MIFARE Card
MIFARE cards are contactless smart cards that work at 13.56 MHz and follow ISO/IEC 14443. They store data in on-card memory and are used for access control, student and employee ID, loyalty, cashless payment and transport. BSD Infotech supplies MIFARE cards in all the common variants, with custom printing and matching readers.
MIFARE Variants
| MIFARE Classic | Widely used memory card for access, attendance and basic stored value. |
|---|---|
| MIFARE Ultralight, Ultralight EV1, Ultralight C | Low-cost, low-memory cards for tickets and short-term passes; Ultralight C adds cryptographic authentication. |
| MIFARE DESFire, DESFire EV1 | Higher-security cards with cryptography, used for multi-application, payment and high-security access. |
| MIFARE Plus | Designed as a higher-security upgrade path for Classic-based systems. |
| MIFARE SAM AV2 | A secure access module used in readers to hold keys securely. |
Choosing a MIFARE Card
- Security: for payment, multi-application or high-security access, prefer DESFire or Plus over Classic.
- Memory: choose enough memory for the applications stored on the card.
- Readers: use 13.56 MHz readers that support the chosen variant — see contactless & NFC readers.
- Printing: cards can be printed with logo, photo and details — see card printing.
Applications
Access management, student smart ID cards, loyalty cards, micro-payment and e-purse, attendance, library and transport. BSD Infotech builds solutions on MIFARE cards, such as e-purse, cashless campuses and access control.
Frequently Asked Questions
We supply MIFARE Classic, MIFARE Ultralight, Ultralight EV1, Ultralight C, MIFARE DESFire, DESFire EV1, MIFARE Plus, and MIFARE SAM AV2.
MIFARE cards are contactless smart cards that operate on 13.56 MHz and are compliant with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard, with onboard memory that varies by variant.
Common applications include access management, student ID cards, loyalty cards, micro payments, event ticketing, parking management, membership cards, and mobile ticketing.
DESFire (EV1 and later) and MIFARE Plus provide stronger cryptographic protection than MIFARE Classic, so they are preferred for payment and high-security access.
Yes. Multi-application cards such as DESFire can hold several applications, and systems can use one card for access, attendance and cashless payment, subject to the software used.
You need a 13.56 MHz reader that supports the MIFARE variant you use. BSD Infotech supplies compatible contactless readers.