How to encode data in your ID cards

To increase security and create multifunctional badges, you can encode information onto your ID cards. Card printers come with a variety of encoding options to answer the needs of every application.

Here is an overview of the different options available today:

• Barcodes
  Easy-to-use and inexpensive, barcodes are easy to set up as the printer doesn’t need a specific encoder. All you need to do is add a barcode to your cards through your design software. Barcodes don’t store data: a barcode reader is used to scan the code.
• Magnetic Stripes
  Magnetic stripe cards are widely used for access control badges, time & attendance or gift cards. Magnetic stripes store data in black or brown strips of resin on the back of the card. The data is read by a magnetic stripe reader when the card is swiped. Magnetic stripe cards have a higher data capacity than most barcodes and the data can be updated when needed.
• Contact / Contactless Smart cards
  With contact and contactless smart cards, the data is securely encoded into an embedded chip. This information can be updated and recoded whenever required, making smart cards perfect for applications such as student IDs, healthcare cards, loyalty cards and government IDs.
  To store data and to be read, a contact smart card must be inserted into a reader, when contactless smart cards only need to be waved within range of a reader. 
• UHF RFID
  The Gen 2 UHF RFID technology – already widely used in asset management – brings security, speed and convenience to any identification process. Gen 2 ID cards offer a wider read range and allow multiple card reads at the same time. Extremely secure, the UHF RFID technology is ideal to ease traffic at entry and exit points of secure areas and control access in high-security premises or locations where crowd control is an issue such as ski resorts, cruise ships, amusement parks or events.

To choose the right option for your application, talk to one of our experts for a free ID consultation.  Call IDSecurityOnline at 1-800-897-7024, chat live with us, or email us at info@idsecurityonline.com.