Smart credentials
MIFARE Classic access cards & fobs
13.56 MHz ISO/IEC 14443 Type A cards and fobs for compatible MIFARE Classic reader deployments. This is a legacy smart-card family; it remains useful where installed systems require it, but it is not the recommended security choice for new high-assurance deployments.
Available as a compatible-by-specification credential after we verify your reader and facility format.
What are MIFARE Classic cards?
MIFARE Classic is a 13.56 MHz contactless smart-card family on ISO/IEC 14443 Type A, with 1K or 4K of sector-organized memory, used by hotel locks, gyms, campus systems and office doors. American Key Cards supplies Classic-compatible cards, fobs and wristbands with the sector layout and UID length matched to your system before production. Its CRYPTO1 encryption is legacy, so new high-security deployments should specify DESFire instead.
Overview
About MIFARE Classic
MIFARE Classic is the most widely deployed contactless smart-card family ever made — hotel door locks, gym lockers, campus cards, laundry payment, city transit and countless office doors run on its 13.56 MHz, ISO 14443 Type A interface. When those systems need cards, they need them in volume and to spec: 1K or 4K memory, correct sector layout if the application writes data, printed or blank.
We supply Classic-compatible stock across cards, fobs and wristbands, and we are direct about its position in 2026: CRYPTO1 encryption was broken years ago, so Classic is the right choice for continuity of an installed system, not for new high-security designs. Systems that need real cryptography should look at our DESFire and MIFARE Plus lines — and we will say so when asked.
Technical details
MIFARE Classic access cards & fobs specifications
- Frequency
- 13.56 MHz
- Standard
- ISO/IEC 14443 Type A
- Memory options
- 1K (16 sectors × 4 blocks × 16 bytes) or 4K (40 sectors)
- UID
- 4-byte NUID or 7-byte UID variants
- Card dimensions
- CR80 ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 — 85.6 × 54 mm
- Thickness
- 30 mil / 0.76 mm
- Typical read range
- Up to ~4 in (10 cm), reader-dependent
- Printing
- Dye-sub direct-to-card printable; fobs and wristbands available
- Security note
- Legacy CRYPTO1; use DESFire or MIFARE Plus for new secure designs
Available configuration
Choose the form factor after the technology
Where it fits
Common MIFARE Classic applications
Hotels & resorts
Guest key cards for Classic-based lock systems, blank or printed with property branding, in the volumes front desks actually burn through.
Gyms, spas & lockers
Member cards and wristbands driving locker locks and check-in readers on the same credential.
Campus & membership cards
1K cards with application data written to agreed sectors for cafeterias, libraries and print-release systems.
Office access continuity
Ongoing card supply for buildings whose readers and panels are settled on Classic and working fine.
Before you order
How to order MIFARE Classic correctly
- 1K vs 4K memory
Most access and hotel applications live comfortably in 1K’s sixteen sectors. Choose 4K only when your application vendor specifies it — paying for unused memory helps nobody.
- UID length matters to some systems
Classic exists in 4-byte NUID and 7-byte UID variants, and enrollment behavior can differ. We match what your system already uses.
- Security posture, stated plainly
Classic’s encryption is legacy. Fine for hotel doors, lockers and low-risk membership; wrong for data centers and payroll. We recommend up-tier when the risk justifies it.
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
MIFARE Classic FAQ
Will these cards work with my hotel lock system?
If the locks read MIFARE Classic — most PVC-card hotel systems from the last fifteen years do — then yes. Send the lock brand and a sample card and we verify the sector requirements before production.
Can you print our logo on the cards?
Yes, full-color printing on one or both faces with numbering if desired. Artwork is proofed before any card is pressed.
What is the difference between Classic and DESFire?
Classic is an older memory-card design with broken legacy encryption; DESFire is a modern AES-secured platform. Classic keeps installed systems running economically; DESFire is what new secure deployments should specify.
Do you stock fobs and wristbands in Classic too?
Both — same chip family, so a gym can hand members a card, fob or silicone wristband and the readers treat them identically.
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