Hotel Key Card: What is It and How to Program It

This article will show you how to program the hotel key card and related precautions. So let’s start now!

1. Why Does the Hotel Room Card Need to Be Programmed?

Your hotel key card may need to be programmed if it uses RFID or a magnetic lock system. Hotel key card programming is generally performed at the front desk. After the corresponding hotel room is allocated, the key card will be given to the guest after programming.

Programming is necessary for three reasons:

• Make sure the correct card is suitable for the correct door.
• It is convenient for guests to assign new key cards at check-in.
• If the guest loses the key card and needs another one, he can change or delete the assignment.

2. What is the Purpose of the Hotel Key Card?

Today, hotel key cards are made of different technologies and have multiple functions. The hotel key card is used to enter your room and temporarily enter the hotel elevator. They are also energy-saving switches in the room or in the gym, swimming pool, spa, or other public areas. You need to understand the purpose of the hotel key card to enjoy hotel accommodations more efficiently and safely.

3. What Technology Does the Key Card Use?

Key cards use many different technologies. Older key cards use magnetic strips to store data about rooms. They work like credit cards: if you pass them through a slot, it will read the data stored on the magnetic strip on the back.

More modern hotels use RFID locks, RFID, and radio waves to communicate between your card and other things. Generally, the scanner or antenna is completely built into other objects, such as door handles.

Some hotels even use NFC (Near Field Communication), which uses the same technology as RFID, but is very close. This is not very common in hotels, because unlike RFID or magnetic strips, you must wave your mobile phone in front of something to make it work – this is not just passive reading from a distance.

4. What Are the Benefits of A Hotel Key Card?

Hotel key cards offer many benefits. In addition to improving customer satisfaction, they increase security and reduce costs. It is easy to program, deactivate, and personalize them. Furthermore, they do not harm the environment.

The following are some advantages of RFID hotel key card:

• Security

Key cards can easily be replaced by front desk staff if they are lost or stolen. They can set different access rights for employees and guests (for example, restrict employees’ access to specific areas).

• Cost savings

Although metal keys must be replaced frequently to work properly, RFID cards rarely need to be replaced. Because they are made of plastic instead of metal, they won’t wear out quickly and are cheap in the long run.

• Convenient

Guests don’t need to worry about tracking heavy metal keys. They can easily store RFID cards in their wallets or wallets when not in use.

• Easy to program

There is no need to grope for those old-fashioned manual buttons at the front desk. If there is a problem in the programming process, please reprogram your RFID reader again without worrying about printing another set manually in case of loss/theft In general, it is much cheaper because there is no additional printing cost.

• Advertising potential

Now you can print out a customized hotel key card. Each key card is directly printed with the company logo, instead of the ordinary white/black room key, which has no information. Hotel key cards can solve many problems with old metal keys. Key card benefits include:

• Security

If the guest loses the metal key, the hotel staff will not be able to disable the key from the lock and prevent it from being stolen. However, the hotel can immediately use an RFID card to make it inactive by changing its program. In addition, RFID is more difficult to copy than traditional keys.

• Customer satisfaction

Customers like the convenience and security of using the hotel key card, rather than handling a set of old-fashioned keys – especially when they are familiar with modern technologies such as electronic room locks.

They are also often impressed by hotels that use smart new technologies such as smart cards (for credit cards).

5. What is Required to Program the Hotel Key Card?

Hotel key card encoder/programmer: the device that will program the key card (usually provided by your lock manufacturer). In a magnetic key card programmer, the card is inserted into one slot and the computer is inserted into another slot.

You can wear the RFID hotel key card and program the RFID hotel key card programmer.

• Hotel key card

You need to write information to them for the blank key card.

• Computer

The computer is used to install the hotel door lock system software and connect your key card encoder. Your ordinary PC or laptop will do.

• Hotel door lock system software

This is the software that communicates with the programmer and tells it what information to write on the key card. You need to purchase a copy of the software from the RFID manufacturer or distributor and install it on your PC.

You can download our RFID hotel door lock system software for your reference: ShineACS hotel door lock system software download.

6. What Types of Hotel Key Cards Can be Programmed?

Magnetic stripe hotel key card. These are often referred to as magnetic strips or MSRs. They are the most common and cheapest, even before the first computer. They are made of PVC plastic and have magnetic strips on the back to store all information about your account.

RFID hotel key card. They have the same appearance as traditional magnetic stripe cards. Nevertheless, there are still subtle differences: embedded antennas (for access control or payment purposes) that allow radio communication between chips and readers.

Hybrid key cards can be programmed in older and newer hotel door locks using magnetic stripe and RFID technology. Depending on the service life of the hotel lock hardware, you may need to upgrade the hotel lock itself and key card technology to use the smart key card in your hotel.

7. Type of Key Card Used by the Hotel

Key control cards come in several types:

1) MasterCard

The hotel door lock system can open the door locks of all rooms.

2) Building Key Card

You can open the door locks of all the rooms in this building, but you cannot open the locks of other rooms in different buildings.

3) Floor Key Card

It is used to open all locks on specific floors of the building, except for rooms and any areas locked by emergency password.

4) Emergency Key Card

Used to open up areas in an emergency. All system door locks can be opened, and the door lock is in the long open state after opening the door. When the door lock is in the long open state, there are two ways to release it.

