You probably handle PVC cards every day without really thinking about it: work badge, access card, bank card or loyalty cards. These plastic cards play a central role in identification, access control and service management within businesses, public authorities or retail environments.

With the growing importance of connectivity, data protection and security, the choice of embedded technology in these cards is no longer a minor detail. Do you need fast remote verification, onboard data storage or simple insert-and-read functionality? These answers will guide your selection towards a magnetic stripe card, chip card or an RFID-equipped card.

In this article, you will explore the precise differences between these three technologies, identify their appropriate use cases and understand how they influence user experience, security and information system performance.

Discover how PVC cards with chip, magnetic stripe or RFID work

PVC cards with magnetic stripe

You have certainly already used a bank card or a loyalty card featuring a black stripe. This magnetic stripe contains three tracks that store encoded data in the form of magnetic particles aligned on a plastic strip.

A magnetic reader extracts or writes information when you swipe the card through a terminal. Systems generally follow the ISO/IEC 7811 standard, which governs stripe characteristics, tracks, density and data formats.

Why continue using them despite the emergence of more advanced technologies? Here are some concrete reasons:

Low cost : their production requires few resources, making them economical for high volumes.
Wide compatibility : many point-of-sale and access systems still support them.

However, you must consider these limitations:

Limited security level : a simple reader is enough to copy the data and reproduce it on another card.
Low durability : scratches, heat or intensive use quickly degrade the stripe.

PVC cards with chip

A chip card contains a microprocessor or memory embedded in a PVC substrate. This chip interacts with readers to identify the user and authorise or deny access to a service or area.

There are two distinct categories:

Contact chip cards : the reader must physically touch the chip, often through a gold-coloured metallic contact. These cards follow standards such as ISO/IEC 7816 and are used in SIM cards, health cards or payment cards.
Contactless chip cards : they use radio frequency to establish communication a few centimetres from the reader. The ISO/IEC 14443 standard defines their exchange protocol. You use them in public transport or access badges.

This type of card guarantees secure storage. You can store:

encrypted personal data
digital certificates
access or usage logs

RFID cards (Radio Frequency Identification)

RFID cards contain an antenna and an electronic chip capable of communicating with a reader via radio waves. Unlike standard contactless cards, they operate over variable distances ranging from a few centimetres to several metres depending on the frequency used.

Three frequency classes govern their use:

Low frequency (125 kHz) : suitable for simple access control
High frequency (13.56 MHz) : the most widespread technology with standards such as ISO/IEC 14443 or 15693
Ultra-high frequency (860 to 960 MHz) : ideal for long-range identification, such as in logistics or warehouses

Why are more and more organisations switching to RFID? This technology allows you to:

speed up reading to up to 424 kbit/s depending on the protocol
reduce waiting times at building entrances
improve user experience with no direct contact

But you must also assess the associated risks. An unencrypted RFID system exposes data to interception. Hackers can use scanners to clone or eavesdrop on communications if they are not protected according to current security standards.

Do you already use an RFID or chip card in your daily life? Do you know exactly what data it contains and who can access it?

How to protect sensitive data on PVC cards with stripe, chip or RFID?

Security levels according to embedded technology

You must choose a technology suited to the sensitivity level of the data to be stored. Magnetic stripe cards offer the lowest level of protection. A standard reader can easily read and copy the information, resulting in rapid exposure to fraud.

Chip cards, equipped with a microprocessor, provide better data encryption and enable strong authentication. They resist duplication or electrical analysis attacks. An RFID card adds a layer of physical security through contactless identification, while remaining vulnerable to remote interception if encryption is weak.

Combined cards (chip + RFID) make multi-level systems possible. They unify physical and logical access with the same card. This configuration prevents unauthorised access across the entire system, provided you correctly configure reader points and security protocols.

Cloning, identity theft and unauthorised access: what threats should you anticipate?

A poorly configured system will allow RFID cloning through simple proximity. Tools such as ProxMark3 now enable any knowledgeable user to duplicate a low-frequency RFID card in less than 10 seconds. You must restrict access to update interfaces and disable unused channels.

