Proximity cards or prox cards are powerful tools that can be used to secure your facility and control access. However, for the cards to work properly, you will have to order the cards correctly, or else you will not be able to properly integrate the card with your access control system. Also, this information will be needed to order more prox cards. As a provider of ID card printers and other ID card supplies, we share the details of some of the information that you need while ordering more prox cards. 

Card Material And Style

The first thing that you need to know is the style of the card and the material used. Proximity cards are available in a wide range of styles and so, you will have to know the exact style of prox card that you use with your access control system. Some of the different styles of proximity cards available are printable proximity cards, clamshell prox cards, printable proximity cards with magnetic stripes, key fobs, etc. 

Format 

The next thing that you will need is the format of your access control system. Most proximity cards will be of 26-bit format, even though specialized access control systems can use a different format. If you are unsure of the format of your access control system, you can check the box of your last cards or may look up the settings of your access control system.

Facility Code 

The facility code will be usually a number between 0 and 255 and will be assigned to your location. Most of the access control systems will have a single facility code for a location like a business, although there are systems that can use multiple codes. If you are unsure of the facility code, you can check the label of your previous box of cards.

Sequence Start Number 

Each of the prox cards in an access control system will have a unique ID number. This number is called the sequence number. If you have already printed cards from 1 to 100, the next card sequence start number when you order a new set of prox cards will be 101. If you do not know the card sequence number, you can look at which numbers have been assigned in your access control system.

Printed Serial Number 

You should also note down the printer serial number if you are using it on your cards. This can either match with the sequence number of the card or can be a unique number that you designate, like a student serial number or an employee number.