Method 1: press the handle, and then brush the emergency card.

Method 2: After opening the door with the ordinary door opening card (ordinary card, floor control card, etc.), the door lock also returns to normal.

5) Group Control Key Card

The specified group’s door lock is opened with this key.

6) Checkout Card

For use by hotel staff. After swiping the check-out card on the door lock, the previous guest key card will not be able to open the door, and the newly issued guest card will not be affected.

7) Guest Key Card

Hotel guests use it in order to use the hotel elevator, open the door, and turn on the lights in their rooms.

8. How is the Hotel Key Programmed?

The following steps explain how to program the hotel key card using RFID hotel door lock system.

1) Preparations

• The hotel door lock management software must be installed on the computer before the hotel door lock system can be used.
• Connect the hotel key card encoder: connect the card issuer to the computer through the USB interface.
• Registration: Use the activation code to register the hotel door lock management software to ensure the normal operation of the card issuer and software
• You can select a super administrator, general administrator, manager in charge, and front desk operator for the hotel door lock system.
• Set the room number: add the room number in the hotel door lock management software
• Set door lock: set the specified room number as the corresponding door lock.
• Set the lock time: verify whether the lock time of all rooms is set correctly, so as to correctly define the time when customers can use the hotel room.

2) Procedure Hotel Employee Key Card

Locate the employee card area and click. Now you can select the corresponding employee card and enter the corresponding cardholder name, validity period, and other information to create the corresponding card.

3) Procedure Hotel Guest Key Card

Find the front desk reception card issuing option in the software and display the front desk reception screen. All rooms are currently available for viewing. Choose a room that is available. Set the guest’s information, including days of stay, check-out time, and check-in time. For more details on how to program the hotel key card, you can check our hotel lock system user manual.

9. How to Use the Room Card in the Hotel?

Once your key card is programmed, its working mode is very simple:

1) Step 1:

Guest check-in When the guest registers and receives the key card, the RFID card will be programmed to match their room number and check-in date.

2) Step 2:

Use the elevator: Some hotels have used the hotel key card to control the hotel elevator system. You need to swipe your hotel room card on the elevator card reader; Then, you can use the elevator to enter the correct floor of your room.

3) Step 3:

Use the key card to unlock your door. When you place the hotel key card in the slot on the door (near or above the door handle), the current will flow through the metal coil embedded in the plastic door handle. This will cause the circuit to close and unlock the door lock of your room so that you can enter the room.

4) Step 4:

Cards provide power. For most hotels, when the guest inserts the card into the hotel energy-saving switch, the hotel key card can also power all the lights, air conditioning/heating settings, and TV in the guest room (but not all hotels operate in this way). This allows the hotel to save energy by ensuring that these electronic devices will not operate when no one is in the room.

5) Step 5:

Use the hotel key card to enter other hotel areas. Some hotels use hotel key cards to restrict the entry of non-hotel guests. Only guests with key cards can enter these areas, such as hotel restaurants and gymnasiums.

6) Step 6:

Check out. When guests leave the hotel, they need to take out the key card from the power-saving switch, close the door, and return the hotel key card to the front desk before leaving the hotel.

7) Step 7:

Reprogram the hotel key card. A hotel key card will be reprogrammed after a guest checks out for a future guest.

10. What Information is on the Hotel Key Card?

Once you know what information is stored on the hotel key card, it will be easier to understand how the card works and why you may want to modify your card. Generally, hotel key cards store specific information, including the following:

• Your hotel name and location
• Your room number
• Your guest name
• Deadline for room reservation

According to the size of the available space on the card, the chain hotels may also have some brands or advertisements.

1) How Will You Handle the Hotel Room Key when You Leave?

• Leave the key in your room.
• Give the key to the housekeeping service.
• Give it to the reception desk.
• If you check out during non-working hours, please put it in the key box.
• Keep it as a souvenir of your trip, or give it to children who may be interested in collecting keys from different places and will not destroy anything (if you decide to keep your keys, please mark the date and place with a combination of letters. Their origin is an interesting way to commemorate them).

2) Will You Return the Hotel Key Card?

In this case, the answer may depend on the circumstances. Some hotels may ask you to return your room card when you check out, while some hotels will charge you when you do not.

It all depends on the hotel policy. If your hotel asks you to return the key or charges you for failing to return it, they will usually inform you at the time of check-in. I have never stayed in a hotel that charged me for returning keys when I checked out – and I have stayed in hundreds of hotels around the world. So really, it all depends on the property and its policies.

11. How Does the Wireless Hotel Key Card Room Lock Communicate?

The RF in RFID stands for “radio frequency”. These key cards use to communicate with the room lock. Each of these key cards will send a unique encrypted signal to identify them as a specific room belonging to the hotel.

Once the door lock receives this signal, it will be decoded and matched with the wireless password in the fitting room. This means that only those who have access to this encoded information can create a new wireless key for a specific room — and because this information will not be shared or disclosed in any way, outsiders can rarely break into your hotel and use the RFID card they stole from another guest to enter the room.

12. How Can the Hotel Key Card be Used Only on Your Door?

The hotel key card is programmed using the unique code identified by the room lock. Through the encoder, each of these codes is sent from the hotel database to the lock with a unique code number. For example, room 201 can be programmed to use access-group 201 to allow it to open any door configured for room 201 in the database.