Relay attacks also affect contactless cards. An individual can intercept and relay communication between a valid card and a distant reader. You must enforce minimum latency times or use mutual authentication protocols such as FIDO2 to block these scenarios.

Identity theft, often linked to poor storage or archiving practices, directly involves the lifecycle of your cards. Remove obsolete cards from the central system immediately after deactivation to prevent any fraudulent reuse.

Encryption, authentication and access tracking: what should you implement?

Implement AES-128 encryption or higher on all communications between the card and the reader. Combining this encryption with strong two-factor authentication creates a barrier against all forms of physical or remote hacking. For high-security sites, link this data to digital certificates stored directly on the card.

Precisely locate each access point. Assign usage rights to each identifier and link them to a centralised server repository. This avoids anonymous actions and guarantees real-time traceability.

Systematically enable access logs. Classify critical alerts such as out-of-hours reading attempts, repeated authentication failures or geographic movements inconsistent with the user’s registered location.

Data collection and user control: why centralise?

A smart card becomes a powerful tracking tool when you connect its use to a central reporting system. You will precisely visualise access times, duration of presence, role changes and behavioural anomalies.

Associate each card with a unique user identified by employee number, biometrics or network ID. This avoids ambiguity during audits and allows you to deactivate a compromised badge instantly without impacting the rest of the system.

Your system must also automatically detect duplication or simultaneous use at different locations. A SIEM system combined with a connected badge registry enables this type of proactive monitoring.

What type of card do you currently use and what methods do you apply to secure access? Do you have user traceability or only a simple opening system?

Why hybrid cards change the game

Why combine chip, magnetic stripe and RFID?

You have probably already encountered a card combining several technologies. A hybrid card allows you to leverage the advantages of each reading method. Magnetic stripe readers are still present in many legacy systems. Chips provide higher security for digital identification. RFID enables fast, seamless contactless reading at access points or connected kiosks.

This technological choice avoids multiplying cards for each use. A single card is sufficient to meet several needs simultaneously, simplifying logistics and increasing operational efficiency.

What benefits for large organisations or complex environments?

If you work in a multi-site company, a university campus or a hospital network, you must manage highly diversified flows. A multi-technology card allows personalised and flexible usage rights. This reduces support costs, lowers the risk of human error and speeds up onboarding for new users.

By combining interfaces, you also ensure compatibility with different existing equipment. This saves immediate investment while preparing for the transition to newer standards.

Concrete example: the multifunction employee card

Imagine an employee card that allows you to clock in at your company entrance, authenticate at your workstation and pay for meals in the canteen. Thanks to the magnetic stripe, you can still use older terminals. The chip allows you to encrypt credentials without compromising security. RFID enables smooth passage through high-traffic gates.

You thus create a seamless working environment that improves the daily user experience.

How to facilitate migration from legacy systems?

Radically changing an access control or payment infrastructure can disrupt your services. By opting for hybrid cards, you introduce new functions while maintaining compatibility with existing technologies. This allows you to proceed step by step, site by site or module by module.

By investing in this type of card, you preserve your existing assets while opening the door to innovation.

What are the concrete uses for PVC cards with chip, magnetic stripe or RFID?

Secure access to premises and IT resources

Do you want to precisely control who enters your premises or accesses your servers? PVC cards equipped with RFID technologies or contact chips make it possible to restrict and record access to specific areas. They work with compatible readers, often integrated into security infrastructures such as electronic locks or workstation authentication terminals.

For example, an RFID MIFARE Classic 1K badge used with a secure reader such as the HID Omnikey 5321 allows access only to authorised employees, while tracking entry and exit times in a centralised database.

Identification of staff and visitors

How do you distinguish an employee from an external contractor or subcontractor? Personalised plastic cards with photo, name, role or logo facilitate immediate identification and reduce the risk of impersonation. You can include a chip or magnetic stripe to restrict access to sensitive services according to user profile.

