Ever check into a hotel and use a special card to open your door? This is known as a magnetic stripe card. You don't just have an ordinary card; you have a magical card that uses something called magnetism to open doors. The key card is magnetic — this means it has a stripe, upon which are stored significant details regarding the place you are in and the guest who is lodging. This means that when you take the card and swipe it through a reader, on a door, the door is able to read this information in the card. If all is well, the door will unlock and you can walk inside your room.
Similar to basic cards, use of magnetic key cards for hotels has various advantageous facets due to which it becomes easier for both the customers and the hotel staff. One of the reasons for this is that these cards are much easier for guests to use than regular keys. Guests do not have to fret about misplacing a heavy key. Instead, they can simply keep the little card in their pocket or purse and swipe it like a credit card to unlock their door. Since they will always keep the card ready for use, this is a very convenient system.
Key cards with magnetic strips also have another great thing about them: you have the option to set them for a time limit. So, for example, if a guest is checking it for just one night, the card can be programmed to no longer work the following day. This ensures that only the right guests are allowed into their craft. It adds an additional level of security, so that no one else could get into the room after the guest has checked out.
In addition to convenience, magnetic swipe cardss offer an effective means of ensuring guest security during their time on property. It is critical that the right guests are only able to access their rooms. They can be programmed to work only for the room to which a key card belongs. If a card is lost or stolen, hotel staff can easily deactivate it, rendering it unusable.” This does not allow an unauthorized person to enter the room of a guest.
It is equally important to train the staff to use these key cards efficiently for guest security. Staff should never record or share any information about guests and their rooms. They should always verify a guest’s identity before issuing a new key card. This means that only the correct person repeats a new card if required.
Before investing in a magnetic key card system for your hotel, there are several important factors to consider. First, how large your hotel is. For bigger hotels a more complex system will be required with multiple card readers and card printers in various locations. In contrast, smaller hotels might just require a basic and user-friendly system.
You should also consider what functionalities you are looking in the system. Some modern systems even let guests use their phones as key cards. That means they can open their doors with their phones rather than carry a separate card. It can also allow hotel staff to control key cards from anywhere with the system, which makes guest support easier when there’s a problem.