MIFARE Classic 1K Card Manufacturer
RFIDAK supplies MIFARE Classic 1K cards from our Shenzhen factory with 500 cards minimum order, 12-15 working days lead time, and full ISO/IEC 14443A compliance — used for hotel key cards (saflok / vingcard / onity legacy) and apartment access control.
Quick spec — MIFARE Classic 1K Card
Chip technical brief
MIFARE Classic 1K (NXP MF1ICS50) is a 13.56 MHz HF chip compliant with ISO/IEC 14443 Type A, providing 1,024 bytes EEPROM partitioned into 16 sectors of 4 blocks. Each sector is protected by a pair of 48-bit keys (Key A / Key B) using the proprietary Crypto-1 cipher. Crypto-1 has been considered cryptographically broken since 2008, so MIFARE Classic 1K is no longer recommended for high-security deployments — but it remains the dominant chip in legacy hotel locks, public transit (some Asian and LATAM systems), gym access and small-business membership cards because of its low cost and broad reader compatibility. RFIDAK supplies MIFARE Classic 1K cards and credentials with optional UID-only encoding, sector key personalization under NDA, or pre-encoded data block writing for system integrators replacing legacy stock.
Buyer one-liner
Lowest-cost 13.56 MHz HF chip, broadest reader compatibility, used for legacy access and hotel keys.
Typical use cases
- ▸ Hotel key cards (Saflok / VingCard / Onity legacy)
- ▸ Apartment access control
- ▸ Gym & club membership
- ▸ Public transit (legacy systems)
- ▸ Loyalty cards
Compatible readers
- ▸ HID OMNIKEY 5021/5022/5023
- ▸ ACR122U
- ▸ Identiv uTrust 4710F
- ▸ Generic CR-80 readers
Card manufacturing
The CR-80 card body is the ISO 7810 ID-1 standard at 85.6 × 54 × 0.84 mm and is the dominant form factor for contactless smart credentials. RFIDAK produces cards in PVC (default), PETG (recyclable), ABS (high-temperature for hotel locks that overheat), wood/bamboo (premium hospitality finish), and coated paper (single-use ticketing). The chip + antenna inlay is sandwiched between two laminated layers; full-color CMYK or 4-color silkscreen printing is applied before lamination. Common finishes include matte, gloss, magnetic stripe (HiCo or LoCo), signature panel, embossed numbering, and laser-engraved UID for tamper-evident applications. Cards ship in 200-piece cartons; standard MOQ is 1,000 cards.
Typical sizes
- • CR-80 (85.6 × 54 × 0.84 mm)
- • CR-79 (84 × 53 mm)
- • Custom shape
Materials
- • PVC (default)
- • PETG (recyclable)
- • ABS (high-temp)
- • Wood / bamboo (premium)
- • Coated paper (single-use)
Compliance
- • ISO 7810 ID-1
- • CE (cards used in EU markets)
- • FCC Part 15 (chip-level)
Why source MIFARE Classic 1K cards from RFIDAK
MIFARE Classic 1K cards remain the highest-volume RFID credential globally, with 5+ billion units in circulation across hotel locks (Saflok / VingCard / Onity legacy), gym lockers, apartment access systems, and small-business membership programs. While Crypto-1 has been considered cryptographically broken since 2008, Classic 1K is still the right choice for low-security access applications where the threat model accepts theoretical cloning, where matching legacy reader fleets is mandatory, and where the per-credential cost gap to MIFARE Plus or DESFire is unacceptable. RFIDAK ships Classic 1K cards as the entry-level HF credential at the lowest per-unit price tier.
Buyer snapshot
Hotel groups maintaining legacy lock fleets, gym franchises issuing locker credentials, apartment building managers, and security integrators replacing single-property card stocks. Almost all Classic 1K buyers know it is "legacy" and have made an explicit cost-vs-security trade-off.
Anonymized project examples
Example 1
Hotel guest-key programs remain the highest-volume Classic 1K use case: properties on Saflok 5000-series or legacy VingCard locks reorder per-property branded card SKUs on 6-12 month cycles, accepting the Crypto-1 trade-off because the lock fleet — not the card — fixes the chip choice.
Example 2
A LATAM gym franchise reissued 12,000 MIFARE Classic 1K member cards across 14 locations. Cards carry only the UID for whitelist-based locker access; legacy reader compatibility was mandatory. Reorder cycle is 18 months at ~8,000 cards.
Compare with other cards
Other chips that work in card format. Use this as a quick selector before requesting samples — RFIDAK ships free 3-5 unit test packs across multiple chip options.
| Chip | Memory | Security | Typical Use | Cost Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIFARE Classic 1K (this page) | 1,024 bytes EEPROM | Crypto-1 (deprecated since 2008 | Hotel key cards (Saflok / VingCard / Onity legacy) | $ |
| MIFARE Classic 4K | 4,096 bytes EEPROM | Crypto-1 (deprecated | Legacy multi-app cards | $$ |
| MIFARE Plus S 2K | 2,048 bytes EEPROM | AES-128 in Security Level 3 | Migration from MIFARE Classic 1K | $$$ |
| MIFARE Plus X 4K | 4,096 bytes EEPROM | AES-128 with proximity-check, virtual-card support | Transit ticketing | $$$$ |
| MIFARE DESFire EV1 4K | 4,096 bytes EEPROM, up to 28 applications | AES-128, 3DES, DES | Transit ticketing | $$$$ |
Recommended RFIDAK SKUs
These products in our catalog ship with MIFARE Classic 1K as a chip option.
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Frequently asked — MIFARE Classic 1K cards
What is the minimum order quantity for MIFARE Classic 1K cards? ▾
500 cards is the standard MOQ. Smaller pilot batches may be possible at +15-30% per unit. For 5,000+ orders, volume discounts of 5-10% typically apply; 50,000+ orders move to direct-import pricing tiers.
Which readers are tested compatible with RFIDAK MIFARE Classic 1K cards? ▾
HID OMNIKEY 5021/5022/5023, ACR122U, Identiv uTrust 4710F, Generic CR-80 readers. RFIDAK ships free 3-5 unit test packs to integrators evaluating reader compatibility before bulk commitment.
Can RFIDAK pre-encode MIFARE Classic 1K cards to our specification? ▾
Yes. For UID-only chips, customer-supplied EPC / NDEF / data-block content is written before shipment. Per-unit pre-encoding pricing is typically +$0.05-0.20 depending on complexity.
What lead time should I plan for MIFARE Classic 1K cards to major export markets? ▾
12-15 working days production from artwork approval, then 4-6 days DHL air or 18-30 days sea freight. Total door-to-door is typically 18-22 days air or 30-45 days sea.
Are RFIDAK MIFARE Classic 1K cards compliant with ISO 7810 ID-1? ▾
Yes. RFIDAK MIFARE Classic 1K cards carry ISO 7810 ID-1, CE (cards used in EU markets), FCC Part 15 (chip-level) compliance. Test reports are available on request under NDA.
Ready to source MIFARE Classic 1K cards?
Get pricing in 24 hours and free 3-5 unit samples to validate before bulk commitment. MOQ: 500 cards · Lead time: 12-15 working days.
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