Custom Facility Code & Card-Number Encoding Service

Who This Service Is For

Facilities managers, security integrators, and locksmiths regularly need credentials that arrive ready to enrol — not blanks requiring a separate programming step. If your access control system reads a specific Wiegand format and your panel is already configured with a facility code, you need cards encoded to match that configuration exactly. Supplying the wrong facility code or an out-of-range card number means every credential will be rejected at the reader.

This service is the right fit when you have an established system and a known specification: a confirmed format (for example, 26-bit H10301 or HID Corporate 1000 48-bit), a facility or site code already in use, and a list or range of card numbers to issue. It is also used by integrators commissioning new installations who want credentials delivered pre-encoded so on-site setup is a scan, not a programming session.

If you are unsure of your current format or facility code, our format identification guide walks through how to read that information from an existing card, reader configuration printout, or access control software export.

What We Encode: Format, Facility Code, and Card-Number Range

Every encoding job starts with three inputs: the bit format, the facility or site code value, and the card-number range. The bit format defines the data structure the reader expects — common open formats include 26-bit H10301, 34-bit H10306, 37-bit H10304, and Corporate 1000. Proprietary formats — such as Indala FlexSecur, Software House CCOTZ 37-bit, and Inner Range 36-bit — follow their own data structures, and we encode each to the appropriate specification.

The facility code (also called a site code in some platforms) is a fixed identifier shared by all credentials at a given site, typically occupying 8 bits in standard 26-bit format or up to 20 bits in wider formats. Card numbers within that facility code identify individual credentials. We accept a specific numbered list, a sequential range, or a starting number with a quantity and increment the series from there.

Both 125 kHz LF proximity formats and select 13.56 MHz smart card formats are supported. For 125 kHz LF proximity credentials — EM4100, HID Prox, Indala, and similar — encoding is applied directly to the carrier format. For open-standard smart formats, facility-code data is written to the appropriate data block. Secured smart card formats, including HID Seos and iCLASS SE, are supplied as compatible blank credentials enrolled through your own system using your site's keys — the encoding path for those formats is your access control platform, not our facility-code service.

Sequential vs Specified Card Numbering

Most deployments use sequential numbering: a starting card number, a count of credentials needed, and an increment of one. We output cards numbered consecutively from your starting point, which makes it straightforward to register a batch in your access control database — import a range rather than a hand-entered list. Sequential runs also reduce the chance of duplicate numbers appearing in a large re-issue.

Some projects require specified numbering — individual card numbers drawn from a list, often because those numbers already exist in a database or because gaps in an existing range need to be filled without disrupting assigned numbers elsewhere. We accept a flat list of card numbers per credential and encode each accordingly. This is common when replacing individual lost or damaged cards within a live deployment, a scenario also covered by our lost or damaged card replacement service.

Both numbering modes are available in single-site runs and in bulk wholesale orders. If your order mixes facility codes — for example, a multi-site enterprise with a different site code per building — supply separate specifications per group and we encode each batch to its own parameters.

Verification Before Production

Before a full production run ships, we verify the encoding against your specification. For open Wiegand formats, we read a sample credential and confirm the bit format, facility code, and card number parsed correctly. If you supply a working sample card from your own installation, we read it, confirm the parameters, and encode to match — this eliminates any ambiguity around format variants that share a similar physical appearance but carry different data structures.

Verification catches the most common sources of a failed deployment: a transposed facility-code digit, an off-by-one in the card-number starting point, or a format mismatch between what the system expects and what was ordered. High-security and custom formats receive additional cross-checks given that proprietary data structures have less tolerance for encoding variation. Only after verification does the full run proceed.

We also review the Corporate 1000, FlexSecur, and custom format parameters for any order that involves non-standard bit widths or proprietary parity schemes, confirming that the encoding precisely matches the format's internal checksum and parity rules before cards are committed to production.

Request an Encoding Quote

To receive a quote, supply the following: the format name or bit width, the facility or site code value, your card-number range or list, the credential type (card, ISO thin card, or fob), and your quantity. If you are unsure of the format, include the make and model of your access control panel or reader and we will advise. Integrators handling multiple sites can submit a consolidated specification with per-site parameters and receive a single consolidated quote.

Locksmiths and security integrators sourcing credentials for multiple client sites can also discuss standing arrangement pricing for recurring encoded orders. We support the full range of Wiegand bit formats catalogued across our product line, from common open formats to the long-tail proprietary specifications that most distributors do not carry.

Use the contact form to submit your specification, or attach a completed encoding worksheet if you have one. 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, Software House, Inner Range, ADT, or Brivo.