MIFARE cards are contactless smart cards that you most commonly see in healthcare organisations, such as loyalty cards or even various payment cards. These cards use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to work with machines to conduct various actions like access control, debit/credit payments, paying for parking tickets, etc. These cards are embedded with an antenna as well as a microchip to make them work smoothly and contactless. The information in the card is stored within the microchip, and the antenna helps the machine read the information on the card.
Here’s all you need to know about MIFARE cards.
Who Uses MIFARE Cards?
MIFARE Cards have become so common, we don’t even realise it, but we have a stack of these in our wallets for everyday use; here are some of the uses of MIFARE Cards.
- Student ID Cards
- Loyalty Cards
- Transport Ticketing
- Membership Cards
- Library Cards
- Hotel Keys
- Payment Cards
- Automated fare collection system
- Staff ID cards
- Access control management
- Tourist cards
- Event Ticketing
- Mobile ticketing
- Fuel cards
- Taxi cards
- Production Control
- Car Rental Cards
- Interactive Lottery Cards
- Social Welfare Cards
- Waste Management
What Are the Benefits Of MIFARE Cards
MIFARE Cards come with a truckload of benefits, but here are some key benefits to enable you to understand how important these cards have become for us.
- These cards are difficult to clone; hence, they provide enhanced security encryption.
- The card can be connected to apps and key fobs for extra convenience.
- Contactless reading is also a huge benefit, as you don’t have to insert your card into any machine to use it.
- Each card comes with a unique and different serial number.
The Different Types of MIFARE Cards Explained
Not all MIFARE cards are the same. There are many types that are designed to suit different causes and organisations; here’s a brief explanation of each,
Which MIFARE Card Is Ideal For Your Organisation?
MIFARE Classic®
MIFARE Classic cards are multipurpose and the most common of the lot. They have 1KB or 4KB of memory, and they comply with ISO/IEC 14443. These are entry-level cards that are most commonly used in public transport payment systems, event ticketing, car parking, and legacy access control systems. However, MIFARE Classic® isn’t suitable for carrying high-risk data.
MIFARE DESFire®
These are the best if you are looking for a quick and safe way to transfer and transmit data. These cards comply with more than 30 different applications.
They are so common that more than 10 billion cards and 260 million DESFire readers are circulating, according to the current data. These cards are used for access control/access management, on-site/staff identity cards, campus/student identity cards, proof of identity, etc.
MIFARE DESFire EV3
They were launched in 2020, and they are the latest addition to the lot. Their focus is mostly on mobile credentials. These cards offer NFC compatibility, and they are the future we have all been looking forward to. These are highly popular due to the security they provide; these cards are immune to hacking. They can be used for Access Management, Closed-loop micropayment, Student identification, Proof of identity, Mobile cloud payment services, Smartphone compatibility, etc.
All in all, MIFARE cards have become the brightest star of our ultra-tech future.