Compatible Key Fobs — Every Format, a Fraction of OEM Cost

The Compatible Key Fob Line

A key fob performs the same credential function as an access card but in a form factor that attaches to a keyring. The same Wiegand or smart-card data — format number, facility code, and unique card number — must be encoded into the fob's substrate for a reader to grant access. Security ID Systems manufactures and supplies fobs across the full breadth of formats we carry for cards, which means that if a format is available in card form, it is almost certainly available as a fob.

The fob range spans clam-shell key fobs, slim key-tag fobs, and rugged epoxy-disc fobs suited to outdoor or industrial environments. All substrates use the same encoding process as our card stock. Where a format requires a specific chip — for example, genuine NXP silicon for a DESFire EV3 credential — the fob is built on that chip, not a substitute. This matters for systems that perform chip-level handshakes rather than relying on Wiegand data alone.

Form Factors, Materials, and Durability

Key fobs in an access-control deployment face physical demands that standard credit-card-format credentials do not. They are dropped, submerged in jacket pockets, exposed to rain and UV, and pressed repeatedly against metal reader housings. The substrate choice affects both the read range and the service life of the credential.

Clam-shell fobs — the most common form factor in North American LF installations — house the antenna and substrate inside a rigid ABS housing with a lanyard hole. The housing protects the coil winding from flexing damage and is available in several colours for visual differentiation between access tiers or staff groups. Slim key-tag fobs trade some housing robustness for a lower-profile fit alongside other items on a keyring, and are a common choice for hotel or retail environments where aesthetics matter alongside function.

Epoxy-disc fobs are the most robust option for industrial, outdoor, or high-abuse deployments. The substrate and antenna are fully encapsulated in a solid epoxy disc, making them resistant to solvents, pressure washing, and repeated impacts. Read range is equivalent to clam-shell fobs of the same technology — typically 5–15 cm for standard 125 kHz formats depending on the reader model.

Smart-card fob substrates — used for genuine NXP DESFire EV2/EV3 and MIFARE Classic 1K credentials — follow the same housing options. The antenna geometry on a fob differs from a card, so the coil is wound for the fob housing rather than adapted from card stock. This is relevant for smart-card formats that perform RF-level diagnostics: the fob and card may read at slightly different ranges but both present valid credentials to the controller.

Formats Available as Fobs

Standard 26-bit H10301 and the common HID ProxKey variants are the highest-volume fob formats we ship, but they are far from the only ones. Proprietary formats with narrow card ranges — such as HID Corporate 1000 48-bit or Indala FlexSecur scrambled-layout fobs — are available because our encoding infrastructure handles the bit-layout and parity arithmetic for each format individually rather than relying on generic blanks.

On the 13.56 MHz side, fob substrates are available for MIFARE Classic 1K, genuine NXP DESFire EV2 and EV3, and select proprietary smart-card formats. Systems using HID Seos compatible credentials or similar enrolment-based technologies receive blank smart-card fobs that your own controllers enrol with their site keys — the same workflow you use for card-format credentials. Regional and less-common formats — including Gallagher Cardax compatible fobs, Inner Range 36-bit fobs, and ADT 31-bit fobs — are part of the standard catalogue.

European and UK-market formats are equally well represented. CISA CT6 fobs for CISA CT6 Aero compatible installations and PAC/Stanley 8x32 Hitag2 fobs for Paxton Net2 and Switch2-compatible readers are stocked alongside the higher-volume North American formats. Hospitality-sector formats including VingCard Plus EV2 compatible fobs, VingCard MIFARE Plus 2K compatible key fobs, and Hotek mini advance compatible key fobs are available for property management systems that use a key-fob workflow rather than key cards.

If you are unsure which format your existing fobs use, consult our guide to identifying your access card or fob format before ordering. Providing a sample fob or the reader model number is usually sufficient for our team to confirm format compatibility.

Encoded to Read Like Your Originals

The critical distinction between a compatible fob and a generic blank is the encoding. A blank T5577-substrate fob placed in front of your reader will not grant access; it must carry your facility code within the correct bit layout and with the correct parity calculation for the format. Security ID Systems encodes every fob to your specification before shipping — format, facility code, and card-number block — so each unit is reader-ready on arrival.

For standard Wiegand formats this means supplying us your facility code and the card-number range you need. For formats with site-specific parameters — such as Indala ASC 27-bit site codes or the scrambled layout used by Indala FlexSecur installations — our encoding process applies those parameters precisely. Our T5577 guide explains in detail how programmable LF blanks are configured for specific format outputs, which is the same process used in production. Smart-card fobs for enrolment-based systems ship as genuine blank substrates; enrolment with site keys is performed by your own access-control system.

Each encoded batch is checked against format specification before shipment. Fobs are labelled with card number by default, or supplied unlabelled for facilities that manage numbering internally.

For formats where a site has never issued fobs — only cards — it is worth verifying that your access panel software is set to accept fob-form credentials. In virtually all modern Wiegand-based systems, the panel treats card and fob data identically because both present the same bit stream; there is no panel-side configuration required. Where any doubt exists, test a single fob against your reader before committing to a large batch.

Single Replacements and Bulk Runs

Loss replacement is the most common single-unit need: one staff member loses a fob and the facility needs an exact in-format replacement without issuing a new card number. Security ID Systems accepts single-unit orders for most formats without minimum-order requirements, which is the same policy we apply to card replacements — described in more detail on our lost or damaged credential replacement page.

Bulk and wholesale requirements — new site builds, large-scale re-credentialing, or ongoing installer stock — are handled through our bulk access-card and fob supply programme. Volume pricing applies from low quantities, and encoded runs can be staged for delivery in sequence to match a phased roll-out. Security integrators and locksmiths managing multiple client sites will find the per-format ordering approach in our bulk buying guide useful for planning stock across different format families.

Our trade supply programme for locksmiths and integrators covers account setup, format catalogues, and encoding data submission processes for firms ordering across multiple client formats simultaneously.

Mixed-format orders — where a single order contains fobs in two or more different formats for different client sites — are processed as separate encoded batches per format, each labelled and packed individually. This prevents encoding errors when a technician is distributing credentials across multiple sites in a single visit.

Request a Fob Quote

To obtain a quote, supply your format or reader make and model, your facility code, the card-number range required, and the quantity. For formats you cannot identify, a photograph of the existing fob and the reader label is usually sufficient. Our technical team confirms format compatibility before processing any order.

Hospitality formats — including VingCard Plus EV2 compatible fobs and similar hotel-specific substrates — follow a separate enrolment workflow; contact us for details specific to your property management system. For blank programmable fob stock used by integrators who encode on-site with their own equipment, that product line is listed separately and does not require facility-code submission at order time.

Security ID Systems is an independent manufacturer and supplier of compatible access-control credentials and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by HID Global, Indala, VingCard, Gallagher, Inner Range, ADT Security, CISA, Paxton, PAC, Stanley, or any other brand whose reader systems our fobs are compatible with.