenant spaces.
Ready to move forward?
Tell us about your property and what you need secured — we'll recommend the right system.
Call (669) 777-6811