Verkada 13.56 MHz / 125 kHz Technology explainer

Verkada Access Credentials

Cloud-managed access with an AES-secured smart credential — a facility guide to how Verkada issues credentials through Command, and where legacy open prox still fits during a migration.

Can you buy third-party Verkada Access Credentials cards?

Verkada is a cloud-managed access platform whose secured credential is an AES-protected 13.56 MHz smart card provisioned through the Verkada Command platform — so it's ordered through your Verkada administrator, not an outside supplier. Verkada readers also accept standard open 125 kHz proximity in legacy mode, and that open-format stock is what American Key Cards can supply.

13.56 MHz / 125 kHz
Frequency
Cloud-managed access control — AES-secured 13.56 MHz smart credential, with legacy 125 kHz prox support
Technology
3
Bit formats
1+
OEM part nos.
Brand channel
Order from

If your building runs Verkada, credential ordering works differently from a traditional access system, because everything lives in the Verkada Command cloud. This page explains how Verkada issues and manages credentials, what the secured smart credential actually is, and where an independent supplier fits during the common legacy-prox overlap. We don't sell Verkada's secured credentials — those come from Command — but we can supply the open proximity stock its readers accept in legacy mode.

How Verkada credentials are managed

Verkada's whole model is cloud-first: doors, readers, users, and credentials are administered in the Verkada Command platform rather than in on-premise software. When your organization issues a secured credential, it's provisioned through Command against your account, and the encryption that protects it is handled inside Verkada's ecosystem. That's why there's no aftermarket for Verkada's secured cards — the credential isn't just a number, it's a provisioned object tied to your Command tenant.

For the person running the building, this centralization is the appeal: revoke a lost credential in Command and it's dead everywhere instantly, issue mobile credentials to phones from the same console, and manage multiple sites from one login. The trade is that credential supply runs through Verkada's channel, not a card vendor.

The secured credential versus legacy proximity

Verkada readers are dual-capable. Their secured credential is an AES-protected 13.56 MHz smart card — genuinely clone-resistant and provisioned through Command — and that's the mode Verkada steers customers toward. But the same readers can also run in legacy proximity mode, accepting standard open 26-bit prox cards, which is what makes migrations from an older system practical.

Because the open 26-bit prox is an industry-standard format, it's exactly the kind of credential an independent supplier can provide. Verkada even lets sites disable the proximity antenna once they've fully migrated to secured credentials, which is the right end-state — but during the overlap, open prox keeps the doors working for un-migrated users.

Where American Key Cards fits

We don't and can't supply Verkada's secured credentials — those are provisioned in Command. What we supply is the standard open 26-bit proximity stock that Verkada readers accept in legacy mode, which is useful in two situations: you're migrating an existing prox population onto Verkada hardware and need interim credentials, or you're running Verkada readers in proximity mode and simply need more open-format cards.

If you're not sure which mode your readers are in, your Verkada administrator can tell you from Command, or send us a photo of a working credential and we'll help you identify whether it's the secured smart card (Verkada's channel) or an open prox card (ours).

Verkada Access Credentials specifications

System brand
Verkada
Technology
Cloud-managed access control — AES-secured 13.56 MHz smart credential, with legacy 125 kHz proximity support
Frequency
13.56 MHz / 125 kHz
Credential platform
Verkada's secured 13.56 MHz smart credential uses 128-bit AES protection provisioned through Verkada Command; Verkada readers also accept legacy open 125 kHz proximity
Bit formats
Verkada secured AES smart credential (provisioned through Verkada Command), Standard 26-bit Wiegand H10301 (legacy proximity mode), HID 36-bit Simplex (legacy proximity mode)
OEM part numbers
AC41-C / AC41-F / AC42-C (Verkada credentials, ordered through Verkada Command)

Specifications reviewed August 2026

How to order Verkada Access Credentials credentials

Verkada's secured smart credentials are provisioned and ordered through the Verkada Command cloud platform by your organization's Verkada administrator — they can't be produced by an outside supplier because the encryption is provisioned in Verkada's ecosystem. Where your Verkada readers run in legacy proximity mode, they also accept standard open 26-bit proximity cards, which American Key Cards supplies.

If your Verkada readers are running in legacy 125 kHz proximity mode during a migration, they accept standard open 26-bit proximity credentials — that open-format stock we can supply (see our standard 125 kHz proximity cards). The secured Verkada credential itself comes from Verkada Command.

Editorial reference page. American Key Cards is an independent credential supplier and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Verkada. We do not sell Verkada's secured credentials (we supply only the open, standard-format proximity credentials described above); brand and product names appear only to identify the technology discussed, and all trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.

Readers in this ecosystem

Verkada PD40 / PD60 / PD30 door readersVerkada readers in legacy proximity mode accept standard 26-bit prox

Verkada Access Credentials — FAQ

Can I get Verkada secured credentials from a third party?

No. Verkada's secured smart credential is AES-protected and provisioned through the Verkada Command cloud platform, so only your Verkada administrator can order it. We don't sell it. We can supply the standard open 26-bit proximity cards Verkada readers accept in legacy mode.

Can I use standard prox cards with Verkada readers?

Yes, when the reader is running in legacy 125 kHz proximity mode — it accepts standard open 26-bit prox, which we supply. Once a site fully migrates to Verkada's secured credentials, the proximity antenna is often disabled, at which point only the secured credential works.

How do I order more Verkada credentials?

Through your organization's Verkada administrator in the Command platform. Secured credentials are provisioned there; there's no aftermarket source. For interim open-prox cards during a migration, that's what we provide.

Does American Key Cards work with Verkada sites?

For the open-prox side, yes — we supply the standard 26-bit proximity credentials Verkada readers accept in legacy mode, and we'll help you identify which of your credentials are secured versus open. The secured credentials themselves come from Verkada Command.