Have you ever worked in an office, retail space, or at an industry event? Do you belong to a fitness gym or a club at a community centre? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you’re probably familiar with using personalized ID cards. Industries of all sorts use them because they provide a high level of security that’s unlike anything else.
ID cards serve as instant identification for individuals working in a facility, and they’re essential because they provide a feeling of safety and ubiquity among users.
We’re Avon Security Products, and we’re Canada’s biggest distributor of ID cards and printing supplies. We offer identification for any business and have the most extensive photo ID warehouse in the country.
Having been in the business for over 40 years, we understand that choosing the right kind of ID card for employees can be overwhelming — there are so many to choose from! Different types of cards offer unique features and functionalities.
To help you decide what type of card to get for your business, we’ve outlined the three most common options.
Proximity Cards
These are popular security products that come in the form of printable cards about the size of a standard credit card. They feature an antenna and electronic chip that’s placed between two thin plastic cards. The antenna and chip are used to interface with an access control system to grant access to a specific location.
Unlike ID badges with a magnetic stripe or a barcode, proximity cards don’t require contact with a reader device — meaning they don’t need swiping or insertion to work. They can be left in a purse or a wallet and still serve a purpose. If they’re close enough to the electronic reader, they’ll work just fine.
Consider proximity cards if you’re a:
- Government organization
- School faculty
- An office
PVC Cards
Plastic Polyvinyl Chloride (or PVC) cards are known for their durability, versatility, and flexibility. They come in a variety of forms, and you can customize your PVC cards to the exact solution that your business requires, including the size and the embedded features that your card holds. If your organization is making a conscious effort to go green, you can find PVC cards made of recycled material.
To secure a PVC card, they are equipped with magnetic strips or newer, high-tech security features such as smart chips.
Examples of when to use PVC cards include:
- Student ID
- Medical ID (for example, in a hospital or lab)
- Workplace employee ID
- Membership cards
Credential Cards
Are you in charge of a crew working on a film set? Or perhaps there’s a big event coming up where you’ll require visual photo ID for thousands of employees. Credential cards are just what you’ll need to ensure that the facility is safe and free from any unwanted guest entering a sensitive location.
Credential cards are highly versatile and unique to the user as well as the facility. The card and the user are specific to the facility, so the card can’t be used anywhere else.
Avon Security supplies the latest trends in employee ID’s — including credential cards that can be customized for any workplace environment. We also offer comfortable accessories such as lanyards and armbands, so employees can conveniently carry their card on their person at all times.
We’re here to deliver the best quality ID cards and ID card printing supplies for any industry. Call our experts today to discuss which type of card is the best choice for your business.