Lock compatibility
Whatever lock is on your doors, we make a key card that fits
American Hotel Cards supplies RFID and magnetic-stripe hotel key cards compatible with every major lock system used in U.S. hotels — VingCard, Saflok, Onity, SALTO and more. Tell us your lock and we spec the exact chip, custom-print it to your brand, and ship it blank for your front desk to encode.
- 11 lock systems supported
- 13.56 MHz MIFARE & DESFire
- Magstripe & combo where needed
- Blank or pre-encoded
The short answer
Almost every U.S. hotel lock made in the last decade reads a contactless 13.56 MHz credential on the ISO/IEC 14443-A standard, using a chip in the MIFARE family — either MIFARE Classic or the encrypted MIFARE DESFire. American Hotel Cards supplies cards with exactly that chip, in standard CR80 format, custom-printed to your brand. We provide the compatible blank or printed card; your own lock system and front-desk encoder write each guest’s credential. Where a lock generation is still magnetic-stripe, we supply magstripe and combo cards too.
How it works
Three steps from your lock to a card that fits
- 01
Identify your lock
Send us your lock model or a photo of a sample card — or just tell us whether guests tap or swipe. We confirm the exact chip your readers use.
- 02
We match & print
We build the card on the matching MIFARE or DESFire inlay (or magstripe), custom-printed to your brand — or supply plain blanks for encrypted systems like SALTO.
- 03
You encode on-site
Your own system and front-desk encoder write each guest’s room, dates and access. The credential stays entirely yours — we never copy a live card.
Most common in U.S. hotels
The three systems on most American doors
VingCard, Saflok and Onity dominate guest-room locks across the United States. Start here if you are not sure what you run.
Flagship US VingCard
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions
Classic, Signature RFID, Essence, Allure & VingCard Visa locks.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on legacy Classic
View compatible cards
Flagship US Saflok
dormakaba
Saflok Quantum, Confidant RFID, MT/RT & System 6000 hotel locks.
MIFARE DESFire, encrypted (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on MT/RT
View compatible cards
Flagship US Onity
Onity (Carrier)
Onity DirectKey, Advance, HT & Trillium electronic locks.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on HT-series
View compatible cardsCompare
Every lock system at a glance
All 11 lock families we supply for, with the card technology each uses and what we make for it. Tap a brand for the full spec, FAQs and recommended cards.
| Lock brand | Example systems | Card technology | We supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| VingCard● ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions | VingCard Classic, VingCard Signature RFID, VingCard Essence | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on legacy Classic | RFID, magstripe & combo cards |
| Saflok● dormakaba | Saflok Quantum, Saflok Confidant RFID, Saflok MT | MIFARE DESFire, encrypted (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on MT/RT | Encrypted DESFire & combo cards |
| Onity● Onity (Carrier) | Onity DirectKey, Onity Advance, Onity HT24/HT28 | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on HT-series | RFID, magstripe & combo cards |
| SALTO Systems SALTO Systems | SALTO XS4, SALTO XS4 Mini, ProAccess SPACE | MIFARE DESFire, encrypted — blanks only (13.56 MHz) | Custom-printed DESFire blanks |
| Häfele Häfele | Häfele Dialock, Dialock DT 710, Dialock DT 700 | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) | RFID blanks, plain or printed |
| Hotek Hotek Hospitality Group | Hotek HTLC, Hotek e-Access, Hotek SmartLock | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) | RFID blanks, plain or printed |
| CISA CISA (Allegion) | CISA eSIGNO, CISA Mobile Access, CISA Smart Lock | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) | RFID blanks, plain or printed |
| Orbita Orbita | Orbita RFID, Orbita BLE, Orbita Smart Lock | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · BLE option | RFID blanks, plain or printed |
| Messerschmitt Messerschmitt Systems (MSC) | Messerschmitt MSC, MSC RFID, MSC Bedside Panel | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) | RFID blanks, plain or printed |
| Kaba / Ilco dormakaba (legacy Kaba) | Kaba Ilco 790, Kaba Oracode, Kaba E-Plex | MIFARE / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on legacy | RFID, magstripe & combo cards |
| MIWA MIWA Lock Co. | MIWA ALSOK, MIWA BeSic, MIWA DTRG | MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) | RFID blanks, plain or printed |
● Flagship systems most common on U.S. hotel doors. Magstripe is noted only where a lock generation predates RFID.
Also fully supported
The rest of the lineup
European, Japanese and specialist RFID systems — all 13.56 MHz MIFARE platforms we supply compatible cards for.
SALTO Systems
SALTO Systems
SALTO XS4, ProAccess SPACE and SALTO KS cloud access.
MIFARE DESFire, encrypted — blanks only (13.56 MHz)
View cardsHäfele
Häfele
Häfele Dialock electronic locking and DT door terminals.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz)
View cardsHotek
Hotek Hospitality Group
Hotek HTLC RFID locks and e-Access guest management.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz)
View cardsCISA
CISA (Allegion)
CISA eSIGNO contactless and Mobile Access hotel locks.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz)
View cardsOrbita
Orbita
Orbita RFID and BLE hotel locks for new-build and conversions.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · BLE option
View cardsMesserschmitt
Messerschmitt Systems (MSC)
Messerschmitt MSC German-engineered RFID room locks.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz)
View cardsKaba / Ilco
dormakaba (legacy Kaba)
Legacy Kaba Ilco, Oracode and E-Plex hospitality locks.
MIFARE / DESFire (13.56 MHz) · magstripe on legacy
View cardsMIWA
MIWA Lock Co.
MIWA ALSOK and BeSic RFID locks common in Japanese-brand hotels.
MIFARE Classic / DESFire (13.56 MHz)
View cardsNot sure what you have?
The fastest way to identify your lock
You do not need a spec sheet. If guests tap a card to open the door, you are on an RFID lock and almost certainly need a 13.56 MHz MIFARE or DESFire card. If they swipe it through a slot, you are on a legacy magnetic-stripe lock. Send us a photo of a sample card — front and back — and your lock model if you have it, and we will confirm the exact card before you order.
Go deeper
Guides that decode the details
Which Key Card Works With Your Lock?
Match your lock brand to the exact chip and card spec it needs.
Read guideMIFARE Classic vs DESFire for Hotel Cards
Which 13.56 MHz chip your locks read — and why it matters for security.
Read guideRFID vs Magnetic-Stripe Hotel Keys
Why U.S. hotels are retiring magstripe — and how to switch cleanly.
Read guideWhat we make
Cards and bands for every one of these systems
The same 13.56 MHz credential drops into all of them — choose the card or band that fits your property.
RFID Hotel Key Cards
MIFARE® & NFC key cards encoded for any U.S. hotel lock system.
View product
Eco Wood RFID Hotel Key Cards
FSC®-certified maple, walnut & birch cards with a natural, warm feel.
View product
Custom Printed Key Cards
Full-bleed CMYK, metallic foil, spot UV and Pantone brand matching.
View productReady when you are
Send us your lock — we will send back the right card
Request a free sample pack to test the chip and the print against your own doors, or share your lock model and quantity for a tailored quote. Either way, we confirm compatibility before anything prints.
Prefer email? sales@americanhotelcards.com · samples@americanhotelcards.com
VingCard, Saflok, Onity, SALTO, Häfele, Dialock, Hotek, CISA, eSIGNO, Orbita, Messerschmitt, Kaba, Ilco and MIWA are trademarks of their respective owners. American Hotel Cards is an independent supplier and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any lock manufacturer. “Compatible with” describes technical interoperability only.