Hotel Key Card Size and Standards
Size is the most common question in a key card enquiry. The short answer: virtually every card reader in use expects the same standard card footprint as a bank card.
- Standard
- Same footprint as a bank card
- Thickness
- Produced to reader tolerance
- Custom cut
- Fobs and shaped formats
- Validation
- Pre-production sample testing
Why the standard matters
Door locks, front-desk encoders, lift readers and in-room energy savers are all built around the same footprint. A card outside that footprint may fit a pocket but jam in a slot reader or fail to trigger the energy switch.
That is why our wood, paper and leather cards are produced to the standard footprint — only the texture and body material change.
Custom shapes
Corner radius, hole position, key-fob formats and bespoke die-cuts are all possible. Where slot readers are in use we always validate a custom shape on a pre-production sample; with contactless readers the design freedom is far wider.
Frequently asked questions
+Do wooden key cards fit standard slot readers?
Yes, they are produced thin enough for standard readers, and we validate slot readers with a sample first.
+Can you produce a shaped key card?
With contactless readers, yes. For slot-based systems we recommend keeping the standard format.
Related pages
Samples and quotation
Share your lock system and estimated quantity — we will propose the right chip and material and prepare your sample set.
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