HID Corporate 1000 35-Bit Compatible Cards: What You Need to Know
If your building or campus runs on HID Corporate 1000 35-bit credentials, you are working with one of the few 125 kHz proximity formats that requires format-code authorization to reproduce. American Key Cards is one of a small number of aftermarket suppliers that can produce compatible Corporate 1000 35-bit cards programmed to your organization’s H5XXXX format code, without requiring an HID Global dealer account or OEM pricing.
What Is HID Corporate 1000 35-Bit?
HID Corporate 1000 is a managed proximity credential program operated by HID Global (an ASSA ABLOY company). When an organization enrolls, HID assigns it a unique format code — for the 35-bit generation, these codes follow the pattern H5XXXX — and registers that code in HID’s database. HID guarantees it will never assign the same format code to another customer.
The format itself is built on 125 kHz passive proximity technology — the same physical radio layer used by standard HID ProxCard II cards. What makes it distinct is the data structure:
- Bit length: 35 bits total
- Structure: 3 parity bits + 12-bit company ID code + 20-bit card number
- Card number capacity: over 1,048,576 unique card numbers per format code
- Format code naming:
H5XXXX(assigned at enrollment, pre-February 2015)
This architecture replaces the open facility-code system of 26-bit cards with a company ID that is cryptographically registered to your organization. No other company can accidentally or deliberately use the same company ID in their card population.
How Corporate 1000 35-Bit Differs from Standard HID Prox
Most HID proximity deployments use the open 26-bit H10301 format. That format — facility code 1 to 255, card number 1 to 65,535 — is available from dozens of manufacturers with no licensing requirement. If two organizations happen to share the same facility code, their cards will cross-read in each other’s readers.
Corporate 1000 eliminates that risk by replacing the open facility code with an HID-managed company ID. The table below compares the two formats directly.
| Attribute | HID 26-Bit H10301 | Corporate 1000 35-Bit (H5XXXX) |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 125 kHz | 125 kHz |
| Bit length | 26 bits | 35 bits |
| Company identifier | Facility code 1-255 (open) | 12-bit company ID (HID-assigned, unique) |
| Card numbers | Up to 65,535 per facility code | Up to 1,048,576 per format code |
| Format exclusivity | None — shared with all users | Guaranteed by HID — no duplicates |
| Supply control | Open market | HID-managed — approved vendors only |
| Cloneable | Yes | Yes (125 kHz prox layer is unencrypted) |
| Part numbers | 1386, 1326, 1346 (also used for Corp 1000) | 1386, 1326, 1346 (format encoded at production) |
The physical card bodies — OEM part numbers like 1386 (ISOProx II), 1326 (ProxCard II), and 1346 (ProxCard Plus) — are identical to those used for standard HID Prox. The difference lives entirely in what is encoded on the chip at production time.
OEM Part Numbers and What They Mean
HID produces Corporate 1000 35-bit cards on the same card body SKUs as standard ProxCard product lines. The format distinction is a programming configuration, not a different physical product:
1386— ISOProx II (printable PVC card, gloss finish, laser-engraveable)1326— ProxCard II (standard credit-card profile, non-printable)1346— ProxCard Plus (higher read range variant)
When you order from HID or an authorized distributor, you specify the format code (H5XXXX) and card number range alongside the card body SKU. American Key Cards programs compatible cards to the same specification — format code, company ID, and card number range — on equivalent card bodies.
Compatible Readers
Corporate 1000 35-bit cards work with any HID Prox reader that supports 35-bit Wiegand output, as well as any access control panel configured to receive a 35-bit data stream. This includes:
- HID MaxiProx 5375 — long-range reader common in vehicle and parking applications
- HID ProxPro 5355 — standard wall-mount Wiegand reader
- HID MiniProx 5365 — compact mullion-style reader
- HID multiCLASS SE readers configured for 35-bit prox output
- Panels from Lenel OnGuard, Software House C•CURE, and Genetec Security Center configured for 35-bit Wiegand
Reader configuration matters. If your panel and reader were configured by the original installer to accept 35-bit Corporate 1000 Wiegand data, they will read these cards without any hardware changes.
The Managed-Format Supply Question
Here is an honest explanation of what “managed format” means in practice, and what it does not mean.
HID controls who can produce cards in your format code. That is real supply-chain discipline — a generic 125 kHz card programmer cannot walk into the market and sell Corporate 1000 35-bit cards without the format programming authorization HID controls. This is why so few aftermarket suppliers offer this format.
