Are You Ready to Switch to Contactless Cards?

If you are using magnetic stripe data in your ID security card system, there may be many advantages to switching to contactless cards, safety being the primary benefit. Especially for campuses, moving to a contactless card can give you the option of storing volumes of information and making global updates and changes to that information from a central location. In addition to ID cards, contactless technology can be used in keychain fobs, watches, and cell phones.

One thing a college student always carries is his or her cell phone, so this might be more convenient for students than a magnetic stripe card or proximity card. And contactless technology facilities multiple applications such as access control, payment systems, vending machines, and mass transit that you just can’t do with a magnetic stripe card.

What You Need to Consider When Making the Switch

The first thing you need to do is gather all of the stakeholders together to determine your requirements for a contactless system. For instance, thanks to the functionality of contactless technology, campus security, housing, student accounts, dining halls, libraries, and even campus gyms can all be tied to one card system. Each one of these departments will have its own requirements, so it’s important to get each stakeholder in the same room to discuss needs.

Once everyone is in agreement with the requirements of your new contactless card system, you can determine the technology that best fits those needs. At this point in your process, it would be advantageous to bring in an expert with extensive knowledge of all systems available and who is not connected to any one manufacturer. The expert can help you determine:

If you need to have the cards pre-encoded with information or if you need to encode everything at a desktop.
If you want to use the manufacturer’s encryption key or customize your own encryption key.
Whether you need reverse transfer printing or can use direct to card printing.
The best software to support your new contactless card system.

Get Students Involved

Finally, to get buy-in from your student population, make sure to get students involved before the switch. You could pass out a few beta-tested sample cards for students to try and hold Q&A sessions to help generate buzz. Make sure that students are comfortable with the migration from using a magnetic stripe card to using contactless technology.

One alternative to ensure that students are on board is to consider migrating your departments on a schedule. You could plan to implement contactless payment at dining halls and vending machines first, while still maintaining magnetic stripe cards in other locations on campus. Then you simply transition in each new step in your plan so that students have the opportunity to get used to the changes gradually. Finally, with the right system, you can transition from the contactless card to a mobile phone access in the next few years.

The IDSecurityOnline Difference

Our experts have in-depth knowledge and experience with all of the ID card printing solutions on the market, yet we are not tied to any one vendor’s solution. We can help guide you to the right system that will meet your current needs and also help you grow in the future. Choosing the right platform allows you to utilize technologies in the future to keep your ID system both current and safe.

Call one of our experts to discuss your particular needs or to schedule a meeting with all of your stakeholders.