ACR1252U NFC Contactless Smart Card Reader
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ACR1252U Price in India
| Product | Interface | Price |
| ACS ACR1252U USB NFC Reader III | USB | ₹3,700 + GST |
Price excludes GST. Contact BSD Infotech for current availability and bulk, dealer or project pricing. For offers, schemes and bulk orders call 9312289566 / +91-8588827540.
Request ACR1252U Price Check Availability Request Bulk QuoteOverview
The ACR1252U is a PC-linked, NFC Forum–certified USB NFC reader from ACS. It is a contactless-only smart card reader — there is no contact (inserted-card) slot — built for NFC and contactless card use cases rather than contact smart card authentication.
The ACR1252U runs on the 13.56 MHz contactless technology and supports ISO 14443 Type A and B cards, MIFARE®, FeliCa, ISO 18092–compliant NFC tags, and other NFC devices. It has an ISO 7816–compliant Class A SAM (Secure Access Module) slot which can be used together with a SAM card for key diversification and mutual authentication, providing high level of security in contactless transactions. Post-deployment firmware upgrade is also supported, eliminating the need for additional hardware modification.
ACR1252U is capable of the three modes of NFC, namely, Card Reader/Writer, Card Emulation and Peer-to-Peer Communication. These NFC features make the ACR1252U ideal for NFC applications like Smart Posters for advertising and marketing purposes with most NFC-enabled mobile phones and SIM cards in the market.
Someone would choose the ACR1252U over a plain contactless reader when they specifically need NFC Forum certification and a built-in SAM slot for secure, certified NFC deployments — see the comparisons below against the ACR122U and the ACR1552U.
Key Features at a Glance
| Specification | Details |
| Model | ACR1252U (ACS ACR1252U USB NFC Reader III) |
| Manufacturer | ACS (Advanced Card Systems) |
| Reader Type | Contactless-only NFC/smart card reader (no contact card slot) |
| Interface | USB, Standard Type A connector, USB Full Speed (12 Mbps) |
| Operating Frequency | 13.56 MHz |
| Supported Standards | ISO/IEC 18092 (NFC), ISO 14443 Type A & B |
| Supported Cards | MIFARE Classic®, FeliCa, ISO 14443 A/B cards, NFC Forum Type 1–4 tags |
| NFC Modes | Card Reader/Writer, Card Emulation, Peer-to-Peer Communication |
| SAM Slot | 1, ISO 7816-compliant Class A |
| Operating System | Android 3.1 and later (as stated on this product's specification) |
| PC/SC | Supported, plus CT-API via a wrapper on top of PC/SC |
| Firmware Upgrade | Supported (USB firmware upgradeability) |
| LED / Buzzer | 1 bi-color (red/green) LED, monotone buzzer |
| Dimensions | 98.0 mm (L) × 65.0 mm (W) × 12.8 mm (H) |
| Weight | 81 g |
| Certification | NFC Forum Certification Mark, FeliCa Performance Certification, PC/SC, CCID, CE, FCC, RoHS 2, REACH, Microsoft® WHQL |
Full Feature List
- USB Full Speed Interface
- CCID-compliant
- Smart Card Reader:
- o Contactless Interface:
- Read/Write speed of up to 424 Kbps
- Built-in antenna for contactless tag access, with card reading distance of up to 50 mm (depending on tag type)
- Supports ISO 14443 Part 4 Type A and B cards, MIFARE Classic®, FeliCa, and all four types of NFC (ISO/IEC 18092 tags)
- Built-in anti-collision feature (only one tag is accessed at any time)
- NFC Support:
- Card reader/writer mode
- Peer-to-Peer mode
- Card Emulation mode
- SAM Interface:
- One SAM Slot
- Supports ISO 7816-compliant Class A SAM cards
- o Contactless Interface:
- Built-in Peripherals:
- User-controllable bi-color LED
- User-controllable buzzer
- Application Programming Interface:
- Supports PC/SC
- Supports CT-API (through wrapper on top of PC/SC)
- USB Firmware Upgradeability
- Supports Android™ 3.1 and later1
- Compliant with the following standards:
- EN 60950/IEC 60950
- ISO 18092
- ISO 14443
- ISO 7816 Class A (SAM Slot)
- NFC Forum Certification Mark
- Felica Performance Certification
- PC/SC
- CCID
- CE
- FCC
- RoHS 2
- REACH
- J-LIS (Japan)
- VCCI (Japan)
- MIC (Japan)
- KC (Korea)
- Microsoft® WHQL
Supported Smart Card and NFC Technologies
The ACR1252U reads and writes ISO 14443 Type A and B contactless cards, MIFARE Classic®, FeliCa, and all four types of ISO/IEC 18092 NFC tags, at read/write speeds of up to 424 Kbps. It supports all three NFC operating modes:
- Card Reader/Writer mode – reading and writing supported contactless cards and tags
- Card Emulation mode – the reader can emulate a contactless card
- Peer-to-Peer mode – direct data exchange with another NFC device, such as an NFC-enabled phone
It also has a built-in ISO 7816-compliant Class A SAM slot, used with a SAM card for key diversification and mutual authentication in secure contactless transactions.
Connectivity and Interface
- USB Full Speed interface (12 Mbps), Standard Type A connector, 1 m fixed cable
- USB CCID protocol, powered from the USB port (5 V, max. 200 mA)
- Built-in antenna for contactless tag access, card reading distance of up to 50 mm depending on tag type
- 1 SIM-sized SAM card slot (contact, ISO 14443 T=CL for ISO 14443-4–compliant cards, T=0/T=1 protocol)
PC/SC and Software Integration
The ACR1252U supports PC/SC, and also supports CT-API through a wrapper on top of PC/SC, for integration into custom applications. It supports USB firmware upgradeability, so firmware can be updated post-deployment without additional hardware. Android 3.1 and later is stated as a supported platform. For a specific development environment or OS not listed here, contact BSD Infotech to confirm compatibility before ordering.