What HID’s program does not do is encrypt the card data. Corporate 1000 35-bit cards operate on standard 125 kHz passive proximity technology — the same physical radio standard as an unencrypted standard prox card. A person with a commercially available RFID duplicator who has physical access to one of your cards can read and copy it. The managed supply program prevents unauthorized production at scale, but it does not prevent card-level duplication by someone holding your credential.
If your threat model requires encryption on the credential itself, the relevant upgrade path is HID iCLASS SE, which uses AES-128 mutual authentication and cannot be physically cloned.
Who Uses Corporate 1000 35-Bit?
Corporate 1000 35-bit is the appropriate choice — and in many cases the required choice — for organizations that enrolled in HID’s managed format program before February 2015. Common deployment environments include:
- Enterprise corporate campuses with high cardholder counts requiring more than 65,535 unique card numbers
- Financial institutions requiring format-code exclusivity to prevent credential cross-contamination
- Government contractor facilities operating under access control specifications that mandate managed formats
- Multi-building enterprise deployments where facility-code collisions across sites would be operationally problematic
Organizations that enrolled in the Corporate 1000 program after February 2015 received the 48-bit variant instead. The 48-bit format uses H2XXXXXX format codes and supports over 8 million card numbers per format. See the Corporate 1000 48-bit guide for full details on that variant.
Identifying Your Format Before Ordering
Before ordering Corporate 1000 35-bit compatible cards, confirm your format details using these steps:
From your existing cards: The format code and card number are typically printed on the card label in the format H5XXXX followed by the card number. Some cards also show the company ID separately.
From your access control software: Systems from Lenel, Software House, and Genetec display the bit format assigned to each reader port. The port configuration will list 35-bit or show the Corporate 1000 format code.
From your installer’s records: The original system documentation should list the HID format code assigned to your organization at enrollment.
If you have a card and are unsure whether it is 35-bit Corporate 1000 or standard HID 26-bit, the card number printed on the label is the most reliable indicator — Corporate 1000 cards often have card numbers exceeding 65,535, which is impossible in the 26-bit format.
Ordering Corporate 1000 35-Bit Cards from American Key Cards
American Key Cards is not affiliated with HID Global or ASSA ABLOY. We supply cards compatible by specification — programmed to match your existing credential population in format code, company ID, and card number range. For full technical specifications, see the HID Corporate 1000 35-bit format page.
To place an order, you will need:
- Your
H5XXXXformat code (the company ID assigned to your organization by HID) - The card number or range of card numbers to program
- The quantity and form factor you need (ISO card, clamshell, or similar)
We program each batch to your exact specification and ship ready for enrollment in your system. No dealer account, no OEM minimums.
For questions about format compatibility or to request a quote, contact us at americankeycards.com/contact/. If you are managing a mixed-format campus with both Corporate 1000 and standard prox readers, we can help you determine which cards belong to which reader population before you order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HID Corporate 1000 35-bit format and who uses it?
Corporate 1000 35-bit is a managed proximity format in which HID assigns each enrolled organization a unique format code beginning with H5XXXX. It uses a 12-bit company ID field and a 20-bit card number field within a 35-bit Wiegand frame, supporting over one million unique card numbers per organization. Organizations that enrolled in the Corporate 1000 program before February 2015 use the 35-bit variant. It is common in enterprise campuses, financial institutions, and government contractor facilities.
Can Corporate 1000 35-bit cards be physically cloned?
Yes — the underlying technology is 125 kHz passive proximity, which has no cryptographic layer on the card itself. A Corporate 1000 35-bit card can be read and duplicated with commercially available RFID tools. The managed nature of the format controls who can manufacture cards in your format code, but it does not prevent physical duplication by someone who gains access to an existing card.
What information do I need to order compatible Corporate 1000 35-bit cards?
You need your organization's assigned format code (the H5XXXX designation HID issued when you enrolled), along with the card number range you want programmed. That format code encodes your unique 12-bit company ID. Without it, no supplier — OEM or otherwise — can produce cards in your specific format. Check your original enrollment documentation or your current card labels.
How does Corporate 1000 35-bit differ from standard HID 26-bit cards?
Standard 26-bit H10301 cards carry a facility code (1-255) and card number (1-65,535) in an open format that any 125 kHz card supplier can produce. Corporate 1000 35-bit extends this with a 12-bit company ID code unique to your organization, over one million card numbers per format, and HID's managed-supply guarantee that your format code will never be issued to another customer. It is a premium, licensed program — not simply a longer bit count.
