Discontinued & Obsolete Format Card Replacement Service

Who This Service Is For

This service is built for facilities managers, integrators, and security directors who are locked into a proprietary card format that the original manufacturer has end-of-lifed. You have readers already installed and commissioned, a working access-control database, and cardholders who need credentials — but the OEM's distribution channel has dried up or the product line has been formally discontinued.

Sites running legacy OEM proximity systems are the primary customer here. Hospitals, universities, government buildings, and multi-site commercial operators frequently encounter this situation when an acquisition reshuffles a product portfolio or when a niche format simply ages out of the mainstream catalog. The cost of replacing every reader head across a large estate can reach six figures; a compatible card program costs a fraction of that and preserves the installed investment.

This service is also the right answer for locksmiths and integrators who inherit a site mid-contract and discover the previous integrator was sourcing cards from a vendor that has since closed or changed ownership. If you can supply a physical sample card, we can almost always continue the program.

Common Discontinued Formats We Still Supply

The majority of discontinued proximity formats operate at 125 kHz and use an open or semi-documented bit structure, which means compatible production is straightforward once the format is confirmed. 125 kHz LF proximity was the dominant credential technology from the early 1990s through the mid-2000s, and a large installed base of those readers is still in daily service.

Casi-Rusco formats are among the most commonly requested. The Casi-Rusco C10106 compatible proximity card is a direct drop-in for GE/Interlogix readers still common in correctional, healthcare, and industrial facilities. We also supply the Casi-Rusco magstripe card compatible for dual-technology sites that combine prox and swipe. Motorola Flexpass installations are served by the Motorola Flexpass compatible card, which matches the original 26-bit and extended-format variants used in that platform.

Indala is the other dominant legacy ecosystem — HID acquired the Indala brand but discontinued several of its proprietary format variants. We carry the Indala 27-bit compatible prox card, Indala 29-bit compatible prox card, Indala ASC 27-bit compatible card, and Indala Optus 34-bit compatible card. The Indala FlexSecur compatible card covers sites that deployed the higher-security FlexSecur variant before that line was phased out. DSX and other panel manufacturers that integrated Indala readers are covered by the DSX 33-bit Indala compatible card.

Beyond those flagship discontinued lines, we supply compatible credentials for Cardkey SmartPass installations via the Cardkey SmartPass compatible card, Keyscan C15001 compatible proximity cards for Keyscan-controlled sites, Visa2000 compatible cards used in Australasian and UK hospitality and commercial installations, Inner Range 36-bit compatible cards for Integriti and Inception panel sites, and the AMAG, Lenel, Kantech, and Keri Indala-format compatible prox cards for multi-brand panel environments.

• Casi-Rusco / GE / Interlogix — C10106 prox and magstripe formats
• Motorola Flexpass — 26-bit and extended format variants
• Indala (legacy HID) — 27-bit, 29-bit, ASC 27-bit, Optus 34-bit, FlexSecur
• Cardkey SmartPass — compatible card program
• Keyscan C15001 — panel-matched format
• Visa2000 — APAC and EMEA commercial installations
• Inner Range 36-bit — Integriti and Inception panel sites
• DSX Indala 33-bit — DSX panel-native Indala variant
• AMAG / Lenel / Kantech / Keri Indala-format panels

Why You Don't Need to Replace the Readers

Most discontinued credential lines were built on open 125 kHz protocols. A reader that decodes a 26-bit Wiegand credential will decode a compatible credential presenting the same bit structure and card data — the reader has no mechanism to verify manufacturer origin, only to read and report the data payload. Replacing readers is an unnecessary expense when the only problem is a supply chain gap in the card, not a functional failure in the infrastructure.

Reader replacement becomes necessary only in two specific scenarios: the site wants to migrate to a higher-security protocol (for example, moving from legacy 125 kHz prox to a genuine encrypted smart-card platform), or the reader itself has failed. For any site that simply needs to keep an existing system running, our guide on compatible vs. genuine access cards explains in plain terms where the architectural boundary between card and reader sits and why format-compatible credentials are a sound long-term strategy. If you are unsure which scenario applies to your site, identifying your card format is the right starting point.

Facilities running large cardholder populations have particular reason to prefer this path. A 500-door campus that replaces readers pays for hardware, licensed installation labor, re-commissioning, and potential panel firmware updates. That same campus ordering compatible cards on a rolling program pays for cards. The math is not close.

Reverse-Mapping a Card from a Sample

When a format has been discontinued long enough that no documentation survives, a physical card sample is sufficient to resume production. The read process recovers the modulation scheme, frequency, bit length, encoding, and any site-code or facility-code fields present in the credential. From that profile, we can produce compatible cards that present identically to your readers.

Submit one or more working cards from your existing population — ideally from different cardholder records so that variable fields (card number, facility code) can be distinguished from fixed header or parity fields. Cards do not need to be in pristine condition; readable but worn samples are acceptable. We return a format profile for your review before any production begins, which gives you the opportunity to confirm the field mapping matches your access-control software's expectations.

If you have partial documentation — an old data sheet, a purchase order with a format code, or a panel configuration screen showing bit structure — include it. Partial documentation shortens the mapping process and reduces the sample quantity required. If your situation requires bulk fulfillment against an existing numbered sequence, review our bulk and wholesale guide for sequence formatting and lead-time expectations.

Request a Format Assessment or Quote

The fastest path to a quote is a brief describing your reader platform, the original card part number or format name if known, and the approximate annual credential volume. If the format is already in our catalog, we can confirm compatibility and pricing in one exchange. If it requires a sample-based mapping, we will advise on the sample submission process and provide a timeline.

For multi-site operators or integrators managing several discontinued-format programs simultaneously, bulk and wholesale ordering is structured to consolidate programs across format types under a single account. Locksmiths and security integrators handling ongoing card programs for multiple client sites can arrange standing supply agreements that trigger production on demand against pre-approved format profiles.

Security ID Systems is an independent manufacturer and supplier of compatible access-control credentials and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Casi-Rusco, GE Security, Interlogix, Motorola, Cardkey, Indala, HID Global, Keyscan, or dormakaba.