ACR35 NFC MobileMate Card Reader
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The ACS ACR35 NFC MobileMate is a pocket-sized card reader that plugs into a smartphone’s 3.5 mm audio jack. It reads 13.56 MHz contactless (NFC) cards and swiped magnetic stripe cards, runs on its own rechargeable battery, and turns an Android phone into a portable card terminal for field staff, membership counters, events and collection agents.
BSD Infotech supplies the ACR35 in India and has built a free Android utility for it, so you can test the reader and your cards on day one, before any software is written.
ACR35 at a Glance
Audio jack connection
Plugs into the phone’s 3.5 mm headphone jack, or a USB-C to 3.5 mm analog adapter. No Bluetooth pairing.
NFC / contactless
13.56 MHz contactless cards such as MIFARE Classic, for member, loyalty and ID cards.
Magnetic stripe
Swipe slot for magnetic stripe cards. Card data is encrypted by the reader (AES or DUKPT) before it reaches the phone.
Battery powered
Rechargeable battery with a sleep timeout you can set, so it does not drain the phone.
The ACR35 has no contact chip slot. For contact smart cards, see the ACR39U (PC) or our mobile smart card readers.
Free BSD Utility for the ACR35 (Android)
Verify your email with a one-time password and download the APK. What it does:
- Reader: wake the reader, see firmware, battery and sleep timeout, change the sleep timeout.
- NFC card: MIFARE Classic 1K: read the UID; read, write and erase a member record (name, mobile, email, enrolment number, amount); change the card key. It uses the same card format as the ACR122U PC utility, so cards move between phone and PC.
- Magnetic stripe: swipe a card to see the decrypted name, masked card number, expiry, service code and raw tracks. Nothing is stored or sent.
- APDU: power the contactless card on or off and send any command in hex.
Getting Started with the ACR35
- Charge the ACR35 and switch it on.
- Plug it into the phone’s headphone jack. On phones without a jack, use a USB-C to 3.5 mm analog audio adapter.
- Install the BSD ACR35 utility and allow the microphone permission. The reader answers the phone through the microphone line.
- The app raises media volume to maximum. If Android shows a “listening at high volume” warning, accept it and set the volume to full.
- Tap Wake Reader, then Reader Info to confirm the reader is answering.
Audio jack readers depend on the phone’s audio hardware. Test the phone model (and adapter) you plan to roll out before buying in bulk; BSD Infotech can help with that test.
Where the ACR35 Is Used
- Membership and club counters: check a member card and balance on a phone.
- Field staff and collection agents: identify customers by card away from a PC.
- Events and canteens: read prepaid or loyalty cards at temporary counters.
- Card testing: check what is written on MIFARE cards before issuing them.
Need an Android app built around the ACR35 and your card format? See NFC and smart card application development.