In healthcare facilities, multiprotocol badges (e.g. RFID and QR code) meet this requirement for dual authentication while maintaining a portable, flat and durable format.

Canteen management, time tracking or IT asset management

Do you want to centralise employees’ daily operations using a single medium? A PVC card can integrate several useful functions, such as cashless payment in staff catering via MIFARE DESFire EV2 technology or time management through clock-in and clock-out badging.

You can also connect these cards to an asset management system to track the allocation of laptops, phones or professional terminals to each user.

Integration into connected products or services

Have you considered using RFID cards in your logistics processes or temporary services? More and more organisations integrate PVC cards into machines, production lines or temporary tools such as single-use visitor badges.

In industry, a UHF RFID badge identified by an automated system can trigger a maintenance action or signal a specific production cycle. In the events sector, a pre-programmed PVC card can serve as an access ticket, payment method and indoor geolocation tool via NFC terminals.

What technological changes are transforming PVC cards with chip, magnetic stripe or RFID?

Are you already deploying RFID and NFC cards? Prepare for widespread adoption

PVC cards increasingly integrate RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) chips. These technologies enable contactless reading while guaranteeing near-instant response times. According to Allied Market Research, the RFID market will reach USD 32.3 billion by 2029, driven by access mobility, ticketing and secure payments.

This shift to contactless reduces hardware wear and speeds up identification processes. In high-density environments such as universities or multi-site companies, you streamline entry without sacrificing security. Are you already leveraging this potential or still relying on magnetic stripe systems?

Combine biometrics with physical cards for double validation

Companies are now integrating a second biometric factor into their PVC cards. You can, for example, combine an RFID card with fingerprint authentication or facial recognition. Mastercard even launched a biometric bank card as early as 2021, in collaboration with Thales and Idemia.

This strengthens physical security without compromising access fluidity. Have you identified the use cases where your cards will genuinely benefit from this dual authentication?

PVC cards are becoming virtual… but not entirely

Despite the rise of mobile solutions via smartphones, PVC cards maintain their role in controlled environments or areas without stable connectivity. However, more and more organisations offer a physical card paired with a mobile identifier via an app. You thus synchronise physical access and digital identification on a single platform.

According to an ABI Research study, around 20% of identification solutions issued by 2025 will include a digital component in addition to the PVC card. Has your organisation already adopted a hybrid strategy?

Connect all your cards to a single infrastructure for efficient management

PVC card technologies are evolving towards unified platforms where each RFID card, magnetic badge or mobile identifier communicates with your central management system. This model allows you to monitor entry flows, detailed per-user usage and security incidents in real time.

A concrete example: some universities equip student cards with an RFID identifier for access, a magnetic stripe for library services and a QR code for campus restaurant payments. Service interconnection maximises user experience while reducing production and support costs.

Which services could you interconnect to create a seamless and productive solution around your PVC cards?

Which PVC cards should you adopt to boost your services and secure your access?

Adapt your cards to your real needs

What level of security does your organisation require? Which areas or services do you want to authorise access to? Answer these questions before finalising your technological choice. A PVC card with chip allows you to protect sensitive data. A magnetic stripe card remains relevant for lightweight systems. An RFID card is ideal for high-traffic, contactless environments.

Think combination, not compromise

Why choose between a chip and RFID when you can use both? Hybrid cards integrate several technologies into a single product. The result: you manage different access levels and service scenarios with one card. This combination adapts seamlessly to the growing complexity of multi-use identification systems.

Select a partner rather than a simple supplier

Your process does not stop at printing. You must also ensure encoding, allocation, replacement and tracking. Work with a provider who masters data security, offers scalable solutions and guarantees consistent quality across the entire chain. Ask which encryption protocols they use and how they manage media personalisation.

Do not lose ground by ignoring technological developments

The ISO/IEC 14443 standard for RFID cards is changing access methods. Embedded microprocessors are becoming smaller while increasing secure storage capacity. Are you keeping up with these developments? Anticipating the needs of your ecosystem is key. Integrate technology monitoring into your equipment strategy to avoid blocking tomorrow what you deploy today.

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