Common Applications
- e-Government
- e-Banking and e-Payment
- e-Healthcare
- Transportation
- Network Security
- Access Control
- Loyalty Program
- Smart Poster/URL Marketing
- P2P Communication
Technical Specification
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 98.0 mm (L) × 65.0 mm (W) × 12.8 mm (H) |
| Weight | 81g |
| Color | Matte Black |
| USB Host Interface | |
| Protocol | USB CCID |
| Connector Type | Standard Type A |
| Power Source | From USB port |
| Speed | USB Full Speed (12 Mbps) |
| Supply Voltage | 5 V |
| Supply Current | Max. 200 mA |
| Cable Length | 1 m, Fixed |
| Contactless Smart Card Interface | |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 18092 NFC, ISO 14443 Type A & B, MIFARE, FeliCa |
| Protocol | ISO 14443 T=CL for ISO 14443-4–compliant cards
T=CL Emulation for MIFARE Classic, ISO 18092, FeliCa and NFC tags |
| Operating Frequency | 13.56 MHz |
| Operating Distance | Up to 50 mm (depending on tag type) |
| Smart Card Read/Write Speed | 106 Kbps, 212 Kbps, 424 Kbps |
| Antenna Size | 50 mm × 40 mm |
| SAM Card Interface | |
| Number of Slot | 1 Standard SIM-sized Card Slot |
| Standard | ISO 14443 T=CL for ISO 14443-4–compliant cards |
| Protocol | T=0;T=1 |
| Smart Card Read/Write Speed | 9.6 Kbps – 215 Kbps |
| Card Connector Type | SAM Slot 0: Contact |
| Built-in Peripherals | |
| LED | 1 bi-color: Red and Green |
| Buzzer | Monotone |
| Other Feature | |
| Firmware Upgrade | Supported |
| Application Programming Interface | |
| PC-linked mode | PC/SC |
| CT-API (through wrapper on top of PC/SC) | |
| Operating Conditions | |
| Temperature | 0 °C – 50 °C |
| Humidity | Max. 90% (non-condensing) |
| MTBF | 500,000 hrs |
ACR1252U vs ACR122U
Both the ACR1252U and the ACR122U are ACS USB NFC readers working at 13.56 MHz. Here is how their documented specifications differ — neither is presented as universally "better"; which one fits depends on your requirements.
| Feature | ACR1252U | ACR122U |
| Operating frequency | 13.56 MHz | 13.56 MHz |
| Supported cards/tags | ISO 14443 A/B, MIFARE, FeliCa, NFC tags | ISO 14443 A/B, MIFARE, FeliCa, NFC tags |
| Read/write speed | Up to 424 Kbps | Up to 424 Kbps |
| Operating distance | Up to 50 mm | Up to 50 mm |
| SAM slot | 1 built-in, standard | Optional integration (ISO 7816-3) |
| NFC Forum certification | Certified | Not stated on BSD's ACR122U page |
| Firmware upgrade | Supported (stated) | Not stated on BSD's ACR122U page |
| Price (BSD Infotech, excl. GST) | ₹3,700 | ₹3,000 |
See the full ACR122U product page for its complete specifications.
ACR1252U vs ACR1552U
The ACR1552U is a newer ACS NFC reader in the same family. Documented differences from the ACR1252U:
| Feature | ACR1252U | ACR1552U |
| Operating frequency | 13.56 MHz | 13.56 MHz |
| ISO 14443 A/B, MIFARE, FeliCa | Supported | Supported |
| ISO/IEC 15693 (vicinity cards) | Not stated on this page's specifications | Supported |
| SAM slot | 1 built-in | 1 built-in |
| Third NFC-related mode | Peer-to-Peer Communication | Keyboard emulation |
| NFC Forum certification | Certified | Not stated on BSD's ACR1552U page |
| Driver platforms stated | Android 3.1 and later | Windows, Linux, macOS, Android |
| Price (BSD Infotech, excl. GST) | ₹3,700 | ₹5,500 |
See the full ACR1552U product page for its complete specifications.
Who Should Choose the ACR1252U?
Consider the ACR1252U when you need an NFC Forum–certified reader with a built-in SAM slot for secure NFC or smart-poster style deployments. If your application also needs ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity-card support, see the ACR1552U instead. If you do not need a built-in SAM slot or NFC Forum certification specifically, the ACR122U covers the same core card types at a lower price. If your cards are contact-only (ISO 7816), a contact reader such as the ACR39U or ACR40U is the appropriate choice instead, or a dual-interface reader such as the ACR1281U-C1 or ACR1581U if you need both contact and contactless in one device.
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How BSD Infotech Can Help with the ACR1252U
Buy the hardware on its own, or add setup, integration and software. Services are separate from the hardware price and quoted to your requirement.
Hardware Supply
BSD Infotech supplies the ACR1252U at ₹3,700 + GST per piece for individual, bulk, dealer and project requirements across India, subject to current availability.
Setup & Configuration
Help installing the driver and configuring the ACR1252U for your cards or tags, where applicable.
Software Integration
Chargeable PC/SC and SDK integration of the ACR1252U with your application, subject to the manufacturer’s SDK and technical feasibility. See smart card SDK and integration.
Complete Solution
Custom NFC and contactless card applications built around the ACR1252U — for example access, cashless or tag-based workflows, with database and reporting.
Bulk, dealer and project enquiries are welcome. See all contactless and NFC readers.