NFC & Mobile-Key Cards
NFC & mobile-key cards — tap-to-enter NTAG213/215 cards that bridge plastic keys and mobile-key rollouts for U.S. hotels, encoded for your lock system.
Overview
NFC and mobile-key cards are 13.56 MHz cards built on NTAG chips that smartphones and NFC readers can tap, letting a hotel bridge physical key cards and a mobile-key rollout on one credential family. American Hotel Cards prints and encodes them for VingCard, Saflok, Onity, SALTO and other systems — so guests without the app, or with a dead battery, always have a card that just works.
Mobile keys are growing, but they are not universal: not every guest installs the app, not every phone has charge at the door, and front desks still need a fallback that opens the room instantly. NFC cards give you that bridge. Built on NTAG213 or NTAG215 chips, they are read by the same contactless field as a phone tap, so they sit naturally alongside a mobile-key program rather than competing with it.
Beyond the door, the NFC chip can carry a tap-to-launch URL — a digital compendium, a Wi-Fi handoff, a check-out or upsell page — turning the card into a quiet concierge a guest can tap with their own phone. The same card still encodes to your lock for room access, so one credential does double duty.
These cards are fully custom-printed like our standard line and encode blank on your system or pre-programmed to your profile. For hotels mid-transition to mobile keys, they are the pragmatic credential: modern, app-adjacent, and reliable for every guest regardless of device.
- Hotels mid-transition to mobile keys needing a reliable fallback
- Tap-to-launch digital compendiums and Wi-Fi handoff
- Upsell, check-out and feedback links a guest taps with their phone
- Properties supporting guests on older or app-averse devices
- Co-branded NFC promotions and loyalty interactions
Specification
The technical sheet
Real, verifiable specs — the numbers your facilities and procurement teams will ask for.
| Format | CR80 — 85.6 × 54 mm |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.76 mm (30 mil) |
| Material | PVC, rPVC or sustainable cores |
| Chip options | NTAG213 (180 B) · NTAG215 (504 B) · NTAG216 on request |
| Also supports | MIFARE Classic / DESFire for lock access where required |
| Protocol | ISO/IEC 14443-A · NFC Forum Type 2 |
| Frequency | 13.56 MHz |
| NFC data | NDEF URL / vCard / text, rewritable |
| Full-bleed CMYK, Pantone, foil, spot UV | |
| MOQ | From 500 cards |
| Lead time | Approx. 2–3 weeks after artwork approval |
Compatibility
Works with your lock
NFC & Mobile-Key Cards carry standard 13.56 MHz credentials, so they drop into the readers you already own. Pick your system to confirm the exact chip — or send us your lock model and we will spec it for you.
All lock systemsQuestions
NFC & Mobile-Key Cards, answered
What is the difference between an NFC card and a normal RFID key card?
Both operate at 13.56 MHz. RFID key cards focus on opening your lock; NFC cards use NTAG chips that consumer smartphones can also read, so they can both open the door (where the lock supports it) and trigger a tap-to-launch URL on a guest’s phone.
Can an NFC card both open the door and launch a web page?
Yes. The card can encode to your lock for room access and also carry an NDEF URL that a guest taps with their phone to open your compendium, Wi-Fi handoff or upsell page — one card, two jobs.
Do we still need NFC cards if we have mobile keys?
Most hotels keep both. Mobile-key adoption is never 100% — guests skip the app, run out of battery or use unsupported phones — so an NFC card is the dependable fallback that keeps every guest moving at the door.
Which NTAG chip should we choose?
NTAG213 (180 bytes) is plenty for a single URL and is the most economical; NTAG215 (504 bytes) suits richer payloads like a vCard or multiple records. We will recommend based on what you want the tap to do.
Can the tap-to-launch link be changed later?
Yes. NDEF content is rewritable, so a campaign, compendium or Wi-Fi link can be updated across a batch without reprinting the cards.
Keep exploring
Pairs well with
RFID Hotel Key Cards
MIFARE® & NFC key cards encoded for any U.S. hotel lock system.
View
Custom Printed Key Cards
Full-bleed CMYK, metallic foil, spot UV and Pantone brand matching.
View
Silicone RFID Wristbands
IP68 waterproof bands for pools, spas and cashless resort payments.
View
RFID Key Fobs & Tags
Back-of-house fobs and asset tags on the same credential as your cards.
ViewReady when you are
See and feel nfc & mobile-key cards first
Request a free sample pack to check the stock, the print and the fit with your locks — or send us your lock model and quantity and we will come back with a tailored quote.
Prefer email? sales@americanhotelcards.com · samples@americanhotelcards.com