Smart credentials
Hotel lock RFID key cards
Blank RFID key card stock compatible with the major electronic hotel lock platforms — dormakaba Saflok and Ilco, Onity and other MIFARE-based systems — encoded at your own front desk exactly like the cards you use today. Supplied plain or custom printed with your property branding. This is issuance stock for properties: existing guest and master keys are never copied.
For new deployments or authorised credential issuance. Existing secured cards are not copied.
What are hotel lock RFID key cards?
Hotel lock RFID key cards are the 13.56 MHz MIFARE-family cards that electronic hotel locks read — dormakaba Saflok and Ilco, Onity and similar platforms. Properties buy them blank and encode each guest key at the front desk through their own lock system. American Key Cards supplies this stock plain or custom printed with property branding, matched to the chip family the locks read. Existing guest and master keys are never copied.
Overview
About Hotel key cards
Every RFID hotel key card starts life the same way: as blank chip stock the property encodes at its own front desk. The lock vendor sells the locks and the software; the cards themselves are consumables — MIFARE Classic or MIFARE Ultralight C chips in a printable card body — and buying them well is a purchasing decision, not a locksmithing one.
We supply that stock for MIFARE-based hotel lock platforms including dormakaba Saflok and Ilco and Onity systems, plain white or custom printed with your property's branding, artwork and key-packet details. Send your lock brand and a photo of a current card; we confirm the chip family your locks actually read before anything ships. Properties on SALTO systems: see our dedicated SALTO credential stock line. Legacy magstripe locks: our magstripe card line covers those.
Technical details
Hotel lock RFID key cards specifications
- Frequency
- 13.56 MHz
- Standard
- ISO/IEC 14443 Type A
- Chip options
- MIFARE Classic 1K / 4K and MIFARE Ultralight C — matched to your lock platform
- Platform coverage
- dormakaba (Saflok, Ilco), Onity and other MIFARE-based hotel lock systems; SALTO covered by our SALTO credential stock line
- Issuance route
- Encoded on your existing front-desk encoder / property management system — supplied blank
- Card dimensions
- CR80 ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 — 85.6 × 54 mm, 30 mil / 0.76 mm
- Printing
- Full-color custom printing with your property branding, or plain white stock
- Excluded
- Duplication of existing guest, staff or master keys, and any lock-system keys or software
Available configuration
Choose the form factor after the technology
Where it fits
Common Hotel key cards applications
Hotels & resorts
Branded guest key cards encoded at your own front desk, in volumes from a single property to a management group.
Boutique & independent properties
Small-batch custom printing without the OEM minimums — same chip stock, your design.
Vacation rentals & aparthotels
Blank stock for self-check-in kiosks and smart-lock systems that issue RFID keys.
Casinos & clubs with room blocks
Key cards that double as branded touchpoints, printed with comps, Wi-Fi details or promotions.
Before you order
How to order Hotel key cards correctly
- Chip family must match the locks
Saflok, Ilco and Onity platforms read specific MIFARE chip families, and generations vary by install. We verify from your lock brand and a current card before production — a beautiful card that the lock ignores helps nobody.
- Issuance stays with the property
Your front-desk encoder and lock software issue every key. We supply stock only — no existing guest, staff or master key is ever copied, and no lock-system keys are involved.
- Print for the guest journey
Key cards are the one piece of print every guest carries. Full-color branding, room-number write panels and matching key packets are all available on the same stock.
Compatibility reference
Find your exact reader format
Choose the matching format before ordering. These pages list the relevant reader families, OEM references and credential requirements.
Questions we actually get
Hotel key cards FAQ
Will these cards work with my hotel locks?
If your locks are MIFARE-based — as dormakaba Saflok and Ilco and Onity RFID systems are — yes, once we match the chip family and generation your installation reads. Tell us the lock brand and send a photo of a current key card; we confirm compatibility before you commit to a print run.
Can you copy our existing master or guest keys?
No — and nobody reputable can offer that. Hotel keys are encoded by your lock system with its own keys and expiry logic. We supply blank stock; your front desk issues every credential, exactly as it does today.
Do you print custom designs?
Yes — full-color printing with your property branding on the same chip stock, from boutique-scale runs to group volumes. Plain white stock is always available for properties that print on site.
Our locks use magstripe cards — do you cover those?
Yes, under our magstripe card line: standard and high-coercivity stripes in the same CR80 card body, also available custom printed.
Need help identifying the technology?
Send a photo of the credential and the reader model. We'll identify the format before we quote a compatible product.
Lifetime parts & workmanship guarantee on every card